The Palm Springs desert is pretty dry. Mariah Carey, we're not so sure about.
The Grammy-winning diva turned Precious actress was honored with a Breakthrough Performance Award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival last night, and she was clearly in, um, high spirits when she accepted her award from director Lee Daniels.
"Oh my goodness," she said, before turning her attentions to the filmmaker, who had casually referred to her as "Mariah-kitten."
"Ha, ha, ha! I don't think they understand the kitten and cotton thing," she giggled.
"OK, I love you," she went on before hugging Daniels yet again. "I have to say, this is…and please forgive me because I'm a little bit, um…yeah."
For the record, that "yeah" came after someone in the audience yelled out a thankfully inaudible—but undoubtedly rude—suggestion.
"Oh my goodness!" Carey said. Again.
She eventually did manage to spit out some semblance of a traditional acceptance speech, but her list of thank-yous was not what stuck in the minds of her peers.
Later on in the evening, when Up in the Air's Jason Reitman took to the stage to accept his Director of the Year honor, he said that being given the award "feels just as good as Mariah Carey feels right now."
Which isn't to say that Carey was the only one enjoying herself last night.
Sean Penn carried his drink with him onto the stage when he turned up to present T-Bone Burnett with the Frederick Loewe Award for Film Composing.
He said he intended to deliver the award "in absolute sobriety" but that the intention went the way of "best-laid plans."
That would be awry.
Here's the complete list of honorees from the 21st annual Palm Springs International Film Festival:
• Actor: Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
• Actress: Marion Cotillard, Nine
• Director: Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
• Sonny Bono Visionary Award: Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
• Frederick Loewe Award for Film Composing: T-Bone Burnett, Crazy Heart
• Rising Star: Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
• Breakthrough Performance, Actor: Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker
• Breakthrough Performance, Actress: Mariah Carey, Precious
• Career Achievement, Actor: Morgan Freeman
• Career Achievement, Actress: Helen Mirren
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