THE British have stormed the 2009 Academy Awards, with Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire picking up eight awards from the 10 nominations it received.

Kate Winslet was also named best actress for The Reader, as widely predicted, and James Marsh’s Man on Wire was named best documentary.

The one big surprise on the night came in the best actor category, where Sean Penn pipped pre-awards favourite Mickey Rourke to the trophy, for his performance as Harvey Milk in Gus Van Sant’s biopic Milk.

While the family of late Australian actor Heath Ledger provided the night’s big emotional moment by receiving a posthumous Oscar on behalf of their son for best supporting actor for his portrayal of The Joker in The Dark Knight.

And Penelope Cruz once again triumphed in the best supporting actress category for her acclaimed performance as a Spanish firecracker in Woody Allen’s Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

Slumdog triumph

The night, however, belonged to one film… and that was Slumdog Millionaire, the rags-to-riches tale of a Mumbai based slumdog orphan who becomes the unlikely winner of India’s equivalent of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?.

The film won eight awards in total, including best film, best director, best adapted screenplay (for Simon Beaufoy), best cinematography, sound mixing, film editing, best original score and best song.

Director Danny Boyle, 52, bounced up and down in delight as he received his award and then told the audience: “My kids are too old to remember this now but, when they were much younger, I swore to them if this miracle ever happened, I would receive it in the spirit of Tigger from Winnie the Pooh, and that’s what that was.”

While screenwriter Beaufoy commented: “There are certain places in the universe you never imagine standing. For me, it’s the moon, the South Pole, the Miss World podium and here.”

Indian composer AR Rahman, who received two Oscars for best song and best score, paid tribute to the city that inspired the book and the film, hailing “all the people from Mumbai and the essence of the film, which is about optimism and the power of hope and our lives”.

Winslet wins

Another British triumph, meanwhile, came in the best actress category, where, as anticipated, Kate Winslet won her Academy Award for playing a Nazi prison officer in The Reader, following five previous nominations.

Visibly overjoyed, but holding back the tears, Winslet said: “I’d be lying if I hadn’t made a version of this speech. I think I was probably eight years old and staring into a mirror and this would have been a shampoo bottle. Well it’s not a shampoo bottle now.”

She also thanked her husband, Revolutionary Road director Sam Mendes, and her children, for “letting me do what I love and who love me just the way that I am”, as well as her mum and dad – the latter of whom wolf-whistled to her from the audience so that she could see him as she paid tribute.

Penn and Ledger

The night’s big surprise came in the best actor category, where Sean Penn triumphed for Milk. In a popular speech, the star acknowledged his off-screen reputation, stating: “I know how hard I make it to appreciate me.”

To rapturous applause, the actor went on to call for “equal rights for everyone”, adding: “I think it is a good time for those who voted for the ban against gay marriage to sit and reflect and anticipate their great shame.”

That film also earned screenwriter Dustin Lance Black the award for best original screenplay, prompting Black to pay tribute to the memory of Harvey Milk, who became the first openly gay man to be elected to politics in San Francisco before being assassinated by a fellow politician.

He said: “If Harvey had not been taken from us 30 years ago, I think he’d want me to say to all those gay and lesbian kids out there tonight – who have been told that they are less than by their churches, by the government, or by their families – that you are beautiful, wonderful creatures that are valued.”

There was barely a dry eye in the auditorium, meanwhile, when Heath Ledger was announced as best supporting actor for his role as The Joker, with his mother saying: “We have been truly overwhelmed by the honour and respect being bestowed upon him with this award.”

His sister, meanwhile, said: “We both knew that what you had created in The Joker was extraordinarily special.”

Ledger, who died in January 2008, became the second performer to win a posthumous Oscar, following Peter Finch’s win for Network in 1977.

And let’s not forget

Spanish actress Penelope Cruz won her first Oscar for her performance as a passionate artist in Woody Allen’s Vicky Cristina Barcelona, joking to the audience: “Has anybody ever fainted here? I might be the first one.”

She added: “Thank you Woody for trusting me with this beautiful character.”

Pixar once again triumphed in the best animated category, with Wall-E deservedly taking best film.

And Japanese film Departures was named best foreign language film, ahead of hotly-tipped Israeli documentary Waltz With Bashir.

The 2009 ceremony, held on February 22, 2009, was hosted by Australian actor Hugh Jackman, who received widespread praise afterwards for his charismatic turn, and song and dance routine.

In a humour-laden presentation, he observed: “The Academy loves to salute range… Robert Downey Jnr in Tropic Thunder. Robert, who’s an American, played an Australian playing an African-American. Nominated. Whereas me, I’m an Australian who played an Australian in a movie called Australia. Hosting.”

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences had been eager to breathe new life into this year’s ceremony, following a continued decline in TV viewing figures. It remains to be seen how many people tuned in.

View the winners in full

Extra Oscars coverage: Reviews and interviews

Slumdog Millionaire: Review l Danny Boyle interview

The Reader: Review l Kate Winslet interview

Milk: Review l Dustin Lance Black interview

Man On Wire: Review l James Marsh interview

Wall-E: Review

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