Jeff Daniels, Sandra Bullock Take Best Acting Oscars

Julie Hinds - Detroit Free Press

It was a night of nice firsts at the 82nd annual Academy Awards, even though there weren't that many surprises.

"The Hurt Locker" was the big winner for best picture. The low-budget Iraq war drama defeated nine other nominees in the expanded category, including the box-office blockbuster "Avatar."

And there was a history-making victory when Kathryn Bigelow of "The Hurt Locker" became the first woman ever to win for best director.

"The Hurt Locker" won six Oscars in total.

Best actress winner Sandra Bullock, who starred in the football drama "The Blind Side," nabbed her first Oscar for a film that gave the romantic-comedy star a chance to tackle a serious role. It also was her first nomination.

Veteran actor Jeff Bridges, who's been nominated five times, also won his first Oscar with his best actor prize for "Crazy Heart."

The Hollywood favorite gave a gracious acceptance speech that credited his parents with getting him into show business (his father was the late Lloyd Bridges). "This is honoring them as much as it is me," Bridges said.

Overall, the broadcast was practical, but not particularly inspired. Cohosts Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin did their best to keep things amusing, but the stretches between their appearances were sometimes tedious.

As usual, the fun part was seeing the winners have their moment at the podium.

In the supporting acting categories, the statuettes went to two actors who were considered the front-runners -- Mo'Nique, who switched from comedy to wrenching drama to play an abusive mother in "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire," and Christoph Waltz, who gave a vivid performance as a Nazi officer in "Inglourious Basterds."

Like Bullock, Bridges and Bigelow, it was the first win for both Mo'Nique and Waltz.

Mark Boal of "The Hurt Locker" took home a statuette for his original screenplay about the tense mission of a bomb-defusing squad. Boal's script was caught up in some controversy last week when metro Detroit attorney Geoffrey Fieger announced he was filing a lawsuit on behalf of a soldier who claims he was the basis for the movie's lead character.

The soaring "Up," which also was nominated for best picture, won for best animated feature and original score.

A tribute to the late director John Hughes, whose 1980s teen movies remain cultural landmarks, provided one of the most moving moments. Many of his familiar stars (including Molly Ringwald, Matthew Broderick and Jon Cryer) assembled onstage, providing a touching blast from the past for those who grew up watching "The Breakfast Club" and "Ferris Bueller's Day Off."

In an opening monologue that resembled a celebrity roast, Martin and Baldwin lobbed a rapid-fire string of zingers aimed at the nominees and stars in the audience.

Steering mostly clear of topical humor, the veteran funnymen poked fun at the stars in the audience and, with self-deprecating grace, themselves.

The silver-haired Martin advised young heartthrobs Zac Efron and Taylor Lautner, "Take a good look at us, guys. This is you in five years."

Later, the camera cut to Martin and Baldwin sitting backstage on a couch wearing Snuggies. It was funny, but like much of the show, a little predictable.

The most striking visual joke came when presenter Ben Stiller made an entrance as a blue Na'vi from "Avatar" and began speaking in the space alien language. "That means this seemed like a better idea in rehearsal," he said. Stiller's bit even earned a chuckle from "Avatar" director James Cameron, who's not exactly known for his sense of humor.

But the real surprise came before Martin and Baldwin took to the stage, when the new go-to guy for award show awesomeness, Neil Patrick Harris, opened the show with an elaborate musical number.

Dressed in a sparkling tuxedo jacket and oozing dapper charm, Harris, a TV star who's hosted the Emmys and Tonys, cracked, "I know, what am I doing here?"

Just adding some zest, for a few minutes at least, to an evening that occasionally seemed short on energy.

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