The 81st Annual Academy Awards

Hugh Jackman:
[singing] The Reader. I haven't seen The Reader. I was going to see it later but I fell behind. My Batmobile took longer than I thought to design. The Reader. I know I need to see The Reader. I even went down to the theater but there was a line of all the people watching Iron Man a second time.

Hugh Jackman:
[singing] From a Slumdog with nothin', I Milked my Button / I Ironed all my Men and Frosted my Nixon / 'Cause I am Hugh Jackman and I've waited so long / And no recession can stop my confession or silence my song / These are the Oscars and this is my dream / I am a Slumdog, I am a Wrestler, I'll rent The Reader, I'M WOLVERINE!

Hugh Jackman:
[singing] How come comic book movies never get nominated? How can a billion dollars be unsophisticated?

Sean Penn:
[his acceptance speech] You commie, homo-loving sons of guns! I did not expect this, but I, and I want it to be very clear that I do know how hard I make it to appreciate me, often. But I am touched by the appreciation and I hoped for it enough that I did want to scribble down so I had the names, in case you were commie, homo-loving sons-of-guns. And so I want to thank my best friend, Sata Matsuzawa*. My circle of long-time support: Mara, Bryan, Barry and Bob. The great Cleve Jones. Our wonderful writer, Lance Black. Producers Bruce Cohen and Dan Jinks. And particularly, as all us actors know, our director either has the patience, talent and restraint to grant us a voice or they don't, and it goes from the beginning of the meeting through the cutting room. And there is no finer hands to be in than Gus Van Sant. And finally, for those - two last finallies. For those who saw the signs of hatred as our cars drove in tonight, I think that it is a good time for those who voted for the ban against gay marriage to sit and reflect and anticipate their great shame and the shame in their grandchildren's eyes if they continue that way of support. We've got to have equal rights for everyone. And there are, and there are these last two things. I'm very, very proud to live in a country that is willing to elect an elegant man president and a country who, for all its toughness, creates courageous artists, and this is in great due respect to all the nominees, but courageous artists who, despite a sensitivity that sometimes has brought enormous challenge, Mickey Rourke rises again and he is my brother. Thank you all very much.

Janusz Kaminski:
Suck on that, Anthony Dod Mantle.

Hugh Jackman:
In Tropic Thunder, Robert Downey, Jr., ladies and gentlemen. Robert, who's an American, played an Australian playing an African American, nominated. Whereas me, I'm an Australian who played an Australian in a movie called Australia.

James Franco:
Man, Slumdog Millionaire! This is definitely the best movie of the year!

Seth Rogen:
This is The Love Guru...

Hugh Jackman:
Everything is being down-sized because of the recession. Next year, I'll be starring in a movie called "New Zealand".

Robert De Niro:
How did he do it? How, for so many years, did Sean Penn get all those jobs playing straight men?

Kevin Kline:
In a year of striking film images perhaps the most unforgettable is that of a man. His face smeared in clown makeup, gleefully sticking his head out of a speeding car, relishing the night wind and reveling at the chaos he has unleashed on the streets of Gotham city. Menacing, mercurial, droll, and diabolical. Heath Ledger as the Joker in The Dark Knight kept us all on edge anxious to see what act of appalling mischief he might commit next. With this bravura performance as well as with a wide range of other roles to which he put his unique signature. Heath Ledger has left us an original and enduring legacy.

[applause]

Alan Arkin:
[He opens the envelope] And the oscar goes to Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight

Hugh Jackman:
The Academy loves range. Kate Winslet is here tonight. She's an English woman who played a German woman. Nominated. Robert Downey Jr. is here also. An American who played an Australian who played an African-American. Nominated. Whereas I who am an Australian who played an Australian in a movie called Australia. Hosting.

Hugh Jackman:
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie ladies and gentlemen. I don't actually have a joke for them I'm just contractually obligated to mention their names five times during the show.

