The wait for the most spectacular night in Hollywood has ended and, as always, audiences are left shocked at some decisions while others met their expectations.
While the hosts Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin brought in the laughs as "the greatest pair since Dolly Parton," it's safe to say that The Hurt Locker stole the show Sunday night at the 82nd Academy Awards Ceremony - fairly unexpectedly.
Going home with six of the nine Oscars for which it was nominated, the small-budget film topped Avatar for Best Picture. Among Avatar and The Hurt Locker, the category had eight other great nominees - an expansion of the typical five nominees in the category for the first time since 1943, allowing for less-renowned films to be recognized.
More surprisingly than The Hurt Locker's snag of Best Picture was Kathryn Bigelow leaving with the award for Best Director - a feat which made her the first female to ever achieve such an honor in that category, and outshine ex-husband James Cameron.
Though Cameron's masterpiece was beaten out by The Hurt Locker - in these big-time awards as well as some others - Avatar's groundbreaking visuals were not ignored, as the film took home awards for Art Direction, Cinematography and, of course, Visual Effects. Though the film didn't sweep its nine nominations as many of its adamant fans may have anticipated, it brought in many viewers, as it has been all the buzz in film industries across the globe.
While The Hurt Locker may have shocked many, the acting honors held not even the slightest of surprises in all four categories. Five-time Oscar nominee Jeff Bridges finally took home a very well-deserved award, receiving a standing ovation before delivering a heartfelt speech, only making the audience appreciate him even more. No one could be upset about this pick, because, well, he's just the coolest and most down-to-earth guy ever.
Sandra Bullock proved herself too, leaving with the award for Best Actress after accepting the Razzie for Worst Actress (for All About Steve) the night before - it's fair to say both were warranted, but good for her for being a good sport.
Mo'Nique and Christoph Waltz also left with Oscars in the category for supporting roles, just as expected.
Best Animated Feature was given to Up, which was also no shock as it had a nod for Best Picture. It also was awarded Best Original Score for its fantastic soundtrack. Pixar never fails to impress the Academy, as well as its audiences, and it doesn't seem too farfetched to predict Pixar films among the nominees in years to come.