And now back to our regularly scheduled blogging...

Well, here's the verdict. I am terrible at predicting short films, screenwriting, sound and costume. Otherwise, I did ok with 13 correct guesses (aka the obvious categories that everyone guessed):

Best Picture: The Hurt Locker
Best Actor: Jeff Bridges
Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz
Best Actress: Sandra Bullock
Best Supporting Actress: Mo'Nique
Best Animated Feature: Up
Best Art Direction: Avatar
Best Cinematography: Avatar
Best Director: The Hurt Locker
Best Documentary: The Cove
Best Editing: The Hurt Locker
Best Makeup: Star Trek
Best Visual Effects: Avatar

I usually enjoy the Oscars even when they're kind of boring and excessively long (as a kid, it was an amazing excuse to stay up late, waiting with my mom for the best picture to be announced), so generally speaking I have very little snark for the awards. Of course they're not about "best" or even "good" cinema, but really, does anyone think that anyway? I watch for the outfits, the musical numbers and the embarrassing speeches, and I have no shame about that. They surgically removed all the fun this year (interpretive breakdance, really?) so I can honestly say that my favourite part of the show was Neil Patrick Harris' song & dance number. That's a sad fact.

I only have three other comments:

a) Anyone currently comparing Avatar to Citizen Kane in any way, is probably brain damaged.
b) The John Hughes montage made me tear up a bit. I didn't think it would, but it totally got me.
c) The ladies who are near, or over, the age of 60 (Helen Mirren, Sigourney Weaver, Kathryn Bigelow) looked really good. The ladies in their 40s (Sandra Bullock and Demi Moore in particular) need to lay off the knife.