Poster art courtesy The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences
After dragging out this year's Oscars for 3 1/2 hours, it was satisfying to have yet a Little Movie That Could, the Iraq war thriller "The Hurt Locker," take home some of the biggest awards ... such as Best Picture and Best Director.
Also, Kathryn Bigelow is the first female filmmaker to take home the latter prize, and the event had a "girl-power" feel to it. (Best Actress winner Sandra Bullock and Best Supporting Actress winner Mo'Nique Imes both seemed to take that tack with their acceptance speeches.)
And as always, the salute to those who died during the year -- which included gone-too-soon actors Patrick Swayze and Brittany Murphy, as well as musician Michael Jackson -- was touching and well-done. A low-key rendition of the Beatles' "In My Life," which was performed by James Taylor, was very appropriate as well.
Lastly, for those who have been keeping track of such things, the remaining 10Oscar categories were announced in the final 90 minutes. The final tally ... predictions made: 18 (out of 24 categories); correct guesses: 13.