The best offering of the 25th Santa Barbara International Film Festival, thus far, was undoubtedly last night’s tribute to best actress hopeful Sandra Bullock (“The Blind Side”), who received the festival’s American Riviera Award following a Q&A session with film critic Pete Hammond and remarks from Forest Whitaker, the Oscar-winning actor who also directed her in the film “Hope Floats” (1998).

On Friday night, Bullock  was — as she is in her films — infinitely attractive, charming, and likable, if not always all that deep. But, hey, people have always gone to see Bullock’s films — among them “Speed” (1994), “Practical Magic” (1998), “Miss Congeniality” (2000), “Two Weeks Notice” (2002), and “The Proposal” (2008) — not for enlightenment but for fun escapism, pure and simple, and she delivered that in spades over the course of about two hours.

Among the highlights? Poopooing her inclusion on People‘s “50 Most Beautiful People” lists; mocking her flat-chestedness; acknowledging that not even she and Keanu Reeves had or have any idea what exactly is going on in “The Lake House” (2006); and gamely talking about her “other” 2009 performance in the critical and commercial bomb “All About Steve” — she was nominated for a Razzie Award and says, quite seriously, that she plans to attend the ceremony in case she wins.

SBIFF tributes are always fun, not least because they offer something of a combination of “Inside the Actors Studio” and “This Is Your Life,” requiring honorees to not only reference but also watch years of past work that they have often avoided. Bullock was no exception, professing to having shied away from watching many of her past films for years because she inevitably finds herself frustrated that she can’t change something about her performances in them. But once she saw them, she happily chatted about her various hairstyles, on-set struggles, and collaborators, about whom she was unfailingly complimentary.

There’s no question that Bullock is one of the most talented and popular on-screen comediennes of her generation. It was interesting to hear her say, though, that her biggest hope for many years was not to make “romantic-comedies” but to make Jim Carrey-style physical comedies — movies in which she can be a “guy” and do stupid “guy things” — and it’s true that she’s been at her funniest when she has been set free to improvise awkward dialogue and employ her physicality in funny ways. It is what’s made her an “everywoman” — even if she’s much prettier, funnier, and more likable than every woman — and what has landed her at the top of Quigley’s 78th annual poll, which identifies the top box-office attraction according to theater owners. As Hammond noted during his introduction tonight, only seven other women have ever topped the list: Marie Dressler (1932, 1933), Shirley Temple (1935, 1936, 1937, 1938), Betty Grable (1943), Elizabeth Taylor (1961), Doris Day (1960, 1962, 1963, 1964), Julie Andrews (1966, 1967) and Julia Roberts. (1999). That’s pretty exclusive/impressive company.

Perhaps the most memorable part of the evening was when Whitaker delivered almost poetic remarks about Bullock — who was shown to be visibly moved on the big screen behind her — to a dead-silent room before calling her over to accept her award. I’d be surprised if any Oscar voters in the room (there are apparently many) who came into the evening on the fence about Bullock’s awards-worthiness weren’t won over by her charm and humility, as well as by Whitaker’s high praise.

In other words — for both Bullock and the festival — “mission accomplished.”

Photo: Sandra Bullock accepts her SBIFF Award, as presenter Forest Whitaker looks on from behind. Credit: Scott Feinberg.