"Little Miss Sunshine"! Wasn't "The Queen" supposed to win? More good news for "Sunshine."

Michael Arndt dedicates the award to his family, including his dad, "who's with us here in spirit."

Chris Connelly, backstage, reminds viewers that "Pan's Labyrinth" already has "two Oscars" tonight. Wrong, Chris: It has three.

Jennifer Hudson and Beyonce are performing the "Dreamgirls" nominated songs. I felt some trepidation going into it -- hasn't this show gone on long enough, and doesn't it still have a long way to go? -- but the kickoff song adds some much needed energy to this broadcast. Bravo, ladies! The two follow-up songs aren't as good.

And now for eighteenth Oscar, Best Original Song

WINNER: Melissa Etheridge, for "I Need to Wake Up," from "An Inconvenient Truth"

She thanks her "incredible wife" then says we can be the "greatest generation" of carbon-conscious people. It's a gay-marriage/environmentalist double shot! But there’s no discernable wave of support, or cries of outrage. Not at 11:30 p.m. in the East. We're all too tired to get exercised.

The broadcast has just passed the 3-hour mark, with several categories to go. I wish I could say that the suspense over Best Picture were killing me, but it’s not. It looks like "Little Miss Sunshine" all the way. But first, here’s a Michael Mann-assembled tribute to America in the movies. It takes a lot to get no excitement out of e at the mention of Michael Mann's name, but again, it's after 11:30 p.m. I couldn't care less about this.

Nineteenth Oscar, Best Film Editing

WINNER: Thelma Schoonmaker, "The Departed"

It's time for the "In Memorium" segment, usually a highlight. When it airs before most people’s bedtime, that is. OK, it was moving. But the fade to commercial was a depressing reminder that we’re not done. Not nearly done.

Twentieth Oscar, Best Actress

WINNER: This is the lock of all locks. The Oscar goes to Helen Mirren.

More dancing shadows, this time forming a gun, representative of "The Departed." Weird.

Chris Connelly is telling us that the "presenters are read" for the big awards. Hey, Chris: The AUDIENCE was ready about an hour ago! Let's get a move on! Oh, forget it.

I notice that of the three Oscar blogs I’m following that are live-blogging this event, two are very high on Ellen DeGeneres and the show, and one is most decidedly not. I'm with the one who's not.

Twenty-first Oscar (have I lost count?), Best Actor

WINNER: Forest Whitaker

O'Toole is denied again, but this caps Whitaker's unbroken string of awards for his role as Idi Amin. Whitaker hopes to carry "this moment into the next lifetime."

Here comes Best Director, presented by George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola, and Steven Spielberg

WINNER: Martin Scorcese! And the audience leaps to its feet! There’s a name that we won’t see among the list of amazing creative talent to never have won an Oscar.

Ah, there's another memory from tonight: Scorcese walking off stage with those three filmmaking giants, and into the embrace of Jack Nicholson.

Twenty-second Oscar, Best Picture

WINNER: "The Departed"

We're told that Scorcese referred to the film as "the first movie he's ever done with a plot." This is a surprise. Sure, "The Departed" had a shot, because people liked it, and many people saw it. But it was grim. Grim, grim, grim. Stylish, profane, exciting, but in the end, depressing. But it's your Best Picture winner. A lot of people will be very happy. Me? I can't wait to watch "Babel" again. And "United 93." And "Little Children." But "The Departed"? Not so much.

 Comments? Send them to me at crosswalkchristian@earthlink.net.