The Oscars 2009

Sean Penn winning

Amy Adams

Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick

Diane Lane

Queen Latifah

Anne Hathaway

Natalie Portman

The one and only: Meryl Streep

Angelina Jolie

Penelope Cruz

Kate Winslet

Vanessa Hudgens and Zac Ephron

Penelope winning, with Whoopi, Goldie Hawn and Tilda Swinton in the background

Sophia Lauren, Shirley McLaine, Marion Cotillard, Nicole Kidman and Halle Berry

It's Oscars time! Gotta love it, people. Gotta love it. Especially since channel 9 gives it to us live, so we don't have to deal with subtitles! Hallelujah!

All I want is to see my Meryl Streep, since I didn't even catch a glimpse of her last year. And some gorgeous gowns, of course. But that's pretty much a given.

Okay. You ready? It's 00.20 am in Sweden, 6.20 pm in New York and I guess... 3.20 pm in Los Angeles. Jeez, they do start the party early, don't they? Anyhow, here we go.

Amy Adams from Meryl's Doubt is the first actress I really recognize. She's a beautiful redhead in a very nice red gown, but her huge, weird necklace sort of ruins it, I'm sorry to say. I can't believe I haven't managed to see Doubt yet, by the way. What I especially can't believe is that you only can see it in Stockholm. Seriously? A Meryl Streep movie? She sells! How the hell is it that they won't give it here, or anywhere else for that matter? Well, I'm seeing it as soon as. Count on it.

Sarah Jessica Parker is wearing loads of glittery white with a lil' beige. Apparently Dior and it's very nice. Ooo. Diane Lane! Yay! She's stunning, as always. Simple black dress (Dolce & Gabana), hair up and a pretty, different necklace. Natalie Portman has a very pink dress and no necklace. Very simple and cute. Queen Latifah in black and midnight blue with loads of shiney rocks. Love her! And she tells us she'll be singing later. Great! Robert Downey Jr looks nice in a suit. I wonder if he's high tonight?

Joy and happiness! Meryl has arrived! She's beautiful, simply. Dressed in my favorite shade of purple, too. Her hair is even better. But who cares? It's Meryl! She could be in a bin bag and I'd drool and gasp no matter.

Anne Hathaway is also doing the glitter thing, but far beyond Parker, and it's just a little too much for my taste. She was so much more gorgeous in that red dress last year. Jessica Biel is the only one I've seen so far with the hair down and it's a nice change. And there's Kate Winslet, also in black and blue (I'd say it's the theme of the evening), but in lack of the rocks. It's Saint Laurent, so they tell me.

And oh. Brangelina. She's wearing black. Boring. And green earrings, very noticable of course. They lift up the rest of the dress, for sure. I guess that's what she was looking for. Brad has a mustach and looks a lil' old. They finish up the pre show in style, though.

Now. The red carpet show. First interview Kate Winslet. Second Josh Brolin and Diane Lane. Third Amy Adams. Fourth Sarah Jessica and Matthew Broderick. I think I like Sarah's dress the best so far, actually. Vanessa Hudgens' hair is lovely. Her dress too, actually. Actually, she's lovely altogether. Wow, Penelope Cruz's dress is plain amazing vitage and I'm just left with my mouth open. And that's basically it from the red carpet. Let the show begin.

Hugh Jackman has got something. All of Hollywood is giving him standing ovations after his introductory sing and dance number. Anne Hathaway gets on stage and helps him. She can really sing!

God, they all make me remember why I love this so much. Even Whoopi is on stage, dressed in hideous amounts of leopard, of course, but she's oh so great. The fine presentations from five former winners (Tilda Swinton, Goldie Hawn...) end up in Penelope Cruz winning for best supporting actress. She's touched and she speaks Spanish and I love it.

Voilá. Awesome Tina Fey and Steve Martin. Omg. The guy who won practically spends his speech telling 'all young members of the gay community' that God loves them, not to mind the churches and that they'll soon have equal rights. Kate Winslet and Sean Penn are both cheering him on. Yikes. Promises, promises, but thank you.

Heath Ledger got his Oscar, though it wasn't Michelle Williams picking it up on behalf of his daughter Matilda (nice name, eh?), but his parents and his sister.

It's now 4.30 am and I'm so tired I could die, but there's no way I'd allow myself to sleep before Meryl's up. She honestly hasn't won anything since Sophie's Choice (the other win is for Kramer vs Kramer). She deserves this Oscar!

But I just realized that Kate Winslet's been nominated like five times but never won, so she's the big threat here. They could give it to Anne Hathaway, but for a film like Rachel getting married? Nah, don't think so. And to Angelina Jolie? Nooo. They might surprise and give it to unknown Melissa Leo. I guess we'll see, but I'm certainly praying for Meryl.

Am I the only one who seems to completely have missed that Sydney Pollack died last year? Hm. Weird. And Danny Boyle won for best director. He's really funny and makes me stay awake, which, trust me, is a huge compliment at this early hour with no sleep whatsoever.

Shirley McLaine, Nicole Kidman, Sophia Lauren, Marion Cotillard and Halle Berry are presenting the nominees for best actress. Kate is in tears already. Sophia Lauren is right on the money with Meryl. Her conclusion is that the name itself says it all. And it's so true.

Kate won. She's glowing. She's joking. She's panting. And it's one of the best speeches I can recall ever hearing. "And to my fellow nominees. These goddesses. I don't think any of us can even believe we're in a category with Meryl Streep. I'm sorry, Meryl, but you've just got to suck it up." I don't even mind too much anymore, because Kate Winslet also deserved it. She's a fantastic ideal with her beautiful, curvatious body and she's extraordinary talented indeed.

Dustin Hoffmann is so great when he talks about Sean Penn playing a gay man. Anthony Hopkins talking about Brad Pitt is just unreal and cool. YES! Sean Penn won! Love it, love it, love it and I oh so love Sean Penn. He's surprised, funny, moved and trembling all at the same time. And he throws in the pro gay thing and the go Obama thing at the end. Naturally.

Spielberg is presenting the nominees for best film. Of course. Slumdog Millionaire. As expected. Talk about the evening's big winner. I haven't seen it. I haven't even heard of it before tonight, so I'm just shrugging my shoulders over here. I do know I'll be seeing Doubt and I'll most definitely be seeing Kate's (and wonderful Stephen Daldry's) The Reader. Guess what? Lena Olin's in it! Kate even mentioned her in her speech. Ha. It's a given.

So. It's 6 am. I'm passed exhausted. But I'll try to sleep. For a few hours, at least. Then it's time to find matching pictures to all my comments and finally publish what must be the longest blog entry in the history of this blog.

Ciao.

[To look at more pics, I'd recommend The New York Times' slideshow or why not LA Times'.]