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This is a rewritten article from the Startribune

Minnesotans goes for Oscars

Less than an hour into the 80th Academy Award, Javier Bardem’s best-supporting actor award for “No Country For Old Men” launched what promised to be a Minnesota-centric affair, with Joel and Ethan Coen’s “No Country” and Diablo Cody’s “Juno” considered runaway favorites in most top categories.

“Thank you to the Coens for thinking I could do that and putting one of the most horrible haircuts in history on my head,” said Bardem, who played the role of a cold-blooded killer with a hideous hairdo.
Thirty minutes later, the Coen brothers collected their second screenwriting Oscar for they adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s gritty, pessimistic crime thriller.
“Thank you very much for this,” said a smiling Joel, who laconically offered a self-deprecating explanation for the award. “I think whatever successes we’ve had in this area has been entirely attributable to how selective we are.”
“We’ve only adapted Homer and Cormac McCarthy.”
Ethan Coen was even more reticent. “We, uh…thank you very much,” he said in the shortest speech of the evening.

The Coens’ film entered the evening as the prestige leader it has dominated the run-up to the Academy Awards, with a trove of top prizes

• Producers Guild
• Directors Guild
• Screen Actors Guild
• Writers Guild

“Juno,” the quirky comedy written in Minnesota by Cody, also has been an awards magnet, winning in three top slots at Saturday’s independent Spirit Awards. The little indie that could entered the Oscars competition with impressive populist appeal, as well. After 12 weeks in release it has earned $150 million, more than double the take of its nearest best-picture rival, “No Country.”

There was no hiding from Jon Steward, though.
“Diablo Cody used to be an exotic dancer and now she’s an Oscar-nominated screenwriter,” Stewart noted in his opening monologue as the camera cut to her beaming smile. “I hope you’re enjoying the pay cut.”
Cody insisted on Saturday that she didn’t believe “Juno” was destined for a big night at the Oscars, despite nominations for four awards including best picture.
“The fact that people have embraced this movie the way they did continues to be a surprise,” Cody said. “I still think of us as the ‘little pregnant girl movie’ that has somehow caught on. It doesn’t feel like an Oscar movie.”

In the same category also competing for the top prize.

• “There Will Be Blood,” starring Daniel Day-Lewis as a ruthless oil baron.,
• “Atonement,” a British-accented romantic epic
• The thoughtful legal drama “Michael Clayton”

Films or filmmakers with Minnesota connections were up for a total of 17 Academy Awards.

• Minneapolis-based producer William Pohlad’s “Into the Wild” scored nominations for supporting actor Hal Holbrook (at 82, the oldest nominee in the history of the category) and for film editing.

• Jim Erickson of Badger, Minn., was nominated (but did not win) for his rustic turn-of-the-century set decoration on “There Will Be Blood.” And Edina native Jim Burke was one of the producers of the double nominee “the Savages”.
  
  
• Minnesota talent was also on tap in the spotlight. Amy Adams, who began her acting career at Chanhassen dinner Theatre, trilled her nominated “Happy Working Song,” which she sang as Giselle, the Disney princess she plays in “Enchanted.” Adams was also on tap to present the award for best original score.