Diablo delight as Juno scoops best original screenplay Oscar and Spirit awards

It was a top weekend for the Vancouver-shot movie Juno, which culminated in a golden statue on Sunday night at the 80th Academy Awards for best original screenplay for Diablo Cody, the former stripper turned screenwriter.

Filmed mainly in Vancouver and Burnaby, with locations including Eric Hamber Secondary School and Hanna Medical Clinic in Burnaby, the comedy has been a huge box-office success, taking in more than $100 million.

In her Oscar acceptance speech, Cody, who wore a leopard-print dress and bright red lipstick, said: "This is for the writers. I want to thank our incredible cast including the superhuman Ellen Page. And I want to thank my family for loving me exactly the way I am."

The night before had been even better. Juno won the top prize of best film at the Spirit Awards, the independent film industry's version of the Oscars that give credit to low-budget films, along with Halifax's Ellen Page as best actress, and Cody again for best original screenplay.

The weekend had started bizarrely for Cody. She turned down the chance to wear a pair of gold Richard Weitzman shoes after discovering each of her feet would have been worth half a million bucks. Cody wrote on her MySpace blog on February 22:

"I'm actually really pissed about this, now that I think about it. They're using me to publicize their stupid shoes and NOBODY ASKED ME. I would never consent to a lame publicity stunt at a time when I already want to hide. I'm sorry if I sound like a party-pooper, but Jeebus."