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viola davis and merle streep are duking it out.iz tonight" can tell you these nominees and long-time pals make up the hottest oscar showdowns this year. >> i hope you were the groom. >> clooney and pitt share one of the most talked about bromances. first teaming up in "oceans 11." clooney earned a nod for "the descendant descendants". and the rivalry is heating up. >> what's up with the friendly competition going on between you and your best bud? >> there's nothing friendly about it. i'll tell you that right now. >> we're going to wrestle it out at the end. last man standing takes it all. >> my money is on brad. i mean in a fistfight. >> they are not the only big stars squaring off on the road to gold. >> i'm going to whoop merle streep's behind in a good, old-fashioned, street fight. as far as the oscars, i don't know about that. >> viola davis, she's currently the favorite in the lead actress category despite being normminad against merle streep. >> i'm just honored to be in her company. >> she's honored to battle it out. the big

>> no, i think viola davis, i think viola davis. >> giving me a hard out and that means get off. >> janall's website is www.janwall.com. we also like to mention that january is very important people being featured at this year's common wealth club. distinguished citizen award dinner. for more information on that, visit common wealth club.org. thank you so much. have a great oscar night. and the rest of you enjoy the oscars as well. watch the oscars and benefit the bay area hiv aids organizations. you can attend tonight's academy of friends gala scandalous. for particulars and information visit their website at academy of friends.org. that's academy of friends.org. we leave you now with a look at war horse. i'm susan sikora. thank you for watching.

tonight the conversation with viola davis and octavia spencer. octavia spencer is a first-time nominee as best supporting actress. the best-selling book of the same name is also a region which is also up for best picture. luther king boulevard. know. enodohu boulevard, but a place where walmart stands together with your community to make every day better. >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. praxair please welcome -- >> please welcome viola davis and octavia spencer. the talented actresses are both up for oscars this year. they are not in the same category, so we will not have any nonsense tonight. both recently took home the top prizes at the screen actors guild awards, here is a scene from "the help." >> put her in a share. >> i am not deaf yet. >> would you see if maybelline has some ambrosia? >> i told mom it was that ms. hillie's. she looks like the winner of the kentucky derby. i am about to kill the woman. she could not pay for more toilet paper. [laughter] tavis: when you were filming this, did you

viola davis and octavia spencer are both nominated for academy awards. has already claimed two major awards for her portrayal of minnie, a feisty, hot-tempered maid in 1960s mississippi. >> oh, my god, this means so much to me. >> reporter: is all of this vindication over the naysayers who grumbled that this is hollywood once again embracing a movie with old stereotypes? >> this which is people will probably crucify me. but i don't think it's the typical what we've always seen. it's told from a perspective we've never heard. >> reporter: "the help" offers a wrenching look at those women who cleaned homes for white families and lovingly raised their children, yet were often denied basic dignities like using the family bathroom. viola davis has won widespread acclaim for her role as abileen, a maid who finds her voice by secretly revealing her life to a young white woman who's writing a controversial book. what was the most wrenching scene for you? >> i have to tell you the most wrenching scenes for me was the bridge club scenes when i had nothing to say.

most nominations, "hugo" and "the artist," and we will have a spirited conversation with actresses viola davis and octavia spencer. there has been talk about the kinds of roles being offered in hollywood and the kinds of roles for people in color. we will also here as a man who has established himself, harvey weinstein's. this is coming up, right now. >> every community has a martin luther king boulevard. it's the cornerstone we all know. it's not just a street or boulevard, but a place where walmart stands together with your community to make every day better. >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> the movie "hugo" is up for more awards and any other film, the story of an orphan in the 1930's and stars the oscar winner sir ben kingsley/ >> a fix it. >> he might as well use these you have not stolen yet. tavis: does working in 3-d alter what you do as an actor? >> it demands a stillness and the accuracy. when you are really close up, the camera can see. the camera can see the thoughts in your brain before they happen. it is x-ray. you really have to be

viola davis. i love viola davis' hair. also love the singer, esperanza spalding. loved her hair and you said natalie port man was a no? >> for that event, you have got to make an effort to come up with something nice with the hair, with the dress. and that, that was not it, not very impressive hair. >>> we are at the end of the show. we thank you for being with us. see you at 5:00. bye bye.

