] By Kristin Hohenadel, Special to The Times
]
] Paris -- When Michael Moore won best documentary for
] "Bowling for Columbine" at last week's Academy Awards,
] his antiwar comments -- "Shame on you, Mr. Bush!" -- were
] met with cheers and jeers. The orchestra cut him off.
] Steve Martin made a joke.
]
] The mood was quite different at the Césars, the French
] Oscars, a few weeks beforehand, as Moore lumbered up to
] accept the best foreign film award. He made the routine
] apology for his high-school French. Then he delivered a
] well-rehearsed, improvisational-style speech in English,
] pausing expertly for the translator. At a leisurely pace,
] he thanked our French allies for the cinema, for French
] fries and French kisses. For helping us in the War of
] Independence and saying no to the war we had not yet
] officially begun.
]
] "One of the best definitions of an ally, of a friend," he
] said, "is that your friend is the one who can tell you
] when you're wrong. So thank you for showing us the way,
] for standing up for something very important."