It was a tearful Octavia Spencer who made her way to the stage after Christian Bale pronounced her the winner of the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. She was helped up the stairs in her tight dress and delivered a heartfelt and sincere speech, marked by her surprise for the win. As the emotions started rolling over her, she hugged the oscar tightly to her chest and tried her best to make sense of her gratefulness. Spencer’s fellow cast members were visibly thrilled about the win and fellow nominee Viola Davis has teary eyes of her own.

credit: Richard Harbaugh / ©A.M.P.A.S.

Octavia Spencer won for her portrayal of the defiant help Minny Jackson who strikes up an unusual friendship with Jessica Chastain’s Celia Foote, as both of them are deemed outcast in the local community by the cold and calculated Hilly Holbrook.

The Oscar press corps grabbed the stunned Spencer after her win.

Q. Are you disappointed that perhaps the film didn’t include that more tragic ending for your character, although it had some low points, it had some, you know, a little bit of a light hearted feel at the end?

A. Well, I think that’s all in your perception. No, I’m not disappointed that that scene was deleted. I think that we wanted to make the movie that Kathryn Stockett had envisioned when she wrote the book. I don’t think there’s anything light hearted about the Civil Rights movement, but somehow it makes it palatable when you see that type of strife. So if you can have a laugh every other ten minutes while you watch the struggle then, you know, I have no problem with it. But no, I’m not disappointed with any aspect of the film.

Q. What will you do? The plans after this movies?

A. Well, tonight I am going to find my cast mates and we’re going to, you know I’m actually going to have a quarter of a glass of champagne and hang out and and I think we all start projects, you know, within the next couple of days. But I’m just going to live in this moment because it’s never happened and lord knows it may never happen again.

Q. There’s something that stuck out to me in your acceptance speech and you thanked your ‘Help’ cast for how they helped you to transform into your character.
A. I said that? I don’t even remember what I said. I’m sorry.

Q. Can you explain how did they help you to do that or you know what your cast really meant to you when you said your family really meant to you?

A. Well, it’s very rare that you have the type of ensemble that we had. You know, you don’t get all the Academy Award nominee winners and Cecily Tyson, Mary Steenburgen, Sissy Spacek, Viola Davis coming together to do a project. And then you have the collaboration of Academy Award nominees behind the scenes. We just left our egos at the door and worked together as one beautiful unit from Emma, Viola, Bryce, Allison Janney. I mean, it was an award winning cast. So to be a part of that and to just sort of dissolve into the world that we were representing is something that we’re supposed to do as actors but it was rare that we did it without judgment with each other.

Q. You originally spoke about overcoming fear in playing your role in The Help. What would you say to a young man or woman about to start in the Army and overcoming their fears?

A. Well, I haven’t really overcome mine. I’m scared to death right now. You know, I don’t take what men and women in uniform do lightly. You guys provide us with the freedoms and the protection that we as citizens sometimes take for granted, so I don’t know that I’m the person that can say because I I’ve not served in that capacity. What I will say is I think I guess I’m reminded of Emerson: Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. That’s what you guys do for us every day.

Q. Would you sum up this award season for us and tell us about the love affair you had with The Help?

A. Well, the word I want to use I can’t, it’s a word in the well, I want to say fan effing tastic. But we’ll just leave the effing out. Fantastic. It is it is humbling. It is the love affair I’ve had with The Help, I am I’m a benefactor of all of the riches that the real life Minnys, Aibileens, Constantines, Skeeters, Celias, that they basically repeated. And so I am I’m very humble because I get to stand here and accept this award and I haven’t really done anything. So I don’t know. That’s a tough question to answer. Sorry.

Q. My question to you is, is that when you were walking up those stairs and by the time you got up there, a heartfelt standing ovation was given to you and you went into strictly emotions. What were you feeling at that moment and what would you say to any young girl who would aspire to be in your shoes tonight?

