Oh, No. Come On-Why? Her...Again? But, Whatever...

Lay your weary French head on La Streep. Awards season is at an end

Well, last night Meryl Streep joined the ranks of Walter Brennan, Ingrid Bergman, and Jack Nicholson as a three-time Academy Award winning actor. (Kate Hepburn still has them all beat with 4 wins. But, don't you kinda feel like Meryl will join her. She already has 5 more noms than Kate did and she's still working steadily.) Meryl's win was the one real shock of the evening. And as everyone has been saying–is it really a shock when Meryl Streep wins an award for acting? She's pretty much viewed as the greatest actor of all-time. But, as much as she was campaigning for that third Oscar this time around, no one really thought she would win. For one thing, The Iron Lady is just not a very good movie. Especially when you compare it to the fact that her other two wins are for Kramer Vs. Kramer and frickin' Sophie's Choice. And say what you will about The Help, but Viola Davis elevates that movie with her performance and makes it succeed in ways it couldn't with a lesser actress.

More Oscar History was made as Best Supporting Actor winner, Christopher Plummer, became the oldest person to win an acting Oscar (take that, Jessica Tandy). In fact, as Plummer said in his speech, he's only 2 years younger than Oscar...and came out of the womb practicing his acceptance speech.


The Artist took the top prize, as expected, collecting 5 awards in total, including Best Actor winner Jean "I love your country" Dujardin. The last one night stand Oscar had with another effervescent European was with chair-climbing enthusiast, Roberto Benigni. (I bet when he started standing on Speilberg, people were wondering if it was too late to take it back and give it to Ian McKellan. ) I hope we don't regret this choice in ten plus years. At least it wasn't Clooney. Clooney needs another Oscar for acting like I need to hear that damn story about Viola Davis staying at his Italian Villa for her Honeymoon again.

And the ceremony itself? Ah, it was just like 1992 again. But, in a good way. It was so comforting and enjoyable to watch a ceremony that didn't try to change the formula or make it "hip" by adding random young actors to host (Billy Crystal was a soothing balm to heal the rash that was Annie and Franco as hosts). The jokes weren't all great, Billy didn't change a thing for his 9th time hosting, and I couldn't be happier about it. There is definitely something to be said for traditions. And in a year that honored Hugo and The Artist with the most wins, two films that lovingly paid homage to cinema's history, it seemed like a fitting way to celebrate.

Complete Winners and Ceremony Highlights after the jump

84 Annual Academy Award Winners

Best Cinematography: Robert Richardson, Hugo

Best Art Direction: Dante Ferretti and Francesca Lo Schiavo, Hugo

Best Costume Design: Mark Bridges, The Artist

Best Makeup: Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland, The Iron Lady

Best Foreign Language Film: A Separation

Best Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer, The Help

Best Film Editing: Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Best Sound Editing: Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty, Hugo

Best Sound Mixing: Tom Fleischman and John Midgley, Hugo

Best Documentary: Undefeated

Best Animated Feature: Rango

Best Visual Effects: Robert Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossmann, Alex Henning, Hugo

Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, Beginners

Best Original Score: Ludovic Bource, The Artist

Best Original Song: "Man or Muppet," Bret McKenzie, The Muppets

Best Adapted Screenplay: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, and Jim Rash, The Descendants

Best Original Screenplay: Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris

Best Live Action Short Film: The Shore

Best Documentary Short: Saving Face

Best Animated Short Film: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

Best Directing: Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist

Best Actor: Jean Dujardin, The Artist

Best Actress: Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady

Best Picture: The Artist

Highlights

~What the hell was up with Angie's leg? It was hilarious. (It now has it's own twitter account and photoshopped slideshow) Do you think she practiced in the mirror all morning to perfect just the right stance to showcase it? Thank god, Best Screenplay winner (and the dean from 'Community'!), Jim Rash, knew what to do when he got up there. 

~J.Lo and Cammie D walk on to a stage... It was like a battle of mediocrity. Luckily, Jen's nipple upstaged them both. (I do believe I kept drunkly shouting and pointing it out to everyone at my apartment. It was there, stylist. You can't deny it.)

~Meryl was subliminally willing that Oscar to come to her. Why else would she be dressed like one herself?

~Not so much a highlight as it is a cry to arms. Sacha Baron Cohen dumping "ashes" on a not-having-it Ryan Seacrest during the red carpet. As my friend said when he came on screen, 'if we just ignore him will he go away?'

~Emma Stone–still able to be charming and funny despite the fact that a gigantic bow is eating your face.

~Scorsese! Bridesmaids SAG Awards drinking game makes a reappearance. And from the confused look on Marty's face, it seems he doesn't watch awards shows that don't involve him.

~That seat-filler in the powder blue tuxedo that has been filling the seats of Oscar attendees for 59 years! See you next year, sir!