Kari Moran
February 23, 2009
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Last night, the movie industry celebrated excellence at the 81st annual Academy Awards. KPCC's Kari Moran spoke with film critic and historian Leonard Maltin about the awards and the success of "Slumdog Millionaire."
Kari Moran: And this, of course, is the morning after for Hollywood. Last night, the movie industry, celebrating excellence at the 81st annual Academy Awards. Joining us to talk about it is film critic and historian Leonard Maltin.
Leonard, the runaway film of the night was Danny Boyle's indie film "Slumdog Millionaire," with eight statuettes, including Best Picture. Does the enormous success of this low-budget film send a message to the Studios?
Leonard Maltin: Well, that message has been sent in years past as well. There have been a number of smaller films that are not box offices smashes, not even as successful as Slumdog, that have won, and I don't think it sends any message at all. (laughs)
It says, it says to the studios, it reminds the studios forcibly, they don't know how to make movies like this. I think sometimes they wish they could.
Moran: You know, I saw the film yesterday, just a few hours before the Oscars, and there was not an empty seat in the entire theater, and I have to say, it was really riveting.
Maltin: Well, it's a wonderful film. I had a great privilege, which is that I saw it at the first screening that was ever held in the United States, at the Telluride Film Festival last Labor Day weekend.
Can you imagine seeing that weekend knowing nothing about it, having heard no hype, no promotion of any kind? The audience just went mad.
Moran: Now, the Curious Case of Benjamin Button had 13 nominations, and it won just three for art direction, and makeup, and visual effects. Are you surprised that it won so few statues?
Maltin: Well, no, because something (laughs) one had to win, and one had to– I don't like the word "lose." Only one could win in a category, and I think, I think this is the kind of year where if the Academy could have given multiple awards, they might have.
Obviously, with 13 nominations, all branches of the Academy really admired and respected Benjamin Button quite a lot, and I'm glad it did win some of those important awards. But it was obviously Slumdog's year.
Moran: What was a moment that stood out for you last night?
Maltin: Oh, there were– gee, there were many. First off, I was very happy with the show itself. I don't have high expectations for the Oscar show. I've been watching it since I was a kid, and I'm interested in all the awards, unlike most people.
I mean, I'm curious about what short subject's going to win, and what cinematographer's going to win. Most people don't care about that, and sometimes find it boring. I'm interested.
But the vast public has been turning off the Oscars in recent years because they're not interested. The producers this year, the first time producers, Bill Condon and Lawrence Mark, said they were going to reenergize the show and essentially reinvent it a bit. Make it more meaningful and more intimate, and they did all of that.
Moran: Can Sean Penn's win really be considered a surprise to you?
Maltin: It was my pick, and everyone sort of, I think, thought he was the deserving winner out of five deserving winners. You know, Kari, this is why I'm glad I don't vote in the Oscars, because I'm a pushover, I'm a sucker for great work like that.
Well, as Winston Churchill said, I'm easily impressed by the very best. And those five performances were the very best. How do you choose just one? But I thought Sean Penn was uncommonly bighearted and generous in calling out Mickey Rourke.
Moran: Thanks, Leonard. That was Leonard Maltin, film critic and historian on 89.3 KPCC.
