From Spirits to party hopping, Hollywood gears up for Oscar

Best actor co-favorite Sean Penn will  be coming to the Oscars tonight despite the bronchitis that kept him away from Saturday's Independent Spirit Awards ceremony in Santa Monica where the "Milk" star lost the best male lead prize to "The Wrestler's" Mickey Rourke.

Even though Sean didn't make the lively Spirit celebration, his wife, Robin Wright Penn, did show as a presenter.

Intriguingly Penn has been a no-show at all three of the major awards shows this season where he ended up losing to Rourke: the Golden Globes in January, the BAFTA awards two weeks ago and now at the Indie Spirits. Conversely, Rourke has attended everything including the SAG awards and the Critics Choice awards where he lost to Penn. Tonight will be the first time the two of them are actually in the same room when they go head to head.

Even though Rourke won the Spirit and gave a rollicking, expletive-laden, hilarious and touching acceptance speech (particularly when talking about his recently deceased Chihuahua, Loki), the applause meter inside the tent went overboard during the reading of the nominees when "The Visitor's" Richard Jenkins' name was mentioned.

I caught up with Jenkins across town later at a party last night and he said he was very appreciative for that visible support.

"That was really great, so why didn't they vote for me then?" he joked in reference to the fact that he lost to Rourke.

Jenkins is excited to be attending his first Oscars tonight as a best actor nominee but when someone pointed out that they heard host Hugh Jackman will be roaming through the audience interacting, maybe even singing with some of the contenders, Jenkins said he hopes he stays away from him. Too nervous?

The Independent Spirits under the humongous tent in Santa Monica and IFC after-party at Shutters are always a pleasure and the vibe under the big top was especially fun yesterday. Everyone seemed pleased with the wins, especially those for Rourke and Melissa Leo in female lead.

One oddity was the lead and supporting actor nominations for Summit's "The Hurt Locker,"  a film not even being released until late this summer. Apparently by being shown at the Toronto FIlm Festival last September, it oddly became eligible under Spirit rules. I asked director Kathryn Bigelow about this and she was perplexed but happy to be there despite the fact that her film is months away from actually hitting theaters.

"I hope this just means we can come back next year with 'Hurt Locker' as well. Does this mean we are eligible in perpetuity?"  she laughed.

The Spirits have come a long way from the first ceremony I can remember attending in 1988 when they were held in a small restaurant (340 North, now known as Acapulco) on La Cienega. The event has just become huge but it's still got a cool, loose vibe. However,  there is a much MUCH bigger demand now for those coveted tickets. Compared with my table way in the back of the room this year,  in 1988  I was seated right up front in the intimate restaurant with Meg Ryan, Dennis Quaid and Jodie Foster, who all ignored me the entire time. Ah, sweet memories.

Despite the economy, layoffs and general dire condition of the world, Hollywood on pre-Oscar Saturday really seemed in the mood to party. From the Spirits to the high-spirited Disney/Miramax bash on the London Hotel's Rooftop deck to private nominee parties thrown by the Weinstein Co., Sony Pictures Classics and Focus Features  to the Motion Picture Fund's annual  star-studded fundraiser, "The Night Before," held over the covered pool of the Beverly Hills Hotel, the town was out in force. Even pickets protesting the impending closure of the fund's financially challenged long-term care facility couldn't dim the mood at "Night Before," which raised nearly $6 million this year.

In a day that all seems like a blur now, I caught up with several nominees including "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" producers Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall,  who have watched their movie lose to "Slumdog Millionaire" all season long. They were elated late Saturday, though, having just swept the Visual Effects Society's VES awards earlier in the evening, winning four overall.

At the Miramax fete, Oscar-winning producer Mark Johnson, who heads up the academy's Foreign Language committee, was talking about how great the academy's foreign language symposium turned out on Saturday morning. We speculated on possibilities for an upset in the category tonight since everyone who votes has to prove they have actually seen all five nominees. This is the category where surprises can really occur. Even though "Waltz With Bashir" and "The Class" would seem to be favored, Japan's little-known "Departures" could be an emotional victor. Or not.

Spotted around town, by the way, were lots of former Oscar winners including Shirley MacLaine, Chris Walken and Whoopi Goldberg, who told me she was presenting. Hmmm. Could we be seeing an unusually large contingent of past winners welcoming the newest members of the elite Oscar-winning club on tonight's show. Me thinks so.

We don't have long to wait to find out. Happy Oscar day.

-- Pete Hammond

(Photo: Jessica Alba and Mickey Rourke backstage at the 24th Annual Film Independent's Spirit Awards. Credit: Kevin Winter /Getty Images)

Comments

[mark]

Amusing anecdote about those former big stars not talking to you. I think those stories should be on the front page as a reminder to the present big stars about how to be polite.

[Tigerlily21]

Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan may not be but Jodie Foster is still a huge star and one of the highest paid actresses in hollywood, Mark. She just stays out of the press.

[Tigerlily21]

and why should Pete Hammond expect all the stars to notice him? They are just people and you can't expect them to acknowledge every single person in every room.

[Jukesgrrl]

"and why should Pete Hammond expect all the stars to notice him? "

He didn't say that. He said the three stars SEATED AT HIS TABLE ignored him. In any etiquette book you'll ever read, you'll be carefully instructed that it's basic politeness to exchange small talk with everyone seated at your table in any dinner setting.
The fact that those people might some day be beholden to your opinions when you get your own blog on the LA Times Website is not even taken into consideration.