i have an incling it will be viola davis. she won the sag award.yl streep won the golden globe. a very -- you don't know what's going to happen there. i think out of the five i think michelle williams deserves the award. her performance as marilyn monroe. she captured her essence -- i was taking notes during the movie and any time she was on screen i didn't look down. i was scribbling on my paper. that's how good she is. viola davis, a beautiful performance. i think she does deserve to win. a win i believe for her on sunday. meryl streep has been nominated 17 times. her last win was in 1982 for sophie's choice. they might go that route but i will go with viola for my pick. michelle williams deserved it. >> best actor. >> another interesting category. now, try -- gene duejureden is the lead star -- jean dujardin. he is the -- he is nominated for his performance in the artist. george clooney is up as well. clooney and him are the two front runners. i think -- i personally feel that jean dujardin because the artist has insane momentum and it will take

it was viola davis or meryl streep. >> yes. we were all equally surprised.he gets the award for best speech. >> i agree. she was wonderful. >>> she tanked the people she needed to thank and she was charming. it had been 2 years since she last won. 17 nominations. she is undoubtly the best living actress in the world. >> consistent, too. julia child she was dead on with that. and again with margaret thatcher. it was nice seeing the two, viola and meryl streep meet. octavia spencer, no surprise she went home with the supporting actress. >> no she was quite disturbing. 94% of the academy is write and 73% is old men and male, specifically. i was happy. i was not surprised. and viola davis did win sag and that is the actors. >>> christopher plumber oldest winner. >> i know it was now or never. he is 82. the movie was wonderful. it is about a man who comes out of the closet at that late age, and that is his real age. fantastic performance. but just like meryl streep. not a surprise. >> exactly. and i can't niece is going to stay with us and talk about oscar night

. >> i'm really pulling for viola davis tonight. >> i've been a really big fan of "midnight in paris" and also "girl with the dragon tattoo." >> reporter: the nominations were a reflection of the barrage of great movies that came out last year. >> i think they were great. i think there was a lot of diversity and a lot of different choices. this was a good year i think for the oscars. >> reporter: but at the oscar party put on by the academy of friends in san francisco, it was hard to not cheer for "moneyball," a film based on the a's and shot in part just across the bay at the oakland coliseum. >> i'm local, right? so i'm excited. >> anything that brad pitt is in, yeah, i'm for it. >> oh my god. well, obviously, "moneyball," because brad pitt, of course. he is a gorgeous man. and he does so much for the gay community. so i love that man for what he is doing. him and his wife too. >> it was a difficult screenplay to pull off the way that they did. but i enjoyed it a lot. >> reporter: the movie was especially meaningful for those who followed the a's during the time depicted in the movi

it's down to maerl streeryl str viola davis. >> gray, what do you think about that? ss category is missing a few people like tilda swinton. but i agree that the big race is between viola and meyrl. but we live in a world where glenn close has never gotten an osc oscar. that's crazy. >> let me ask, do oscars just tlat out come down to a pop layer day contest as opposed to who is just the most talented? i see both of you nodding. >> unfortunately, withis is basically hollywood high school where the most popular kid wins. occasionally you get people that win for an entire body of work instead of the actual performance. and that one is always tricky. >> matt, you concur? >> i absolutely agree. one of the best examples was shake shakespeare in love. it was a pine performance, but that was the academy really honest organi honoring previous efforts. >> let's start with the actress category. you mentioned vile la davis, rooney mara, meryl streep, and michelle williams. matt, you can go first. who do you think will get it and what do you think should get it. >> i think this wi

