An old coot took flight in a balloon-strapped house, Liam Neeson cut a one-man swath through France, a bachelor party went terribly wrong and a Nazi-scalping yahoo changed the course of history…maybe it's the economy, but clearly escapism was the word of 2009.

Case in point: "Avatar" just won the Golden Globe, and may sweep the Oscars. "Avatar," for those who have not seen it, is an action movie. For the past two years the Best Picture winners were super-serious character dramas -- "Slumdog Millionaire" and "No Country For Old Men." When was the last time a light crowd-pleaser won a prestigious award? This year the critics are succumbing to the escapist trend.

Still don't believe me? "The Hangover" was the surprise hit of the year. It made Zach Galifanakis into a star, and got Bradley Cooper a role in the "A-Team" movie, which will come out later this year. Worldwide, the movie made $450,000,000. Not bad considering it was basically "Dude, Where's My Best Friend?" Its two most recognizable actors were Andy from "The Office" and Mike Tyson playing himself. It just won the Golden Globe for Best Comedy, beating out "Julie & Julia," "It's Complicated," and "(500) Days of Summer." It did not win because it had super-stars, or because it had prestige. It was just really, really funny.

(500) Days of Summer

"Up in the Air" is another sure Oscar contender. It is absolutely fantastic, starring George Clooney in what may be his best performance ever. Still, despite star wattage and critical support, it is not exactly raking in the dough at the box office. Did I mention it is also unbelievably sad?

My point: The need to escape is a powerful thing, and the movies this year were all about it; "The Hangover" was just one example. Most of the big hits ("Up," "Monsters vs. Aliens," "Star Trek," "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen") were pure entertainment. These are the movies people remember.

Even "Avatar" is, at its core, about escape. A crippled Marine is given new life through a corporate program, which turns him into a blue alien. Suddenly he can run through the woods, swing from the trees and leap into the sky. If that's not escapism, then I don't know what is.

"Avatar" is on track to be the highest-grossing movie of all time. If it wins Best Picture, the Academy will also be making a rare admission: sometimes the best movie is not the most serious. Sometimes it is the most fun. Two thousand nine was rough in a lot of ways for a lot of people; maybe a movie about a big, blue dude was really the best thing for all of us.