Oscar Winner 2010 Sandra Bullock- Laughing All the Way to the Bank; Crying Home with Oscar

Sunday March 7, 2010. Sandra Bullock won an Oscar for Best Actress at the Academy Awards on her first nomination, which was for the film Blind Side, even though The Proposal with hunk Ryan Reynolds was by far the box office blockbuster. Sandra looked like a svelte porcelain doll in a Marchesa gown skirted with gleaming gold while the sleeveless bodice shimmered with embroidered flowers and leafy vines of silver. The brunette wore her long smooth hair to one side. Her perfect face make-up was accented by deep-pink lipstick painted on her lips.

Surprised to win over Meryl Streep, Sandra Bullock rose from her seat and approached Meryl across the way but Meryl urged her to go on stage. Sandra made an emotional acceptance speech that was hilarious, serious, and genuine. Even her husband, Jesse James, had tears in his eyes as she spoke. Sandra started out with, "Did I really earn this... or did I just wear y'all down?" She thanked the Academy and the Academy artists, particularly the other four Best Actress nominees, who were- Helen Mirren for Last Station; Carrie Mulligan for Education; Gabourey Sidibe for Precious; Meryl Streep for Julie & Julia.

Turning to face Gabourey Sidibe, in the audience, Sandra said, "Gabby, I love you so much- you are exquisite- you are beyond words to me." (Gabby smiled). Then, Sandra spoke to the other nominees- "Carrie, your grace and elegance and your beauty and your talent... makes me sick." (Carrie and audience laughed) "Helen, I feel like we are family... and I don't have the words to express just what I think of you. And Meryl-" Sandra closed her eyes and dramatically added, "you know what I think of you- and you're such a good kisser." Meryl and the audience cracked up laughing at the reference to a kiss between the two at the 15th annual Critics' Choice Awards in January. The brief kiss on the lips caught by a still camera looked like a long passionate kiss.

Sandra went on to say, "I have so many people to thank for my good fortune in this lifetime." She thanked the family that gave her the opportunity to do Blind Side. She thanked everyone who had shown her 'kindness when it wasn't fashionable'. "To everyone who was mean to me-" proving her comedic genius, Sandra continued, "George Clooney threw me in a pool years ago... I'm still holding a grudge." More audience laughter. Sandra thanked the 'moms who take care of the babies no matter where they come from'.

Sandra choked up as she thought about her own mother, Helga D. Meyer, and thanked her in a halting way as she tried to maintain her composure. She thanked her "for not letting me ride in cars with boys until I was 18 'cause she was right- I would have done what she said I was gonna do." She thanked her mother for making her practice whatever it was she wanted to be- ballerina, piano player, etc. She thanked her for "reminding her daughters- there's no race, no religion, no class system, no color, nothing, no sexual orientation that makes us better than anyone else. We are all deserving of love." A few more words, tears in her husband's eyes, and then a joke-"my lover Meryl Streep" before her exit off the stage made the Oscar audience and surely the TV audience fall in love all over again with Sandra Bullock.

In 2004, in Hollywood California, a friend of mine who had helped fundraise money for the making of the 2004 film Crash, in which Sandra Bullock had an ensemble role, Mr G, brought up with me how Sandra had never been nominated for an Oscar. We both were amazed that an actress with so much talent and a number of good films in her filmography could have been so overlooked. Mr. G said, "Sandra doesn't care." He then added, "She's laughing all the way to the bank." He was referring to the fact that Sandra was a busy actress and also to her production company, Fortis Films, through which Sandra has made many films- the first was the 1998 film Hope Floats starring Sandra and Harry Connick Jr. The most recent Fortis Films production was the offbeat 2009 comedy All About Steve, starring Sandra and Thomas Haden Church.

Sandra Bullock is one of my favorite actresses and if I could give her an Oscar for the clever and truly funny comedy The Proposal, I would. But I'm glad she won for Blind Side, even though she won over my all-time favorite actress, the incomparable Meryl Streep.