An The Oscar Goes To... A Body Double

Apparently The Academy is going to need a new category come 2012, "Best supporting role of a body double who wants to hog media attention." Sarah Lane, who was Natalie Portman's dance double in Black Swan is claiming that Portman is a farce. Lane told Entertainment Weekly,  "They wanted to create this idea in people's minds that Natalie was some kind of prodigy or so gifted in dance and really worked so hard to make herself a ballerina in a year and a half for the movie, basically because of the Oscar. It is demeaning to the profession and not just to me. I've been doing this for 22 years.... Can you become a concert pianist in a year and a half, even if you're a movie star?"
The problem with Lane's statements is that no actor or actress claims that they are a "professional" anything after training for roles. Mark Whalberg trained super hard for his role in The Fighter. Sure, he left the boxing ring in his mansion, but if you trained for the role of a lifetime, wouldn't you want to remember it? Whalberg never claimed to be "Rocky." 
Natalie never claimed to be a ballerina, but I believe that a lot can be accomplished in 18 months. Actors have an incredible ability to "just do it," that's why they make the big bucks. Listen to any interview for any film as actors describe their preparations for roles, and its not an easy process. Not many people would want to eat 1200 calories a day when they didn't have to and dance until they bled. That's where the "profession" part of acting comes in. I believe Portman's performance was so convincing because she actually lived out a part of Nina. Film lives on because what a team of people put together can do to create something amazing continues to leave audiences in awe. Check out: 
The sacrifice for art 
While credit should go where credit is due, it also shouldn't be taken away in the process. Benjamin Millepied talks to the LA Times.
Somewhere, Sarah Lane is waiting to star in the "Green Swan" and Natalie Portman is chilling on a couch eating mac and cheese with her Oscar sitting on her baby bump. All is right with the world.