# The Hurt Locker and Avatar split best movie/director Oscars. Which movie gets which award, and why? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 5, 2010, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hurt-locker-and-avatar-split-best-movie-director-oscars-which-movie-gets-which-award-and-why/531376 "2010-03-05T03:18:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2010, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hurt-locker-and-avatar-split-best-movie-director-oscars-which-movie-gets-which-award-and-why/531376/21 "2010-03-05T18:48:11Z")
Bigelow seems to take on very “unlady like” films. I wonder if her directing one of the largest box office bombs of all time (K-19) will count against her? ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2010, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hurt-locker-and-avatar-split-best-movie-director-oscars-which-movie-gets-which-award-and-why/531376/22 "2010-03-05T19:24:53Z")
If it had to come down to those two: Hurt Locker = Best Pic Avatar = Best Director For me, best picture should go to the movie that has the best mix of all elements, even if none of those elements won an oscar specifically. It’s the movie that transcends the sum of its parts (and for me, that was Inglorious Basterds this year). Best Director should go to the director that displayed exemplary directing skills, and for me, that’s clearly James Cameron. The feat he pulled off definitely deserves a statue. But if it does pan out that one or the other gets Best Pic / Best Director, I think it’s funny that former husband and wife are both nominees for those slots. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2010, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hurt-locker-and-avatar-split-best-movie-director-oscars-which-movie-gets-which-award-and-why/531376/23 "2010-03-05T19:26:40Z")
> [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](#): > > How many Oscars did Titanic win again? Eleven, I believe. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2010, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hurt-locker-and-avatar-split-best-movie-director-oscars-which-movie-gets-which-award-and-why/531376/24 "2010-03-05T19:47:40Z")
> [@cmyk](#): > > Best Director should go to the director that displayed exemplary directing skills, and for me, that’s clearly James Cameron. The feat he pulled off definitely deserves a statue. This is how I feel. To me the work that Cameron has done on that movie is so far and above what anyone else has done that there is just no comparison. Bigelow’s work on the other hand, seems merely workmanlike, no better and no worse than any top flight director would be capable of. > [@cmyk](#): > > But if it does pan out that one or the other gets Best Pic / Best Director, I think it’s funny that former husband and wife are both nominees for those slots. Cameron himself seems pretty cool to the idea that Bigelow may win. I saw an interview with him the other night where he spoke positively of the chance that the academy might “share the love” and give them both an award and he seemed to feel that that would be a pretty good outcome. I think it’s interesting also that Bigelow asked him to review the _Hurt Locker_ script and tell her what he thought. He read it and recommended strongly that she should film it, so she dropped another project she was working on and began work on _The Hurt Locker_. So I imagine he’ll feel a certain sense of pride in whatever awards _The Hurt Locker_ wins, if indeed it does. Like some other posters have mentioned, I’m not all that sure that either film will win, due to the new rules and the number of films up for grabs. But I’ve been conflicted as to which movie should win which award if it were to come down to those two and the awards were to be split between them. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2010, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hurt-locker-and-avatar-split-best-movie-director-oscars-which-movie-gets-which-award-and-why/531376/25 "2010-03-05T20:59:37Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > I think it’s interesting also that Bigelow asked him to review the _Hurt Locker_ script and tell her what he thought. He read it and recommended strongly that she should film it, **so she dropped another project she was working on** and began work on _The Hurt Locker_. Unfortunately, that other project was [The Devil In the White City](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Devil_in_the_White_City). I would have loved to see her take on that. It would have been intensely suspenseful. David Fincher is supposedly onboard now. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2010, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hurt-locker-and-avatar-split-best-movie-director-oscars-which-movie-gets-which-award-and-why/531376/26 "2010-03-05T21:12:30Z")
I think the Academy would be more likely to give the Best Director award to Bigelow, giving the first woman director an Oscar in the category, and throw Cameron a bone for Best Picture. Besides, doesn’t he already have a Best Director Oscar for that pieceashit sinking boat melodrama? ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2010, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hurt-locker-and-avatar-split-best-movie-director-oscars-which-movie-gets-which-award-and-why/531376/27 "2010-03-06T05:21:28Z")
> [@woodstockbirdybird](#): > > Besides, doesn’t he already have a Best Director Oscar for that pieceashit sinking boat melodrama? He actually has 3 Oscars for that film (Picture, Director, Editing) and he’s nominated for the same 3 this time around. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2010, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hurt-locker-and-avatar-split-best-movie-director-oscars-which-movie-gets-which-award-and-why/531376/28 "2010-03-06T05:33:32Z")
> [@Equipoise](#): > > Unfortunately, that other project was [The Devil In the White City](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Devil_in_the_White_City). I would have loved to see her take on that. It would have been intensely suspenseful. David Fincher is supposedly onboard now. I bow to your astonishing knowledge as to all things entertainment (and I was hoping you’d see and contribute to this thread). I didn’t remember the name of the movie project she was working on, I just knew she dropped one in favor of _The Hurt Locker_. Thanks to all for your answers. If anyone else would like to chime in with your thoughts vis-a-vis _Avatar_ and _The Hurt Locker_, please do. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hurt-locker-and-avatar-split-best-movie-director-oscars-which-movie-gets-which-award-and-why/531376.md?page=1)