Jessica Alba, right, and Cash Warren arrive at the Governor's Ball following the 78th Academy Awards Sunday in Los Angeles. |
78th Academy Awards After Parties
There were no sore losers, in public anyway, after ''Crash'' picked up the best picture Oscar at the Academy Awards ceremony on Sunday night at the Kodak Theatre.
''I still would have been happy even if we'd lost,'' said Chris ''Ludacris'' Bridges, who campaigned tirelessly for ''Crash'' and was among the first to arrive at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Governors Ball on the fifth floor of the Hollywood & Highland complex, ''but probably not quite as happy as I am now. You gotta love it!''
''Crash'' cast member Terrence Howard certainly didn't seem to care that he missed the best actor award (''Hustle & Flow'') when he joined Matt Dillon at the ''Crash'' table. ''I've been getting so much attention during the past three months that I'll be on a high for a few more weeks,'' Howard said.
Naturally, everybody wanted a piece of triple-award nominee George Clooney, who arrived holding his best supporting actor Oscar (''Syriana'') in his left hand. Clooney, who missed getting best director and screenplay for ''Good Night, and Good Luck,'' gleefully danced his way into the ballroom and immediately hugged best director Ang Lee (''Brokeback Mountain''). ''I was a bit nervous before I went on stage,'' he admitted. ''But I'll be completely calm if I can ever make it to the bar and get a drink.'' Best picture/director nominee Steven Spielberg (''Munich'') came away
empty-handed but greeted foreign film winner writer/director Gavin Hood
(''Tsotsi'') at the ballroom entrance. ''My entire film career was inspired by
your films,'' Hood told Spielberg before leaving to join the ''Tsotsi'' team at
the Spark Woodfire Grill on Pico Boulevard. With compliments like that, who
needs an Oscar?
Actress Reese Witherspoon, left, holds the Oscar she won
for Best Actress for her work in "Walk the Line" as she chats with her "Walk the
Line" co-star Joaquin Phoenix at the Governor's Ball. |
Best actress Reese Witherspoon (''Walk the Line'') was being more practical
than regal when she asked hubby Ryan Phillippe, another member of the ''Crash''
contingent, to carry the train of her gown into the ballroom. Witherspoon sat
next to her mother, Betty, and took turns hoisting a bottle of champagne and her
statuette, while her co-star Joaquin Phoenix sat next to his mother, Heart, and
nursed a Coke.
Host Jon Stewart, who didn't have to worry about winning
or losing, was happy to have made it through the night. ''I went out there to
enjoy my self, and I did just that,'' Stewart said, as the director of ''March
of the Penguins'' walked by with an Oscar in one hand and a stuffed penguin in
the other.
Losing nominee Paul Giamatti (''Cinderella Man'') was sitting
next to presenter Steve Carell and snapping his fingers and tapping his feet to
the beat of the big-band orchestra.
Best actor winner Philip Seymour Hoffman (''Capote''), accompanied by his
costume designer partner Mimi O'Donnell, chuckled when co-star Catherine Keener
put her shoes on the table next to his Oscar.
Jennifer Love Hewitt arrives at the 14th Annual Elton
John Academy Awards viewing party held at the Pacific Design Center in West
Hollywood, California. |
And pregnant best supporting actress winner Rachel Weisz (''The Constant
Gardener'') said her celebrating was going to be limited to ''a quick virgin
Mary at the Vanity Fair party.''
The VF bash at Morton's was definitely the night's hot ticket. Witherspoon,
Weisz, Hoffman and the entire ''Crash'' team joined Phoenix, Keener, lifetime
achievement winner Robert Altman, Felicity Huffman, Heath Ledger, Michelle
Williams, Keira Knightley, Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, Jamie Foxx, Dolly Parton,
Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Alba, Jennifer Aniston, Naomi Watts, Nicole Kidman,
Keith Urban and Lindsay Lohan. Salman Rushdie, Mick Jagger and Madonna also had
hard-to-get invites to the prestigious gig.
Double Oscar winner (director and screenplay) Paul Haggis (''Crash'') brought
his daughters along and gave a hug to ''Brokeback'' producer James Schamus.
Ledger cracked jokes with Phoenix, Hoffman chatted with William H. Macy, Aniston
chitchatted with George Lucas, Huffman embraced Teri Hatcher, and Jagger sat
with Patricia Clarkson.
Elton John's 14th annual AIDS Foundation Party in
a tent at the nearby Pacific Design Center was packed to capacity, and a number
of not-too-happy guests were left out in the cold. But Prince, Ludacris, Sharon
Stone, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Pamela Anderson, Carmen Electra, Tori Spelling,
Mary J. Blige, Nicole Richie, Nicollette Sheridan and Olympic gold-medal-winning
snowboarder Shaun White (known as ''The Flying Tomato) made it in time for John
Legend's performance and his duet with Sir Elton, who happily posed with Nick
Park and Steve Box, the co-creators of animated feature winner ''Wallace &
Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit.''
Nicky and Paris Hilton, who
noticeably weren't invited to the Vanity Fair bash this year, broke away from
Sir Elton's legendary revelry and took the escalator to the PDC's third floor to
catch DJ AM at the Us Weekly/Rolling Stone party.
And when we last saw
the winners from ''Crash,'' they were on the way to a private bash at Prince's
place. Hope they drove safely.
Actress Teri Hatcher arrives at the Vanity Fair Oscar
Party at Mortons in West Hollywood
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Actress Uma Thurman arrives at the Vanity Fair Oscar
Party at Mortons in West Hollywood
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George Clooney, who won an Oscar for Best Supporting
Actor for his work in "Syriana," arrives at the Governor's Ball following the
78th Academy Awards
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