Hot on Facebook

Guy Buys $123 Safe on eBay, Finds $26,000 Inside Seller tries to get half the cash back, fails »

Slumdog Wins Best Picture

Penn, Winslet win for lead roles; Boyle wins Director

By Matt Cantor, Newser Staff

Posted Feb 22, 2009 11:03 PM CST

(Newser) – In a fast-moving Oscar ceremony tonight, Slumdog Millionaire led the pack with eight awards including best picture and best directing, the Los Angeles Times reports. Sean Penn beat out Mickey Rourke for best actor in the evening's major upset, and Kate Winslet scored gold for her controversial turn in The Reader. Penélope Cruz won for best supporting role, as did Heath Ledger, whose family accepted the prize for the late actor.

Tonight's other Oscar winners:

Adapted Screenplay, Original Song, Score, Film Editing, Cinematography, Sound Mixing: Slumdog Millionaire
Original Screenplay: Milk
Art Direction, Makeup, Visual Effects: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Animated Feature: Wall-E
Documentary Feature: Man on Wire
Costume Design: The Duchess
Sound Editing: The Dark Knight
Animated Short Film: La Maison en Petits Cubes
Live Action Short Film: Spielzeugland (Toyland)
Documentary Short: Smile Pinki
Foreign Language Film: Departures (Japan)
Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award: Jerry Lewis

[Images (9)]

[Videos (1)]

Actor Cleve Jones, left, and writer and producer Dustin Lance Black of the film "Milk" arrive for the 81st Academy Awards Sunday, Feb. 22, 2009, in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

In this image released by Walt Disney Co., a scene from the Disney/Pixar's animated feature, "Wall-E" is shown. (AP Photo/Walt Disney Co.)

Spanish actress Penelope Cruz, nominated for an Oscar for best actress in a supporting role for her work in "Vicky Cristina Barcelona." (AP Photo/Matt Sayles)

In this image released by Warner Bros., Heath Ledger stars as The Joker in "The Dark Knight." (AP Photo/Warner Bros.)

British director Danny Boyle arrives at the Oscars. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Producer Christian Colson, along with the cast and crew, accept the best motion picture Oscar for "Slumdog Millionaire" on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2009. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Sean Penn holds the Oscar for best actor for his work in "Milk" during the 81st Academy Awards Sunday, Feb. 22, 2009, in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles)

British actress Kate Winslet holds the Oscar for best actress for her work in "The Reader" on Feb. 22, 2009, in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles)

British director Danny Boyle accepts the Oscar for best director on "Slumdog Millionaire" during the 81st Academy Awards Sunday, Feb. 22, 2009, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

Surrounded by the cast of "Slumdog Millionaire," director Danny Boyle describes the film's "incredible" Oscar victory. (msnbc)

View larger videos >>

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next »

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

Actors Who Shamed Their Oscars This Year

Or, Natalie Portman: From Black Swan to Thor

(NEWSER) - This year has seen many an Oscar winner in less-than-deserving films, from Tom Hanks in Larry Crowne to Frances McDormand in Transformers. Over at Grantland , Lane Brown averaged the Rotten Tomatoes scores of all an actor’s films since the Oscar victory—first through 2010, then through this year. The difference—measured in “cubas” (sorry, Mr. Gooding)—reveals how much the actor tainted his or her Oscar this year. And the winners are: More»

Slumdog Kids Hit Disneyland

Child actors celebrate win with Mickey

(NEWSER) - What better way to celebrate your Oscar win than by going to the Happiest Place on Earth? That’s where the child actors from Slumdog Millionaire headed the day after their film won Best Picture. For some, the whirlwind trip to California marked their first time on a plane—or even leaving Mumbai, the Huffington Post reports. For more pictures, click the link below. More»

'Classy' George Clooney Voted for Jeff Bridges

But maybe he could have kept that to himself?

(NEWSER) - George Clooney voted for Jeff Bridges instead of himself to win this year's Best Actor Oscar, and he even photographed his ballot and sent it to Bridges with best wishes. Stuff like this is why Clooney "might be the classiest man in Hollywood," declare the experts at the New York Post 's Page Six. More»

Oscars Fashion: Hits and Misses

Charlize Theron gets fondled by her dress, but Gabourey Sidibe scores

(NEWSER) - Now that we know the Best Picture winner, it’s time for the more important question: Who were the fashion winners—and losers—at last night’s Oscars? Click through our gallery for thoughts from the Fug Girls and Film.com 's Maisy Fernandez. And to see Miley Cyrus’ particularly disturbing (or awe-inspiring) get-up, click here . It looks like "a very long tutu glued to a support garment that was on sale at Macy's for $12.99," write the Fug Girls. More»

The Hurt Locker Dominates as Bigelow Snags Best Director

First directing honors for a woman as Iraq thriller reaps 5 awards

(AP) - The Iraq war thriller The Hurt Locker earned the Best Picture Academy Award tonight, and Kathryn Bigelow won for best director. Bigelow is the first woman in the 82-year history of the Oscars to earn Hollywood's top prize for filmmakers. Among those Bigelow beat were ex-husband James Cameron, the best director winner for 1997's Titanic, who was nominated this time for his sci-fi spectacle Avatar. Bigelow and Cameron were married from 1989 to 1991. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Slumdog Wins Best Picture