Making historical box office records, 2009 proved to be one of the most commercial years for cinema in recent memory. Every year the Motion Picture Academy acknowledges the year’s most remarkable and accomplished films and performances. The Oscars showcase the most impressive and memorable talents of the year, while bringing together Hollywood’s most successful actors and filmmakers.

Things should be rather interesting this year as the Academy has expanded the best picture category to ten nominees as opposed to its usual five. Thankfully, as the nominees announced early Tues. morning suggest, the year of 2009 yielded an eclectic variety of quality films to fill the extended slots. The 82nd Annual Academy Awards, hosted by comedian Steve Martin and actor Alec Baldwin, is scheduled to air March 7 on ABC.

The nominees for best picture include “Avatar,” “The Blind Side,” “District 9,” “Up,” “An Education,” “The Hurt Locker,” “Inglourious Basterds,” “Precious,” “A Serious Man,” and “Up in the Air.” These films cover a variety of subjects relevant with today’s society including issues relating to the environment, the recession, segregation, family values, racism, child abuse, and war. Each film is valuable in its own cinematic way. Until the mammoth of an entertainment “Avatar” was released, the best picture favorites included “The Hurt Locker” and “Up in the Air.” Now, it seems the aggressive best picture race has been narrowed down to the sweeping sci-fi epic “Avatar” and the gritty war drama “The Hurt Locker.” Though, with both critical and commercial success, it is safe to bet that the blue-skinned alien giants will swoop up the golden trophy.

The year’s best films would not be as successful without their directors. The extraordinary effort and talent of directors James Cameron (“Avatar”), Kathryn Bigelow (“The Hurt Locker”), Quentin Tarantino (“Inglourious Basterds”), Lee Daniels (“Precious”), and Jason Reitman (“Up in the Air”) earned them all nominations in this respective field.

Of all the experienced directors, Kathryn Bigelow did the most impressive job, capturing the dramatic realism of combat troops engaging in the act of bomb diffusion with the perilous Iraq war as the backdrop. As remarkable as Bigelow’s direction was, the strenuous effort of Cameron’s direction will likely assign him the glory.

All of the films nominated for best picture showcased an array of thrilling acting talent. Actors Jeff Bridges (“Crazy Heart”), George Clooney (“Up in the Air”), Colin Firth (“A Single Man”), Morgan Freeman (“Invictus”), and Jeremy Renner (“The Hurt Locker”) are all more than worthy candidates for best actor. However, it was Bridges heartbreaking and soulful performance as country singer “Bad Blake” that is sure to win over the hearts of the Academy. Bridges is a wonderful actor of immense grace and potency who is long overdue for such an honor.

Actresses Helen Mirren (“The Last Station”), Sandra Bullock (“The Blind Side”), Carey Mulligan (“An Education”), Gabourey Sidibe (“Precious”), and Meryl Streep (“Julie and Julia”) rightfully earned best actress nominations this year. As the brilliant and vulnerable schoolgirl Jenny Miller, Mulligan gave the most tender, nuanced, and engaging performance this year. The most visceral and heartbreaking performance came from newcomer Gabourey Sidibe for her portrayal of an obese, illiterate, African-American teenager who endured years of sexual and verbal abuse at the hands of her malicious parents.

However, the Academy is more inclined to hand the Oscar to Bullock for her star-turning performance as real-life southern belle hero Leigh Anne Tuohy. Bullock’s charm and sincerity as a performer is irresistible, but it seems as though the Academy’s sentimental attachment to her is overshadowing more worthy recipients.

All these performers work well on their own terms, however, the films they play in are enhanced by good supporting performances. Actors Matt Damon (“Invictus”), Woody Harrelson (“The Messenger”), Christopher Plummer (“The Last Station”), Stanley Tucci (“The Lovely Bones”), and Chistoph Waltz (“Inglourious Basterds”) all received a nomination for best supporting actor. Conversely, Actresses Mo‘nique (“Precious”), Vera Farmiga (“Up in the Air”), Maggie Gyllenhaal (“Crazy Heart”), Anna Kendrick (“Up in the Air”), and Penelope Cruz received best supporting actress nominations. This category is, respectively, the easiest to call seeing as how the performances from Mo‘nique and Waltz were the two strongest performances of the year.

Ever since Sundance, Mo‘nique’s dark and devastating performance as Mary Jones, a physically and emotionally abusive parent, has remained an Oscar favorite. Similarly, Waltz’s charismatically cunning performance as Nazi Col. Hans Landa is equally impressive and simply too masterful to go unacknowledged. If these two performers are not awarded golden trophies, the Academy will be doing them a huge disservice.

Now the competition commences as the Academy closes in on the worthy recipients. Those who have kept up with 2009’s motion pictures have seen their fair share of quality acting and filmmaking. Audiences who have not viewed these phenomenal films and performances should make a genuine effort to witness some of the great talents of our time.

Come Oscar night, hosts Martin and Baldwin are sure to infuse a healthy dose of humor and enthusiasm as the candidates anxiously anticipate the results. Viewers should tune in to ABC March 7th to experience the drama, the laughter, and the tears. It is sure to be a glorious night, observing cinema’s most gifted artists.