Herself - Winner:
Best Actress in a Leading Role: Okay, that fainting thing, Pen?lope. I'd be lying if I haven't made a version of this speech before. I think I was probably eight years old and staring into the bathroom mirror and this [holding up her statuette] would've been a shampoo bottle. Well, it's not a shampoo bottle now! I feel very fortunate to have made it all the way from there to here and I'd like to thank some of the people along the way who had faith in me. My friends and my family, especially my mum and dad, who are in this room somewhere. Dad, whistle or something, 'cause then I'll know where you are. [Loud whistle] Yeah! I love you! I also want to thank Hylda Queally, Dallas Smith and the late, much loved, much missed Robert Garlock. And from Peter Jackson and Emma Thompson to my very own Sam and Stephen Daldry. I'm very lucky to have been given "Hanna Schmitz" by Bernhard Schlink and David Hare. And Stephen, working with you is an experience I will never forget. There was no division between the cast and the crew on this film, and that's what made it so special. So, to have been surrounded by a remarkable group of people who provided an unbroken chain of support, from David Kross to Ralph Fiennes, Bruno Ganz, Lena Olin, from hair and makeup to cinematography, from the art department to the ADs, and from New York to Berlin. And I'm so lucky to have a wonderful husband and two beautiful children who let me do what I love and who love me just the way that I am. Anthony [Minghella] and Sydney [Pollack] , this is for you. This is for both of you. And I want to acknowledge my fellow nominees, these goddesses. I think we all can't believe we're in a category with Meryl Streep at all. I'm sorry, Meryl, but you have to just suck that up! And just to the Academy, thank you so much. My God! Thank you!

Herself - Winner:
Best Actress in a Supporting Role: This is not going to be forty-five seconds, I can say that right now. Has anybody ever fainted here? Because I might be the first one. Thank you so much to the Academy. I want to share this with my fellow nominees and with the amazing ensemble of actors that I had the privilege to work with in this movie. Thank you, Woody, for trusting me with this beautiful character. Thank you for having written over all these years some of the greatest characters for women. And I cannot talk about great female characters without thanking my friend Pedro Almod?var for having made me part of so many of his adventures. Thank you, Bigas Luna, Fernando Trueba, for giving me my first two movies. Thank you, Harvey Weinstein. I want to dedicate this to my parents and to my brother and sister, to my friend Robert Garlock, who is not with us anymore, and to everyone who has helped me from the beginning, and you know who you are, and I thank you from my heart. I grew up in a place called Alcobendas, where this was not a very realistic dream. And I, always the night of the Academy Awards I stay up to watch the show. And I always felt that this was, that this ceremony was a moment of unity for the world, because art, in any form, is and has been and will always be our universal language and we should do everything we can, everything we can to protect its survival. So I thank you so much and I have to say something in Spanish, because everyone: To everyone in Spain right now who might be sharing this moment with me and feel that this too is theirs, I dedicate it to you, and to all the actors of my country. Thank you very much."

Himself - Winner:
Best Original Screenplay: Oh my God. This was, this was not an easy film to make. And first off, I have to thank Cleve Jones and Anne Kronenberg and all the real-life people who shared their stories with me. And Gus Van Sant, Sean Penn, Emile Hirsch, Josh Brolin, James Franco and our entire cast, my producers Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen, everyone at Groundswell and Focus for taking on the challenge of telling this life-saving story. When I was thirteen years old, my beautiful mother and my father moved me from a conservative Mormon home in San Antonio, Texas, to California, and I heard the story of Harvey Milk. And it gave me hope. It gave me the hope to live my life. It gave me the hope one day I could live my life openly as who I am and that maybe even I could even fall in love and one day get married. I wanna, I wanna thank my mom, who has always loved me for who I am even when there was pressure not to. But most of all, if Harvey had not been taken from us thirty years ago, I think he'd want me to say to all of the gay and lesbian kids out there tonight who have been told that they are less than by their churches or by the government or by their families, that you are beautiful, wonderful creatures of value and that no matter what anyone tells you God does love you, and that very soon, I promise you, you will have equal rights, federally, across this great nation of ours. Thank you. Thank you. And thank you, God, for giving us Harvey Milk.

