She is woman; Oscar heard her roar

Kathryn Bigelow on a history making Oscar night.  (Courtesy:  monstersandcritics.com)

"Hurt Locker" director/producer Kathryn Bigelow made Academy Award history Sunday night (March 7).  She became the first woman to step to the podium and receive a Best Director Oscar.

Three who came before have grabbed nominations:  Sofia Coppola for "Lost in Translation" in 2003, Jane Campion for "The Piano" in 1993 and Lina Wertmüller for "Seven Beauties" in 1975.

It is Bigelow, however, who managed to break through what Reed Johnson, writing on the L.A. Times Awards Insider Web site, and others have dubbed the "celluloid ceiling."

Bigelow's breakthrough brought something else to the Academy Awards ceremony this year; a taste of high drama soap opera.  Bigelow, you see, was once married to "Avatar" writer-director James Cameron (a previous directing winner for the blockbuster "Titanic.")

So the director of the volatile Iraqi war-thriller "Hurt Locker" didn't merely make history, she got to trounce her ex-hubby with about a billion people watching world-wide.

Personally, I think ABC dropped the ball on this year's Oscar coverage, especially when Bigelow's big moment arrived.  Click here to find out why.  

Do you feel lucky punk?  Well, do ya?

Actually, I do.  Predicting the outcome on Oscar night can be dicey at best, even in a year like this when two of the major six categories -- Best Supporting Actress and Best Supporting Actor -- appeared to be a shoo-in and two others, Best Actor and Best Actress, seemed to be sure things before Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin even took the stage to host.

The real mystery loomed in the Best Director (as mentioned above) and Best Picture categories, especially in a sort of wild-card year where the Best Picture category was doubled from five to 10 nominees.

I'm happy and more than a little relieved to say that I shrewdly (OK, guessed) correctly in all six major categories.  Click here for proof.  It's my predictions made on March 5th, two days before the ceremonies.

"You must remember this." -- Movie trivia

How about a little movie trivia to sharpen the brain?  Answer all five of this month's Oscar-themed trivia questions correctly and you'll earn the highly coveted Movie Memories 4-jalapeño salute.  (See answers below.) 

1.  Kathryn Bigelow was once married to:

a.  Sacha Baron Cohen

b.  Ethan Coen

c.  James Cameron

2.  The last time the Academy Awards nominated 10 films for Best Picture was:

a.  1997, but only because James Cameron insisted that "Titanic" be nominated six times.

b.  1943

c.  1912, the year the Titanic sank.

3.  With 16, she has the most Oscar Actress nominations.  Who is she?

a.  Miley Cyrus

b.  Helen Mirren

c.  Meryl Streep

4.  This year's Academy Awards were co-hosted by Steve Martin and ...

a.  The late, great James Brown

b.  Alec Baldwin

c.  Will.i.Am of the Black Eyed Peas  

5.  ______________ won Best Picture in 1943, the last previous year Oscar went with 10 nominees.

a.  "Casablanca"

b.  "This Gun for Hire"

c.  "Bambi" 

(Trivia Answers:  1-c, James Cameron/2-b, 1943/3-c, Meryl Streep/4-b Alec Baldwin/5-a, "Casablanca")

Upcoming presentations

March 26:  "'Casablanca' -- My Favorite Movie of All Time" presentation at Town Village North Dallas. 12271 Coit Rd., Dallas, 75251   6:45 p.m.   

April 13:  "'Casablanca' -- My Favorite Movie of All Time" presentation at The Village at Frisco Lakes.  7 p.m. (Residents only)

June 9:  "'Casablanca' -- My Favorite Movie of All Time" presentation at The Forum at Park Lane, Dallas.  6:45 p.m.

July 21:  An Enrichment Presentation at Richland College, Dallas. "'Casablanca' -- My Favorite Movie of All Time." 1:45 p.m.

Aug. 2:  Richland College Emeritus Program class No. 1. "If You Can't Say Something Nice -- My Career as a Film Critic" presentation.  10 a.m.

Aug. 9:  Richland College Emeritus Program class No. 2.  "Deadline Pressure ... What Deadline Pressure" presentation. 10 a.m.