At the 80th Annual Academy Awards, Happy Atmosphere Wins

The 80th Annual Academy Awards Ceremony was broadcast tonight, Sunday, February 24th, in all its pomp and glory since the writer's strike came to an end just recently. Normally, by this time in the awards season, we are downright tired of watching stars and entertainment reporters stroll, prance and sway down the red carpet. However, since the writer's strike robbed us of so many awards shows this year, the atmosphere at the Oscars tonight was clearly one of sheer happiness.

The pre-Oscar Red Carpet show seemed awkward with odd camera angles. Perhaps this was because it was unusually rainy in southern California this weekend and there was little time to remove the plastic tents and wraps before the show hit air.

The show moved along nicely, except for far too many montage tributes. They included a tribute to binoculars and periscopes? Thanks to the quick and clever wit of host Jon Stewart, a lively, light attitude prevailed during this normally staid and pompous program. A wet spot in front of one of the podiums also caused Colin Farrel to slip on his way to the microphone. Quite some time later, John Travolta slipped in the same wet spot as he stepped up. Somewhere a stage hand has been fired.

There were a couple of appropriately touching moments. The tribute to colleagues who have passed including Heath Ledger, the honorary oscar to Robert Boyle - who at 98 stood at the podium and made his acceptance speech, and Javier Bardem's emotional thank you in his native language to his mother who was in the audience. Also, as a nice surprise, Tom Hanks announced that American service men and women around the world would read the nominees and winner of the Best Short Documentary Award - starting in Baghdad.

And the Winners Are:

Category - Best Picture
Nominees:
Atonement
Juno
Michael Clayton
No Country for Old Men - WINNER
There Will Be Blood

Category - Best Director
Nominees:
J. Schnabel - The Dving Bell & the Butterfly
J. Retiman - Juno
T. Gilroy - Michael Clayton
Cohen Brothers - No Country for Old Men - WINNER
P.T. Anderson - There Will Be Blood

Category - Best Actor
Nominees:
George Clooney
Daniel Day-Lewis - WINNER
Johnny Depp
Tommy Lee Jones
Viggo Mortensen

Category - Best Actress
Nominees:
Cate Blanchett
Julie Christie
Marion Cottilard- WINNER
Laura Linney
Ellen Page:

Category - Best Supporting Actor
Nominees:
Casey Affleck
Javier Bardem - WINNER
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Hal Holbrook
Tom Wilkinson

Category - Best Supporting Actress
Nominees:
Cate Blanchett
Ruby Dee
Saoirse Ronan
Amy Ryan
Tilda Swinton - WINNER

Category - Animated Feature Film
Nominees:
Persepolis
Ratatouile - WINNER
Surf's Up

Category - Best Documentary Feature
Nominees:
No End in Sight
Operation Homecoming
Sicko
Taxi to the Dark Side - WINNER
War/Dance

Category - Best Foreign Language FIlm
Nominees:
Beaufort
The Counterfeiters - WINNER
Katyn
Mongol
12

Category - Best Live Action Short
Nominees:
At Night
The Substitute
The Mozart of Pickpockets - WINNER
Tanghi Argentini
The Tonto Woman: Nominees:

Category - Best Animated Short
Nominees:
I Met the Walrus
Madame Tutli-Putli
Even Pigeons Go to Heaven
My Love
Peter & The Wolf - WINNER

Category - Best Documentary Short
Nominees:
Freeheld - WINNER
La Corona
Salim Baba
Sari's Mother

Category - Best Adapted Screenplay
Nominees:
Atonement
Away From Her
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
No Country for Old Men - WINNER
There Will Be Blood

Category - Best Original Screenplay
Nominees:
Juno - WINNER
Lars and the Real Girl
Micahel Clayton
Ratatouille
The Savages

Category - Best Song from a Movie
Nominees:
Happy Working Song - Enchanted
Raise It Up - August Rush
That's How You Know - Enchanted
Falling Slowly - Once - WINNER
So Close - Enchanted

Category - Best Musical Score
Nominees:
Atonement - WINNER
Enchanted
August Rush

More information: Oscar.com