She's had a lot of criticism levelled at her lately over her rapid weight loss and dwindling fashion sense but Catherine Zeta-Jones has continued to stand tall.

And last night at an event to honour the achievements of her actor husband in New York she might have hoped to escape beneath the radar.

Unfortunately her choice of dress dragged her back into the spotlight once more as Michael Douglas collected his Chaplin Award at the Alice Tully Hall Lincoln Centre.

Bit of a mesh: Catherine Zeta-Jones doesn't quite cut it in a black sequined dress from the Marchesa Autumn 2009 collection

Honoured: Michael Douglas was at the lice Tully Hall Lincoln Center in New York City to pick up the Film Society's 2010 Chaplin Award

The black sequined tulle strapless Marchesa dress that must have looked so great in the mirror resembled a bin liner in front of the assembled cameras.

The black dress was a mish-mash of mesh and sequins and did nothing to compliment the actress' complexion or figure.

Meanwhile, Douglas himself wore a simple suit for the presentation, which honoured the extensive body of work he has built up during the course of his three-decade long career.

He was awarded the 37th annual Chaplin Award by the Film Society of Lincoln Centre for his work both in front of the camera as an actor and behind the scenes as a producer.

Father and son: In a poignant moment Michael was presented with the award by his father, 93-year-old acting legend Kirk Douglas

Female friends: Erika Christiansen, who played Michael Douglas's drug addict daughter in Traffic, and Brooke Shields

And, in an poignant moment, he was presented the coveted award by his father, acting legend Kirk Douglas who is 93 years of age.

The Film Society's Annual Gala began in 1972 and honoured Charles Chaplin, who returned to the U.S. from exile to accept the commendation.

Since then, the award was renamed for Chaplin, and has honoured many of the film industry's most notable talents, including Alfred Hitchcock, Billy Wilder, Laurence Olivier, Federico Fellini, Elizabeth Taylor, Bette Davis, James Stewart, Robert Altman, Martin Scorsese, Diane Keaton, Meryl Streep and, most recently, Tom Hanks.

Guest supporters: Danny DeVito and his daughter Lucy, and good friend, musician Jimmy Buffett, accompanied by his wife Jane

As well as a trophy for his mantelpiece, Michael Douglas was also honoured with a This Is Your Life style lookback at some of the highlights of his successful career, which has seen the actor involved in numerous film projects in a variety of genres.

Film clips commemorating his prolific career, in which the versatile actor has shifted from slick Hollywood hits, like Wall Street and Basic Instinct, to quirky, character-based work, such as the Wonder Boys and King Of California, were featured throughout the night.

Guest presenters included friends and previous collaborators such as Steven Soderbergh, Tobey Maguire, Danny DeVito, Erika Christensen and Barbara Walters.

Family affair: (Left to right) Michael Douglas with his mother Anne, wife Catherine Zeta-Jones and father Kirk

A special music performance will be provided by singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett, a long-time friend of Douglas, who also performed at the actor's wedding to Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Mara Manus, executive director of The Film Society of Lincoln Centre said: 'Having the opportunity to bestow this honor on as passionate and successful an actor as Michael Douglas, highlighted by the calibre of Michael’s peers and friends who are equally as excited to be a part of the evening, is truly thrilling for all of us here.'

Douglas can next be seen in the offbeat, independent comedy-drama Solitary Man (which co-stars Susan Sarandon, Danny DeVito and Mary-Louise Parker), which is released in the U.S. on May 21.

And, later this year, he returns to the role that won him an Oscar as sleazy corporate raider Gordon Gekko in the highly anticipated sequel, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, directed by Oliver Stone.