By Kit-Kat

What a night! Now you know I was happy when the Pan's Labyrinth gang started off the evening with the Achievement in Art Direction (after all Guillermo Del Toro is a definite favorite of mine). For them to have the night end with so many Oscars was truly remarkable (though what a shocker that they were snubbed as best foreign film).

The skit by Will Ferrell, Jack Black and John C. Reilly certainly set the pace for the evening. Ellen Degeneres did very well I thought (did everyone notice the red starter outfit, the white mid outfit and the blue ending outfit?), she kept the night moving along and the talk show feel was refreshing for a change (and don't get me started on the vacuum cleaner!). I got a kick out of her outfits (sure wish I could've worn something like that backstage!). Loved the skit with Spielberg and Eastwood as well! Notice how I blatantly don't mention the odd contortionists and their shadow pictures.

Over all I found the ceremony this year to be a bit lighter hearted and less dragged down by pompous ceremony and yet it had the theme of recognition for past Oscar winners which was commendable.

I don't recall running across a tribute to the sound editing before, holy cow (c'mon you know I had to have some sort of cow reference being a convert from Wisconsin) - who knew so many people could make sounds like that - I didn't know whether to laugh or bow down to them! The Al Gore and Leonardo DiCaprio bit was also something I didn't expect to see - I mean, Gore and DiCaprio?! Enough said there. I was really happy that Guggenheim won and 'An Inconvenient Truth' gained the recognition that it deserves as Best Documentary Feature Film. It was a heart felt moment backstage when Gore, Guggenheim and crew paused in their interview to hear Melissa Etheridge (and how positively cool that she kissed her wife) given the honor of an Academy Award for Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song). She is by far one of my favorites (and a few others here at CountingDown) so her win was the cream of the crop this evening!

Helen Mirren was quoted in the Daily Telegraph when asked about her chances tonight - "I'm nervous about the Oscars, I mean, I'm calm in myself, but I feel nervous because I'm representing myself, the film, my country - and my monarch!" She certainly had no need for nerves as she was awarded the Oscar for Best Actress in a Lead Role! This also made our night at CountingDown since Helen was so cool during our stint at CineVegas! She was just fantastic in her role as the Queen and it was great that among so many exceptionally gifted nominated women she had her moment to shine. If you've not seen the movie yet you should.

Aside from Jennifer Hudson winning for her role as Best Supporting Actress in Dreamgirls, the rest of the night definitely fell short for the film considering the eight nominations it had received, but then after the upset of not being nominated for best picture (which it was constantly referred to as the odds on favorite) it became apparent to me that this was going to be an award year of a different flavor. A pity that Eddie Murphy still hasn't seen his Oscar gold (also a pity Peter O'Toole now has 9 nominations and only one honorary Oscar for his shelves).

Clearly the light hearted approach was applauded by the backstage horde, after all the press mayhem that we endured this year, there were far more groans and silent people vs. the chipper chatty group of years past. That didn't last for too long as the ceremony started; the humor had a way of being contagious and soon people were eating and talking and laughing - making the awards fun, as they were meant to be. It is a fun night that seems to get overshadowed with the emphasis on gowns and jewelry from time to time. One of the people I spoke with tonight even mentioned disgust at the sheer "fashion show" that the awards have become. I tend to agree. While it's fabulous to check out the gowns and glitz we tend to lose sight of this being recognition for people who work extremely hard to bring some entertainment into our lives. To them even being nominated means something and to win is a dream come true. Jodi Foster mentioning Randy Stone - in her intro to the remembrance of past Oscar winners was touching and I thought that was a great idea to put that segment up, it encompassed the spirit of the Oscars far more than any Red Carpet glam could.

Hugh Jackman said 'This was an international year' and I have to agree with him. The sheer amount of interviews that weren't done in English was astounding. I will admit I was a bit perplexed - only now understanding why I should've taken those foreign languages back in school seriously. This is the first ceremony that boasts sixteen total nominations for Mexican projects, and the same number of British films leaving American films coming in second. And that is as it should be. I mean really, it is about time that we acknowledge and realize what phenomenal world wide talent is out there.

The applause were deafening backstage when Martin Scorsese was announced as Best Director. It was so cool when Francis, George and Steven presented him with the award! He said there was a moment when the three gave him a look before they opened the envelope and then came the shock he didn't expect. Scorsese was so adorable when he was giving his acceptance speech after finally winning and backstage he was clearly overwhelmed stating it was quite an extraordinary surprise and even a bigger surprise The Departed won for Best Picture. He even quipped that it was a good thing he didn't get an Oscar before, since maybe it would've changed the kind of movies he made. Humbled to the end, the man was just a marvel and delight backstage.

So there you have it - and I'll wrap up my Oscar coverage for you with a neat and tidy who won what and then hobble off for some much needed rest!

79th Academy Awards Oscar Winners

Lead Actor - Forest Whitaker

Supporting Actor - Alan Arkin

Lead Actress -Helen Mirren

Supporting Actress - Jennifer Hudson

Animated Feature - Happy Feet

Art Direction - Pan's Labyrinth

Cinematography - Pan's Labyrinth

Costume Design - Marie Antoinette

Directing - Martin Scorsese

Documentary Feature - An Inconvenient Truth

Documentary Short Subject - The Blood of Yingzhou District

Film Editing - The Departed

Foreign Language - The Lives of Others (Germany)

Makeup - Pan's Labyrinth

Music (Original Score) - Babel

Music (Original Song) - "I Need to Wake Up" Melissa Ethridge

Best Picture - The Departed

Animated Short - The Danish Poet

Live Action Short - West Bank Story

Sound Editing - Letters from Iwo Jima

Sound Mixing - Dreamgirls

Visual Effects - Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

Adapted Screenplay - The Departed

Original Screenplay - Little Miss Sunshine

Honorary Award - Ennio Morricone

Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award - Sherry Lansing