The Oscar race now has a narrative that the organizers can only dream of; the two leading contenders for Best Picture, Avatar and The Hurt Locker, are directed by former spouses.

The current issue of the New Yorker assesses each movie’s chances. Conclusion; don’t overlook the much lower-grossing Hurt Locker, directed by Kathryn Bigelow, James Cameron’s former wife. There are a lot of ex-wives in Hollywood, who may be voting.

We probably don’t need to point out that, if Hurt Locker wins, it will be the first time a movie directed by a woman wins Best Picture.

Neither movies are based on books (although MTV News reports that Cameron plans to write an Avatar prequel – not as a script, as a novel), but there are tie-ins.

Abrams published a companion book to Avatar.

The Art of Avatar: James Cameron’s Epic Adventure Lisa Fitzpatrick Retail Price: $29.95 Hardcover: 108 pages Publisher: Abrams – (2009-11-30) ISBN / EAN: 0810982862 / 9780810982864

And Newmarket has the shooting script for The Hurt Locker:

The Hurt Locker: The Shooting Script Mark Boal Retail Price: $19.95 Paperback: 160 pages Publisher: Newmarket Press – (2009-12-22) ISBN / EAN: 1557049092 / 9781557049094

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