Yahoo! UK & Ireland Answers blog

Tears? Check! Fantastic hairdos and glittering dresses? Check! Overlong speeches? Check! Another year, another glamorous Oscars night.

As usual, the bald little golden guy was there to be squeezed and kissed by actors and actresses barely able to contain their emotions. And what a life this little Oscar man has led! Still young in his 79th year, his origins are somewhat debated. When Jennifer E started wondering where the name Oscar came from, Kusazumir came up with two most likely explanations.

“One biography of Bette Davis claims that she named the Oscar after her first husband, bandleader Harmon Oscar Nelson. Another claimed origin is that of the Academy’s Executive Secretary, Margaret Herrick, who first saw the award in 1931 and made reference of the statuette reminding her of her Uncle Oscar.”

There have been many discussions over the past few weeks as to which film would end up winning in the Best Picture category. This debate is now closed, and it is time to congratulate Martin Scorsese for delivering the goods with The Departed. It has marked Scorsese’s return to gangster form after some lukewarm attempts at steering clear of the genre. A question that Wolfie86 wondered though was how it compared to the Italian-American filmmaker’s last underworld classic: Goodfellas. Popular opinion was in favour of Goodfellas. Mo-Z, however was quick to respond in favour of The Departed. “It was so freaking awesome. It’s like the one movie I actually want to see several times”.

Babel, with it’s complex story spreading over three continents, had drawn some mixed reactions from the Answers crowd. As Cerith W pondered what the message of the film could be, Daff73 tried to sum it up in the best possible way. “It was definitely a different movie. However, I think its overall message was that all of our lives are intertwined and chain reactions can set a path for us all”.

More reliable than a Royal Mail postman, Clint Eastwood was once again back this year to deliver his ‘Letters from Iwo Jima’. While he missed out on what would have been his third Best Picture Oscar, a new nomination was certainly the confirmation that he remains one of Hollywood’s biggest talents. A Second World War double-bill with Flags of Our Fathers, Letters tell the story of the famous Iwo Jima battle from a Japanese perspective, with actor Ken Wattanabe as General Kuribayashi and Kazunari Ninomiya as a soldier whose life is about to change forever when American forces gather to invade the island.

In the time-honoured Oscars tradition of nominating at least one independent film, Little Miss Sunshine was this year’s underdog and a firm favourite among those who like their films witty and low-key. It certainly has fans over here, with Coco leading the charge, eager to let everyone know how much she loved the film.

Last but not least, old Blighty had sent quite an ambassador into the Best Picture category this year. After sweeping the board at the BAFTAs, hit movie The Queen was looking to take the crown again. One must certainly have been very disappointed to miss out on the ultimate prize, but Dame Helen Mirren still was queen of the night, pocketing a statuette for her performance in the leading role.

What do you think of the Oscar winners this year? Are the awards in the right hands? Ask the questions on Answers or tell us what you think.

– Yahoo! UK & Ireland Answers team