Maybe this is anticlimactic, but there was no way that Cate Blanchett was NOT going to win the Oscar tonight. I mean, there were a few weeks there where it looked like anyone associated with Woody Allen was going to be shunned, but it seems like Hollywood was happy enough to separate the Woody issue from Cate Blanchett. So, our queen was crowned once again. This is Cate’s second Oscar (she won supporting actress in 2005 for The Aviator) and her first lead-actress Oscar.
Cate got a great standing ovation (totally deserved it too) and she joked to the audience, “you’re too old to be standing.” She talked for a while but it went quickly. She said something about the award being “random and subjective” and she honored her fellow nominees with generosity (except for Julia Roberts – Cate told Julia to “suck it”). She uttered the name “Woody Allen” on stage and that got applause, surprisingly. My favorite part is her complete admonishment of the idea that films that center around women are somehow “niche” films that don’t make money. Well… she looked beautiful and the award was well-deserved and I’m happy for her. Congrats, Cate!
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Well, I haven’t seen the movie–but I’ve heard she’s really good. It didn’t really seem like my cup of tea–but I do love Cate.
How long do you guys think it’ll take for them to announce the Best Actor and Best Picture?? Some people have school tomorrow 🙂
EDIT: Never mind (ugh)
She was sublime, she definitely deserved to win.
Definitely deserved to win. There was no competition really, thought I would have kind of liked to have seen Judi Dench win, who was wonderful in Philomena. Also I really liked her speech, the way she included Woody Allen and skirted around it at the same time. Ever the professional.
As much as I like Cate as an actress, I hated her acceptance speech. It was overly-rehearsed and because of that it seemed to come across as insincere. Plus Cate herself didn’t seem very excited to be winning an Oscar, as though she knew all along that she would win. Of course everyone knew all along she would win, but I think she would have done well to retain some earnestness for her speech and not acted so unimpressed.
Not surprised. Well done.
And my favourite part was her DRESS. : )
Only yesterday I wrote that I could not remember the last time I liked anything she wore.
Well, today I do.
Congrats to Cate…but still…she will always be Galadriel to me:
“I have passed the test. I will diminish, and go into the West, and remain Galadriel….” *sigh*
I agree!! Galadriel Forever. My favorite role of hers ever.
I loved Cate’s compliments to the other best actress nominees and her words about women in film!
ITA! Cate deserved the win. I LOATHE Woody Allen, but thankfully, her performance was not diminished by WA’s pedophile taint.
Good on you, Cate. Well done!
I really like Cate. I think she is a good actress and I have yet to see Blue Jasmine, but have no doubt that she was wonderful in it. I can feel happy for her success and at the same time still feel sad that someone like Woody Allen continues to garner applause and acceptance by A-listers in Hollywood. I really wonder if Cate would work with Allen if she had the chance to win a third Oscar, and sadly, I believe she would. Maybe Hollywood was okay with ignoring his alleged abuse because his victim never spoke out until recently. But Dylan Farrow’s letter in the New York Times should not have been in vain. I hope her words touched at least a few A-listers who will think twice (or reject immediately) an offer to act in a Woody Allen film in the future.
I though her thanks to him were very political. She had to thank him or else offend directors everywhere and threaten her career but she can’t praise a child molester either. So she said, “Thanks for casting me.” No accolades or gushing. Just a mention. Well done I suppose.
I agree. I had hoped she wouldn’t mention him, but I think she was just being respectful to her director (so the role, not the person). If she had gushed about him though it would have been in poor taste and I’m sure she was aware of that.
I don’t think she’ll work with him again though.
Every woody Allen film degrades women. Blue jasmine was
among the most insulting. Kate played an ivy league educated woman who had a nervous breakdown over a cheating corrupt husband. I found it implausible and over acted.
Did you actually see the movie? She wasn’t well-educated, her breakdown was was over her change in social status. For a character who was nothing but the product of her own pretensions & delusions, I think she under-acted which is why she’s so great. The point was that everything about her was fake & she believed her own fictions.
Actually homegrrrl, it was based on a real story and yes, the situation was more ridiculous and terrible for the woman in question in real life.
About working with Allen, well if Hollywood works and even defend Polanski with a clear conviction, it won’t change a lot.
I like Blanchett as an actress, but this role was pure scenery-chewing on par with what Streep did in Osage County. It was also annoying that Blanchett would be in a film so blatantly cribbed from both Judith Madoff’s life (she’s married to swindler Bernie Madoff and apparently had a hard time adjusting to life as a poor person) and Tennessee Williams’ “A Streetcar Named Desire.” Allen just took the facts of Madoff’s life and superimposed them onto Williams’ play. Not terribly original, but then again Allen has been recycling stuff for years and everyone in NYC and apparently Hollywood just adores him for it.
WHAT???? Have you seen Annie Hall? What about Hannah and Sisters? I bet you haven’t. He shows women as free thinking, independent, and often choosing career over men. If that’s degrading, then the case is closed.
I agree. I sat through thinking, big insult to women if you think we lose our minds without a rich benefactor. Entire movie was huge rip off of Streetcar named desire with some topical NY overlay.
