Tanks a lot

It took a $100,000 movie to make my Oscar night.
The Irish charmer "Once" picked up its justly deserved Oscar for Best Original Song this evening. Singer/songwriter Glen Hansard and his "Once" co-star Marketa Irglova gave a lovely rendition of "Falling Slowly," one of the five nominees. And, of course, their acceptance speech was both gracious and heartfelt.

At least Hansard's speech was. Irglova got cut off as she approached the microphone, but the powers that be let her continue her speech after the commercial time-out.

Never saw an Oscar broadcast offer that kind of extension before, but Irglova responded with a sweet tribute to indie musicians everywhere. Class move, Oscar folks.

Update: Don't believe me about how great "Once" is? Take it from Kyle Smith, The New York Post's critic extraordinaire:

Now everyone: rent “Once.” It’s a thing of beauty. If it doesn’t make you cry, your tear ducts are not operational. (I initially gave it 3.5 stars ... because it’s such a little movie, but after seeing it three times, I am convinced that I significantly underrated it the first time around.)

(Photo: Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova star in the indie film "Once.")

Sing it ain't so

"Once" might not even get a chance at the one Oscar it so richly deserves.
Check out this posting about "Falling Slowly" and the chance it could be ruled ineligible (hat tip: Anne Thompson's terrific blog).
UPDATE: It's legit - source: NY Times' Carpetbagger site once more ...
The Academy’s music branch executive committee has met and endorsed the validity of “Falling Slowly” as a nominated achievement. The committee relied on written assurances and detailed chronologies provided by songwriter of “Falling Slowly,” the writer-director of “Once” and Fox Searchlight. The genesis of the picture was unusually protracted, but director John Carney and songwriter Glen Hansard were working closely together in 2002 when the project that became ‘Once’ was discussed. ‘Falling Slowly’ began to be composed, but the actual script and financing for the picture was delayed for several years, during which time Mr. Hansard and his collaborator Marketa Irglova played the song in some venues that were deemed inconsequential enough to not change the song’s eligibility.