Himself - Winner:
Best Adapted Screenplay: Thank you very much indeed. There are certain places in the universe you never imagine standing. For me it's the moon, the South Pole, the Miss World podium, and here. It's a tremendous honor, so thank you to the Academy. I certainly wouldn't be standing here tonight without Vikas Swarup, who wrote the book without which none of "Slumdog" would ever have happened. So thank you, Vikas. Tessa Ross from Film4, who shoved the manuscript into my hand and said, "This is yours, you must go to India." Thank you. My parents who've always supported me throughout everything. My wife Jane, for whom repressed English writers have to write love stories, 'cause they can't really say what they mean. Susan Landau and Charlotte Knight, both my manager and my agent. And of course the wonderful Dev, the wonderful Latika, and the cast and crew of the film who have taught me so much about India and so much about writing, and they've all sort of changed my life. And finally, thank you so much to Danny and Christian, the other two musketeers. Thank you very much.

Himself - Winner:
Best Animated Film: My producers Jim Morris and Lindsey Collins should really be up here to accept this with me. It's been such an inspiration to spend time with a character who so tenaciously struggles to find the beauty in everything that he sees. It's a noble aspiration to have in times like these. I dearly want to thank everyone that's been on this film: the cast, the crew, everybody at Disney and Pixar Studios. I have to single out Ed Catmull, John Lasseter and Steve Jobs for creating a cinematic safe haven where only a film like "WALL-E" could be made. To my wife Julie, my kids Ben and Audrey, I love you so much. And I guess I'd be remiss if I did not thank my high school drama teacher, Phil Perry, for twenty-eight years ago casting me as "Barnaby" in "Hello, Dolly!." Creative seeds are sown in the oddest of places. So, thank you so much to the Academy for this.

Himself - Winner - Best Animated Short Film:
It's so heavy. Thank you very much. Thank you, my supporter. Thank you, all my staff. Thank you, my pencil. Thank you, Academy. Thank you, animation. Thank you, my company Robot. Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto. Thank you very much. Thank you.

Himself - Winner:
Best Art Direction: Wow. We'd like to thank the Academy for this wonderful honor. We first and foremost want to thank our crews that we had in our art departments, and those crews were in New Orleans, in Montreal, in St. Thomas, and here in Los Angeles. We want to thank our producers: Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall and my dear friend of many years, Ce?n Chaffin. And I said at another awards ceremony that our producers were great because they did what every producer should ever do and that is leave us alone. I want to recognize one person who's been very special to me over these last few years and somebody that I just think is a brilliant director and even more so a wonderful human being, and that's my friend David Fincher. And I want to recognize him because I think he did so much to make this movie so special. And this movie means so much to me and I want him to know that. I thank, um, that's it. I want to thank my lovely wife for everything she's done for me.

Himself - Co-Winner:
Best Art Direction: Thank you, everybody, and thank you, Academy. And thank you, Mom and Dad. I love you.

Himself - Winner:
Best Costume Design: This is unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable. Before I forget, I must thank Rachel Portman for that music in "The Duchess" - that wasn't the music - but the music is fantastic in that film. I've got to thank Paramount Vantage and Path? for promoting the work in this film. I think they did a great job showcasing the film. My crew. I'd like to thank some individuals, please: Gordon Harmer, Anna Kot, Luan Placks, Ann Maskrey, Anthony Brookman, Sarah Touaibi. I'd also like to thank my agent Michelle Arnold, who is a lovely lady and she got me the interview with these people. And Gaby Tana, Saul Dibb and Michael Kuhn stuck their neck out to get me this job. I apparently was the risk. And I think it's paid off, now, so I'm glad about that. And most importantly I'd like to thank the cast because, you know, working with such a great cast, everyone was with me. Um, so quickly: Dominic Cooper, Hayley Atwell, Charlotte Rampling, Ralph Fiennes; and Keira Knightley, you are one classy lady. Thank you so much.

