'Slumdog Millionaire' takes home seven British awards
The Slumdog Millionaire juggernaut continues as the drama dominated the British Academy Film Awards, winning seven last night.
Slumdog, which revolves around an impoverished Indian teenager, won outstanding film, director for Danny Boyle, adapted screenplay for Simon Beaufoy, music, cinematography, editing and sound.
The British Academy Film Awards, presented by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, is considered England's version of the Academy Awards.
Kate Winslet was named outstanding actress for The Reader during the ceremony at London's Royal Opera House. Winslet, who is nominated for a best actress Oscar for her performance as a former Nazi prison guard, previously won the Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award in the supporting actress category for The Reader.
Mickey Rourke, who won the Golden Globe and is nominated for an Oscar, won the BAFTA for outstanding actor as an aging athlete in The Wrestler.
The late Heath Ledger, who also won Globe and SAG honors, earned a BAFTA for supporting actor as the Joker in The Dark Knight. And Oscar-nominee Penelope Cr uz received supporting actress as an obsessively jealous ex-wife in Vicky Christina Barcelona.
'Not That Into You' is No. 1
Movie fans were into He's Just Not That Into You as the ensemble romance got a jump on Valentine's Day to lead the weekend box office with a $27.5 million debut, according to studio estimates yesterday.
The Baltimore-filmed movie, whose cast includes Jennifer Aniston, Scarlett Johansson, Ben Affleck, Drew Barrymore and Jennifer Connelly, knocked off the previous weekend's top flick, the abduction thriller Taken, which dropped to second place with $20.3 million.
Two movies featuring Dakota Fanning opened in the top 10: Focus Features' animated adventure Coraline at No. 3 with $16.3 million and Summit Entertainment's sci-fi thriller Push at No. 6 with $10.2 million.
Steve Martin's Inspector Clouseau bumbled through the weekend as The Pink Panther 2 turned in a so-so $12 million debut to finish at No. 4. The Sony-MGM sequel came in well behind 2006's The Pink Panther, which premiered with $20.2 million.
Rounding out the top 10 were Paul Blart: Mall Cop, at No. 5, with $11 million; Slumdog Million aire, No. 7, with $7.4 million; Gran Torino, No. 8, with $7.2 million; The Uninvited, No. 9, with $6.4 million; and Hotel for Dogs, No. 10, with $5.8 million.