i just feel viola davis should have won. >> we have a little bit of sound.eryl streep was shocked. >> meryl streep apparently had my exact sentiments about how i felt about her winning the awards. >> when they called my name, i had this feeling i could hear half of america going oh, no. oh, come on, why her? again. you know. but whatever. i love that. >> she is one of great actresses of our time. i think she is phenomenal. i think her performance in the film was great. i just think that movie -- i do feel like a movie should live up to the performance. i really do. that is my personal opinion. >> let's talk best actor real quick. jean dujardin. i just like saying the name. >> great name for an actor to say so little and emotionally connect to the audience so well. that is a tough thing do. it is all about the internal struggle of his character and what he is going through. he does give a fantastic performance. i didn't love the artist but i loved him. he is one of the most charismatic actors i've seen come out in a long time his performance in this film dese

there will be a battle for best actress between viola davis for the help and meryl streep for iron ladywhere she portrayed margaret thatcher i predict the oscar will go to viola davis >>in best actor there is a two- man battle between george clooney and jean dujardin ... my pick goes to george clooney the last time a silent film in black and white won best picture at the academy awards was back in 1928 for the movie wings i predict history will repeat itself the artist has political momentum is very engaging and creatively crafted i predict it will take the best picture for this 84 academy awards season you can go to wgntv.com/contest if you succeed in taking most of the winners you may win a trip on southwest airlines anywhere they fly and some of the best dogs in the country will be in chicago this weekend they're taking part in the american kennel club show at mccormick place. nearly 150 breeds will compete for the coveted best in show award you can check out the competition and you can even pick up some treats or some tories for your own dog the purina pro plan performance team will

she gave a great speech and also had a tender embrace with the person i thought was going to win, viola daviswas a lot of momentum going into it. but she didn't pull it out. but meryl's a legend. viola's just breaking through now. we're not done seeing her. she's on to bigger and better things. >> let's get something straight. i'm the winner and he is the -- >> i went 0-3. you went -- >> you're the loser. >> -- 2-1. that is it. >> not everybody wins. you either win or you lose. >> you don't get a trophy for participation. whatever. more oscar coverage coming up tonight on "america this morning." also "gma." big show coming up. stay with abc. >> announcer: this is abc's "world news now," informing insomniacs for two dec

do you remember meryl streep's heart-felt speech. >> the gigantically talented viola davis.t actress at the s.a.g. award this is year. nominated for her second academy award. we're delighted to have you back here again. >> thank you very much. >> is it surreal to see that? >> it was. especially because she was my idol for so many years. and i didn't pay her to say that. she said it on her own. absolutely. for someone to admire your work that you have admired for so long, absolutely. >> now you're in the same category with her. with this academy nomination. you have been communicating back and forth pch you've both won awards already this season. >> yeah, absolutely. i have been tossing and turning. i have had meryl streep nightmares. i can't believe this moment. i have to tell you. i have been, like -- been in this business 23 years, struggling, pounding the pavement in yonew york. and now this. >> enjoy the moment, my friend, enjoy it. you knew when you read the book, "the help," that this was something special. what resonated for you? >> these are ordinary heroes. they've

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she's best actress nominee viola davis. >> yea! >> yea! >> we can't wait. >> hey, baby!>> i know. you own it. we'll be sharing that with everybody a little later. congratulations on the nomination. >>> one of the breeds competing for the first time. it is the national dog of mexico. used to be called the mexican hairless. now they had to go and name it the -- xoloitzcuintli. xoloitzcuintli. how was that? >> i don't think it's close. >> the squintly. we'll find out from that man right there. we'll meet the other new breeds in the show. >> speak. >> josh, take a shot at it before the news or go straight for the news. >> i want to take a shot of coffee. >> we don't have that much time. wrap, wrap. >>> we'll begin with an historic settlement this morning. it affects millions of people hard-hit by the mortgage crisis. five major banks listed here have agreed to a $26 billion settlement with the government over foreclosure abuses. most of the money will be used to lower the mortgages of about a million homeowners who owe more than their houses are worth. people that have alrea

