At last! Kathryn Bigelow with two of the six awards for her movie The Hurt Locker, which triumphed over ex-husband James Cameron's film AvatarIt was the night when the ex-wife finally had her revenge - and more than 80 years of Oscar history was overturned.
Kathryn Bigelow was in a straight fight with her former husband for the two most prized Oscars - the best director and best picture awards.
The pair, who were married for two years from 1989, were sitting within feet of each other.
And while Avatar director James Cameron may have had the Academy Awards pedigree - his last blockbuster Titanic picked up a record-equalling 11 awards in 1998 - it was Miss Bigelow who triumphed at the 82nd Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.
She made history by becoming the first ever woman to be named best director.
Her film The Hurt Locker managed to beat off Avatar for the best picture award.
That's despite the Iraq war film being made for £7million - £150milllion less than Cameron's effort
Nevertheless, Cameron, 55, took his defeats in good part - pretending to strangle Miss Bigelow before embracing her as the extent of her triumph became clear. As she opened the envelope to announce the winner of the best director category, Barbra Streisand had declared: 'It's about time.' When she received the award, Miss Bigelow said: 'This really is, there's no way to describe it, it's the moment of a lifetime.'
She dedicated the award to 'the people who risk their lives on a daily basis in Iraq and Afghanistan . . . may they come home safe'.
Afterwards, Miss Bigelow spoke further about becoming the first female director to win.
She said: 'First of all, I hope I'm the first of many. But I'm ever grateful if I can inspire some young, intrepid, tenacious male or female filmmakers and have them feel that the impossible is possible and never give up on your dream.'
She told the Daily Mail that it seemed incomprehensible to her that it had taken 82 years for a woman to take the best director crown. 'That barrier's down now,' she added.
In all, The Hurt Locker won six awards, compared with Avatar's three.
The drama about a U.S. bomb disposal unit in Iraq did not prove popular at the box office and has just gone to DVD in the UK.
But the members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences were certainly impressed by it - even after producer Nicholas Chartrier was last week banned from the ceremony for sending an email to voters asking them not to vote for Avatar.
As for Cameron, he had made a public statement that it would be fine for Bigelow to win best director. But he had said he felt Avatar should be given best picture to honour all his colleagues who worked on the ground-breaking sci-fi movie.
On an otherwise predictable night for the Oscars, the awards went to the favourites.
Hollywood veteran Jeff Bridges, 60, won the best actor award for Crazy Heart.
Raising his statuette to the heavens, he said: 'I want to thank my mum and dad for turning me on to such a groovy profession. This is honouring them as much as it is me.'
In the film, he plays fallen country singer Bad Blake, a heavy drinker who has been long starved of success and is relegated to playing small bars.
Austrian actor Christoph Waltz took the prize for best supporting actor for his role as a ruthless Nazi officer in Inglourious Basterds, while the American comedian and actress Mo'Nique triumphed as best supporting actress for her role in Precious.
No hard feelings: James Cameron reacts to his ex-wife Kathryn's film winning one of six Oscars The other major film award went to Sandra Bullock, who beat off Brits Carey Mulligan and Helen Mirren to take the best actress award for her portrayal of southern belle Leigh Anne Tuohy in The Blind Side.
Miss Bullock, 45, was won of the night's most popular winners. She picked up her award for The Blind Side only 24 hours after she had personally accepted the alternative pre-Oscar Golden Raspberry award for worst actress for All About Steve.
But with the post Oscar parties in full swing in the early hours of yesterday, she had to get home - to take over from the babysitter.
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Flashbulb frenzy: Sandra Bullock arrives at the ceremony in her stunning floor-length gown
Quick exit: Sandra Bullock collects her award for best actress for the American football drama The Blind Side, before heading home to relieve the babysitter, while Jeff Bridges makes his acceptance speech after being named best actor for musical film Crazy HeartHe won the divorce... but she got the big prizeBy GWYNETH REES
As James Cameron leaned in to congratulate Kathryn Bigelow after she beat him to the award for best director, he jokingly put his hands around her neck as if to throttle her.
She laughed it off, and the former lovers then embraced with seemingly genuine affection.
It was a moment that summed up many things, not least the canniness of the Oscar producers, who seated Cameron directly behind his ex-wife - usually nominees are placed as far apart as possible, so that the loser's disappointment doesn't impinge on the shot of the winner's delight.
But most of all, it encapsulated an extraordinary moment of personal drama. Because, for all the good-humoured camaraderie, there is no doubt that they were both desperate to win the award.
All in jest: James Cameron pretends to throttle ex-wife Kathryn BigelowCameron in particular is known as extremely competitive, demanding and used to getting his own way.
The superstar director is also used to winning. Seeing anyone else clutching that award must have hurt, let alone the third of his five wives, whom he left for a younger woman.
Meanwhile, 58-year-old Bigelow - director of the Iraq war thriller The Hurt Locker - had slightly different motives for wanting the Oscar.
