The Hurt Locker
In an evening filled with big winners in performance, film-making and on the Red Carpet, the Iraq war drama “The Hurt Locker” won big at the 82nd Academy Awards, receiving six awards including Best Picture and Best Director.
The director, Kathryn Bigelow, won an historic award, becoming the first woman to win Best Director.
“This really is… There’s no other way to describe it, it’s the moment of a lifetime,” Bigelow said.
The film beat out Blockbuster-favorites “Avatar,” “District 9,” “An Education,” “The Blind Side,” “Inglourious Basterds,” ”Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire,” “A Serious Man,” “Up” and “Up in the Air.”
Michelle Brown, an 18-year-old freshman open-option major, said she was glad that the “The Hurt Locker” won.
“I think it’s good that it won,” Brown said. “I thought that ‘Avatar’ was going to win.”
Other major awards included Best Actress in a Leading Role, which went to Sandra Bullock in “The Blind Side” and Best Actor in a Leading Role, which went to Jeff Bridges for his role in “Crazy Heart.”
Sandra Bullock played a wealthy white mother of two, who took in underprivileged African-American teenager, Michael Oher, and turned him into a football star. The movie was based on a true story.
Bullock thanked her mom when she accepted the award and quoted her mother.
“She said to be an artist, you had to practice every day, and for reminding her daughters that there’s no race, no religion, no class system, no color, nothing,” Bullock said. “No sexual orientation that makes us better than anyone else. We are all deserving of love.”
Bullock beat out Helen Mirren, Carey Mulligan, Gabourey Sidibe and Meryl Streep, surprising some students.
“I thought Meryl Streep would beat Bullock,” Brown said. “’The Blind Side’ was really good though.”
Ashley Sawyer, a 19-year-old sophomore international affairs major, said that she disagreed with the Academy’s pick for Best Actress.
“I was upset about Sandra Bullock,” Sawyer said. “It should have been Meryl Streep.”
Jeff Bridges played a musician, trying to turn his life around in a country music film. He beat out acclaimed actors George Clooney, Colin Firth, Morgan Freeman and Jeremy Renner.
The Academy Awards is also a night to celebrate physical beauty and various actresses and actors look their finest. Demi Moore, Sandra Bullock, Zoe Saldana, Kristen Stewart, Penelope Cruz, Kate Winslet, Miley Cyrus and Anna Kendrick were among the list of actresses dazzling the Red Carpet.
“I really liked Miley Cyrus’ dress,” Sawyer said.
Not all students were impressed with some of the Red Carpet outfits.
“Sarah Jessica Parker looked like an alien,” Brown said. “She looked awful.”
The night was not without humor. Neil Patrick Harris of CBS’s “How I Met Your Mother,” amused the audience in song. Bullock ended her acceptance speech by saying, “Thank you so much for this opportunity that I share with these extraordinary women and my lover, Meryl Streep.”
Other winners included Mark Boal for the Original Screenplay category for “The Hurt Locker.”
“I would also like to thank and dedicate this to the troops, the 115,000 who are still in Iraq, the 120,000 in Afghanistan and the more than 30,000 wounded and 4,000 who have not made it home,” Boal said.
“Up” took the award for Animated Feature Film.
“Boy, never did I dream that making a flip book out of my third grade math book would lead to this,” said director Pete Docter.
Actress in a Supporting Role went to Mo’Nique for “Precious,” who beat out Penelope Cruz, Vera Farmiga, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Anna Kendrick.
Actor in a Supporting Role went to Christoph Waltz for his role in “Inglourious Basterds,” beating out Matt Damon, Woody Harrelson, Christopher Plummer and Stanley Tucci.
Adam Borne, a 19-year-old integrative physiology major, said he disagrees with many of the results.
“I wanted “District 9” and “Inglourious Basterds” to win more awards,” Borne said. “Also, the awards were more boring than usual.”
To see the complete list of nominees and winners, visit the Oscar’s Web site.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Sara Juliet Fruman at Sara.fruman@colorado.edu.
