I keep reading stuff about Les Miserables and how none of the industry people know quite what to expect with it. Like, Lincoln and Argo are the early favorites for all of the awards nominations, but there are some concerns and questions about Les Mis and whether it will go all Chicago and end up winning the Best Picture Oscar and all of that. I think it helps that Les Mis has a good technical “hook” – I’m probably going to take my mom to see it (she’s really jazzed about seeing it), and I’m looking forward to it just because I’m interested in seeing how the “singing live to camera” hook plays out within the film. I’m also looking forward to seeing it just because I like Anne Hathaway and I know she really wants an Oscar for this, and I suspect that she might get it. Annie really does want it, and she’s willing to pull out all of the stops, talking about babies and weddings and diets and weight loss and her transformation and all of that.

Anyway, the first screening of Les Miserables was held a few days ago in NYC, and many of the actors showed up to officially begin their promotional tour. The Hollywood Reporter has a lengthy discussion of what went down and what the first reactions were to the film – overwhelmingly positive, by the way. Reports indicate that everyone was very impressed, and you just get the feeling that everyone is really proud to be involved with this film. THR even says Russell Crowe’s musical theater background comes out in the film, and he’s really, really good too. Anyway, Anne was at the screening and she discussed losing 25 pounds and cutting off all of her hair:

She took the brave step of shaving off her hair to play a diseased waif in the movie adaptation of the musical, Les Misérables. But Anne Hathaway wasn’t too shocked when she looked in the mirror after losing her shoulder length hair because she saw a familiar face – her gay brother!

Speaking at a New York screening of the movie on Friday, Hathaway said: “When I eventually looked in the mirror I just thought I looked like my gay brother.”

It’s not the first time the actress has spoken about her gay older brother Michael. Two years ago she told British GQ that she and her family left the Catholic Church because of its stance on homosexuality after he came out.

Hathaway said: “The whole family converted to Episcopalianism after my elder brother came out. Why should I support an organization that has a limited view of my beloved brother?”

As RadarOnline.com previously reported, Hathaway was so dedicated to playing the role of Fantine in Les Misérables that she shed 25 pounds from her already thin frame. She lost the final 15 pounds by eating just two thin squares of dried oatmeal paste a day.

Hathaway said: “I had to be obsessive about it – the idea was to look near death.”

[From Radar]

I always forget that Anne has siblings, and that her brother is gay. If I’m being cynical, I would say that Anne name-checked her gay brother to let the Hollywood establishment (gay people and gay-friendly people) know that she too is one with the gay community. Yeah… I’m a cynic! I wonder how her gay brother feels about being a pawn in his sister’s Oscar campaign?

As for the larger discussions about her hair and what a hardship it was for Anne to chop it all off… well, I’m just glad her hair has grown out of that awkward stage. I actually like it so much more now that the top part has grown out some. Now her hair is much more elegant.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet, WENN.