Brits Storm The Oscars

Shakespeare In Love has helped Hollywood's Brit contingent leave the Oscars with beaming smiles. After swiping the Best Picture award Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard took Best Screenplay, Stephen Warbeck took Original Score and the film was also honoured for Art Direction, Costume and Makeup. Perhaps the highlight for all at home was Dame Judi Dench as the first Brit recipient onstage taking Best Supporting Actress for her somewhat brief appearance in Shakespeare, "I appear for eight minutes I should only get a little bit of him. My heart goes out to other four who didn't win." Afterwards she seemed genuinely surprised, "I think I'm basically a realist. I didn't for a second think that eight minutes worth of somebody was worth an Oscar." After failing to score for her previous queen portrayal last year as Queen Victoria in Mrs Brown she added, "There aren't any more queens to play, just Bodicea with one breast."