23 Feb 2009
Hollywood stars were out in force on the red carpet as the annual Oscars got under way.
In an evening in which British talent is hoping to steal the show, Kate Winslett arrived in a Yves Saint Laurent dress with her hair swept back.
She said she was anxious about the show and also said she has not fuond a place for her recently acquired awards at home. "My children take them to their rooms," she said.
The 33-year-old starlet told E! that she was "extremely nervous".
She added: "These moments are really overwhelming, I'm very excited."
The actress's parents and her husband, director Sam Mendes accompanied her to the award show, she said.
Following an emotional acceptance speech at the Golden Globe awards earlier this year, Winslet confided that she consulted her children over what she should say if she won the big one tonight.
"My girl said, 'I think you should be really crazy and emotional'. My son said, 'I think you should say thank you to all the people helping you'," the actress said.
Other celebrities arriving including Sean Penn, star of Milk and a best actor nominee, his co-star Josh Brolin, up for best supporting actor, and Anne Hathaway, a best actress nominee alongside Kate Winslet, Angelina Jolie, Meryl Streep and Melissa Leo.
The first glimpse of Jolie and Brad Pitt, who is nominated for best actor for his role in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, prompted screams from the crowd and excitable gushing from the red carpet commentators.
Jolie, wearing a strapless black dress, is nominated for her role in the Changeling.
The stars of Slumdog Millionaire were among the early arrivals.
The film has been nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including the coveted best picture award.
Director Danny Boyle is up for best director for the rags-to-riches tale.
He and stars Dev Patel, Feida Pinto and Anil Kapoor arrived at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre two hours before the ceremony was due to begin.
The cast looked relaxed, smiling as they made their way down the red carpet to the sound of cheering well-wishers.
Boyle said the awards were likely to be "a cliffhanger". He said it was lovely so many of the cast were able to attend the ceremony.
British heritage label, Burberry, dressed Dev Patel, Dominic Cooper and Ryan Seacrest and also made three custom-made, three-piece tuxedo suits for Hugh Jackman.
Slumdog Millionaire, a Bollywood-style tale of a Bombay teaboy's rags to riches story, had been the firm favourite to win the Best Film category.
Some film critics said it would be the biggest upset in recent Oscars history if the film failed to win.
Hollywood has been buzzing with speculation about changes to the Oscars ceremony which organisers had attempted to keep secret.
They include suggestions that the 24 awards would be linked in a narrative and interspersed by more song and dance numbers that would play on the musicals background of the show's host, the Australian actor Hugh Jackman.
Award presenters were not announced in advance and there were reports that organisers wanted to smuggle some of them into the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood through a backdoor to surprise viewers.
The show's woes were compounded by unconfirmed reports that a number of major stars, including Jack Nicholson, Angelina Jolie, George Clooney, and Kate Winslet, turned down the chance to present awards.
A major criticism of the ceremony is that, at three and a half hours, it drags on too long. Jackman admitted that he hoped it could be cut shorter.
There have been noticeable economies in the parties that traditionally form a key part of Oscar week, with many stars apparently preferring to celebrate in private, if at all.
Even Oscar night's most exclusive event, the annual after-show party thrown by Vanity Fair magazine, was pared back.
There were fewer guests - around 700 - and a smaller venue which was decked out in decorations and topiary recycled from last year's party, cancelled due to the Hollywood writers' strike.
"We're trying to be a little bit economical, a little bit green," said a VF spokesman, adding that chicken pot pie and other "comfort food" had replaced more exotic fare on the dinner menu.
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