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Steven Tyler and Liv Tyler Melissa Leo ¥ Jennifer Lawrence Steve Martin eslie Mann and Judd 4 Apatow George Hamilton and Kimberly Blackford LWren Scott and Mick Jagger Marisa Tomei M FOUS The Daily Mail announces Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth has enjoyed a private screening of The King’s Speech and is “moved” by the film. With no proof the Queen has actually seen the film, press agents send out a global press release thanking her Majesty for the endorsement. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24 Mid-day, I arrive at The Beverly Hills Hotel. As the house- Keepers unpack my bags upstairs I peek into the Polo Lounge and find Warren Beatty in a booth. I tell him I’m rooting for his wife, Annette Benning, and love her film, The Kids Are All Right. Warren says The Social Network will win. This year I am two days late arriving to Oscar weekend. I am shown to a very, very small room—the size of a broom closet. Uncharacteristically, I have a slight melt down. I am moved. The housekeepers run down the hall with my clothes flying. The hotel is sold out, so I get someone else’s room. Another unsuspecting victim checking in downstairs will get the broom closet. It is cold, grey and rainy. Taffeta, organdy and embroidered silk evening clothes hang in my closet. I stay in my sweaters and fur coat, and head to Arianna Huffington’s home in Beverly Hills where she and Wendi Murdoch are hosting a party for Tom Freston’s wife, the beautiful, blonde Kathy. Her book is called Veganist: Lose Weight, Get Healthy, Change the World—perfect for monks. Arianna has just sold the Huffington Post to AOL for $315 million dollars and is rumored to have personally landed around $20 million. She is euphoric as she greets Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban at the door. Other drenched power players include Disney’s Bob Iger and wife Willow Bay, Fox’s Jim Gianopulos, Candice Bergen and journalist daughter Chloe Malle, Google’s Eric Schmidt, Oliver Stone escorting his daughter Tara and avoiding questions about Charlie Sheen, Moby, Jamie Niven, Brian Grazer, Vivi Nevo, CBS’s Les Moonves and Julie Chen, Rob Reiner, Paramount’s Brad Grey and fiancé Cassandra Huysentruyt and Jeff Bezos. Hors d’oeuvres include pigs in blankets—a food group not mentioned in Kathy’s book. The action migrates to UTA Jim Burkus’ home for a party for True Grits Ethan and Joel Coen. I pass Ron Howard on the way in and he says, “Keep me on your list.” Is he kidding? Sunrise and Mark Ruffalo, Focus Feature’s James Shamus, Nancy Meyers and John Goldwyn mingle. Adorable Hallie Steinfeld is there with her parents. I am trying to fix her up with Justin Bieber. She giggles, “Peg, I am only 14.” I am face to face with Harrison Ford and stupidly tell him I love him in Morning Glory. He’s looking at me in utter disbelief, but I will not shut up. A gorgeous guy is inches away in a hat and glasses. I whisper to Harrison, “That looks just like Johnny Depp.” Harrison rolls his eyes and reluctantly introduces me to his friend .. . Johnny Depp. I babble a bit about his great work then run for cover in a corner next to my buddy, Jerry Bruckheimer. I head over to the CAA/Bryan Lourd’s “Friday Night Party.” Torrential rains and horrific winds cause a traffic jam Stephen Gaghan and that makes it impossible to get near the house. The world’s ee most famous faces cower under black umbrellas and make a run for it. Bryan Lourd and Bruce Bozzi receive friends at the door all night. Inside, Uma Thurman tells me she finally moved into a | doorman building in New York after being terrorized by | stalkers for years. Ben Walker talks about Abraham Lincoln: | Vampire Hunter, which he is about to shoot, while his fiancé, Mamie Gummer, looks sexy shivering in a white satin gown. Producer Jon Kilik mentions he oversaw a new cut of Julian -- Schnabel’s Miral, to be released in March. Bennett Miller, ef standing with Kristin Gore, says Sony loves his new film, r 4 r 4 Charlize Theron Moneyball, and Brad Pitt is terrific. (When is Brad Pitt not terrific?) Sandy Gallin tells me he has an actual job decorating Jeffrey Katzenberg’s home. I congratulate Barry - Levinson’s son Sam, a director, for winning the writing eas award at Sundance for his first film, Another Happy Day. Also seen floating around are Taylor Swift and Jake Gyllenhaal—but not together—Sean Penn, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, Anderson Cooper, Hilary Swank, Kelly Ripa, of sts Paul Haggis, Marisa Tomei, Kate Beckinsale, Demi Moore Ci A *, ~~ = Beckinsale and Ashton Kutcher, Kate Hudson, Gerard Butler, Renee ; h Zellweger with Bradley Cooper, Biutiful director Alejandro Gonzalez-Inarritu, Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal, Ellen Barkin (who is headed to Broadway in The Normal Heart this spring) and CAA’s Kevin Huvane, Richard Lovett and Hylda Queally. Sony Classic’s Michael Barker tells me The Social Network will win. fi art Tired celebs try to go home, but limo lock is at a standstill. Johansson Cell phones don’t work in the area. Two hundred swells become party prisoners and happily hang out till 5 a.m. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26 Out comes the sun and dries up all the rain. [AC chair- men and owner of Newsweek/The Daily Beast Barry Diller and his wife Diane Von Furstenberg (with her kids Alex and Tatiana) host their 15th annual lunch for Graydon Carter in their Coldwater Canyon home. Barry introduces me to his star guest, Gov. Jerry Brown, just elected to his third (nonconsecutive) term as California governor. Like last year, enormous clear plastic tents are erected on the hill near the house. Long wooden picnic tables sit on oriental rugs covering the soggy ground. VIPs wears winter clothes, comfy sweaters and sensible shoes. I arrive in a fur coat. Aaron Sorkin Lourdes Leon and Madonna HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_012701