Spike walks over Green Book gong
Director’s fury at ‘race row’ movie win
The Favourite star wore a bold, honeycomb-hued gold and brown sequinned Louis Vuitton gown with exaggerated shoulders. The singer was stunning in an Alexander McQueen gown and 128.54 carat Tiffany diamond necklace worn by Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly. DIRECTOR Spike Lee stormed out of the Oscars in disgust after losing the Academy Award for Best Picture to Green Book.
Lee, whose film BlacKkKlansman had been up for the top prize, got to his feet and threw his hands in the air when the winner was revealed. He then headed to the exit of the Dolby Theatre as the cast and crew of Green Book collected their gong, but was told by security he could not leave the venue.
Lee, 61, then went backstage, where he blasted the Academy. The New York Knicks basketball fan said: “I thought it was courtside at the Garden [Madison Square Garden, the team’s home stadium], and the ref made a bad call.”
Green Book is based on the true story of the black pianist Dr Don Shirley and the white driver, Tony Vallelonga, he hired during a Deep South tour in 1962. It shows Vallelonga overcome his initial prejudice as he befriends Dr Shirley.
But Dr Shirley’s family called the film a “symphony of lies”, denying the pair Former Oscar winner DiCaprio gave this year’s Oscar king tips for his speech on the big night. The pair have struck up a close friendship after partying together in the run-up to the ceremony. A source said: “Leo gave him a pep talk and some tips. ”It obviously worked… Rami gave a great speech.” were close. And Lee said the film’s win reminded him of another time he missed out on an Oscar.
In 1990, his film Do the Right Thing lost in the Best Screenplay category, the year Driving Miss Daisy – about the relationship between a black chauffeur and his white employer – took the prize for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Lee said: “Every time somebody is driving somebody, I lose. But they changed the seating arrangement.”
Earlier, Green Book star Mahershala Ali won Best Supporting Actor and Lee took the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for BlacKkKlansman, about a black police officer who infiltrated the KKK. Lee’s speech was seen as a call to oust US leader Donald Trump in the 2020 election.
Lee said: “Let’s all mobilise… Make the moral choice between love versus hate. Let’s do the right thing.”
Trump accused Lee of a “racist hit”, adding he had “done more for African Americans than almost any other Pres”. Book star Mahershala Ali OLIVIA Colman toured Los Angeles in a minibus decorated in pink neon after her win.
She stopped off at the traditional Governors Ball and a party at Chateau Marmont before celebrating with her closest pals. One told The Mirror: “Olivia can’t stand these showbiz parties. She just wants to be with her friends, so we hired a villa. We will spend the night shouting and screaming: ‘Oh my God, can you believe it?”’
She missed out on Best Actress, but Lady Gaga is “incredibly courageous and will be fine”, says He and are helping the A Star Is Born lead, godmother to their sons Zachary and Elijah, after a love split. David said: “The boys said if ‘Gaga mother’ wins we’ll send a card.” who directed Bohemian Rhapsody as well as Elton’s new biopic Rocketman, is keen to work with Olivia Colman