YAY!!!!! TYAS WON!!!!!!!!!!!!!
YAY from me too. Too bad about Chiwetel.
So stoked it won!
Well deserved! Congrats, Queen Cate!
My favorite performance of the year. Yay!
I’m happy Cate won – seeing the clips reminded me how great she was in that performance. I liked her dress and I loved the part of her speech about female centric films.
Audiences have been loving women in film since Hollywood was created. I’m a woman and honest to God I don’t know WTF Cate is talking about.
LOL….yeah we even love men who dressed up as women in movies
I would have appreciated Cate Blanchett’s “strong feminist statement” more if it hadn’t immediately followed a thank you to Woody Allen. Sigh. I guess she’s not different from one of those Hollyweird people.
Those things are different and do not go on hand. I just wish people separate Allen from Blanchett actual person. And she had to thank him as he was the director of the performance that make her win that Oscar.
I agree. I am sick & tired of people wanting Cate to fight Woody’s battle. It’s absurd that she should have to take ANY blame for his supposed actions.
The people you choose to associate with and to support should not be child molesters. Yes, this says a lot about who you are.
She may be able to overlook it, but I never will.
It should have gone to Judi Dench. Her performance in Philomena is beyond brilliant.
Agree Judy Dench was wonderful. I won’t see a Woody Allen film, so I can’t judge Cate’s performance.
A proud Australian woman here, both Cate & Catherine Martin winning have made my day!
Nice to see the ladies representing!!!!
Overall a very predictable but accurate awards show.
Lupita was amazing too!!! Simply stunning.
I love her so much.
and her speech so much truth in it. urgh perfection on earth is here.
I’m in the minority. I think Hollywood was circling the wagons around Woody by giving Cate the win over Judi Dench. It’s another slap in the face to Dylan, but she’s used to it. Cate is still in Woody’s camp because look what happens – you win Oscars! I guess most celebrities are self-obsessed fame whores who would not pass up a movie with Woody or a photo shoot with Terry Richardson if they thought it would bring them more glory and money.
Agree. Cate looked so relieved when she won, like thank God they don’t care about the Woody Allen thing. It made me sad. Hollywood just doesn’t care as long as the money keeps rolling in.
I wondered why she breathed a sigh of relief at the top of the stairs! I was also struck by how insanely ambitious and grasping she is. She is so talented, so successful, but she hungered for this and campaigned for this as if her life depended on it. Very unseemly. I’m done with her. I was on that track after she worked with WA.
I don’t agree. It is highly inconceivable that the majority of the 6000 members of the academy decided to “protect” Woody by voting for Cate. What is more likely is that they considered her performance to be Oscar worthy and didn’t want to make an example of her/hurt her because of the controversy. She was truly great in that movie.
Well as I said, I wouldn’t know, since I don’t support pedophiles by paying to see their movies. So I’ll just take your word for it.
well, I am sure we have all attended films of pedophiles, just not ‘known’ offenders. That is the sad truth: Hollywood is not really a place full of ‘good people’. So while I respect decisions not to support directors or actors based on their known behavior, if we did not support writers, actors, directors, artists, etc based on personal moral and ethical standards [granted, we don’t know as much b/c history is biased in documentation and media today is more revealing], well, we’d need to condemn many if not most of the greatest works of art, literature, archictecture, civilization, etc.
Yes! And, I use to love Cate but no more. Sorry darling, you sold your soul.
Because no women ever got wealthy and successful before Cate Blanchett?
She is such an intelligent woman. Her speech was the most eloquent and grounded of the acting award winners. And she didn’t cry.
I didn’t understand the “suck it” to Julia. Is that some sort of inside joke or was she really throwing Julia some shade?
I LOVE that Cate called out the film industry’s derogatory attitude towards women’s roles!!! I knew, 10 minutes into Blue Jasmine, that she would win; it was an epic performance. Very well deserved.
Derogatory attitude towards woman is something Woody Allen is really famous for.
Cate Blanchett’s speech was neither intelligent nor eloquent. And no way her performance deserved her to win more than Judi Dench.
I bet you’ve never seen one of his films but you’ve heard someone else say that about them, because more women then men watch woody Allen films cause they’re about women, the lead actors are mostly women and if not they’re strong supporting characters, and the stories are usually about THEY’RE relationship with men, not the other way around. Maybe you should watch one, so then you’d know what he’s really famous for.
Maybe you still can sit through his movies, but I have given up any hope that there is anything interesting coming from Allen anymore.
Of course he has a derogatory attitude against women, his behavior towards his own daughter was according to the presiding custody judge “grossly inappropriate and that measures must be taken to protect her”
I didn’t find Cate’s speech very gracious, either. What was that crack about Sandra Bullock? I could watch your performance until the end of time and felt like I had? Maybe I misunderstood that, because is thought Gravity was boring and endless, but Sandra looked sort of bewildered and not sure how to react.
yea, as far as gracious, the last couple of interviews I watched with CB, I found her quite insufferable and condescending. I think she’s a bit holier than thou to be honest. I’m kind of over her as far as tha goes…though she’s an incredible actress and style icon/ethereal beauty. She’s intelligent and strong minded so I respect that. I just think her attitude is obnoxious now. Maybe she’s tired of the hollywood machine so she just lets things rip. Or she is trying to be snarky and doesn’t pull it off? I don’t know-i just think her know-it-all attitude about ‘issues of importance’ comes off as pontificating lately.
