"I hope that I'm the first of many," said Kathryn Bigelow, the first female best director Oscar winner. "I'd love to just think of myself as a filmmaker, and I long for the day when that modifier can be a moot point." "The Hurt Locker" helmer admitted that she never "dared to hope" to make history, and said she was humbled by her fellow nominees, which included her ex-husband, "Avatar" director James Cameron, whom she called an "extraordinary filmmaker." Asked what she'd say to Cameron now, she laughed and told the reporter: "You left me speechless." An emotional Bigelow also credited Cameron with "inspiring filmmakers around the world and for that I think I can speak for all of them that we're quite grateful." Fellow best picture Oscar recipient Mark Boal, who wrote and produced the Iraq War drama, hopes the big victory will result in "more people seeing (the film). We're all reminded every day of how many filmmakers there are out there who don't get their films made or don't get them distributed after they're made."
"Crazy Heart's" Jeff Bridges had no intention of leaving The Dude behind now that he's a newly minted Oscar winner -- after four previous nominations. "I'm digging The Dude, I love him," Bridges said of his "Big Lebowski" alter-ego. Looking forward, Bridges noted that his win will help his music "bloom." "That's something I've been doing for a long time, and this is going to help me continue that." Bridges, who noted that forming a country band with co-star Colin Farrell "sounds like a good idea," added that the most exciting aspect of his victory was the attention it brings to the film. "I was kind of surprised that 'Crazy Heart' didn't make it (into the best picture category). ... I'm all for these 10 best pictures. I think it's wonderful, and I hope a lot of people are able to see 'Crazy Heart' because of this."
Sandra Bullock was light and bubbly backstage after she collected her first career Oscar -- a best actress statuette for her role as a Southern mom in "The Blind Side." "I really question if I won it or if I just wore everyone down," she joked. "I didn't aspire to this. I was in awe of it, and I admired that I got to watch it or present, but it wasn't something that I said, 'One day ... .' I never thought the opportunity would present itself for me to rise to that occasion." Bullock, who collected the worst actress Razzie for "All About Steve" on Saturday night, said the two awards are "going to sit side by side as they should! It probably means more that both of them happened at the same time; it's the great equalizer. The Razzie may be on a different shelf ... lower." The actress, who also collected the SAG Award and the Golden Globe this season, said she hopes to continue to make movies she loves -- across all genres. "Just because I won an Oscar doesn't mean I can't make people laugh. I'm going to make mistakes and make people roll their eyes, but I just want to keep working in every genre that I'm allowed to until I'm not allowed to anymore."
Mo'Nique made her presence known immediately backstage when she overruled the Academy's question process and selected journalists herself and responded to everything from what it would mean if Hollywood actresses didn't shave their legs -- "They would win Oscars!" -- to her wardrobe selection for the evening: a blue dress and flower in her hair. "The reason I have on this blue dress is Hattie McDaniel wore a blue dress when she won," she said of the supporting actress winner for "Gone With the Wind." "Tonight, I feel you all over me, and it's about time the world feels you all over them," she added. Addressing how the role will impact her stand-up career -- "I'm a stand-up comedian who won an Oscar! -- Mo'Nique said the role was not about furthering her acting career. "This role has shaped my life to allow me not to judge and to love unconditionally. Now if that goes into my career, great, and if it doesn't and I'm the dynamic person that I strive to be every day, then I've won."
Christoph Waltz continued his military march toward the Oscars by adding the final touch to his awards season sweep. Backstage, the supporting actor winner for "Inglourious Basterds" noted -- between a slew of questions in German -- that the awards season campaign is "dizzying. It's mindboggling. It's very intense and it takes a long time. I couldn't have possibly imagined it would be like that. Tomorrow I'll probably be sorry it's over." The winner of the Golden Globe, SAG Award, BAFTA prize and endless other hardware also noted that he never saw all this coming. "This Oscar I didn't see coming, I was too busy. I couldn't think of awards," he said, quickly cautioning, "I would advise every beginning actor not to think of awards before starting the job."
"The Hurt Locker" writer Mark Boal, who won the original screenplay Oscar, was asked backstage how he was feeling about his movie's best picture nomination. "I'm feeling a lot better about it now than I was 15 minutes ago," he responded with a smile. Boal related that it was "eye-opening" to be working as a journalist in Baghdad at the end of 2004. "I thought a story of these guys who have one of the most dangerous jobs in the world would be an interesting way to look at the war," he said. "It was just an idea, and the fact that it has become this -- I'm really tremendously grateful and humbled. There are many stories left to be told (about the war). I hope there are many more movies, documentaries and stories about Iraq and Afghanistan. These are important stories that need to be explored by artists." Asked about the pending lawsuit surrounding the screenplay, he said that "The Hurt Locker" is "a work of fiction and not based on anyone's story; that's all I really have on it." Questions turned to his collaboration with Kathryn Bigelow. "It always helps to have a genius for a director," he said. "She obviously took the work and knocked it out of the park in my opinion." Onstage during his acceptance speech, Boal remembered his father, who died a month ago. Backstage, he credited his father with "teaching me and encouraging me to follow my heart."
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