LOS ANGELES, CA (ABCNEWS.COM) -- In the battle of behemoth blockbuster "Avatar" vs. indie war epic "The Hurt Locker," the Oscars let the underdog have its day.
Defying the stereotype that Iraq War movies can't succeed, Kathryn Bigelow's "Hurt Locker" took home six of the nine Academy Awards for which it was nominated, including best picture and best original screenplay. By comparison, the movie's most hyped competitor, "Avatar," won three trophies.
Bigelow won best director, becoming the first woman in the more than eight decade-long history of the Oscars to score that award.
"I hope I'm the first of many," Bigelow said backstage of breaking the male lock on the director category. "I long for the day when the modifier can be a moot point, but I'm grateful if I can inspire a young, tenacious, intrepid male or female filmmaker."
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Bigelow and her fellow female winners stole the spotlight backstage. Sandra Bullock, who beat perpetual favorite Meryl Streep to win the best actress award for "The Blind Side," and Mo'Nique, who took home the best supporting-actress Oscar for "Precious," relished their victories and offered insights into what inspires them.
"The reason I have on this royal blue dress is because it's the color that Hattie McDaniel wore when she accepted her Oscar," Mo'Nique said, adding that she put a gardenia in her hair for the same reason, to pay tribute to McDaniel, who became the first black performer to win an Oscar in 1940, for the role of Mammy in "Gone With the Wind."
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