The Oscars 2012 – Hugo, Christopher Plummer

Ben Stiller and Emma Stone are up to present the Achievement in Visual Effects. She’s very excited to be on the stage to present an award at the Oscars. She’s poking fun at all the presenters gone by in the past. Singing, doing the ever-so rehearsed antiques so many of the presenters go through every year. That was fun.

Hugo wins the award in this category.”I know it’s a huge thrill to be nominated, but it’s awesome to win. Really underrated.” The winners thanked Martin Scorsese once again.

Melissa Leo is up to present the Best Supporting Actor Award. And that award goes to… Christopher Plummer for his role in The Beginners. He is the oldest actor ever to win an Oscar. He gets a standing ovation.

Holding the Oscar in his hand he says, “You’re only two years older than me darling, where have you been all my life? I have a confession to make, when I first emerged from my mother’s womb, I was already rehearsing my Academy thank you speech. But it was so long ago, mercifully for you, I’ve forgotten it. But I haven’t forgotten who to thank. The Academy, of course, for this extraordinary honor and my fellow nominees: Kenneth, Nick, Jonah, dear Max, I’m so proud to be in your company. And of course I wouldn’t be here at all if it weren’t for Michael Mills and his enchanting film, “Beginners,” and my screen partner of course, Ewan McGregor, that superb artist, who I would happily share this award with if I had any decency, but I don’t.

To all the producers, at Olympus Films especially, Leslie Urdang and Miranda de Pencier. All the people at Focus for their tremendous generosity and support, and not to mention my, haha, little band of agents provocateurs: Lou Pitt and his wife Berta, Carter Cohn, Pippa Markham, Perry Zimel, who’ve tried so hard to keep me out of jail, my daughter Amanda who always makes me proud and lastly, my long-suffering wife, Elaine, who deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for coming to my rescue every day of my life. Thank you so much.”

The Oscars 2012 – Tina Fey and Bradley Cooper present

Tina Fey and Bradley Cooper are up to present the next award. They’re presenting the Best Film Editing to Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

“We weren’t expecting this. I’d like to thank the Academy. All The cast.” There’s this awkward silence where the two winners aren’t sure what else to say so they just wrap it up

Both Best Sound Editing and Best Sound Mixing awards go to Hugo. Winners for Sound Mixing, Tom Fleischman and John Midgley had this to say:

“Wow this is an incredible honour. Thank you to the Academy. Thank you to my crew and thank you so much to Martin Scorsese“.

The Oscars 2012 – Billy’s opening, Hugo wins

Academy Award winner and legend Morgan Freeman opened the show introducing a montage of this year’s Best Pictures. This is a way to also introduce host Billy Crystal, who places himself in some of the scenes with this year’s nominees. It’s a light way to kick things off.

This is the 9th time Crystal is playing host for the Oscars. He said, “We’re at the beautiful Chapter 11 theatre…” This in the wake of Kodak going under recently. After his song and dance parody, he introduces Tom Hanks. He is presenting the Oscar for Achievement in Cinematography, which goes to Robert Richardson for Hugo:

“I want to thank you. Martin you’re a genius as usual. To all the past, present and future filmmakers this is for you.”

The Oscar for Best Art Direction goes to Dante Ferretti and his wife for their role in Hugo too.

“This is for Martin and for Italy”