Even if she is too polite to say it, what could be better than beating a former husband at his own game (particularly when the consensus is that he won hands-down in the divorce courts)?
Making history: Kathryn poses with one of her Oscars in front of teams of photographersThe couple married in 1989, bonding over their love of film and directing.
During their marriage, Cameron was the bigger deal.
He was directing the sequel to his blockbuster film Terminator, while Bigelow was working on a project that would become a well-received - but low-key - success, Point Break.
Hosts: Steve Martin (left) and Alec Baldwin presented the show, seen here surrounded by scantily-clad women
Grand: The best actor and best actress nominees line up inside the venue at the Kodak Theatre in Los AngelesThen, disaster struck. On the set of Terminator 2, Cameron fell for his beautiful leading lady Linda Hamilton, who was five years younger than Bigelow.
His wife filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable and 'unhappy' differences between them that made it 'impossible for them to live together'.
The divorce papers show the settlement was remarkably generous to him.
Bigelow got the marital home, and Cameron, now 55, paid the cost of her lawyers and gave her around £400,000.
Mo'Nique wins best supporting actress for her role in Precious and, right, Christoph Waltz took best supporting actor for Inglourious Basterds
Rare victory: Designer Sandy Powell was one of only two British winners, for Best Costume Design for The Young Victoria
Dressed in their finest: VIPs outside under a canopy on the red carpet ahead of the glitzy doBigelow has returned the compliment. 'I love it, love it, love it,' she gushed to Entertainment Weekly about Avatar.
But even if she is too polite to say so herself, what woman wouldn't derive a small glimmer of satisfaction for proving to the man who left her for another woman that she is doing very well without him?
He may have won the divorce - but she got the Oscar. And that's got to be worth smiling about.
Hammered: Victoria Beckham and Daily Mail reporter Baz Bamigboye arriving at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Los AngelesThe not-so-A list gossipFrom Sara Nathan in Los Angeles
Victoria Beckham was seen waiting patiently in the queue for the loos with her two bodyguards at the Vanity Fair after-party.
Perhaps they were there to keep her away from Katie Price, aka glamour model Jordan, with whom she has fallen out in the past.
Mrs Beckham was, in her own words, 'hammered' as she posed for photographers on the red carpet.
Award winner Mo'Nique chose the Oscars to speak out about a prickly subject - her refusal to shave her legs.
The 42-year-old Precious actress revealed she once tried to trim her leg hair but has since let nature take its course.
She said: 'If you have seen my legs I am 42 and I'm very hairy. I tried shaving one time and it was so uncomfortable and so painful.
'When it grew back it grew back even thicker and more of it. I said never again would I do that to myself.'
And she revealed that her husband does not have a problem with her grooming habits. 'He loves the hairy legs,' she insisted.
Helen Mirren and Christopher Plummer joked about their ages on the red carpet.
The Last Station stars - who were both up for awards - said they felt old surrounded by a sea of younger actors and actresses.
Mirren, 64, said: 'He can laugh at my bad back and I can laugh at his bad knees.'
Plummer, 80, added: 'We're over 14 and you can still have fun over 14. With this lady there's no such thing but fun.'
Most revealing outfit: Hilary SwankKatie Price was overheard at Elton John's after-party trying to launch a second pop career.
She was attempting to convince Will.I.Am, the man who helped mastermind Cheryl Cole's career, it was worth taking a punt on her.
Sadly, her electric blue ball gown made her look like an extra from film Avatar.
And the award for most revealing outfit goes to... Hilary Swank.
The 35-year-old actress made sure all eyes were on her by choosing a plunging Armani Prive dress.
Her modesty was saved only by a piece of sheer mesh which kept her neckline from gaping wide open.
Simon Cowell took fiancee Mezhgan Hussainy out for their first public outing since news of their engagement broke.
But the sight may have been a little galling for Simon's recent ex, Terri Seymour, who was seated just a few feet away.
But a source insisted: 'They will always be friends and Terri has moved on. She's dating a French banker now.'
Every self-respecting celebrity will have spent months primping and preening for the Oscars.
But forget diets and Botox.
One doctor has revealed this year's must-have treatment is a £800 freezing technique called Zeltiq, which dissolves fat cells.
Dr David J Goldberg, of New York's Mount Sinai School of Medicine, said: 'We get flurry of activity right before Oscars night. We manage to fit everyone in.'
As Hollywood A-listers gathered to celebrate at the Oscars, there were some unlikely faces flying the flag for the UK.
Kelly Brook was there to promote her horror film Piranha 3-D, which is unlikely to feature heavily at next year's awards.
And Peaches Geldof somehow managed to blag a ticket to the coveted Vanity Fair after-party - but only as the date of director Eli Roth.
Blagger: Peaches Geldof went to the hottest party in town - but only as the date of director Eli Roth
source: dailymail