The 82nd Academy Awards ceremony, held at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood on March 7, made history several times, featuring several firsts. Not only was it the first ceremony to feature two hosts, Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin, since 1987, ten movies were also nominated for best picture for the first time since 1943, when ‘Casablanca’ took home the trophy. But the most memorable moment of the night was Kathryn Bigelow’s win for best director for her Iraq war drama ‘The Hurt Locker,’ making her the first woman to win the award.
This was the first year to also feature an ex-husband and wife competing against each other in the director category, as Bigelow went up against former husband James Cameron, the favored pick for the highest-grossing movie of all time, ‘Avatar.’ It was also the first time such a low-grossing film won best picture, as it only ranked in a little over $21.3 million during its limited U.S. theatrical release in the fall. However, it is distributor’s Summit Entertainment’s most successful movie.
All of the actors who won also picked up their first Oscars as well. Sandra Bullock was recognized for best actress for her portrayal of Leigh Anne Tuohy in ‘The Blind Side,’ and Jeff Bridges won best actor for his role as Otis “Bad” Blake in ‘Crazy Heart,’ after being nominated six times since 1971. Comedienne-turned-actress Mo’Nique won for best supporting actress in ‘Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire,’ for her portrayal of Mary Lee Johnston, and Christoph Waltz won best supporting actor for his role of as Col. Hans Landa in ‘Inglourious Basterds.’
Written by: Karen Benardello
