h Magazine's hmonthly.com

Queen of the World: Kathryn Bigelow and The Hurt Locker Rule Oscars

Posted on 08. Mar, 2010 by Administrator in News

by Jason Dean

The 82nd Annual Academy Awards’ build-up toward the crowning of Best Director and Best Picture was a see-saw battle for momentum between Team Cameron and Team Bigelow. Best Cinematography and Best Soundtrack showdowns for the two visually arresting—but very different—films set the tone as the dueling exes traded reaction shots throughout the evening. But when the dust settled, Kathryn Bigelow became the first female director to win an Oscar and The Hurt Locker (six wins, including best picture) stomped all over Hollywood’s biggest ego and the most lucrative movie ever made.

Director Kathryn Bigelow and presenter Barbara Streisand onstage

It was not James Cameron’s night. He never got any closer to the stage than his third-row seat allowed, and he was forced to grin and endure Ben Stiller’s deliciously dry blue-face parody as presenter for Best Make Up (for which Avatar was not even nominated). As Awards Season 2010 heated up, it became apparent that Avatar’s bloated technical reputation could outstrip its Oscar legitimacy. It could be that the gritty, Iraq War reality of The Hurt Locker speaks directly to our collective world-weary psyche, more so than a breathtaking, sparkly fantasy land. Or, The Academy is just plain sick of ol’ JC’s smug mug.

Starting in 2009, Best Actor and Actress nominees were introduced by their peers rather than shown in a clip from their nominated performance. Luckily, there were no moments like last year, when Adrien Brody was reduced to reciting Best Actor nom Richard Jenkins’ IMDB page, sounding suspiciously like the kid who forgot to do his homework and made some half-assed attempt to complete it five minutes before class started. Michelle Pfeiffer gave a moving introduction to Jeff Bridges in which she praised his moral character and commitment to his family and his craft. When Bridges won for his performance as a grizzled country singer in Crazy Heart, he basked in the moment with a humble appreciation that felt entirely authentic.

Sandra Bullock’s Best Actress win for The Blind Side gives the proven box office star an “Erin Brockovich” stamp of credibility.  Bullock was classy, elegant, and eloquent, though she seemed stunned to hear her name spoken, as would anyone who’s up for an award against Meryl Streep. Mo’Nique’s chilling portrayal of an evil and abusive mother in Precious rightfully earned her a Best Supporting Actress nod, and Christoph Waltz’s Best Supporting Actor win gave Inglorious Basterds its lone moment in the winner’s circle.

Co-hosts Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin during the 82nd Annual Academy Awards

As for the broadcast, the Martin/Baldwin co-host arrangement seemed ill-conceived; Steve Martin’s already hosted the show on his own. Hugh Jackman was snarked upon at last year’s Oscars for having the audacity to entertain as emcee; by comparison, this year’s cocktail banter between Steve and Alec didn’t inspire. There was a touching tribute to late filmmaker John Hughes, which was followed by a puzzling retrospective of horror movie scenes. We saw an interpretive dance number intended to represent each of the 10 Best Picture nominees. But once again, there were no musical performances from the Best Song category. James Taylor was on hand to perform The Beatles “In My Life” acoustically for the In Memoriam montage, which added a poignant touch to the annual feature that remembers those in the industry who have died in the past year.

Now that the 2010 broadcast is history, the Academy can get to work tinkering and reinventing itself for 2011. A few suggestions: One host is enough, one song is not enough, and James Cameron a safe distance away from a microphone is just right.

Related Posts

• Cameron Reclaims Throne at Golden Globes (Photos)

Tags: 82nd Annual Academy Awards, Kathryn Bigelow, Sandra Bullock