she gave a great speech and also had a tender embrace with the person i thought was going to win, viola davisut meryl's a legend. viola's just breaking through now. we're not done seeing her. she's on to bigger and better things. >> let's get something straight. i'm the winner and he is the -- >> i went 0-3. you went -- >> you're the loser. >> -- 2-1. that is it. >> not everybody wins. you either win or you lose. >> you don't get a trophy for participation. whatever. more oscar coverage coming up tonight on "america this morning." also "gma." big show coming up. stay with abc. >> announcer: this is abc's "world news now," informing insomniacscome on dad!ades. can i get winner? here you go kid. hey.aren't you. yep. vokoun and halpern. i think you need a box check. a box check? yeah, it's simple. always check the rating symbols on the front. read the content descriptors onon the back. you know, a box check. yes! that's good solid checking. hey, thanks guys. son, i, i don't think this game's for us. maybe you should get this one. this kid got s some skills. for more iormation, visit esrb dot org

viola davis remains the betting choice for the help. hollywood has moved on to the next major question. what is a silent movie's victory say? >> at a time when they are bombarded by technology this reminds them and reminds the world about what is special about movies on the big screen. abc 21 your home for for the 84th annual academy awards. >>> close call for the top spot at the box office this weekend. tuesday after the studios give out number after the long holiday weekend. stay with us. we'll be right back. we are looking good the rest of the evening. not that we could not get a snow shower. i saw a report in frederickburg south of d.c. they are getting a wintry mix. we can see some precip on the radar. it is not touching the ground around baltimore. look at the warm up on tap. we are back to above 50 on tuesday. possibly 60 on thursday. how fast it changes. >> see you tonight at 11:00.

. >> many critics that it will be viola davis who win best actress. this year's nominee list highlights the growing disconnect between audience favorites and critic's favorite. >> now your insta-weather forecast with meteorologist john collins. >> lots of sunshine. nice day today. typical for this time of year. typically, the normal high is 48. with its 49 at the airport. the morning lows were generally at or above the freezing point. no extreme weather here today. no precipitation. only 3 inches in 1993. we are seeing that we are getting close to march. less bakes' no numbers. the middle of february seems to be the target. clear skies that 45 at the airport. dry air. the barometric pressure is up. south wind at 3 miles an hour. it was breezy this morning. things have calmed down a bit. 43 in west minister and frederick. it is cooler in the mountains. take a look at the satellite picture. clean as a whistle over us. that is a disturbance we will be watching. it will not be much of an issue. it will produce a cold front for the area tomorrow afternoon

hugged her beautifully. >>, you know, she and viola davis both. it right when he said they both just radiated joy. also, just a sense of -- such a sense of pride as a woman in who they are, and i think it's something that women watching this show can relate to in such a great way, because it's not about being that glamour girl, about being j. lo. you can still be a personal best. if you're not a size 2. >> for any woman who is full figured, tadashi shoji has taken care of her for every red carpet. >> he's made major points. she's looked sensational throughout the entire awards season. >> thank you! >>> you could call her a "smash" hit. megan hilty is here. >> how cute she is. >>> good morning. today is going to be a mess. two sides of this storm to the north. it's going to be heavy snow at times pip go farther south into the pink and purple and you're looking more at a wintry messed. either that sleep or freezing rain, both of which can be extremely dangerous on the road. when we get after dark, we'll see the chance for severe weather, especially

