With Oscar statuettes in both hands, Kathryn Bigelow — the first woman ever to win the Oscar for Best Director — became the perfect poster girl for women-power on the eve of International Women’s Day. Pitted against her ex-husband, director James Cameron, who was nominated for the sci-fi hit
Avatar, Bigelow claimed the coveted trophy, as well as the Best Film award for her Iraq war drama,
The Hurt Locker.
She, however, couldn’t escape the barbs of co-hosts, comedy stars Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin. “She was so pleased to be nominated with Cameron, she sent him a gift basket with a timer,” Martin said, alluding to the time bombs that were a part of her film.
The potshots continued for all nominees. “Meryl Streep holds the record for most nominations as an actress, or as I like to think of it, most losses,” said Martin. Streep, unoffended, laughed heartily. She, however, lost out to Sandra Bullock in the Best Actress category.
Bullock won for her role as a tough, contemporary mother in
The Blind Side. “Who doesn’t love Sandra Bullock?” Martin asked rhetorically, to which Baldwin answered, “Well tonight, we may find out.”
Veteran actor Jeff Bridges took home the Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of a down-on-his-luck country musician in the film
Crazy Heart.
While Christoph Waltz won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of a World War II Nazi in
Inglourious Basterds, Mo’Nique won as the Best Supporting Actress for
Precious.
Many in the audience at the Kodak Theatre in LA tweeted live. “James Cameron is going into his own hurt locker right now,” tweeted comedian Paul Scheer. “Oprah’s about to tell everyone in the audience there’s an Oscar under their seat,” posted blogger Foster Kamer.