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CNN Live Today

Denzel Washington, Halle Berry Among Big Oscar Winners

Aired March 25, 2002 - 13:20   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Let's start off, first of all, talking about the one big surprise. Well, not much of a surprise, but everyone was really pulling for Denzel Washington. What did you think when you finally saw that award being announced?

MICHAEL O'RORKE, HOLLYWOOD STOCK EXCHANGE: Well, in a sense, kind of relief almost because Denzel Washington is an actor that really should have had a couple of other Oscars right now in the leading category. It's a performance for "Training Day" that I actually predicted back in December, about four months ago.

HARRIS: You did?

O'RORKE: I said this is the Oscar -- this is going to do it for him. This is going to be the one that puts him on top. And a lot of people out there thought Russell Crowe was the big threat. He certainly was. But you can't underestimate how hard it is to win back to back Oscars. And I think that was a big strike against Russell Crowe and it sort of opened the door for Denzel last night.

HARRIS: Do you think there were politics involved with that?

O'RORKE: Maybe a little bit, but at the end of the day, I really think the performance merited it and I think he won on his own merits. And a lot of people might maybe say that about Russell Crowe, some of the bad press he got recently in the award season. I don't think so. I think, ultimately, at the end of the day, Denzel deserved it and he got it.

HARRIS: Well, there was no bad press with Halle Berry.

O'RORKE: No, not at all.

HARRIS: And it seemed as though every single person that we talked with really was pulling for her, although not many people believed that she was going to win. Did you pick this one?

O'RORKE: I didn't pick this one. I actually thought Sissy Spacek was probably going to get there in front.

HARRIS: That's the thing -- that's the name we heard the most. O'RORKE: Yes. Halle Berry definitely in the last few weeks picked up an enormous amount of momentum and good will. And it was a great win. It was one I didn't expect, but I was very happy to see it and (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

HARRIS: What do you think it was, then? I mean, what do you think it was that all of a sudden generated so much good will for her?

O'RORKE: I think that it is a very daring role and she sort of puts herself out there. It's very raw and naked, I guess literally and emotionally, in the film. And I think a lot of actors respond to that. That's a big voting branch in the academy. And I think they liked that she had the guts to take the role. They rewarded her for it.

HARRIS: All right. So there's one bracket buster for you. OK.

O'RORKE: Absolutely.

HARRIS: Now, Ron Howard. We talked going in. Many people thought this, again, just like they talked about Denzel, that this would be his time. He was sort of a sentimental favorite on this one. But it seems almost as if he was overshadowed by the history that was made last night.

O'RORKE: Yes. It's almost like it was an afterthought, essentially, after Halle and Denzel won, here comes Ron Howard. And he really defeated an impressive field of directors last night with Lynch and Ridley Scott, Peter Jackson, especially Robert Altman, who I think a lot of people thought maybe might pull off an upset for "Gosford Park." It didn't happen. Ron Howard finally got that Oscar that some thought he should have won, maybe for "Apollo 13". I guess it's debatable, but he did pull it off last night. It was a great night for him too.

HARRIS: I think the last few hours of all the talk is what got me on the Robert Altman bandwagon. I really though it was going to be him this time around. Did you pick Ron Howard?

O'RORKE: I picked Ron Howard. My heart wanted to go with Robert Altman. But, you know, when you're putting yourself on the line, making predictions, you have got to sort of try to factor that out and I went with Ron Howard, and that worked out OK.

HARRIS: All right. How about best picture. What did you pick?

O'RORKE: I picked "A Beautiful Mind."

HARRIS: You picked "A Beautiful Mind?"

O'RORKE: Yes. A lot of people -- it's sort of the chalk, or the favorite, going into it. But certainly, as you mentioned, there has been a lot of bad press this year. And it really was battered throughout all the nomination process, or once it was nominated. But it managed to get to the line. It probably staggered across the finish line, but it did get there and fended off "Lord of The Rings" and some of the others.

HARRIS: But would you say "Lord of The Rings" staggered 13 nominations. It still walked away with, what, just four, was it?

O'RORKE: Well, you look at it as just four. But that's still four Oscars, and it's an impressive achievement. A lot of people knocked the movie because it was a fantasy film and thought maybe that is what would keep it from getting best picture. But really, I think what cost it best picture was that it's part one of three films. And right or wrong, a lot of people see it as like an incomplete story. And so that's why I think they were reluctant to award it with the top honor.