Himself - Winner:
Best Makeup: Thank you. I want to thank the Academy, Paramount, Warner Bros. I share this with Colleen Callaghan, who should be up here with me. Makeup: Jean Black, Fionagh Cush, Elaine Offers. Special makeup: Miles Teves, Brian Sipe, Will Huff, Todd Tucker, Harvey Lowry, Mark Jacszyn, Alexei O'Brien, Mark Nieman, Chris Gallaher, Art, Martin, Helen Cohen. Hair: Susan Kalinowski and Natascha, Favian Wigs. Our fantastic director David Fincher. Ce?n Chaffin, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, Sara Spring, Jim Davidson, Bob Wagner, Daniel Stillman. And of course Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Taraji Henson, Jason Flemyng, Tilda Swinton, M. Ali, Jared Harris, and especially New Orleans. Thank you.

Himself - Winner:
Best Cinematography: I found that very inspiring, Natalie and Ben. If I could use as few words on a set on a film like "Slumdog" and get away with it, I wish I could. I wish I could. It's fantastic. I could thank thousands of people. I can't do it. I have to, of course, thank the Academy. I'm very honored with this beautiful thing. Everybody who has worked with me on this film - all over this room, especially over in this little corner here, in the blue corner. And all the people that worked on all the films I've done for the last twenty years, they're with me tonight. I'll try and thank you every day from now on. That's my new policy. I'll try and thank people more on set. I want to thank, of course, the Academy for opening this door. And there's something that goes hand in hand with that, that's my wife. Because she keeps the door open when I come back. She doesn't slam it. And I want to thank her, 'cause she's amazing. Sanne, you're a lovely lady. She's a mother of two boys, August and Clements*, who are probably watching tonight. Now, get to bed! You're not meant to be up on the other side of the ocean. I want to thank my ma and pa, of course, my brother John and my sister Annie. Danny, it starts with you, but there are thousands of people with you and under you. They're all with me tonight. I wanna just thank you so much. Goodbye.

Himself - Winner:
Best Live Action Short Film: This is almost a surreal moment for me, 'cause I grew up in East Germany, so behind the wall. So West Germany was far away from me. Hollywood was really far away, and the Oscar, now - it's incredible. And I thank the Academy. I directed this movie. Unfortunately, I produced it as well, as I spent four years of my life on this fourteen-minute movie. And it was a story I really wanted to tell. And I thank all my cast and crew. I had wonderful actors to work with. I thank my co-writer Johann Bunners. I thank my cinematographer Cico Nicolaisen, my composer Ingo Frenzel. Thanks to all of you guys. And of course, I hope this bald head here is gonna help all of us in our future career. Thank you very much.

Himself - Accepting Best Actor in a Supporting Role:
First of all, I have to say this is ever so humbling just being amongst such wonderful people and such a wonderful industry. Firstly, I'd like to thank the Academy for recognizing our son's amazing work. Warner Bros. and Christopher Nolan in particular for allowing Heath the creative license to develop and explore this crazy "Joker" character. To Steve Alexander, Heath's mentor, special friend and agent for ten years; we love you, Steve. This award tonight would've humbly validated Heath's quiet determination to be truly accepted by you all here, his peers, within an industry he so loved. Thank you.

Herself - Accepting Best Actor in a Supporting Role:
Heath was such a compassionate and generous soul who added so much excitement and inspiration to our lives. We have been truly overwhelmed by the honor and respect being bestowed upon him with this award. Tonight we are choosing to celebrate and be happy for what he has achieved.

Herself - Accepting Best Actor in a Supporting Role:
Heath, we both knew what you had created in the "Joker" was extraordinarily special and had even talked about being here on this very day. We really wish you were, but we proudly accept this award on behalf of your beautiful Matilda. Thank you.

