LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Whether it’s the recession, the age of Obama or the fact a hopeful movie is favoured to win best film,
it’s clear that change has come to Hollywood as Oscar week kicks off on Monday. Movie fans and critics have escaped the gloomy economy by seeking out Academy Award front-runner “Slumdog Millionaire,” a rags-to-riches romance about a poor, young Indian man on an odds-defying quest on a television game show. Why do the news pages look different Find out . LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Whether it’s the recession, the age of Obama or the fact a hopeful movie is favoured to win best film, it’s clear that change has come to Hollywood as Oscar week kicks off on Monday. Movie fans and critics have escaped the gloomy economy by seeking out Academy Award front-runner “Slumdog Millionaire,” a rags-to-riches romance about a poor, young Indian man on an odds-defying quest on a television game show. “Slumdog” follows two straight years of dark crime dramas — “No Country for Old Men” and “The Departed” — winning the world’s top film honour, the Oscar, for best motion picture. Party planners and caterers say plans for Oscar festivities have slowed ahead of Sunday’s Oscar show. Celebrity gift-getting suites are open for business but organizers say giving back seems to be more of a priority among the stars. “Obama asked us for a day of service and we’re asking for a night to make a difference,” celebrity talk show hostess Leeza Gibbons said.
Gibbons and singer Olivia Newton-John’s are hosting an Oscar night benefit for Gibbons’ Memory Foundation and Newton-John’s Cancer and Wellness Centre.