Geoffrey Fletcher: First African American Screenwriter To Earn Academy Award
Geoffrey Fletcher, the screenwriter of "Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire," is the first African American screenwriter to take home an Academy Award. The 39-year-old adjunct professor of film at Columbia University and New York University, surprised some people by beating favorite Jason Reitman, writer/director of "Up in the Air." "I don't know what to say," Mr. Fletcher said in his breathless acceptance speech. This was the Connecticut-born writer's first produced screenplay, for which he was also awarded an Independent Spirit Award.
TV Ratings Smile On Oscar As Viewership Rises
An estimated 41.3 million people saw "The Hurt Locker" top the popular "Avatar" for best picture in the most-watched Academy Awards telecast since 2005. Oscar viewership was up 14 percent over last year, the Nielsen Co. said today, keeping with a trend of bigger audiences for major events on broadcast television a month after the Super Bowl set the mark for most-watched telecast ever.
The Oscars built to a big climax when the Iraqi war thriller "The Hurt Locker" and its director, Kathryn Bigelow (pictured), topped "Avatar," directed by her ex-husband James Cameron. Ms. Bigelow was the first woman to win the Oscar for best director.
Roger Ross Williams Gets "Kanye'd" By Elinor Burkett
Roger Ross Williams won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short for the film "Music By Prudence." But his acceptance speech was cut off by the film's producer, Elinor Burkett. The Easton, Pa. native will appear on "Larry King Live" tonight to discuss his win and the controversy surrounding his acceptance speech, which caused a flurry of activity on the Web. Although he didn't get to finish on TV, Williams posted the entire speech on the film's official Web site.
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News: The Oscars
