Winner: Meryl Streep and ABBA

As "Mamma Mia!" ascends to the title of second highest grossing musical of all time behind "Chicago" (and that's domestically, not including its huge take overseas) we've learned two things: (1) at this stage in her career, Meryl Streep is box office gold in a summer comedy, and (2) ABBA's music is much more popular in the United States than everyone believed. Now, just when are the Swedes going to finally be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?

Winner: Zack Snyder and "Watchmen"

Snyder ("300") had his skeptics after taking on the long-awaited adaptation of this classic graphic novel, but after the teaser trailer's debut and an enthusiastic response at Comic-Con, he looks like he's delivering yet another monster hit.

Winner and Loser: Guillermo del Toro

After the Oscar-winning "Pan's Labyrinth," Hollywood's latest wunderkind director got a major pass from critics with "Hellboy II: The Golden Army" and Universal Pictures pulled out all the stops for a much bigger than expected $34.5 million opening weekend. However, Del Toro and his producers should have listened to suggestions to move the movie to Christmas. One week after opening, they ran into a "Dark Knight" juggernaut that destroyed their projected box office cumulative. Thank God for DVD.

Loser: Independent Cinema in the Summer

Did you have any interest in seeing "American Teen," "Boy A," "Brideshead Revisited," "Bottle Shock," "Transsiberian," "Diminished Capacity," "The Fall" or any other independent release this summer? No? Well you weren't alone. The result was one of the worst summers for indie fare in recent memory.

Winner: Seth Rogen

He'll get his big test with "Zack and Miri Make a Porno" in October, but "Pineapple Express" proved that Rogen is a true leading man and actually can help open a movie. Who knew?

Winner: Diane English and "The Women"

Nothing like sisters doing it for themselves. After the surprise success of "Sex and the City," veteran "Murphy Brown" creator Diane English coaxed online pundit Nikki Finke to champion her remake of "The Women," forcing Warner Bros. to commit more money behind the marketing of the September release.

Loser: George Lucas

Not only is Lucas primarily responsible for most of the lame "nuke the fridge" moments in "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," but he is also gouging even more of his loyal fans' wallets with "Star Wars: The Clone Wars," a movie that would make more sense as three episodes on the Cartoon Network TV show.

Winner: Woody Allen

After delivering two of his worst movies in the 21st century, "Scoop" and "Cassandra's Dream," Allen rebounded with the Cannes Film Festival worthy "Vicky Cristina Barcelona." It's a great, sexy comedy that shows the 72-year-old icon can still surprise now and again.

Winner: R-Rated Comedies

Not only were "Step Brothers," "Pineapple Express" and "Tropic Thunder" popular at the box office, but the R-rated comedies also charmed critics. After the success of "Knocked Up" and "Superbad" last summer, this is one profitable trend that's definitely going to continue.