A. Well, get a great designer because you don’t know if you’re going to be on TV or not. And really and truly I was just trying not to fall down because I had an incident where I fell at an awards show. This is one of those evenings in my life that I’ll never forget. I hope it’s the hallmark of more for young aspiring actresses of color, and by color I don’t mean just African American. I mean Indian, Native American, Latin American, Asian American. I hope that in some way that I can be some sort of beacon of hope, especially because I am not the typical Hollywood beauty. You guys are supposed to go, oh, no, you are.

[Laughter]

There’s crickets, guys, work with me here. Work with me.

No, I don’t know. I just think that you have to believe in yourself and you have to work very hard. You can’t ever think that you’re the best thing since sliced bread because I promise you, there are going to be Viola Davises and Jessica Chastains and Emma Stones who are the best thing since sliced bread. So take it seriously, but don’t take it too seriously.

Q. The outpouring of emotion tonight for you and for your movie has been overwhelming, especially considering that you’re a relative newcomer.

A. Well, it depends on who you ask. Fifteen years, I’m a newcomer. Okay, I’ll take it.

Q. Congratulations. This is going to open so many doors for you. In your wildest dreams what is the one role that you want to play?

A. I don’t have one role that I want to play. I guess you know what, I want to be a producer. I want to be an activist. I want to be proactive in bringing about work for men, women, boys, girls, everybody who is good at what they do and deserve a shot at it. So I think my role, I want to have a presence both behind the scenes and in front of the camera. So I can’t say on one particular thing, so I’ll just name them all. I’ll be the jack of all trades and hopefully decent at one of them.

Thank you. Thank you, guys.

Credit: Richard Harbaugh / ©A.M.P.A.S.

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With her nomination for The Iron Lady, Meryl Streep extended her record for having the most Academy Award nominations by any single actor. Her portrayal of the former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher earned her a place on the shortlist for the 17th time. However, Streep has won an Oscar on only two occasions, and her last victory took place 30 years ago at the 55th Academy Awards, when she was named Best Actress for Sophie’s Choice.

In fact, out of 79 major industry nominations (14 from BAFTA, 3 from the Emmys, 26 from the Hollywood Foreign Press, 5 from the Grammys, 13 from the Screen Actors Guild, 1 from the Tonys, and the aforementioned 17 from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences), Streep has managed to take home just 16 of those titles since her first Tony nomination in 1976. Considering her status as “the most critically acclaimed actress of the modern era,” this tally seems somewhat surprising.

Yet, 2012 could prove to be the year that Streep breaks her three-decade run of Oscar losses. Already this awards season, she has been the recipient of a Golden Globe, the Berlin International Film Festival’s Homage and Honorary Golden Bear, and – most notably – her first BAFTA in 31 years.

Streep’s one significant loss so far for The Iron Lady has been at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, which took place on January 29 and saw her lose to Viola Davis, who won for The Help. Davis is likely to be Streep’s main competitor at the Academy Awards, in a category which also includes Glenn Close, Rooney Mara, and Michelle Williams, who cannot be counted out after her win for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy at this year’s Golden Globes.

Still, it appears all but certain that the Academy Award’s Best Actress title will be a two-horse race between Davis and Streep. Counting in Streep’s favour is the fact that she both defeated Davis at the BAFTAs and broke her own 31-year gap between BAFTA wins, last winning in 1981 for The French Lieutenant’s Woman.

Counting against Streep is the fact that she was awarded by British voters for her role as a well-known British figure in a film shot entirely in Britain. The same acknowledgement by American voters cannot be counted upon after The Iron Lady failed to be nominated at the Academy Awards for any other category except Best Makeup.

The Help, meanwhile, is in the running for Best Picture, Best Actress, and Best Supporting Actress, with two nominations alone in the latter category. Also counting against Streep’s favour is the fact that the Screen Actors Guild Award, which Davis won, has proven to be the most indicative of who will be triumphant at the Academy Awards.

Taking the last decade as an example, here are a list of women who won the Screen Actors Guild Award and went on to win the Academy Award that same year:

• Natalie Portman (2010).
• Sandra Bullock (2009).
• Helen Mirren (2006).
• Reese Witherspoon (2005).
• Hilary Swank (2004).
• Charlize Theron (2003).

