ex-couple compete for top award

[Sripathi Yarasi]

 The Iraq War drama "The Hurt Locker" won best picture and five other prizes Sunday at the Academy Awards, its haul including best director for Kathryn Bigelow.

 

 

James Cameron, director of "Avatar," jokes with ex-wife Kathryn Bigelow, who won the best director Oscar for "The Hurt Locker." Some Oscar observers thought "Hurt Locker" didn't have a chance against Cameron's blockbuster.

 

FILE - In this Jan. 15, 2010 file photo, James Cameron, left, director of "Avatar," and his ex-wife Kathryn Bigelow, director of "The Hurt Locker," pose together at the 15th Annual Critics Choice Movie Awards in Los Angeles. The Academy Awards have a tiresome habit of calling its annual telecast "Hollywood's biggest night." But this year, the Oscarcast could prove to be a pretty big night for television, too. Cameron is back and has potentially topped himself with the 3-D sci-fi epic "Avatar." Even better, his ex-wife _ the acclaimed director Kathryn Bigelow _ is going toe-to-toe with Cameron in both the Best Director and Best Picture categories for her gritty, nowhere-near-big-budget military masterpiece, "The Hurt Locker." (AP Photo/Matt Sayles, file)