Anyway, happy that she won; her career and performance deserve it.
Kudos to Cate Blanchett!! She deserved to win. She is such a gifted actress.
As for Woody Allen, the dredging up of family drama only served to promote the launch of Ronan Farrow‘s new MSNBC show. But now that it’s officially on the air, Farrow is trying to reel in the dirty laundry he helped air out in the first place.
Congrats to Cate, but I go back and forth on whether I want to see this film or not. Part of me wants to, but the other part.. not so much.
Seriously, don’t waste your time. It was awful.
It was brilliant and heart-wrenching. This is really what acting is all about.
She’s Robin Wright’s twin sister or what?
Wow! I can’t believe how many people here haven’t seen “Blue Jasmine”. That says a lot. On a different note, she looks amazing. Her dress was beautiful, hair gorgeous, everything.
“That says a lot.” Oh, do tell?
For me it means two things-1) I have seen several WA movies and honestly I didn’t care for any of them. I just don’t like his movies above and beyond anything else. and 2) If I did like his movies I would still boycott them because I choose to not support the efforts of a pedophile.
I find it surprising that anyone would see a movie of his; I actually think it says quite a lot about them.
Well deserved, she. Was amazing in blue jasmine. Can anyone please explain the “suck it”directed at Julia Roberts?
Apparently it was a joke between Julia Roberts and Cate Blanchett which they were having earlier in the bar. She explained it briefly in the press room, although she didn’t go into details about the joke. Julia Roberts obviously found it funny because she was in hysterics
I won’t see Blue Jasmine because I refuse to support Woody Allen the alleged pedo.
Her role in Elizabeth years ago was way more deserving of an Oscar.. biased as I love all things English here but STILL. I thought her acting in BLue Jasmine (and I HAVE seen it, not basing this on hearsay) was a little caricature-ish and as someone mentioned ‘scene chewing’ ha. I am not sure why that movie got so much attention. And I have so little respect for her statement made after Dylan published her letter about being abused , Cate’s comment was totally neutral and lame. She has kids of her own, FFS. Why such an anemic reaction to such a serious thing (Allen’s abuse )? Lost a lot of respect for her. She’s still a good actress but meh. Dench’s role was much more deserving of an award in my opinion.
I agree GoodNamesAllTaken. Cate definitely diss’d Sandra Bullock with that crack. In fact, after the speech when the camera cut to Sandy, it looked like she was fighting back tears. That Cate has always been very sharp-tongued to the point of snide whereas everyone, everyone from the teamsters to her fellow actors talk about how kind and gracious Sandra Bullock is. Isn’t it enough that Cate Blanchett won? She had to crap on Bullock in that snide mean way too?
I’ve lost all interest in her. And if she thinks Australian actors are all that, let her stay there.
Yes, the Sandra diss was hilarious but super b*tchy- I’m not a Sandra fan but now I’m definitely not a Cate fan.
I completely agree with you. It was rude towards Sandra and just sort of stupid to Julia (we don’t want to hear an inside joke). I’ve always loved Cate but this speech made me dislike her. She seemed so arrogant and so snide. Also, the lecture about women was ridiculous. I’m a huge feminist, and I’m sure she has some kind of a point but the way she made it was rude and negative. Instead, just support women everywhere and focus on the broader picture. She lectured us about women and then some specific theatre in Australia. I also hated how she called herself ugly which is stupid and insulting to the rest of us because obviously she is gorgeous. Big, huge, rude fail.
Agreed. She undid her message about supporting women with her shade towards Sandy. I saw Gravity, and it did drag at times, but Sandra did a really good job. I guessed that the Julia comment was an inside joke, but the Sandra comment just seemed mean and out of nowhere.
I think that the tail end bitchy comment in Cate’s praise of Sandy’s performance was probably not meant to be said out loud. It would just be too mean a thing to say and Cate B. is not that undiplomatic. She may have thought that or said it to someone previously and it just slipped out here. I thought Sandy was great in Gravity but I also thought that that movie kind of went on and on.
I read the text of her speech. Re: Woody Allen – it sounds like she felt like she had to mention him but in a way that deflects controversy. As for the Sandra Bullock line, it seems unnecessarily passive aggressive.
Why the #suckit to Julia Roberts?
I’m mad she threw shade at Sandra Bullock! That was cheap! as a winner you should be gracious!!
I am so glad someone else noticed the sandra shade cate threw during her speech! I was so confused when it happened, like did she really just diss her?
None of the blogs or articles have mentioned it which I am so surprised by since they usually pick up on this stuff way better than I do.
Other things seem to have been missed too like lupita forgetting to thank brad pitt (unless i missed it), jennifer lawrence’s obnoxious look at me comments while she was presenting best oscar, liza minelli’s many strange moments (like she looked reluctant to even stand after pink’s homage to her mom), and cumberbatch’s awesome u2 photobomb.