Streep, therefore, cannot count out Davis just yet, but she is certainly going into this year’s Oscar race with her strongest case for success in many years.

Image Courtesy of  Featureflash / Shutterstock.com

The article Meryl Streep – The Oscars’ Favorite Loser? appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Feeding America, the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity, and the DreamWorks Pictures movie The Help, are joining forces this holiday season to help feed Americans facing hunger. Coinciding with the DVD/Blu-ray release of The Help on December 6, a national donation campaign will run from December 1 to December 11 to generate food and funding to help feed the 1 in 6 people in the United States who do not have enough to eat.

“The economic downturn really hurt American families,” said Feeding America Director of Media Relations Ross Fraser. “As a nation, we need to come together to help our neighbors who are struggling to make ends meet. The collaboration between Feeding America and the producers of The Help is a great example of how we can come together to make a difference.”

“The film’s hopeful message of creating change along with its home entertainment release during the holidays inspired the team here to reach out and help make a difference in people’s lives,” noted Jeff Small, President and Chief Operating Officer of DreamWorks Studios.

“Feeding America seemed the perfect fit in that it operates nationally but is focused locally and housed within the communities it serves and will directly benefit those in need. We’re happy The Help can help.” To help put food in the hands of as many people/families in need this holiday season, Feeding America/ The Help are asking consumers to please help contribute in one of the following ways.

It’s this simple:

• Donate Online - Every $1.00 donated can help Feeding America provide meals eight meals for people in need. People who make online donations at www.feedingamerica.org/thehelp between December 1 and 11 will receive a limited-time $5.00 off coupon toward the purchase of the film The Helpon Blu-ray or DVD.Touchstone Pictures, the affiliate of The Walt Disney Company that distributed The Help, will provide a matching donation of up to $10,000, with a goal of providing more than 200,000 meals to families at risk of hunger.

• Get Social – Throughout the month of December, Facebook and Twitter fans of The Help will be encouraged to take action in their local communities. The Help Facebook and Twitter accounts will post details about how people can get involved and ask fans to provide feedback and talk about their local community efforts/contributions.

• Drop Off Food – Feeding America/The Help themed food donation boxes will be positioned at local community events in Manhattan, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Dallas and Atlanta throughout December. The food collected will be distributed the local Feeding America food bank. Please consider donating foods that are most frequently requested, such as cereal, pasta, rice, beans, canned fruits and vegetables, soups, 100% juices, peanut butter, canned tuna, chicken or turkey.

Those who would like to stay connected with the Feeding America/The Help program are encouraged to:

• “Like” the Facebook page

• Follow us on Twitter

Unprecedented demand for food assistance

The state of the economy is affecting more Americans than any other time in recent history. The US Department of Agriculture reports that 49 million Americans are food insecure. Feeding America reports a 46 percent increase in the number of people seeking emergency food assistance through their nationwide network of food banks compared to four years ago.

For those not living in the five cities where the food drive takes place, DreamWorks will be doing grassroots and media awareness campaigns to encourage local community efforts. As well, you can find other ways to help on TakePart.com/TheHelp, the social action website sponsored by The Help‘s producing partners Participant Media.

Who’s Helping?

The #1  New York Times  best-seller by Kathryn Stockett comes to vivid life through the powerful performances of a phenomenal ensemble cast. The Help is an inspirational, courageous and empowering story about very different, extraordinary women in the 1960s South who build an unlikely friendship around a secret writing project — one that breaks society’s rules and puts them all at risk.

Filled with poignancy, humor and hope — and complete with compelling, never-before-seen bonus features — The Help is a timeless, universal and triumphant story about the ability to create change. To learn more about the movie please visit, http://thehelpmovie.com/us/.

Feeding America provides low-income individuals and families with the fuel to survive and even thrive. As the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity, our network members supply food to more than 37 million Americans each year, including 14 million children and 3 million seniors.

Serving the entire United States, more than 200 member food banks support 61,000 agencies that address hunger in all of its forms. For more information on how you can fight hunger in your community and across the country, visit http://www.feedingamerica.org.

Image Courtesy of  http://www.flickr.com/photos/austinfoodbank/

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