The producers of the 81st Academy Awards shared with us a different sort of Oscars ceremony this year. The usually prim-and-proper evening was a little “looser” on Sunday night than previous years. It was more fun.

The most exciting part of the evening wasn’t even finding out who won. In all the major acting awards, five previous winners of the award-unannounced to be presenting-welcomed the pledges to their league of extraordinary actors, almost secret society style-all that was missing were ceremonial robes and chanting.

Courtesy of Oscar

Slumdog Millionaire was, to be expected, the big winner of the night. It won best picture, best director (Danny Boyle), and a many, many other prizes. Some other winners included Sean Penn for best actor, Kate Winslet for best actress, Heath Ledger for best supporting actor.

In summary, the evening was truly a success because of several brilliant decisions from the producers. Hugh Jackman was wonderfully tolerable as the hosting the event, while bouncing back and forth between Broadway-style numbers and his fantastic command of the stage. The venue was intimate as well. The best picture nominees were all shown alongside past winners with a common theme. But most of all, it was great that no one got their speech cut off by that buzzkill orchestra.

Performance by an actor in a leading role
Richard Jenkins in The Visitor (Overture Films)
Frank Langella in Frost/Nixon (Universal)
Sean Penn in Milk (Focus Features)
Brad Pitt in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler (Fox Searchlight)

Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Josh Brolin in Milk (Focus Features)
Robert Downey Jr. in Tropic Thunder (DreamWorks, Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount)
Philip Seymour Hoffman in Doubt (Miramax)
Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight (Warner Bros.)
Michael Shannon in Revolutionary Road (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage)

Performance by an actress in a leading role
Anne Hathaway in Rachel Getting Married (Sony Pictures Classics)
Angelina Jolie in Changeling (Universal)
Melissa Leo in Frozen River (Sony Pictures Classics)
Meryl Streep in Doubt (Miramax)
Kate Winslet in The Reader (The Weinstein Company)

Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Amy Adams in Doubt (Miramax)
Penélope Cruz in Vicky Cristina Barcelona (The Weinstein Company)
Viola Davis in Doubt (Miramax)
Taraji P. Henson in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
Marisa Tomei in The Wrestler (Fox Searchlight)

Best animated feature film of the year
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
WALL-E

Best director of the year
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Paramount and Warner Bros.) David Fincher
Frost/Nixon (Universal) Ron Howard
Milk (Focus Features) Gus Van Sant
The Reader (The Weinstein Company) Stephen Daldry
Slumdog Millionaire (Fox Searchlight) Danny Boyle

Best picture of the year
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

Tags: Award Shows, Oscars