Danny Boyle's underdog hit Slumdog Millionaire was the big winner at last night's Academy Awards Ceremony, bringing home eight awards, including best picture and best director.

Despite the trepidations expressed by people like Steve Dominey, Hugh Jackman proved himself an excellent host, dancing and singing his way through the ceremony with a charming smile on his face that was totally free from the smug, ironic, distanced cynicism hosts like David Letterman and Jon Stewart brought to the proceedings in past years.

As expected, Heath Ledger was awarded the Oscar for best supporting actor, but the show's highlight came early in the night when an impossibly young looking Dustin Lance Black delivered his acceptance speech for Milk's best original screenplay win.  Black said:

"When I was 13 years old, my beautiful mother and my father moved me from a conservative Mormon home in San Antonio, Texas to California, and I heard the story of Harvey Milk. And it gave me hope. It gave me the hope to live my life. It gave me the hope one day I could live my life openly as who I am and then maybe even I could even fall in love and one day get married.

I wanna thank my mom, who has always loved me for who I am even when there was pressure not to. But most of all, if Harvey had not been taken from us 30 years ago, I think he'd want me to say to all of the gay and lesbian kids out there tonight who have been told that they are less than by their churches, by the government or by their families, that you are beautiful, wonderful creatures of value and that no matter what anyone tells you, God does love you and that very soon, I promise you, you will have equal rights federally, across this great nation of ours. Thank you. Thank you. And thank you, God, for giving us Harvey Milk."

It was an amazing moment, what the Oscars are all about.  The type of thing that - despite all of Hollywood's bullshit - makes you proud to be a fan of cinema.

 You can get the full list of winners here.