Oscar Overview

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Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 10 (April 2010).

Oscar Overview
By Brittany (.Brittany.)

The 82nd annual Oscar Awards were held Sunday March 7th, 2010. Whether it was for the gorgeous red carpet dresses, or just to find out who won the Oscar's, an estimated 41.62 million people watched as hosts Alex Baldwin and Steven Martin ran the show. Here are some of the night's big winners!

The Hurt Locker is an American war movie about elite soldiers in Iraq that have the most dangerous job in the world: disarming bombs in the heat of combat. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow and written by Mark Boal, The Hurt Locker won the following Oscar Awards: Best Picture, Directing, Film Editing, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, and Writing (original screenplay). The Hurt Locker has also won seventy-two other awards in the past two years. The top actors/actresses in the movie are Jeremy Renner (Dahmer, The Assassination of Jesse James), Anthony Mackie (Half Nelson, We Are Marshall) and Brian Geraghty (We Are Marshall, Jarhead).

The Blind Side is the heartfelt story of an African-American football player who is homeless. When he is brought into a new home he is enabled to fulfill his potential to play for the NFL. Living in a new environment, going to a new school, he has a chance to start over. Based on the book “The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game” by Michael Lewis, the movie, written and directed by John Lee Hancock, won only one Oscar Award (Actress in a Leading Role awarded to Sandra Bullock) but has also won four other awards. The top actors/actresses in the movie are Sandra Bullock (All About Steve, The Proposal), Tim McGraw (The Kingdom, Four Christmases), Quinton Aaron (Be Kind Rewind, Mr. Brooklyn), Jae Head (Hancock), and Lilly Collins (90210).

Avatar takes place in the year 2154, where Jake, played by Sam Worthington, is a paraplegic war veteran taken to another planet, Pandora. The movie was developed in 1994, and was planned to be release in 1999, but the technology to produce the film was not available at that time. The movie, written and directed by James Cameron, won the following Oscars: Art Direction, Visual Effects, and Cinematography. It won another twenty-five awards as well. The top actors/actresses in the movie are Sam Worthington (Terminator: Salvation, Rogue), Zoe Saldana (Star Trek, Vantage Point), Sigourney Weaver (Baby Mama, Wall-e) and, Stephan Lang (Save Me, Public Enemies).

Crazy Heart is about Blake, an alcoholic country music singer that has had too many marriages. When he meets Jean, a newspaper journalist who wants to do a piece on him for her newspaper, they start a relationship. The movie, based on the book “Crazy Heart” written by Thomas Cobb, was written and directed by Scott Cooper and won the following Oscars: Music (Original Song) and Actor in a Leading Role. Crazy Heart has also won another sixteen awards. The top actors/actresses are Jeff Bridges (Stick it, How to Lose Friends & Alienate People), James Keane (The Gift, 7th Heaven), Tom Bower (The Cleaner, Gospel Hill), and Beth Grant (All About Steve , Extract).

El Secreto De Sus Ojos (The Secret in Their Eyes) was filmed in 1999, but set like it was June of 1974. Benjamin, entangled in the investigation of a young woman that was raped and murdered inside of her own home, vows to find the killer and bring him to justice. The Secret in Their Eyes, written and directed by Juan José Campanella, won the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. The Secret in Their Eyes also won thirty-three other awards. The top actors/actresses are Ricardo Darin (Amorosa Soledad, XXY) and Javier Godino (Deception).

The Cove takes place in Taiji, Japan, in the 1960's where former dolphin trainer Ric O’Barry captured and trained five dolphins that played in the family movie Flipper (1996). The Cove, written by Mark Monroe and directed by Louie Psihoyos, won the Best Documentary Feature Oscar. The Cove also won twenty-five other awards. The top actors/actresses, who play as themselves, are Joe Chisholm, Kirk Krack, and Hayden Panettiere (I Love You, Beth Cooper, The Architect).

Up! starts with the young version of Carl and a girl named Ellie, then flashes forward seventy years after Ellie's death. When Carl hits a construction worker while driving, he is forced to move into a retirement home but, before he is taken there, his house flies away attached to a bunch of balloons. On his deck is eight year old Russell, an eager Boy Scout who just happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Written and directed by Pete Docter and Bob Peterson, Up! won the following Oscars: Music (Original Score) and Animated Feature Film. Up! also won thirty-eight other awards. The top Actors/Actresses are Edward Asner (Gigantic, Christmas is here again), Christopher Plummer (Closing the Ring, The Lake House), Jordan Nagai, and Bob Peterson (Finding Nemo and Monsters, Inc.)

The Young Victoria is a dramatization of Queen Victoria when she was younger, and her enduring romance with Prince Albert. The movie, written by Julian Fellowes and directed by Jean-MarcValleé, won the Costume Design Oscar. The Young Victoria also won nine other awards. The top actors/actresses are Emily Blunt (Devil Wears Prada, The Jane Austin Book Club), Rupert Friend (The Boy in the Stripped Pyjamas), Paul Bettany (Iron Man, The Secret Life of Bees), and Miranda Richardson (Fred Claus, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire).

Precious is the tale of an overweight, illiterate high school student who is pregnant with her father's child. Precious is based on the novel “Push”, written by Sapphire, and chronicles the life of a poor girl with an abusive mom and who was raped by her father. Precious, written by Geoffrey Fletcher and directed by Lee Daniels, won the following Oscars: Actress in a Supporting Role, and Writting (Adapted Screenplay). Precious has also won fifteen other awards. The top actors/actresses are Gabourey Sidibe (The Big C), Mo'Nique (Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins, Steppin: The Movie), Paula Patton (Mirrors, Swing Vote), and Mariah Carey (Glitter, Tennessee)

Star Trek is an incredible story of a young crew's voyage on board the most advanced star ship ever created: the U.S.S Enterprise. The new recruits must find a way to stop an evil being whose mission of vengeance threatens all of mankind. Written by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, directed by J.J. Abrams, won the Make up Oscar. Star Trek also won seven other awards. Star Trek is based off of the hit show. The top actors/actresses are Chris Pine (Carriers, Bottle Shock), Zachary Quinto (24, Heroes), Leonard Nimoy (Land of the Lost, Fringe), and Zoe Saldana (Avatar, Vantage Point).

The New Tenants is about two guys that move into an apartment and find out the terrifying history of their new “home”. Written by Anders Thomas Jensen, and directed by Joachim Back, this film won the Short Film (Live Action) Oscar. The top actors/actresses are Liane Balaban (Numb3rs, Not Since You), Kevin Corrigan (Please Give, Don't look up), Vincent D'Onofrio (Staten Island, Thumbsucker), and Jamie Harrold (The Last Winter, Keep Your Distance).

Inglorious Basterds takes place in France during a war where a young Jewish refugee named Shosanna Dreyfus witnesses the murder of her family and, several years later, plots revenge. Written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, Inglorious Basterds won the Actor in a Supporting Role Oscar. Inglorious Basterds has also won fifty-six other awards. The top actors/actresses are Brad Pitt (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Burn After Reading), Melanie Laurent, Christoph Waltz (The Green Hornet), and Eli Roth (Cabin Fever, Hostel).

The Hurt Locker was the undeniable winner of the night, bringing home six Oscars. Although people think that Avatar should have won Best Picture, I disagree. Let's face it, The Hurt Locker wasn't relying on special effects and technology to win. Besides, it was about time a female director won this top honor, and who is more deserving than Kathryn Bigelow, James Cameron's (Avatar) ex-wife?