So how did the “Slumdog Millionaire” kids, flown in from India, plan to celebrate their film’s eight Oscar wins?
Disneyland, of course!
But first, they stayed up way past their bedtime on Sunday night to hang with director Danny Boyle and the film’s stars, Freida Pinto and Dev Patel. The trio shut down the Governor’s Ball with some dance moves before making a midnight appearance at the Fox Searchlight-hosted shindig at ONE Sunset, where guests, including Marisa Tomei and Zachary Levi could choose between The Wrestler and The Slumdog vodka cocktails. Just when everybody thought all the nail-biting decisions had already been made …
The crowd, which included technical awardees with their golden statues in tow, cheered and clapped upon their arrival. And the gifts just kept on coming. In the First Dibs Lounge, located in a tented area, Phenomenon Entertainment made sure they were sufficiently swagged with HP laptops and Kodak cameras. Not too shabby, especially in these supposedly scaled-back times.
Speaking of which … the much-discussed smaller Vanity Fair bash was still every bit as fabulous, thanks to a star-studded guest list that boasted the likes of winners Kate Winslet, Penelope Cruz and Sean Penn; nominees Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Amy Adams and Mickey Rourke; and rockers Sheryl Crow, Gwen Stefani with husband Gavin Rossdale and Madonna, who co-hosted her second annual awards-show soiree with manager Guy Oseary and Demi Moore.
The group threw together the after-party last year to provide A-listers a safe bacchanalian haven when Vanity Fair canceled its celebration at the last minute. This year, those that couldn’t get in -- and those would be many -- could read all about the goings-on thanks to Ashton Kutcher’s tweets.
DJ Mateo spun at the magazine’s affair, but for those looking for live performance, Elton John sang “Benny and the Jets” with Raphael Saadiq at his 17th Annual Aids Foundation blowout, while Prince rocked out at his shindig at Avalon Hollywood and gave a shout out to Cruz and Taraji Henson. Despite losing to Cruz, Henson did not leave Oscar week empty-handed. She scored a Lexus Star to Watch Award at Essence’s Black Women in Hollywood luncheon at the Beverly Hills Hotel on Thursday and gave an award-worthy speech complete with tears and thanks to her mother in the audience.
Giving her a run for her money: Halle Berry, who scored a Power Award from the magazine with tears streaming down her face. “I haven’t won an award in a while. You know how I do it!” Berry quipped. The following day, Henson joined fellow nominees Anne Hathaway and Viola Davis at mogul Peter Guber’s Bel-Air home for the Perrier-Jouet-hosted Women in Film event.
The champagne kept flowing on Saturday at the Weinstein Company fete -- just one of several studio happenings that night, including intimate Miramax and Sony get-togethers. Harvey held court as Moet & Chandon-sipping guests lounged on daybeds. Famed designer Valentino attracted the likes of Victoria Beckham, Jennifer Lopez, Hathaway and Jessica Alba, while Mickey Rourke, Robert De Niro, Emile Hirsc, and Leonardo DiCaprio talked shop.
DiCaprio also stopped by Jeffrey Katzenberg’s Night Before Party at the Beverly Hills Hotel, benefiting the Motion Picture & Television Fund -- but he skipped the ceremony the next day.
Ed Limato’s to-do was a no-go, but CAA’s Bryan Lourd drew an A-list crowd on Friday night, including Tom Cruise, Cruz, Madonna, Shirley McLaine, Oprah Winfrey, former HBO chairman Chris Albrecht and Paramount chief Brad Grey. Equally exclusive: the luncheon Barry Diller and wife Diane von Furstenberg threw at their Coldwater Canyon estate that attracted big players like Paramount chief Brad Grey, Viacom chief Phillippe Dauman, Tom Freston and ICM boss Jeff Berg.