Oscar Wins Provide Surprises and Upsets While Also Fulfilling Important Expectations

Hollywood's best and brightest gathered together last night for the 83^rd Academy Awards. It was a night of firsts for many, with all four of the top acting awards going to first-time winners. While some like Natalie Portman and Colin First had been nominated previously, this year the gold statue failed to elude them.

There was talk that Oscar might not make it into Melissa Leo's hands after some ads placed in trade publications turned many Academy members off. Nonetheless, when voting time came, people put those ill feelings aside to recognize true excellence. Leo won Best Supporting Actress for "The Fighter."

Christian Bale, who is often slammed as much as he is recognized for his acting ability, triumphed in the end. His raw performance in "The Fighter" couldn't be ignored, winning him the Oscar in the Best Supporting Actor category.

Portman seemed destined to make the long walk to the podium last night for her role in "The Black Swan." She was the odds-on favorite for Best Actress going in and rightfully so. Her haunting portrayal of a demented ballerina left everyone breathless.

Firth, a popular actor among his peers as well as his fans, also seemed destined for Oscar gold. His heart-wrenching turn in "The King's Speech" was both poignant and powerful. It was a highly popular Best Actor win and certainly not indicative that his career had "peaked" as he joked at the podium.

While the little movie that could - - "The Fighter" - - swept the supporting actor category, no single picture dominated this year's Oscars. "The King's Speech;" however, came out on top, beating out "The Social Network" for Best Picture. Director Tom Hooper also picked up an award for Best Director, denying a split win between the top two favorite films as some had predicted. Additionally, "The King's Speech" took a statue for Best Original Screenplay.

"Alice in Wonderland," a film favorite of some critics and audiences, while a disappointment to others, managed to worm its way into a couple of Academy Awards. They include statues for Art Direction and Costume Design.

However, Alice didn't capture the Cinematography award, which rightfully went to "Inception". That film also won prizes for Best Sound Editing and Best Visual Effects.

"Toy Story 3" captured two awards. The first was for Best Song, "We Belong Together." It was Randy Newman's 20^th nomination and second win in that category. The second was a top prize for Best Animated Feature Film.

"The Social Network" wasn't completely shut out either. It won Oscars for Adapted Screenplay, Film Editing and Musical Score.

The Oscar for Best Makeup went to "The Wolfman." It was the film's only nomination.

All in all, it was a good night for Oscar. He found his way into some new homes; continued to visit some old friends and leaped into the arms of a whole new generation of actors.