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Story by: Jack Foley
CLINT Eastwood's Million
Dollar Baby delivered a telling knock-out blow to Martin Scorsese's
The Aviator, when the boxing drama
emerged as the major winner at this year's Oscars.
Eastwood's tragic tale of a female boxer took best film, best
director, best actress (Hilary Swank) and best supporting actor
(Morgan Freeman).
Ironically, it had proved difficult to make, with Eastwood encountering
resistance from studios which thought the film wouldn't be worthy
of audience attention.
Eastwood both stars in and directs the film, which focuses on
a veteran boxing coach as he reluctantly agrees to train Hilary
Swank's feisty female fighter with tragic consequences.
However, Million Dollar Baby's triumph came at the expense of
Scorsese's lavish Howard Hughes biopic, The Aviator, which had
been tipped to earn the director his first Oscar in five attempts.
The Aviator had been the pre-awards favourite, with 11 nominations,
but only emerged with five, including a best supporting actress
Oscar for Cate Blanchett, who provided a remarkable turn as Katharine
Hepburn.
But the film's star and Golden Globe winner, Leonardo Di Caprio,
lost out in the best actor category to Jamie Foxx, who was recognised
for his astonishing performance as late soul singing legend, Ray
Charles, in Taylor Hackford's warts-and-all biopic, Ray.
In other awards, animated hit, The
Incredibles, won best animated feature and best sound editing.
While quirky comedy, Sideways,
which did so well at The
Independent Spirit Awards, won best adapted screenplay.
Eternal Sunshine
of the Spotless Mind was named best original screenplay.
The best documentary was Born into Brothels, a film about the
children of prostitutes in Calcutta, while Spanish euthanasia
drama, The Sea Inside, was named
best foreign language film.
Spider-Man 2 triumphed in
the visual effects category, Finding
Neverland won best musical score, Ray picked up another award
for best sound mixing and Lemony
Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events took best make-up.
Oscar quotes
Commenting on his Oscar success, which marks the second of his
career after Unforgiven, Eastwood said: "It was a wonderful
adventure. To make a picture in 37 days, it takes a well oiled
machine.
"I am lucky to be here and lucky to be still working. I've
got a lot of stuff to do yet."
His co-star, Hilary Swank, who also received her second best
actress Oscar, said: "I don't know what I did in this life
to deserve this. I'm just a girl from a trailer park who had a
dream."
Her success came at the expense of British hopefuls, Imelda Staunton
and Kate Winslet.
Morgan Freeman, who also triumphed over British star, Clive Owen,
described the film as 'a labour of love', adding: "A lot
of people say you're due - maybe you are, maybe you aren't - it's
an accolade."
The award is the first win of his career, even though the nomination
marked his fourth in total.
Ray star, Jamie Foxx, paid tribute to the 'beautiful legacy'
of Ray Charles, who died last year, and thanked director, Taylor
Hackford.
"You took a chance, man," he said. "That love
for Ray Charles was deep down in the earth somewhere and you opened
it up.
"Everybody's drowning in this love. Thank you for taking
a chance and thank you for waiting 15 years to get me to do it."
And Cate Blanchett, who won for the first time in her career,
said her award was 'an indescribable surprise and honour'.
Of Hepburn, she said: "The longevity of her career is inspiring
to everyone."
Blanchett also paid tribute to the film's director, Martin Scorsese,
telling him: "I hope my son will marry your daughter."
This year's ceremony was presented by comedian, Chris Rock, who
received a standing ovation before getting the show under way
following criticism he had received in the run-up to the awards.
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Winners appear in bold
Best film
The Aviator
Million Dollar Baby
Finding Neverland
Ray
Sideways
Best actor
Clint Eastwood - Million Dollar Baby
Jamie Foxx - Ray
Don Cheadle - Hotel Rwanda
Johnny Depp - Finding Neverland
Leonardo DiCaprio - The Aviator
Best actress
Hilary Swank - Million Dollar Baby
Imelda Staunton - Vera Drake
Kate Winslet - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Annette Bening - Being Julia
Catalina Sandino Moreno - Maria Full of Grace
Best supporting actor
Alan Alda - The Aviator
Clive Owen - Closer
Jamie Foxx - Collateral
Thomas Haden Church - Sideways
Morgan Freeman - Million Dollar Baby
Best supporting actress
Cate Blanchett - The Aviator
Virginia Madsen - Sideways
Laura Linney - Kinsey
Sophie Okonedo - Hotel Rwanda
Natalie Portman - Closer
Best director
Martin Scorsese - The Aviator
Clint Eastwood - Million Dollar Baby
Alexander Payne - Sideways
Taylor Hackford - Ray
Mike Leigh - Vera Drake
Best foreign language film
As it is in Heaven - Sweden
The Chorus - France
Downfall - Germany
The Sea Inside - Spain
Yesterday - South Africa
Best animated feature film
The Incredibles
Shark Tale
Shrek 2
Best adapted screenplay
Before Sunset
Finding Neverland
Million Dollar Baby
The Motorcycle Diaries
Sideways
Best original screenplay
The Aviator
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Hotel Rwanda
The Incredibles
Vera Drake
Best music (score)
Finding Neverland
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
The Passion of the Christ
The Village
Best music (song)
Accidentally in Love - Shrek 2
Al Otro Lado Del Rio - The Motorcycle Diaries
Believe - The Polar Express
Learn to be Lonely - The Phantom of the Opera
Look to Your Path (Vois Sur Ton Chemin - The Chorus
Best documentary feature
Born into Brothels
The Story of Weeping Camel
Super Size Me
Tupac: Resurrection
Twist of Faith
Best documentary short subject
Autism is a World
The Children of Leningradsky
Hardwood
Mighty Times: The Children's March
Sister Rose's Passion
Best visual effects
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
I, Robot
Spider-Man 2
Best cinematography
The Aviator
House of Flying Daggers
The Passion of the Christ
The Phantom of the Opera
A Very Long Engagement
Best art direction
The Aviator
Finding Neverland
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
The Phantom of the Opera
A Very Long Engagement
Best animated short film
Birthday Boy
Gopher Broke
Guard Dog
Lorenzo
Ryan
Best short film
Everything in This Country Must
Little Terrorist
7:35 in the Morning
Two Cars, One Night
Wasp
Best costume design
The Aviator
Finding Neverland
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
Ray
Troy
Best make-up
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
The Passion of the Christ
The Sea Inside
Best sound mixing
The Aviator
The Incredibles
The Polar Express
Ray
Spider-Man 2
Sound editing
The Incredibles
The Polar Express
Spider-Man 2
Film Editing
The Aviator
Collateral
Finding Neverland
Million Dollar Baby
Ray
Lifetime Achievement Award
Sidney Lumet
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