Best & Worst: 2010 Oscars

Former model Kathy Ireland took advantage of the uncrowded red carpet to show off her own line of jewelry. Later she co-hosted ABC’s half-hour pre-show and often spoke as though she wasn’t aware her microphone was working and English was a second language.  (Mark Ralson AFP / Getty Images)

Back in the ‘70s, it was considered uncool to even show up at the Academy Awards. In the ‘80s and ‘90s it was OK to show up, but not cool to spend too much time on the red carpet -- the big stars always waited until the last minute. This year, many of the top nominees, including Sandra Bullock, Mo’Nique and Jeremy Renner were there before 4 p.m. and taking time to talk to all the outlets. When the studio can easily replace you with 10-foot-tall blue people from a computer, it pays to play nice.  (Matt Sayles / Associated Press)

George Clooney could have exited his limo and immediately entered the line of photographers and TV crews, but instead he went the opposite way down Hollywood Boulevard, where the fans were behind chain-link fences like refugees in some awful dystopian future. While they screamed and pressed against the fence, Clooney mugged and played for their cameras. Points to Clooney -- but c’mon Academy, they’re fans, not animals!  (Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images)

“If fashion was porn, this is the money shot!” Gabourey Sidibe said of her gown.  (Jason Merritt / Getty Images)

An outstanding song-and-dance number from Neil Patrick Harris trumped the ho-hum opening monologue of hosts Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin.

Poor planning, Adam Shankman.   (Kevin Winter / Getty Images)

That would be winning an Oscar, and accepting it from Penelope Cruz. Nicely put, Christoph Waltz.   (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)

When Miley Cyrus, left, and actress Amanda Seyfried were verbally tripping over the teleprompter, the 17-year-old Cyrus begged forgiveness, noting it was her first time on the Oscar stage at the Kodak Theatre. Oh memories -- they can go so young. Cyrus actually introduced a song from “Enchanted” on the Oscar stage in 2008.  (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)

Blasted in the media for allegedly not doing enough promotional appearances on behalf of “Precious,” Mo’Nique saw her blistering performance win the prize for best supporting actress anyway. “I want to thank the Academy for making it about the performance and not about the politics,” she said. Voters, we too salute you.  (Gabriel Bouys / Getty Images)

When his design team won the art direction Oscar for “Avatar,” the cameras cut to a reaction shot of Cameron. He could be seen mouthing, “Point over there!” -- to where the winners were emerging from the audience.  (Kevin Winter / Getty Images)

The award for the evening’s most uncomfortable acceptance speech goes to documentary short subject winners Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett. After winning for “Music by Prudence,” Williams took off down the aisle, leaving Burkett behind. Williams then began to accept, but Burkett interrupted him, saying, “Let the woman talk.” Burkett then spoke until the pair were played off the stage.  (Kevin Winter / Getty Images)

Judd Nelson, Anthony Michael Hall, Matthew Broderick, Molly Ringwald, Jon Cryer, Macaulay Culkin and Ally Sheedy assembled onstage to offer tribute to John Hughes. Curiously absent were Robert Downey Jr. (he was sitting right there in the audience) and co-host Steve Martin. They were in Hughes movies too, darn it!  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Someone in the control room has a sense of humor. After hosts Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin pointed out supporting actor winner Christoph Waltz in the audience and explained his character was a Jew-hunting Nazi, Martin spread his arms wide to indicate he’d found the motherlode. Cut to shot of Ethan Coen in the audience. We get it! He’s Jewish!  (Kevin Winter / Getty Images)

Ah yes, Jeremy Renner. You may have earned a best actor nominee for having starred in “The Hurt Locker,” but who did they drag out to talk you up? Colin Farrell, your co-star in...“S.W.A.T.” Yeah, betcha didn’t count on that coming back to haunt you. Same goes for Sandra Bullock having Forest Whitaker bring up “Hope Floats,” but she did just also win a Razzie, so nothing tops that.  (Chris Pizzello / Associated Press)

The conventional wisdom is that Jeff Bridges best actor win for “Crazy Heart” was also for Bridges long career of consistently good work. If that’s true, then Bridges is certainly keeping in the spirit with his long, rambling acceptance speeches that feel like he’s making up for lost time. Though that doesn’t count his performance as the Dude in “The Big Lebowski.” Something tells us he wasn’t acting so much in that one.  (Gabriel Bouys / AFP / Getty Images)

Throughout this awards season, the media have made a big deal of the fact that fellow directing nominees and ex-husband and wife Cameron and Bigelow would surely have a knock-down, drag-out fight in the race to the gold statue. Cameron and Bigelow have both done their best to squash that story line, but, hey, check out the two between acts during the show. Nothing but, uh, hugs, right?  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

We can’t help but think the night’s resurrected interpretive dance sequence served no purpose other than dragging out an already-exhausting show and making producer Adam Shankman happy. (OK, and it also reminded us that Hans Zimmer’s score for “Sherlock Holmes” was the best and only good thing about the Guy Ritchie version.)  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

“Did I really earn this or did I just wear y’all down?” Bullock joked, accepting the lead actress prize for “The Blind Side.” The night before, she won the award for worst actress for the little-seen “All About Steve.”

In one of the night’s more memorable -- and coherent, bonus! -- speeches, she was ever gracious to her fellow nominees. “Gabby, I love you so much... Carey, your grace, beauty and talent make me sick... Helen, I feel like we’re family.” Of course, Meryl Streep got a special shout-out. “And Meryl, you know what I think of you -- and you’re such a good kisser.” Awards season observers might remember the two smooched when they tied at the Critics’ Choice Awards.  (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)

Kathryn Bigelow’s history-making win for director was the Oscar moment of the night, right down to her reaction to hearing Barbra Streisand say, “The time has come,” before announcing her name.

In winning the award for “The Hurt Locker,” Bigelow became the first woman to ever win the prize. “This is the moment of a lifetime,” she said.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

After a very long-winded ceremony in which nominees names were read multiple times, it was nice that Hanks, presenting best picture, just cut to the chase and opened the envelope. If only all the presenters could have been as concise.  (Kevin Winter / Getty Images)

The Na’vi are no laughing matter. It was almost a minute into Ben Stiller‘s routine, in which he appreared onstage in full Na’vi gear to present the Oscar for best makeup, that “Avatar” director James Cameron seemed to crack a smile. It took a flailing of Stiller’s tail for the director to finally seem down with Stiller’s bit. Yet Stiller, previewing what will surely be the most popular Halloween costume of 2010, brought a bit of over-the-top goofiness to the proceedings.

We’re not experts in the Na’vi language here, but Stiller translated his opening rant to the audience. “That means, ‘This seemed like a better idea in a rehearsal.’ It was between this and the Nazi uniform, but the show seemed a little Hitler-heavy.”

But here’s what was most shocking about Stiller’s outfit: Subtract the computer animation, and a Na’vi get-up looks like little more than an ol’-fashioned “Star Trek” alien. Stiller seemed aware, noting it would have been easier to just slap on his Leonard Nimoy-autographed Spock ears.”That would have been too nerdy. This is much cooler.”  (Kevin Winter / Getty Images)