Skeptic finds hope, joy in Oscar wins.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)

I warned you not to follow my lead on Oscar pools. You would have lost big time.

Halle Berry and Denzel Washington won the lead acting Academy Awards, making history and _ in Berry's case _ pools of joyous tears.

This skeptic enjoyed every minute of it. And, as usual, there were many, many minutes. The show went on forever; for once I didn't mind.

I saw both of their powerful performances, and I thought they both deserved their awards. Academy members obviously thought so, too. In that sense, it wasn't symbolic, it was fair. What a concept.

The early evening setup was glorious, with Sidney Poitier, the first African American to win a best actor Oscar, in 1963, receiving an honorary award and giving a riveting speech that thanked those who helped him carve a place in Hollywood history. A film honoring him, directed by the black director Kasi Lemmons, flashed through only a few of his magical moments onscreen.

And he still looks great.

Heck, all of the winners looked good. Denzel and Halle could win Oscars for looks alone. But, as it often happens, they went against glamorous type to win.