14 DAY TRIAL // James Franco and Anne Hathaway were the two hosts of this year’s Academy Awards and, as expected, they did not disappoint. Before taking to the stage though, the two took a trip through some of this year’s nominees for Best Picture.
You can see the entire opening sequence below.
The video, played on the big screens at the awards ceremony, opens with James and Anne sitting at the same table as Leonardo DiCaprio, from a well-known scene in “Inception.”
Leo explains to the two hosts that they must get inside Alec Baldwin’s head to find out the secret to a perfect hosting gig (Baldwin was host for the Oscars 2010) and even draws them a picture.
As everything starts to explode, Franco keeps on insisting that Leo should give them proof that all of this is even possible. In the next scene, he gets just the proof he was asking for.
Throughout the almost 6-minute video, the two travel from movie to movie in search of Baldwin, believing that it is his dream they’re actually in.
They meet Mark Wahlberg in “The Fighter,” Anne does her “duck dance” in front of Natalie Portman in “Black Swan” while James simply looks on looking ridiculous in white tights, and they even come face to face with Jeff Bridges in “True Grit.”
At Anne’s request to say something nice, James can only think to say that he loved “Jeff” in “TRON,” but is obviously unaware of the film he’s in right now. Alas, they’re not allowed to wait for Matt Damon.
Morgan Freeman also makes an appearance in the “Inception” elevator, since, as he explains, Mr. Baldwin (whom we can call “Mr. Baldwin”) thinks his voice is “soothing” and works wonderfully for dream voiceovers.
Towards the end, the two find Baldwin but only to be told that this was not his dream, but Franco’s. So, they get in the time machine from “Back to the Future” and they’re on their way for the Oscars.
Once on stage, after the video ended, the two joked about how young and hip hosts they made, USA Today informs.
“Anne, I must say you look so beautiful, and so hip,” James told her. Her reply was, “Thank you, James, you look very appealing to a younger demographic yourself.”
Check out the opening sequence at the Oscars 2011 below. Enjoy the ride.