viola davis, a beautiful performance, she deserves on win -- to win, it's a win for her on sunday.yl streep's been nominated 17 times. >> uh-huh. >> her last win was in 1982 for "sophie's choice." they might go that route but i will go with viola williams for the pick and michelle williams deserves it. >> best actor. >> and this an interesting one. john desjardins. and he's nominated for his performance in "the artist. "and he and clean are the two front runners. i think jean des jardins is going to take home the awards and we'll get to that shortly, but cleany had a good moment umas well and there is a possibility george will. jean deserves it because by saying so little, he emotionally connects to the audience and was -- that is an important characteristic. you know who should be in this category? end e isus, who played the lead ape in rise of the performance of the apes. he deserves an award and is not in there. >> how about best director. your favorite is a lot of people's favorites. >> over the years, as you look back in 2005-2002, they split the award between the director and

i was a little disappointed with the fashions usually a few more stand out, i thought viola davis' greenlocked fabulous. >> mike looks good, hey mike. >>> good morning. temperatures running on frosty side in the north bay valley 30 santa rosa and napa, everybody else above that in the mid to upper 30s antioch livermore, oakland, redwood city, san francisco, half moon bay and san jose low to mid 40s for you. area of cold weather in the low the center of the -- of energy if you will has brought showers around the monterey bay and snow up in the sierra. we are going to have a clear day clouds on the increase, partly cloudy and very cool compared to average with low to mid 40s, 50s i should say in most areas the best chance up around napa clear lake possibly from livermore south where i think we could have scattered showers this afternoon. seven day forecast, our next best chance of a soaking rain wednesday and then drier and warmer back to average for the weekend. >>> good morning. turn out we have a couple problems. first, wind advisory across the san mateo bridge. both hands-on the wheel

. >> george clooney and brad pitt are going toe to toye viola davis and meryl streep are duke it out and octavia spencer is neck and neck i. clooney and pitt were one of hollywood's most talked about row maintenances, first teaming up in oceans 11. andmanball clooney earned a nod in the same category for "the deaccident dents". >> friendly competition between you and your best bud brad pitt. >> nothing friendly about it. i wouldn't say that right now. >> we're going to wrestle it out at the en and last man standing takes it all. >> my money is on brad. i mean, at this point. >> they're not the only big stars squaring off on the road to gold. >> i can walk behind in a gold old fashioned street fight. >> viola davis may not know bus she is currently the favorite in the lead actress category despite being nominated against two-time oscar winner meryl streep. >> i'm just honored to be in her company. >> octavia spencer tells us she is honored to battle it out for the supporting actress oscar. the showdown picture against her pal, melissa mccarthy. >> if it was people i didn't know i woul

nothing against -- personally, i think viola davis was robbed. literally.an stole her harry winston necklace. "transform "transformers. >> cleto: dark of the moon" was nominated. it's about time the academy started showing some inclusiveness. i thought billy crystal did a nice job. originally, eld dddie murphy wa supposed to be the host of the show until someone in the academy remembered he was in "norbit" and then -- fashion, as always, was a big topic tonight. oscar night is the magical night where we sit around in sweat pants and criticize the way famous women are dressed. e network today had seven hours of prekos coscar countdown. the actors don't start arriving an hour before the show starts. but the koj starts at 10:30 in the morning. they have to make due with things like this. >> ah, we're just so excited to be here on the red carpet and oh my gosh -- look! there's a monkey. >> jimmy: she acts like she's never seen a monkey get out of a limo before. what was going on in that monkey's pants? can we slow that down and play just the end part again. yea

viola davis will be the second. >> best actor, jean dujardin and george clooney? the george clooney of france, will win. >> speaking of "the artist," that's almost a shoe-in for best picture. >> nine nominees for best picture. "the artist" will win. last time a silent film won was "wings" in 1929. >> if there is another shoe-in, octavia spencer? >> and christopher plummer for "the beginners." >> billy crystal hosts as well for the ninth time. now here's ann. >> nowambrose. what will the stars be wearing? first, a flashback to last year. michelle williams created a lot of buzz. >> she was very mute. i hope she'll be more siren. she played marilyn monroe. i hope for more raciness if we are lucky. >> mila kunis. >> she's edgy. she's a style maverick. she'll give us a little bit to guess about. >> that was a beautiful lavender dress last year. and halle berry. >> she never does it wrong. she's wearing a cast, hopefully it's gone. hopefully she'll glamouflage it right. that's how you camouflage with glamour. >> this year, stars to watch. >> octavia, definitely and viol

