2008 Oscars Winners Spread Across the Board

After a disappointing People's Choice Award and an even worse Golden Globes fiasco, it was delightful to get everything back on track with the 2008 Academy Awards. The red carpet was wet but there. The stars were limited, but those that were present looked absolutely amazing. For more information on the looks that thrilled and those that failed, please see my article on Oscar fashions.

There were a lot of expectations for this year's Oscars. Some were met and some were not. One thing, however, is certain. There were no bad choices for 2008. The movies were hard and in your face. The performances were multi-layered with depth and poignancy. The songs were delightful. The direction was strong. The screenplays were exceptional.

It was no doubt difficult to make choices for this year's Oscars. I'm glad that I didn't have to vote because I'm not sure that I could have made final decisions in a few categories. Perhaps that explains why the awards were spread so evenly across a multitude of films. Here are the 2008 Oscar winners:

Costume Design - Alexandra Byrne for "Elizabeth: The Golden Age."

Makeup - Didier Lavergne and Jan Archibald for "La Vie En Rose."

Visual Effects - Michael Fink, Bill Westenhofer, Ben Morris and Trevor Wood of the "Golden Compass."

Art Direction - Dante Ferretti (Art Direction); Francesca Lo Schiavo (Set Decoration) for "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street."

Adapted Screenplay - the Coen Brothers for "No Country for Old Men."

Original Screenplay - Diablo Cody for "Juno."

Sound Editing - Karen Baker Landers and Per Hallberg for "The Bourne Ultimatum."

Sound Mix - Scott Millan, David Parker and Kirk Francis for "The Bourne Ultimatum."

Original Score - Dario Marianelli for "Atonement."

Film Editing - Christopher Rouse for "The Bourne Ultimatum."

Cinematography - Robert Elswit for "There Will Be Blood."

Original Song - Music and Lyric by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova for Falling Slowly from "Once."

Supporting Actor - Javier Bardem for "No Country for Old Men."

Supporting Actress - Tilda Swinton for "Michael Clayton."

Actress - Marion Cottilard for "La Vie En Rose."