Grand and Glorious Awards Show

“Too much of a good thing can be …wonderful,” Mae West once declared. That describes how I felt last night while watching the 81st Annual Academy Awards show. What a grand and glorious showbiz celebration!

Much of the credit goes to host Hugh Jackman for his wonderful song and dance numbers. Besides being “the sexiest man alive,” he’s a consummate entertainer. I loved it when Hugh announced that Mamma Mia! (my favorite film of 2008) has now surpassed Titanic in money earned throughout the United Kingdom -- and I cheered when he shouted, “The musical is back!” at the end of that splashy, sensational Baz Luhrmann tribute to film musicals.

Without a doubt, this year’s Oscars® show turned out to be the best one ever. It was well-organized, informative, glamorous and -- like Mary Poppins -- practically perfect. Here are some of the highlights for me:

Queen Latifah performing a tender rendition of "I’ll Be Seeing You" while clips of actors and other film personnel who passed away during 2008 flashed on the big screen behind her.

Steve Martin and Tina Fey showing off their marvelous comic talents as presenters of the screenplay awards. “Don’t you fall in love with me,” Steve warned Tina when he sensed she was staring at him.

Kate Winslet, in her acceptance speech, teasing fellow nominee Meryl Streep by saying, "Suck it up, Meryl.”

Winner of two music awards for Slumdog Millionaire, A. R. Rachman, explaining that in a world where the choice is between love and hate, he chose love.

All the Slumdog Millionaire folks displaying such pride and joy with each of the eight awards won by this impressive film.

Danny Boyle, who beamed throughout the entire evening, giving a most heartfelt acceptance speech for his Best Director Award (Slumdog Millionaire) and commending the Academy for putting on such a terrific show.

I couldn’t agree with you more, Danny. Bravo to everyone connected with the 81st Annual Academy Awards Ceremony.

Big Night for Kate and Slumdog

I always watch the televised Golden Globes Awards show from beginning to end – and last night was no exception. As usual, the evening included some surprises. Kate Winslet’s win in two categories was not expected, especially considering the strong competition for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress. Kate seemed surprised also – and her acceptance speeches reflected that. She even said, “I’m sorry!” when arriving on stage for her second award. Surprised or not, I’m sure Kate’s brilliant work in Revolutionary Road and The Reader deserve recognition.

And talking about surprises, who thought Slumdog Millionaire would take away four Golden Globes and win Best Picture over Doubt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Frost/Nixon? But I’m very happy it did. Slumdog is a unique film with all the best dramatic elements movies can offer, including romance, adventure, suspense, and triumph of an underdog.

The posthumous award given to Heath Ledger for his amazing portrayal of The Joker in The Dark Knight was a sure thing as soon as the nominations came out – as was the WALL-E win for Best Animated Film. If you’re a gambler, don’t bet against Ledger or WALL-E in the upcoming Oscar race.

Colin Farrell, who won for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy (In Bruges), delivered the most thoughtful and articulate acceptance speech while Sally Hawkins gave the worst speech I’ve ever heard in accepting her award for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy (Happy-Go-Lucky).

Glamour definitely filled the air last night at the Golden Globes. Most of the stars looked great, and my favorite, Johnny Depp (be still my heart), actually showed up to present one of the awards.

Next up? The 2009 Academy Awards! As a confirmed movie addict, I can hardly wait.

Three Happy Nominees

Why are Meryl Streep, Kate Winslet and Ralph Fiennes so happy today? Because each one received two – count ‘em -- Golden Globe nominations yesterday.

Streep earned Best Actress recognition for her outstanding performances in the acclaimed drama Doubt and the wonderful musical Mamma Mia! Winslet joins Streep (and three other nominees) in the drama category for her equally splendid acting in Revolutionary Road. She also picked up a Best Supporting nomination for The Reader. And the nominations for Fiennes include Best Supporting Actor for The Duchess plus Best Actor for Bernard and Doris, a made-for-TV movie. Although not one of my favorite actors, Fiennes was brilliant in both films.

Congratulations to this talented trio! Competition in all Golden Globe acting categories may be intense this year, but earning two nominations is something Streep, Winslet and Fiennes can be very proud of.

Golden Globe winners will be announced Sunday, January 11, on NBC.