Oscars 2012: ‘The Artist,’ ‘Hugo’ Top Academy Awards

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Octavia Spencer

Capping a night that was all about celebrating the past, The Artist was named best picture
at the 84th Annual Academy Awards on Sunday. The first silent movie in
83 years to claim top honors, it pays tribute to old Hollywood, and
Hollywood returned the compliment by handing it four other trophies,
including those for best director to Michel Hazanavicius and best actor to Jean Dujardin.

The other newly Oscar-ed actors included Meryl Streep, whose 17th nomination, for The Iron Lady, turned into the third Academy Award of her career; Octavia Spencer, from The Help, who delivered an emotional acceptance speech; and Christopher Plummer, who at 82 became the oldest winner of an acting Oscar for his supporting performance in Beginners.

It was a night that certainly celebrated the sounds of silents as Martin Scorsese‘s Hugo, which recounts the career of French film pioneer Georges Melies, captured five prizes of the 11 for which it was nominated, tying with Artist for the year’s biggest haul.

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