"Slumdog" Steals the Show with Eight Oscars

Feb. 22, 2009— -- After winning the hearts of moviegoers around world, "Slumdog Millionaire," a buoyantly hopeful romance set amid the poverty of Mumbai, India, won the Academy Award for best picture, capping a night of wins including the best director Oscar for Danny Boyle.

With eight Oscars, "Slumdog" took home the most statuettes of any movie at the 81st Academy Awards held today at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles.

Sean Penn took home his second best actor Oscar, winning for his portrayal of slain San Francisco politician and gay rights activist Harvey Milk in the film "Milk" and Kate Winslet won best actress for playing a Nazi concentration camp guard in the "The Reader."

Riffing on Hollywood's perceived political leanings, Penn's first words upon accepting the Oscar were: "You commie, homo-loving sons of guns."

The only real upset of the evening, Penn beat out Mickey Rourke, nominated for the titular role in "The Wrestler," who had bested Penn at the Golden Globes last month.

Winslet, who has been nominated five previous times, said: "I'd be lying if I said I haven't made a version of this speech before. I think I was probably 8 years old and staring into the bathroom mirror, and this would have been a shampoo bottle. Well, it's not a shampoo bottle now."

Heath Ledger was posthumously awarded the best supporting actor Oscar for his role as the Joker in the "Dark Knight."

Ledger died Jan. 22, 2008, following an accidental overdose in his New York apartment. Ledger's parents and sister accepted the Oscar on their son's behalf and said it would be given to his 3-year-old daughter, Matilda.

In accepting the award, Ledger's father Kim Ledger called the role "this crazy Joker character." Some of have speculated that the dark role -- an insane criminal clown -- led Ledger to become depressed.

Ledger, who was 28 when he died, joins 1976 best-actor winner Peter Finch of "Network" as the only other performer to win an Oscar after his death.

Penelope Cruz won the best supporting actress award for "Vicky Christina Barcelona," and "Wall-E," the morality tale cleverly disguised as romance about robots, won for best animated feature.

Cruz took home the first Oscar statuette awarded at this evening's Academy Awards for her role as a mentally unstable Spanish woman in Woody Allen's film about a volatile three-way relationship.

"Thank you, Woody, for trusting me with this beautiful character," said Cruz, a first-time Oscar winner who starred alongside fellow Spaniard Javier Bardem.

The awards followed an opening musical number by host Hugh Jackman meant to spoof the nominated films. Hamming it up to Broadway-style show tunes, Jackman sang about the films in front of recession-inspired set pieces made from old pizza boxes and strips of foil.

The following is the complete list of Academy Award winners

Motion Picture: "Slumdog Millionaire."

Actor: Sean Penn, "Milk."

Actress: Kate Winslet, "The Reader."

Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, "The Dark Knight."

Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona."

Director: Danny Boyle, "Slumdog Millionaire."

Foreign Film: "Departures," Japan.

Adapted Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy, "Slumdog Millionaire."

Original Screenplay: Dustin Lance Black, "Milk."

Animated Feature Film: "WALL-E."

Art Direction: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button."

Cinematography: "Slumdog Millionaire."

Sound Mixing: "Slumdog Millionaire."

Sound Editing: "The Dark Knight."

Original Score: "Slumdog Millionaire," A.R. Rahman.

Original Song: "Jai Ho" from "Slumdog Millionaire," A.R. Rahman and Gulzar.

Costume: "The Duchess."

Documentary Feature: "Man on Wire."

Documentary (short subject): "Smile Pinki."

Film Editing: "Slumdog Millionaire."

Makeup: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button."

Animated Short Film: "La Maison en Petits Cubes."

Live Action Short Film: "Spielzeugland (Toyland)."

Visual Effects: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button."