Hollywood Stars Come Out for the 84th Annual Oscars

By Anna Esquibel

Flashing lights, celebrities in couture gowns and tuxedos, gold statuettes and a plush red carpet — these are all the elements that made up the 84th Academy Awards.

The Oscars were televised live from the Hollywood and Highland Center in Hollywood, Calif. to a total of 39.3 million viewers this past Sunday, according to Nielsen ratings.

While white gowns and sparkle dominated the red carpet, the French silent film "The Artist" and Martin Scorsese's family-friendly "Hugo" dominated numerous award categories, both taking home five Oscars apiece.

While "Hugo" won in mostly technical categories, including Sound Editing, Sound Mixing and Cinematography, "The Artist" took home the coveted Best Picture award.

"I haven't seen ‘The Artist' yet but was surprised that it won so many awards because I had hardly heard of it before the Oscars," said junior Casey Cronin.

While the movie was praised by critics, its unconventionality is definitely not for everyone. Junior Julia Hirt went to watch the film after watching the Oscars because it won so many awards; however, it did not meet her expectations.

"I enjoyed the film, and it was definitely different than most movies out today," she said. "But I wasn't sure it was Best Picture worthy. After all the hype, I thought it would be better."

An unconventional film that has not seen much box office success, as reflected by the lack of Santa Clara students who have seen or heard of the film prior to the awards show, "The Artist" is a black-and-white, silent romantic comedy that pays homage to 1920s Hollywood.

Set in 1927, the film follows the relationship of Hollywood film stars George Valentin, played by Best Actor winner Jean Dujardin, and Peppy Miller, played by Oscar nominee Berenice Bejo.

Throughout the movie, Valentin and Miller's emotional and humorous love story is captivating and moving, despite the lack of dialogue. There are, in total 11, words spoken throughout the movie, and Dujardin managed to win Best Actor by only speaking two of them.

While this lack of dialogue might not be enjoyable for everyone in mainstream audiences, "The Artist" was praised by critics at the Academy Awards and at film festivals around the world. It is also the first silent film to win Best Picture since 1929 and the most awarded French film in history.

There were numerous other highlights from the show, including host Billy Crystal's jokes and a Cirque du Soleil performance interrupted by the Muppets.

"Cirque du Soleil was probably the most entertaining part of the show; they are incredible," said Cronin. "I watched it with all of my housemates and we were loving it."

Sacha Baron Cohen dressed up as the character from his upcoming film, "The Dictator" — complete with Kim Jong II's ashes, and Esperanza Spalding performed "What a Wonderful World" during a montage honoring all of the deceased members of the industry from the past year.

As predicted, an emotional Octavia Spencer won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role in "The Help." Christopher Plummer won the award Best Supporting Actor for his role in "Beginners," making him the oldest person to win an Oscar at age 82.

The award for Best Actress went to Meryl Streep for her performance in "Iron Lady," giving her a total of three Oscars and 17 nominations throughout her career.

"My favorite part of the show was Meryl's acceptance speech," said junior Megan Neider. "She was so funny and moving and is just a quality actress in everything she does."

Contact Anna Esquibel at aesquibel@scu.edu or call (408) 554-4852.