The crime drama The Departed, Hollywood's adaption of a
Hong Kong thriller, fought off the upstart Little Miss
Sunshine on Sunday night to win the Oscar for best picture of
the year, while its director Martin Scorsese ended a long losing
streak and finally won an Academy Award.
The film led all winners during the 79th Academy Awards ceremony
at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, claiming four Oscars, including
best adapted screenplay by William Monahan and best film
editing.
As expected, Helen Mirren and Forest Whitaker completed their
awards-season sweeps by being named best actress and actor, winning
for their roles in The Queen and The Last King of
Scotland respectively.
Alan Arkin was named best supporting actor for his role as a
crusty grandfather in Little Miss Sunshine and Jennifer
Hudson took home supporting actress honors for her turn as Miss
Effie White in Dreamgirls.
Hudson completed her recovery from American Idol
failure by winning the Oscar in her first-ever film role -- a role
she earned by beating out about 800 other contenders for the
part.
But the night ended as an Oscar coming-out party for Scorsese,
who finally won the prize after his six nominations for best
director and two nominations for best screenplay.
Scorsese's previous directing nominations were for Raging
Bull, The Last Temptation of Christ, Gangs of New
York, and Good Fellas.
The victory for The Departed derailed a late-season
surge by the independent film Little Miss Sunshine, which
was made on an US$8-million-budget but won top honors from the
directors and actors guilds earlier.
In the documentary categories, The Blood of Yingzhou
District won the Oscar for short subject, while former US
vice-president Al Gore's global-warming documentary An
Inconvenient Truth won for documentary feature.
Gore thanked the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and
urged "people all over the world" to fight for the environment.
(Xinhua News Agency February 26, 2007)
