The "it's not a boxing movie" movie, "Million Dollar Baby" was the heavyweight champ at the Academy Awards Sunday, claiming best picture and three top awards, including honors for director Clint Eastwood, lead actress Hilary Swank and supporting actor Morgan Freeman.
The night meant more heartbreak for Martin Scorsese and Leonardo Dicaprio. "The Aviator" came away with the most Oscars - five, including the supporting-actress prize for Cate Blanchett - but Scorsese lost the directing race for an incredible fifth time.
But this isn't a news report so let's get to the highlights, lowlights and other observations:
Chris Rock (host): "It's a great night tonight -- we have four black nominees. It's kind of like Def Oscar Jam tonight."
Jamie Foxx: "Give it up for Ray Charles and his beautiful legacy. And thank you Ray Charles for living!"
Best off-stage award: Selma Hayak and Penelope Cruz hijacked a ladies restroom at the theater and threw a great party.
Best Hair: Lead singer Adam Duritz of Counting Crows with his Sideshow Bob 'do. The Crows performed the Oscar nominated best original song nominee "Accidentally in Love" from "Shrek 2."
Beyonce looked fabulous during the three songs she sang, but why was she wearing a chandelier around her neck for the "Phantom" song? That necklace was more ice than was worn by all the Grammy awards audience combined.
Rock appeared in a taped piece from the Magic Johnson Theaters, where patrons expressed a preference for "White Chicks" and "The Chronicles of Riddick" over "Million Dollar Baby" and "The Aviator."
Humorless Sean Penn and his totally unnecessary diss at Chris Rock for his joke about Jude Law. Get over yourself, Sean. Chris Rock was he strangely lame and mean-spirited at times, but his dissing of Jude Law was mild compared to the LONG anti-Bush bash, which had nothing to do with movies. What was your point again, Rock?
The tribute to former host Johnny Carson was too brief and why was half of it about . . . Whoopie Goldberg?
Scorsese lost the director's race for the fifth time, tying the number of loses by Alfred Hitchcock. As they say on the Amazing Race, "Marty, you're the last team to arrive. I'm sorry to tell you, you've been eliminated."
A horrible diss was sent out to the technicial award nominees, who were treated like second-class citizens. They made the nominees for some of those awards, such as art direction and documentaries, stand together on stage while their names were read, like American Idol contestants at the finals. That meant the losers also had to stand there and clap, at least until the camera closed in on the winners. At that point, one assumes, the losers were then escorted out the back door.
The academy has now created a third class award: Nominees for a few other categories, such as best action short and make-up, had to accept their Oscars in the aisle. It looked like something from that "Let's Make A Deal" Game show. Cheesy.
Chris Rock (on the orchestra cutting short the speech of the third class winners): "Next they're gonna give out Oscars in the parking lot. Maybe a drive-through Oscar lane. Get your Oscar and a McFlurry."
