The ceremony was televised in the United States by ABC, and was produced by Bill Condon and Laurence Mark and directed by Roger Goodman.

[9][10][11] Other winners included The Curious Case of Benjamin Button with three awards, The Dark Knight and Milk with two, and Departures, The Duchess, La Maison en Petits Cubes, Man on Wire, The Reader, Smile Pinki, Toyland, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, and WALL-E with one.

[20][21][22] "Top Hat, White Tie and Tails" from Top Hat "Singin' in the Rain" from Singin' in the Rain "Big Spender" from Sweet Charity "Maria" from West Side Story "You're The One That I Want" from Grease "Maria" from The Sound of Music "All That Jazz" from Chicago "Lady Marmalade" from Moulin Rouge!

[23] Nearly three months later, actor Hugh Jackman, who had previously emceed three consecutive Tony Awards ceremonies between 2003 and 2005, was chosen as host of the 2009 gala.

In an attempt to build suspense and curiosity leading up to the awards, Condon and Mark announced that they would not reveal any of the presenters or performers who would participate in the Oscarcast.

[33] Film historian and author Robert Osborne greeted guests entering the festivities at the Hollywood and Highland Center.

[38] Continuing a trend in recent years, the field of major nominees favored independent, low-budget films over blockbusters.

[42] The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was the highest earner among the Best Picture nominees with $104.4 million in domestic box office receipts.

Only The Dark Knight (1st), WALL-E (5th), Kung Fu Panda (6th), Bolt (19th), Tropic Thunder (20th), and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (21st) were nominated for directing, acting, screenwriting, Best Picture or Animated Feature.

[44] AMPAS spokeswoman Leslie Unger later revealed that the list was "a complete fraud", and that PricewaterhouseCoopers had just begun to count the ballots.

Television critic Robert Bianco of USA Today gave Jackman an average review but extolled producers Condon and Mark saying that the broadcast felt "faster and more intimate without sacrificing Hollywood glamour.

Los Angeles Times columnist Mary McNamara thought Jackman's performance "obliterated all memory" of David Letterman's hosting the ceremony in 1995, which was widely panned.

[49] Time television critic James Poniewozik wrote that Jackman was "charming and game and I bet he absolutely killed in the room.

"[50] Maureen Ryan of the Chicago Tribune remarked, "The whole thing was driven by a manic desire to bring some old-school glamor to the proceedings."

[51] The American telecast on ABC drew in an average of 36.94 million people over its length, which was a 13% increase from the record lows of the previous year's ceremony.