Himself - Winner:
Best Documentary Feature: It doesn't feel right to be up here on my own, so, Philippe, you've got about twenty seconds to get up here. As you do, thank you to everyone who was in the film. Thank you to everyone who worked on the film. Thank you to my dear wife Anne Mette and my lovely daughters Anna May and Ida. This is for you, girls. Nothing's impossible.

Himself - Co-Winner:
Best Documentary Feature: Time is short but I want to thank my beautiful wife Lara, my two boys Haroun* and Jonah. May they continue to have big dreams, but may they please not do what this man does.

Philippe Petit:
The shortest speech in Oscar history: Yes! But I always the break the rule, I break my own rules very quickly, and of course this film would have not been made without my Kathy. And also, Werner, I always carry the coin you gave me. And you were right, we won. So now it's time to thank the Academy for believing in magic.

Herself - Winner:
Best Documentary Short: Wow! Oh, to be in a room with all this talent, lucky me. And to tell stories for a living, lucky me. And to have a family and friends who love me and my movies totally, unconditionally. Documentary, like all filmmaking, is a complete team sport, and I'd like to thank my editor Purcell Carson, cinematographers Nick Doob and Jon Shenk, field producer Nandini Rajwade, and from HBO Sheila Nevins and Lisa Heller. The same magic that happens in our film happens every day for children with clefts all around the world because of a terrific organization called The Smile Train. But most importantly for documentary filmmakers it's our subjects: the incredible Dr. Subodh and his team, Ghutaru Chauhan, and our heroine Pinki Kumari. Thank you, thank you, thank you for letting me tell your inspiring story. What a gift. Thank you all so much.

Himself - Winner:
Best Visual Effects: Oh my god. On behalf of myself, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton and Craig Barron, I'd like to thank the Academy for this incredible honor. I'd also like to thank Edson Williams and his team at Lola Visual Effects and Nathan McGuinness and his team at Asylum as well as all the other visual effects teams that worked so hard on this film. I'd like to thank our amazing team at Digital Domain, my mentor Ed Ulbrich, my wonderful producer Lisa Beroud, the woman who is my biggest supporter, my wife Roma. Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall and Ce?n Chaffin for trusting we could actually pull this off. Brad Pitt for an amazing performance. And of course David Fincher for giving us all the opportunity to work on this film. To my kids, Cole and Nicolette, I'd just like to say: Work hard, do good work and never give up. Thank you.

Himself - Winner:
Best Sound Editing: Thank you. As a kid growing up in suburban Florida, I was obsessed by movies. And Hollywood seemed like it was a million miles away; I never thought that I would be here. But I'm so happy to be and thrilled to be a part of the creative industry, that going to work is fun every day. And I'd like to thank my crew, picture editor Lee Smith, mixers Lora Hirschberg and Gary Rizzo, producers Emma Thomas, Chuck Roven. And Christopher Nolan, who is very fun to work with, very detail-oriented, just made going to work a joy; and thank you very much, Chris. Thank you to the Academy.

Himself - Co-Winner:
Best Sound Mixing: This is unbelievable. We can't believe this. Ladies and gentlemen... sorry... I share the stage with two magicians, you know, who created the very ordinary sounds of Bombay, the cacophony of Bombay, into a soul-stirring, artful resonance called "Slumdog Millionaire." I come from a country and a civilization that given the universal word. That word is preceded by silence, followed by more silence. That word is "Om." So I dedicate this award to my country. Thank you, Academy. This is not just a sound award, this is history being handed over to me. My sincere and deepest gratitude to my teachers, Danny Boyle, Christian Colson, Paul Ritchie, Pravesh, Tabu*, and everybody who has contributed to this film, Glenn Freemantle and all the sound mixers. I dedicate this to you guys. Thank you, Academy. Thank you very much.

Himself - Co-Winner:
Best Sound Mixing: Thank you!

Himself - Winner:
Best Sound Mixing: Thank you very much.

