Oscars: Warren Beatty, Sandra Bullock, Jennifer Lawrence in the lobby

The lobby of the Academy Awards show is in some ways more fascinating than the trophy contest that plays out on stage. Standing in one corner, Warren Beatty took it all in with a Cheshire grin.

"After a period of time you come to enjoy these things but they are a, um, unusual construct." Beatty watched as his wife, Annette Bening, spoke with pulsing enthusiasm to Pixar guru John Lasseter.

Beatty said he used to dread the red carpet but learned to embrace the strobe-reality of the world's most famous vanity parade. 

"What you learn is that everyone else is just as embarrassed as you are and then when you know that you can all just smile."

Not far away, Jennifer Lawrence was enjoying the crowd chorus of iPhone and Blackberry reports of her fashion success in a sleek red dress that appeared painted on.

"Well I can go home now I guess," she said. "They better like it, it took long enough."

Sandra Bullock was bare-shouldered and trembling as she dashed into lobby. "It's sooo cold," she announced to no one before being pulled into a warm embrace by Matthew McConaughey.

"Sandy, Sandy, Sandy ..." McConaughey implored in a falsetto voice. The two were quickly met by Scarlett Johansson for discussion of upcoming projects.

-- Geoff Boucher

Photo: Nominee Annette Bening and husband Warren Beatty arrive at the 83rd Academy Awards on Feb. 27, 2011. Credit: Matt Sayles / Associated Press

 

Hollywood's A-List turns out to celebrate Mike Nichols at AFI tribute

If it’s true that a man can be judged by the company he keeps, Mike Nichols must be a whale of a guy.

The gala to present the 38th AFI Life Achievement Award to the director on Thursday evening was so star-studded, it could have vied with the Oscars for sheer wattage. As the director of such films as “The Graduate,” “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,” “Carnal Knowledge” and “Silkwood” looked on with his wife, Diane Sawyer, a steady parade of Hollywood A-listers — several of whom were AFI Life Achievement Award-winners or had seen their careers launched by his films — stood up to make warm and often hilarious remarks: Dustin Hoffman, Harrison Ford, Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Tom Hanks, Warren Beatty, Annette Bening, Elaine May, AFI Board of Trustees Chairman Howard Stringer, Calista Flockhart, Candice Bergen, Shirley MacLaine, Natalie Portman, Cher, Nora Ephron, Aaron Sorkin, Kevin Spacey, Robin Williams and Emma Thompson.

And that didn't even include Eric Idle performing a song from the Nichols-directed Broadway hit “Spamalot” — while wearing wings that referenced Nichols’ HBO work “Angels in America” — or such distinguished audience members as Oprah Winfrey, Morgan Freeman, Tim Curry and Wallace Shawn.

As last year's AFI honoree, Michael Douglas, quipped, “Where the hell were all of you last year?”

But the ambiance at the Sony Pictures Studios soundstage, where Judy Garland once walked down the Yellow Brick Road, had a couple of differences from the Academy Awards: The tribute for the 78-year-old was more intimate and, as Helen Mirren said while waiting for her car after the festivities, “there was lots of love in the room.”

How much?

David Geffen, in person, at the Geffen? (Kudos, Annette Bening!)

Something was definitely up Wednesday evening in Westwood: David Geffen was actually spotted at the Geffen Playhouse.

As a free service of the Ministry, we'd like to read that tea leaf for you: It was a starry, starry night.

At the opening of Joanna Murray-Smith's "The Female of the Species," Annette Bening headed up a cast that also included David Arquette and Julian Sands. And, of course, Hollywood begets more Hollywood: supportive spouses Warren Beatty and Courteney Cox-Arquette came with Arquette's sister, Rosanna. Patricia Arquette was also spotted, as was NBC Universal honcho Ron Meyer.

Kirk Douglas showed, and later got lost in a cloud of autograph hunters waving "Spartacus" soundtrack record covers. So did former Geffen actress Sharon Lawrence, "Let's Make a Deal's" Monty Hall and Peter Jacobson, a.k.a. Dr. Taub from "House M.D." They showed up, that is -- no "Spartacus" for them.