everyone thought it was going to be viola davis for "the help." yes meryl won the golden globe but viola won the s.a.g. and she had that momentum going. i thought it was going to be viola davis. i love what meryl streep did. it was so disarming. she gets up there and she says, oh, her again. she also said that sweet thing about her husband. i'm not going to let the music roll and plug my husband at the very end. i'm going to say, thanks, don, for all you've done throughout my long career. we know nothing about don. he is a sculptor and they live in new jersey. i thought really well handled and you just love her all over again. >> he was surprised by that, too. you could tell. >> yeah. don got a shout out. i mean as big a star as meryl streep is i was seeing don for the first time. >> what did you think about the moment when octavia spencer won the best actress for supporting role? it was such a moving -- she became so overwhelmed she thanked the world at one point. >> i love that. yes. thank you. she threw it out there. bless her. she had the most

everyone was talking about viola davis winning.ust really seemed shocked which was great to see someone who has been nominated 17 times be shocked that she won. she joins that very elite club of people who have three oscars. jack nicholson, ingrid bergman. she ends this 29-year drought of no oscars but lots of nominations. >>> the australian prime minister has beaten kevin rudd in a labor party leadership vote. but her next challenge to reunite the party might not be quite so easy. the full story ahead on "world business today." >>> cnn hong kong, i'm andrew stevens. >> and i'm nina dos santos at cnn london. a warm welcome back. you're watching "world business today" on cnn. >>> now, let's have a look at what's going on in europe when it comes to the equity trade. we're about 90 minutes into the trading day and the trading week. as you can see, it's a bit of a downbeat day. largely these markets taking cues from asia where there's a lot of concern about how china will have to revamp its economic policy and change its main export dr

dinner ideas made easy. >> meryl streep and viola davis are opposite this year in the academy.u remember a movie they were together perhaps? but anyway, yeah, so that's interesting. >> yeah. >> you can go to our website. we have all kinds of little factoids. >> good morning, everyone. we are looking at a cold, cold start and a return to winter. 36 degrees at the tahoe valley airport right now. heavenly may see a few snow showers tomorrow, but perhaps a half foot or so as we get into the middle of the week where bay area will see a good dose of rain, at least from what we are used to. here's a look from the camera. it is nice and clear out there. the wind has stopped and so conditions are quite frigid in the north bay, with 29 in santa rosa. 34 in napa and fairfield, with 35 in concord. 39 in livermore. we've got upper 30s along the coast. 43 oakland, san francisco. so it is definitely a much colder start out there, as much as 12 to 16 degrees coolerred to compared to yesterday a lot of wind yesterday in the north bay. 11 degrees colder in concord, as well as hayward, about 12 d

tomorrow viola davis and octavia's spencer as they discuss the foam.e will discuss the concern about the kinds of roles hollywood offers to people of color and the quest for hollywood storytelling beyond racial stereotypes. now after that i will be joined by suze orman. she believes she has come up with the sensible solution for every day americans. tonight we are pleased to be joined by chuck hagel. the combat vet earns two purple hearts. he was a member of the who intelligence committee. he serves of the chairman of the atlantic council. he joins us tonight from washington. good to have you on this program. so much news i want to get to. let me jump in with syria. we told americans to get out. your thoughts on the deteriorating relationship with syria and what is happening inside the country? >> these are very difficult, delicate, and complicated issues. did the united states or any one nation does not have the ability to change or control of events, and i think we saw about over last 12 months in tunisia and egypt as well as libya and bahrain, but w