Great Oscar Moment: The Young Victoria's Smirking Sandy Powell
When two-time Oscar-winning costume designer Sandy Powell took home her third trophy for The Young Victoria, the 49-year-old stunned even before she finished her walk to the dais. Her sheeny floral dress and shock burgundy hair were the first indicators of a rogue in the house, but her speech forced us to let out our corsets for a long, queenly guffaw. Furthermore, she was the night's sole British winner. Hear Powell's sly, yet sweet speech after the jump.
This Oscar ceremony was supposed to buck previous years' stodginess, and Powell's speech was one of the night's true vagabond gestures. She also addressed issues with costuming accolades that Movieline previously acknowledged. To both jokingly self-aggrandize and voice appreciation of the little guy requires an artful balance, and Powell pulled it off with aplomb.
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Really? She came across as more rude than rogue. If you already have two Oscars and you know the Oscars LOVE period dramas,and you are bored by winning than pull your name out of consideration and let someone us have a chance.
Rude? Try a straight-up-bitch.
I see Sandy Powell's two sons are Movieline commenters.
I thought she came off as ungrateful, and tried to have it both ways with the acknowledgment of non-period dramas.
Right Honourable Commenters, can we not all agree that this cutting costumier was at once rude and rogue, giving while taking, and colourful to the last?
I don't think she's rogue at all. Sarah Palin wouldn't be caught dead in a beret!
Or
-Your seventh grade art teacher is a real bitch.
-Third time's the not so charming.
-Magenta looks great!
Is she suppose to withdraw from her profession in fear that she may get another oscar forced on her? She clearly respects the work of her colleagues and feels they are underappreciated, but she's hardly going to hurl the award at the set in protest. Doing anything other than what she did would have been pretty rude in itself, . . so just shut up you meanies.
Puh-leeze, you guys.
She knows she gets unfair recognition just because she does a lot of period work. Obviously she's not complaining, but this was a nice way to let the Academy know directly that they're being a bit silly with the awards they give out to costumers. Clearly she's not hugely interested in winning more awards, she wants the best work to win.
Nothing bitchy about that.
I wouldn't make excuses for her. She looked cool on her walk up to receive her award. But it was all downhill from there. I'm surprised in the snarkfest the Internet has become that she wasn't crucified for her my-shit-doesn't-have-an-odor-really-dahling. And what an artless way to announce you've won twice before.
On some Website showing her backstage Oscar comments, by which time you might have supposed she would have recognized how condescending she sounded to the whole wide world, she was just as bad. She sing-songed a flimsy list of thank yous (including her "mum") and then returned to say, with a verbal shrug, well, I guess I have to mention ALL of them...and then naming more co-workers, insignificant as they may be to her. Did this woman ghostwrite Devil Wears Prada? Hate to call her a bitch because (logically) women say men who are like her don't get called a bitch. That's true. We'd call a man like her an a**hole.
have you lot really listened to the speech ? She starts it with WOW ! I already have 2 of these so Im feeling greedy ! So id like to dedicate this one to costume designers who don't get recognised in the fields of contemporary design ! What's bitchy rude and condescending about any of that ? Im getting the feeling of pots calling kettles !
I'm one of those designers she is talking about and I thought it was a beautiful speech. What a stunning and lovely thing to acknowledge publicly the complete snubbery of an entire segment of the film industry. Here's something for those of you who throw unwarranted stones... go to the Academy awards site and you will see not a single contemporary film has won for best costume in over 40 years! Come on. That's pretty freaking nuts. It's pretty much period and fantasy pieces.
I don't really understand why anyone would be bothered by her comment anyway, she's looking out. Wouldn't you like someone to do that for you when you work hard and don't get noticed?
Haha. Good for her. Yes she was a bit rude, but the point was well made. The oscars favour certain types of movies, certain types of roles, and are quite unapologetically snobbish about it all. It's about time they got a taste of their own medicine.