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CNN Live Sunday

Academy Awards Hands Out Oscars Tonight

Aired March 24, 2002 - 17:15   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.
KATE SNOW, CNN ANCHOR: The movie industry and its fans are now counting down the minutes until the coveted Oscars are handed out. The ceremony begins in less than three hours. Our Leon Harris is outside of Kodak Theater, hosting tonight's star-studded event. He joins us now with a preview, along with Daryn Kagan, who'll be previewing the event too. You guys look great.

LEON HARRIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thanks, Kate. Some of us clean up pretty good. I will speak for you too, Daryn.

Listen, this has been an incredible wild scene here. I have been here since about 5:00 this morning, and I'll tell you something, it has been a steady build-up all day long. Both of the crowd in numbers and in the excitement that we have noticed here. You can almost feel it here. And as the countdown comes closer and closer, and we're just about -- oh, about three hours almost away from the beginning of the Academy Awards show here at the Kodak Theater.

And a lot of these people here are so excited because of the fact that Hollywood is actually welcoming Oscar back home. This is the first time this ceremony is going to be held here for the first time since 1960, and that has got a lot of people here very excited.

Now, I was earlier down there on the carpet and talking to people who have come here from points as far away as Miami. Talked to a group who drove here from Miami, believe it or not, and Daryn Kagan is actually sitting down there not too far from them. But they were screaming, Daryn, and I could not tell if they were screaming for you or for somebody else. What's going on down there?

DARYN KAGAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I'll tell you one thing, Leon, there's no sitting on the red carpet. All the media very squeezed in here, but it is so exciting because any minute -- any time that the crowd sees anyone they recognize, they kind of go crazy. One person got a big welcome, Stephen Kotakaru (ph), style editor from "People" magazine.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hello. How are you.

KAGAN: You look fabulous.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm good, but you know what, there is a wind tunnel for the hair that I don't like at all. They cleared -- they have security, they have restricted air space, but they have not done anything about the wind. Wind. Do something about it.

KAGAN: Well, I'll work on it. All of us. You need to have that wind blown look.

Of course, people are excited for the awards, but equally excited for what the top actress is going to wear. You are getting a few clues for what people should look out for. What are you hearing?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's really going to be the year of the it girl. There are other years where there is wonderful performances and serious actresses, but they have hunch backs. You know? Not there is anything against women with hunch backs. I know many women with hunch backs, but this is -- this happens to be this freak year where you have women who are very talented, but that best actress group, they are incredibly glamorous too. So it's a real feast for fashionistas.

KAGAN: So what about the idea of 9/11? I think people are ready to come out, to put on the big jewels and color.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Big time,. big time. I think this is a night that is so glamorous, and I think that, you know, people feel somber inside, but I think Hollywood is really stepping up to the plate. There's no question about it.

KAGAN: OK. Give us the word. Which actresses are you hearing wearing which designers?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, you know what, now that we're an hour before the show, I can let it all hang out. No one is going to kill me. Looks though Halle Barry is going to give a break to an unknown designer, a small designer, and that's really big, because you can imagine the sucking up, how many people have been begging, have been trying to get Halle Berry in their dresses. She had a pick of everything, but I think that's what she's doing.

Julia Roberts I hear is going in black, very minimalist, probably Armani. People are at home right now, all the designers like slashing their wrists. Nicole Kidman -- there has been a lot of talk again, you can imagine, everything in the world has been offered to her. I think she's going to probably do Chanel, maybe there'll be a wild card (UNINTELLIGIBLE). There are women right now in their hotel suites deciding when the dress is. That's how crazy it is.

KAGAN: And the one I know, Jennifer Connelly.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jennifer Connelly -- it's supposed to be Valentiago, which was a great French fashion house, and it's having a revival. I don't know what it will be exactly, but I can tell you she gets -- she's a newly minted glamour girl. It takes people normally years to get that fetchingly beautiful, but Jennifer Connelly, she's an it girl already.

KAGAN: Yes, and we'll read about it in your column in "People" magazine next week. Steven Kojikaru (ph) from "People," thank you. Enjoy the night. Well, there you have it, very exciting, Leon, of course. Like I said, not just about the awards but what are people wearing. Very soon we'll see right in front of us.

HARRIS: I know. I have been amazed here -- I don't know if you've been. You know, for me it's the first time out here, so I have been absolutely amazed at how often you hear that question. What are they going to wear? That is exactly what everybody wants to hear. And we only have to wait a couple more hours to find out.

And folks, we should advise folks that what -- the guy that has been dressing Halle Berry for years is also going to be with us. We'll see if Steven was right. So, folks, stay with us. Kate, go back to you right now, and we'll check back with you in a bit.

SNOW: Can I ask you what you guys are wearing? I mean, are you wearing designer names?

KAGAN: I am -- am I still up? I can tell you -- all right. I am wearing a (UNINTELLIGIBLE). A simple little red number, just like every day on Capitol Hill for you, Kate, right?

SNOW: Nice detail on the side there. And Leon?

HARRIS: Well, I actually had this one made by a friend of mine, believe it or not, a friend of mine back home in Atlanta who makes quite a few of really good items. He picked this pattern out for me and first -- the firm is called Executive Closiers (ph), and, well, I hope he appreciates me giving him a mention on the air.

SNOW: You look sharp. Thanks, and we'll be sure to stay with CNN, tune in a little bit later for you guys. You are going to have complete red carpet coverage this evening.

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