Looking at Film from Every Angle

81st Academy Awards (2008): The Ceremony

Nominations Announcement

Nominations Announcement Date: Thursday, January 22, 2009
Nominations Presenters: Forrest Whitaker, Sid Ganis
Nominations Morning Category Presentation: Supporting Actress
Nominations Morning Category Presentation: Supporting Actor
Nominations Morning Category Presentation: Actress
Nominations Morning Category Presentation: Actor
Nominations Morning Category Presentation: Director
Nominations Morning Category Presentation: Original Screenplay
Nominations Morning Category Presentation: Adapted Screenplay
Nominations Morning Category Presentation: Foreign Language Film
Nominations Morning Category Presentation: Animated Feature
Nominations Morning Category Presentation: Picture

Ceremony Details

Awards Ceremony Date/Time: Sunday, February 22, 2009, 5:30pm
Location: Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland
Televised On: ABC
Host: Hugh Jackman
Length: 3 hours, 30 minutes
Nielsen Ratings: 20.88 rating
Viewers: 36.94 million

Presenters

Opening Number: Anne Hathaway
Supporting Actress: Goldie Hawn, Anjelica Huston, Whoopi Goldberg, Eva Marie Saint, Tilda Swinton (NOTE: Introduced the nominees individually, envelope opened by Tilda Swinton)
Writing: Adapted Screenplay: Tina Fey, Steve Martin
Writing: Original Screenplay: Tina Fey, Steve Martin
Montage: Animation 2008: Jennifer Aniston, Jack Black
Animated Short Film: Jennifer Aniston, Jack Black
Animated Feature: Jennifer Aniston, Jack Black
Production Design: Daniel Craig, Sarah Jessica Parker
Costume Design: Daniel Craig, Sarah Jessica Parker
Makeup & Hairstyling: Daniel Craig, Sarah Jessica Parker
Montage: Romance 2008: Robert Pattinson, Amanda Seyfried
Cinematography: Natalie Portman, Ben Stiller
Scientific & Technical Awards; and Gordon E. Sawyer Award: Ed Catmull: Jessica Biel
Montage: Comedy 2008 (Participant): James Franco, Janusz Kaminski, Seth Rogen
Live Action Short Film: James Franco, Janusz Kaminski, Seth Rogen
Introduction: Mid-Show Movie Musical production number: Dominic Cooper, Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Beyoncé Knowles, Amanda Seyfried
Supporting Actor: Alan Arkin, Cuba Gooding Jr., Joel Grey, Kevin Kline, Christopher Walken (NOTE: Introduced the nominees individually, envelope opened by Alan Arkin)
Documentary Short Subject: Bill Maher
Documentary Feature: Bill Maher
Visual Effects: Will Smith
Sound Mixing: Will Smith
Sound Editing: Will Smith
Film Editing: Will Smith
Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award: Jerry Lewis: Eddie Murphy
Introduction: Original Song dance number: Zac Efron, Alicia Keys
Music: Original Score: Zac Efron, Alicia Keys
Original Song: Zac Efron, Alicia Keys
Foreign Language Film: Freida Pinto, Liam Neeson
Introduction: In Memoriam: Queen Latifah (NOTE: also performance)
Directing: Reese Witherspoon
Actress: Halle Berry, Marion Cotillard, Nicole Kidman, Sophia Loren, Shirley MacLaine (NOTE: Introduced the nominees individually, envelope opened by Marion Cotillard)
Actor: Adrien Brody, Robert De Niro, Michael Douglas, Anthony Hopkins, Ben Kingsley (NOTE: Introduced the nominees individually, envelope opened by Michael Douglas)
Picture: Steven Spielberg

Previous Acting & Directing Winners

The tradition of prior acting winners returning the subsequent year to present the opposite-gender category is a long one. Each year, we look to see whether the prior winners returned. There was an intermittent tradition where the prior directing winner returned as well, but this was a rare occurrence.

Actor – Daniel Day-Lewis: No
Actress – Marion Cotillard: Yes and No (Presented: Best Actress)
Supporting Actor – Javier Bardem: No
Supporting Actress – Tilda Swinton: Yes and No (Presented: Best Supporting Actress)
Directing – Joel Coen, Ethan Coen: No

Song Performances

Down to Earth: John Legend, Soweto Gospel Choir
Jai Ho: A.R. Rahman, Mahalaxmi Iyer
O Saya: A.R. Rahman

Original Song Film Performers

Was the song performed at the Oscars by the same individuals who performed it in the film?

Down to Earth: No (Performed in the Film by: Peter Gabriel)
Jai Ho: No (Performed in the Film by: Sukhwinder Singh, Tanvi Shah, Vijay Prakash)
O Saya: Partial (A.R. Rahman only) (Performed in the Film by: A.R. Rahman, M.I.A.)

Other Performances

Opening Number: Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway
Maria (West Side Story), You’re the One That I Want, Maria (The Sound of Music), All That Jazz, Lady Marmalade, One Night Only, You Can’t Stop the Beat, I Don’t Know How to Love Him, At Last, Last Chance, Mamma Mia, Don’t Cry for Me Argentina, Over the Rainbow, Somewhere: Hugh Jackman, Beyoncé Knowles, Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Amanda Seyfried, Dominic Cooper, Spirit of Troy
In Memoriam (I’ll Be Seeing You): Queen Latifah

Ceremony Production Staff

Announcer: Gina Tuttle
Conductor / Musical Arranger: Michael Giacchino
Director: Roger Goodman
Producer: Bill Condon, Laurence Mark
Writer: Jon Macks, Jenny Bicks, Bill Condon, John Hoffman, Phil Alden Robinson, Bruce Vilanch
Writer (Special Material): Dan Harmon, Rob Schrab, Ben Schwartz, Joel Stein, Baz Luhrmann (Sketches), Craig Pearce (Sketches), Robert Cohen
Production Design: David Rockwell, Michael Whetstone
Costume Design: Paula Elins

Emmys

Nominations: 10
Wins: 4
Special Class Programs: Nominee
Directing for a Variety Special: Nominee
Writing for a Variety Special: Nominee
Original Music and Lyrics: Winner
Picture Editing for Short Form Segments and Variety Specials: Winner (Best Motion Picture Montage)
Lighting Design Lighting Direction for a Variety Series: Nominee
Art Direction for Variety or Nonfiction Programming: Nominee
Sound Mixing for a Variety Series or Special: Winner
Technical Direction Camerawork Video Control for a Miniseries Movie or a Special: Nominee
Choreography: Winner