Himself - Winner:
Best Original Score and Best Original Song: Before coming, I was excited and terrified. The last time I felt like that was during my marriage. There's a dialogue from a Hindi film, called "Mere paas ma hai," which means, "I have nothing but I have a mother." So mother's here, her blessings are there with me. I am grateful for her to have come all the way. And I want to thank the Academy for being so kind, all the jury members. I want to thank Sam Schwartz, I/D PR, all the crew of "Slumdog," Mr. Gulzar, Raqueeb Alam, Blaaze, my musicians in Chennai and Mumbai. And I want to tell something in Tamil, which says, which I normally say after every award, which is: Ella puhazhum iraivanukke. "God is great." Thank you.

Himself - Winner:
Best Original Score and Best Original Song: I just want to thank again the whole crew of "Slumdog Millionaire," especially Danny Boyle for giving such a great opportunity. And the whole, all the people from Mumbai. The essence of the film, which is about optimism and the power of hope in our lives, and all my life I've had a choice of hate and love. I chose love and I'm here. God bless.

Himself - Winner:
Best Foreign Language Film: Thank you to all the Academy. Thank you to everybody who helped me with this film. I'm very, very happy. Thank you. I am here because of films. This is a new "departure" for me and I will, we will be back, I hope. Thank you. Arigato. Thank you.

Himself - Winner:
Best Director: My kids are too old to remember this now, but when they were much younger I swore to them that if this miracle ever happened that I would receive it in the spirit of "Tigger" from "Winnie-the-Pooh," and that's what that was. You have been so generous to us this evening and I wanted to thank you for that and also for an extraordinary, what a beautiful show you've done. I don't know what it looks like on television, everybody, but in the room it's bloody wonderful, really. So, well done, everyone. Just to make, my, um, Grace, Gabriel and Caitlin, my kids, and their wonderful mum Gail, thank you so much for letting me be "Tigger" for so long. And to my dad, Frank, and to my sisters Maria and Bernadette and everybody in St. Mary's Social Club in Radcliffe, a big, big, big shout-out to you. I've got to thank Tessa Ross. I've got to thank everybody at Celador. I've got to thank Fran?ois and Cameron at Path?. I've got to thank everybody at Warner Bros. for having the great grace to pass the film on to the extraordinary guy at Fox Searchlight, Peter Rice, and all his team. Thank you so much. Peter, wherever you are, thank you so much for bringing all our cast and crew here, or as many of them as we could do. The film is an absolute tribute to them. There's one guy I should mention. We've mentioned a lot of people, I forgot a guy, the guy who choreographed the dance at the end of the film. He's called Longiness, and I forgot him off the credits. And I only found out about it two weeks ago. I'm an idiot and I apologize from the bottom of my heart, Longiness. Thank you so much. Finally, just to say to Mumbai: Unending, inseparable, unborn. All of you who helped us make the film and all of those of you who didn't, thank you so much. You dwarf even this guy [gesturing to the statuette] . Thank you very much indeed.

Himself - Winner:
Best Picture: Thank you so much to the Academy. As you can see our film was a collaboration between hundreds of people and I'm so happy that so many of them could be with us here tonight to share this moment. Together we've been on an extraordinary, an extraordinary journey. When we started out we had no stars, we had no power or muscle, we didn't have enough money, really, to do what we wanted to do. But what we had was a script that inspired mad love in everyone who read it. We had a genius for a director. We had a cast and a crew who were unwavering in their commitment and whose talents are up on the screen for all of you to see. We had partners in Film4, in Celador, in Path? and Fox Searchlight who had the courage to support us. And we had a shared love for the extraordinary city of Mumbai where we made the movie. Most of all we had passion and we had belief. And our film shows that if you have those two things, truly anything is possible. I want to thank, on a personal note, my mum and my dad for all their love and support over the years. I want to thank my girl, Saskia Mulder, who is my partner in crime and the light in my life. And I want to thank all of you very much indeed. Thank you.