Entertainment News

LOS ANGELES (CBS) ― Well against all odds, the 80th Academy Awards have happened. Rain, writers' strike, we endured a lot over the last few months, but all of that was forgotten when George Clooney stepped on the carpet tonight. Clooney, by the way, arrived very early and talked to just about every single person along the carpet. Yes, people, he is THAT nice.

In preparation for possible rain, the carpet, more of a rose color than red, was completely tented this year. No rain on our stars! And the color of the night, you'll no doubt have noticed, was a beautiful coral red. Katherine Heigl, Miley Cyrus, and countless other gorgeous dames were wearing it.

Anyway, let's get on with the show.

Now I don't have any real proof of this, but I think being backstage in the interview room at the Oscars is more fun than watching them from inside the auditorium. Think about it. All of the people in the audience are stuck in their chairs.

Backstage here, we get all the free food we want, there are flat screens everywhere showing the show, and the best, we get to see all the winners during the best moments of their lives.

So far, we've heard from Brad Bird who was particularly excited for winning his second Best Animated Film Oscar, this time for Ratatouille. But let's be honest, is there any Pixar movie that isn't absolutely adorable?

Javier Bardem won Best Supporting Actor for his amazing performance in No Country For Old Men. He was very much the front-runner in that category. But Tilda Swinton won Best Supporting Actress for her role in Michael Clayton and that caused everyone in the interview room here to go "Ohhhh!!!" (Kind of a surprise to all keeping track), right as the winners for Best Art Direction were answering questions.

6:47
Best Adapted Screenplay. This is always an interesting category because often, all the stories are wonderful, hence turning them into movies. But, in yet another not-really-a-surprise, No Country For Old Men wins it.

Meanwhile, backstage, here's how it works, just so you know. All us press people are sitting in chairs facing that stage where the winners are brought. Just like an auction, we all have numbers, so when a winner is brought out and we have a question, we hold up our number and hope to be picked. The only downside? ONLY the winners are brought, no random non-nominated celebs, so I'm, personally, a little bummed at not getting to say hi to Jack Nicholson.

Oh, and also, I mentioned this earlier, but there is food. LOTS of food. I think ti's because they don't want us press people sneaking all over Hollywood and Highland, so they lull us into staying here by over-feeding us. Of course, most of us haven't eaten any of it because we're all so busy trying to write down everything happening both on the show, and here backstage. Whew!

Anyway, enough of my whining. Kristen Chenoweth is performing "That's How You'll Know" from the film Enchanted. The music for this film was written by Stephen Schwartz, who also wrote Wicked, the Broadway musical in which Chenoweth originated the role of Glinda. Chenoweth is totally gorgeous -- with a totally gorgeous voice, I might add -- and was bopping all around the red carpet, making sure to answer all of our questions.

7:00
Tilda Swinton is backstage now. She's telling us that she is absolutely giving her Oscar away -- to her agent who she says looks exactly like the Oscar statue. Swinton says she thought that anybody but herself was going to win the award. She's extremely humble and lovely and thinks that being in here with us all facing her with our held-up numbers is like "playing bingo." We all love her.

7:35
Marion Cotillard is here. (She won the Best Actress award for her role in La Vie En Rose -- she was also an unexpected winner) She could not be more gorgeous in her mermaid dress, and is visibly shaking on stage. She just told us that she adores Peter Sellers and wanted to marry him when she was young. The room is absolutely enchanted by her. Duh. I've no doubt that this darling French newcomer will be making a big splash in Hollywood over the next year.

Oh gosh! Someone asked her what Edith Piaf song best reflects this moment for her and would she sing. And she said the song "Padam" and sang it. Gorgeous. That moment will be all over the news tomorrow, wait and see.

8:17
We love a good underdog story with the Oscars, and tonight's came in the form of Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, who won Best Original Song for the film Once. (The two also, apparently, fell in love during filming, too!). They told us that after this big win, they're going to tour the U.S., so be on the lookout for this talented twosome.

8:50
Well, the big three were finally announced: Daniel Day Lewis won Best Actor, The Coen Brothers won for Best Director(s),  and No Country For Old Men for Best Picture. None of these winners have made their way back here yet; no doubt they're taking their time in the long backstage hallway, basking in their accomplishments.

So, all the surprises of the night are over, and Hollywood has pulled-off one of its more tumultuous Oscar Seasons. The only question now, I think, is can I wrangle a $750.00 ticket to the Governor's Ball? I'll let you know. Unless I run away with Jack.

(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)