HARRIS: All right. Final question. I've got to give you this one, because this, I think, was the biggest, the ultimate bracket- buster yesterday. Jim Broadbent, best supporting actor, I know you didn't pick this one.

O'RORKE: Didn't pick him to win, but had him slotted second.

HARRIS: You did?

O'RORKE: The three British gentlemen, Kingsley, Broadbent and McKellen were all neck, neck and neck. And there was a little of concern maybe that "Iris" wasn't seen by everybody. But if you have seen his performance in the film, it breaks your heart. And obviously enough people saw "Iris" to respond to that and gave him a statue.

HARRIS: Well, I was outside. I heard plenty of gasps when his name was announced. Did you do the same thing?

O'RORKE: Not at all. He's a very nice man and I was happy to see him win.

HARRIS: That's what you say now. Michael O'Rorke, thanks a lot. Appreciate it. Thanks for being brave enough to come in and bear your picks for us and show us your brackets and show us how well you did.

O'RORKE: Happy to do it.

HARRIS: OK. Take care. Let's go back to Bill Hemmer back in Atlanta.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: You got it. Thank you, Leon. Hang in there, pal. We'll talk to you next hour.

Let's talk more about the Oscars right now, get a take from a woman who knows all. Leah Rozen, film critic for "People" magazine is with us now. Leah, good afternoon to you.

LEAH ROZEN, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: Hi, Bill.

HEMMER: Four hours and 23 minutes showwise, I made it about halfway through. I'm sure you saw it all and tell us, I guess, the highlight for you last night was what? ROZEN: The highlight had to be Halle Berry winning for the first time in 74 long years. An African-American woman finally took the best actress honor. And she was just blown away when she did. I mean, she may be a good actress, but you can't fake the kind of emotion she showed. She just -- I mean, she couldn't collect herself for about the first minute. Tears are then pouring down her face as she makes this very moving acceptance speech.

HEMMER: Yes, very emotional and personal -- you know, Leon was just talking about it with his guest in Hollywood. It appeared to me that she came out of nowhere just about a month ago. I mean, everybody saw the film, liked it and everything. But really, she started to percolate just in the past four or five weeks, I thought. No?

ROZEN: Well, she was nominated for a Golden Globe. She -- when the various critics group were voting, she would get some nominations. She didn't end up winning any of those awards, but then when she won the Screen Actors Guild, you had to know, as George Bush the first used to say, she had the big moe, because the actors are the largest section of voters in the Academy. And you knew they were behind her.

HEMMER: Yes. What did you not like, Leah?

ROZEN: What did I not like at the Academy Awards? Besides Gwyneth Paltrow's dress and the fact that Tom Cruise clearly can't find a razor in medicine cabinet? What I didn't like is that it goes on so long. And what was that Cirque du Soleil number?

HEMMER: You didn't like that?

ROZEN: No. What was that?

HEMMER: Actually, that was the part of the show that I really enjoyed. And did you see the reaction of the people in the Kodak Theater? Standing ovation.

ROZEN: Yes, I suspected something that looked pretty good if you were in the theater, but watching it on the smaller television monitor, you're going, this is what, a tribute to special effects? I mean, I just felt like you weren't getting the full effect. And it seemed to me like 10 minutes, I could have gone to sleep earlier.

HEMMER: Got it. Hey, let me ask you this. I don't know what you are hearing in the film industry. I talked to a lot of people who frankly have not seen a number of these films that were awarded last night. I'm curious to know why. Is this a hangover from 9/11 possibly that kept us away from movies this year or not?

ROZEN: No, because I think a number of the nominations, "Black Hawk Down", "A Beautiful Mind", "Lord of The Rings" have done very well. They've all done well over $100 million.

It's some of the smaller ones, "In The Bedroom", "Gosford Park", "Monster's Ball", which is what Halle Berry won for, these are independent films. They are not -- they don't open in every multiplex in America. So it's sort of only through word of mouth and it takes a while for them to sort of make it around. A lot more people are probably going to catch up with these films on video and DVD than see them in theaters.

HEMMER: Quickly, we got to run here, but what are we going to remember from this year's awards? Is it Halle Berry and Denzel Washington? Is that the marquee that comes out of Hollywood?

ROZEN: I think that is the historical moment and I think that's what you will remember.

HEMMER: Got it. Thanks, Leah.

ROZEN: My pleasure.

HEMMER: Leah Rozen, "People" magazine. We'll talk again, all right?

ROZEN: You bet.

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