'Slumdog Millionaire' is Top Dog at Oscars at The Insider

The rags-to-riches Mumbai drama 'Slumdog Millionaire' took the top prize at the 81st annual Academy Awards, with Sean Penn and Kate Winslet earning the top acting awards during a creatively revamped show at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood Sunday night.

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Beating out 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,' 'Frost/Nixon,' 'Milk' and 'The Reader' for Best Picture, 'Slumdog' was also awarded Best Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Original Song, Original Score, Sound Editing, Film Editing and Best Director.

Upon receiving his Oscar, director Danny Boyle jumped up and down "in the spirit of Tigger" for his children, a promise he made to them years ago, and singled out the people of Mumbai, saying, "all of you who helped us make the film, and all of those who didn't, you dwarf this guy (Oscar)." Winning the top honor of the night and surrounded by his overjoyed cast, producer Christian Colson said, "Together we've been on an extraordinary journey. …What we had was a script that inspired mad love for everyone who read it."

In a race almost too close to call, Sean Penn won enough votes to be elected Best Actor over fellow nominees Mickey Rourke, Frank Langella, Brad Pitt and Richard Jenkins for his performance as slain gay rights activist/politician Harvey Milk. "I did not expect this and I want it to be very clear that I know how hard I make it to appreciate me often, but I am touched," joked Penn, who singled out director Gus Van Sant and acknowledged his fellow nominees, especially Rourke, who "rises again, and he is my brother." Two-time Oscar winner Penn (who won the Best Actor statuette in 2003 for 'Mystic River') also pointed out "the signs of hatred as our cars drove in tonight" and declared the "great shame" for those who voted against gay marriage with Proposition 8, proclaiming, "We've got to have equal rights for everyone." The Best Actor award was collectively presented by former winners Robert De Niro, Ben Kingsley, Anthony Hopkins, Adrien Brody and Michael Douglas.

A shocked Kate Winslet was named Best Actress over fellow nominees Anne Hathaway, Angelina Jolie, Melissa Leo and Meryl Streep for her naked and challenging performance as accused war criminal Hannah Schmitz in 'The Reader.' "I'd be lying if I said I haven't made a version of this speech before," she told the audience. "I was probably eight years old standing in front of a mirror, and this [Oscar] was a shampoo bottle. Well, it's not a shampoo bottle now!" Kate went on to dedicate her award to late 'Reader' producers Anthony Minghella and Sydney Pollack, and added, "I think we all can't believe we're in a category with Meryl Streep at all!" The honor was presented by Sophia Loren, Shirley MacLaine, Nicole Kidman, Halle Berry and last year's Best Actress winner Marion Cotillard.

Best Supporting Actress, the first category of the night, was awarded to Penelope Cruz for her fiery performance in 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona.' "Has anybody ever fainted here, because I'm going to be the first one," joked Cruz, who acknowledged director Woody Allen "for trusting me with this beautiful character" as well as her fellow nominees (Amy Adams, Viola Davis, Taraji P. Henson and Marisa Tomei) and frequent film collaborator Pedro Almodovar, who helped launch her career. Recalling watching the Oscars on TV from her hometown in Spain while growing up, she concluded, "I always felt this ceremony was a moment of unity for the world, because art has always been our universal language." Penelope's honor was delivered by five previous Best Supporting Actress winners -- Whoopi Goldberg, Eva Marie Saint, Goldie Hawn, Angelica Huston and last year's winner, Tilda Swinton -- who took the stage "to welcome a new member to the group."

In an emotional highlight of the show, the Best Supporting Actor award went posthumously to Heath Ledger for his incredible, indelible performance as The Joker in 'The Dark Knight' -- besting fellow nominees Josh Brolin, Robert Downey Jr., Philip Seymour Hoffman and Michael Shannon. Picking up the statuette on Heath's behalf were his father Kim, mother Sally and sister Kate, who said, "We proudly accept this award on behalf of your beautiful [daughter] Matilda." "This is ever so humbling," added Kim, thanking Warner Brothers and director Chris Nolan "for allowing Heath the creative license to develop and explore this crazy Joker character." Heath is only the second actor in Oscar history to win a posthumous acting award, next to 'Network' star Peter Finch in 1977. The award was presented by previous Best Supporting Actor winners Christopher Walken, Kevin Kline, Cuba Gooding Jr., Joel Grey and Alan Arkin.

Other key awards of the evening went to 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button' (Best Art Direction, Makeup and Visual Effects), 'Milk' (Best Original Screenplay), 'The Duchess' (Best Costume Design), 'The Dark Knight' (Best Sound Editing), 'Man on Wire' (Best Documentary Feature), 'Departures' (Best Foreign Language Film, Japan) and 'WALL-E' (Best Animated Feature).

Freshman host Hugh Jackman stepped through the lush, sparkling Swarovski Crystal curtain at the Kodak Theatre with his best effort to evoke the Golden Age of Hollywood, even breaking out a top hat and tails at one point. Out of the gate, the "Australian who played an Australian in a movie called 'Australia'" cracked wise with some of the A-list stars in the audience, including Brad and Angelina and Meryl Streep, who, he mused, with a career total of 15 nominations, must be using steroids. Jackman then acknowledged the current recession with a song-and-dance number about the year's top movies, using folksy "homemade" cardboard décor. Anne Hathaway even got into the act to sing a romantic -- and comical -- 'Frost/Nixon' duet.

The rest of the evening's entertainment and kudo delivery moved swiftly, marked by a creative infusion of presenters taking the audience "through the steps" of the filmmaking process: pre-production, production and post-production. Highlights included Steve Martin and Tina Fey "writing" their own entrance to deliver the Best Screenplay awards -- with Martin telling Fey not to "fall in love" with him; Ben Stiller appearing in a heavy beard and dark glasses, a la Joaquin Phoenix, saying, "I just want to retire from being the funny guy"; Seth Rogen and James Franco reprising their 'Pineapple Express' characters, cracking up over the year's films on their couch; Jackman performing a classic song-and-dance number with Beyonce, 'High School Musical' stars Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens, 'Mamma Mia!' beauty Amanda Seyfried and more, proclaiming, "The musical is back!"; and a touching tribute to screen comedy legend Jerry Lewis, who received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, saying, "This award touches my heart and the very depth of my soul."

Stars who passed away this past year were remembered fondly in memoriam with Queen Latifah crooning the sentimental standard "I'll Be Seeing You": Roy Scheider, Charlton Heston, Richard Widmark, Isaac Hayes, Ricardo Montalban, Cyd Charisse, Van Johnson, writer Michael Crichton, creature effects wiz Stan Winston, Bernie Mac and Paul Newman.

Other glam presenters of the night included Reese Witherspoon, Will Smith, Robert Pattinson; Jack Black, Jennifer Aniston, Natalie Portman, Liam Neeson, Daniel Craig, Sarah Jessica Parker, Bill Maher, Alicia Keys, Eddie Murphy, Jessica Biel and Steven Spielberg.