Here we go! After nearly two months of warm-up award shows, we have made it to the big one. Tonight was the Academy Awards. sunbunny and I (ChrisB) were there (via our televisions) for the red carpet and the ceremony. Here are our impressions of the night.
Neil Patrick Harris was the host and he did a great job. His opening number was magnificent. If you missed it, find in online and enjoy it. It was a fabulous blend of classic films and this year's nominees. A wonderful way to kick off the show.
The rest of the show was rather blah, until... Late into the show, when I was struggling to stay awake, Lady Gaga sang a series of songs from The Sound of Music and absolutely nailed it. As this is one of my favorite movies of all time, I loved it. Then, just when we thought it couldn't get any better, out came Julie Andrews, obviously emotional. It was one of those moments that keep me watching these award shows year after year.
Best Motion Picture of the Year: Birdman
-- I'm not sure I would agree with the choice, but a lot of people I respect loved it.
Performance By An Actor in a Leading Role: Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything
-- This was genuinely a shocking win as everyone, including myself, had bet on Keaton who won everything else. Redmayne was obviously beside himself, but charming as hell.
Performance By An Actress in a Leading Role: Julianne Moore, Still Alice
-- Her speech could have been very moving; it was run of the mill.
Performance By An Actor in a Supporting Role: J.K. Simmons, Whiplash
-- His acceptance speech was strange, but moving. Instead of a litany of Hollywood executives, he talked about his family. He told us to call our mothers. A lot of people did.
Performance By An Actress in a Supporting Role: Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
-- She read her acceptance speech, but caused quite a commotion at the end when she made a strong statement about wage equality for women. Meryl Streep rose to her feet in support.
Achievement in Directing: Alejandro González Iñárritu, Birdman
Best Animated Feature Film of the Year: Big Hero 6
-- It should have been The LEGO Movie, so anything that won in this category was going to irritate me.
Best Animated Short Film: Feast
Best Foreign Language Film: Ida
-- I may have to watch this film. It's winning everything. As the director gave his speech, the orchestra tried to play him off and he just kept on speaking. I loved it.
Best Documentary Feature: CITIZENFOUR
-- This film is a must see. I was completely enthralled by it as well as shocked by what is revealed. If you are at all interested in the Snowden story, watch this.
Best Documentary Short Subject: Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1
-- I watched this and was incredibly impressed by it. It made me appreciate all those volunteers who spend hours every week helping veterans who struggle to ask for help. Did I cry through it? You bet.
Best Live-Action Short Film: The Phone Call
Original Screenplay: Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris and Armando Bo, Birdman
Adapted Screenplay: Graham Moore, The Imitation Game
-- Hands down, the best speech of the night. He told all those kids out there who feel "different" to "stay weird," that their time would come. I couldn't believe how emotional it made me.
Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score): Alexandre Desplat, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Song): "Glory" from Selma (written by Common and John Legend)
-- By far, the best musical performance of the evening and the most political acceptance speech. It was heartfelt and passionate. The audience, and I, loved it.
Achievement in Film Editing: Tom Cross, Whiplash
Achievement in Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki, Birdman
-- Lubezki achieved something very few have done; he has now won back-to-back Oscars. He won last year for Gravity.
Achievement in Production Design: Adam Stockhausen (Production Design) and Anna Pinnock (Set Decoration), The Grand Budapest Hotel
Achievement in Costume Design: Milena Canonero, The Grand Budapest Hotel
-- Her fourth win. That's impressive.
Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling: Frances Hannon and Mark Coulier, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Achievement in Sound Editing: Alan Robert Murray and Bub Asman, American Sniper
Achievement in Sound Mixing: Craig Mann, Ben Wilkins and Thomas Curley, Whiplash
Achievement in Visual Effects: Paul Franklin, Andrew Lockley, Ian Hunter and Scott Fisher, Interstellar
There are many other awards which I haven't bothered to list. For a complete list of the winners, click here. And now, I will pass you over to sunbunny who will discuss what we all really care about -- what everyone wore tonight.
Anna Kendrick was an early favorite in this surprisingly salmon Thakoon gown. The presenter rightly let the dress’s jeweled collar and keyhole cutout take center stage as she kept accessories light and her hair and makeup simple.
Mom funnygirl Anna Faris shone in this sparkly Zuhair Murad ballgown, flawlessly accessorized by her handsome husband, presenter Chris Pratt who donned a classic tuxedo.
Rosamund Pike, nominated tonight for Gone Girl, has had a very uneven awards season but definitely finished on a high note in this ruby red lace gown. She could’ve used a few more jewels and maybe some more memorable makeup, but the Givenchy dress was definitely a good choice for her.
Jennifer Lopez, who was there to present an award, shocked me in this stunningly beautiful Elie Saab confection. The plunging neckline in addition to the ballgown skirt and sparkles was a little much, but for Jennifer Lopez “a little much” is the equivalent of understated. Although I almost always disagree with her red carpet choices, tonight she looked every inch a fairytale princess.
The best dressed couple award easily goes to the almost sickeningly adorable Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka. Just look at them.
Also to be found under the category ‘Best Dressed Gentlemen,’ winner Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything) who went with a navy blue suit and nominee Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game) who is spearheading what I hope to be an international effort to bring back white tuxedo jackets from the obscurity of Audrey Hepburn movies.
My worst dressed of the night really has no competition. Felicity Jones, nominated for her performance in The Theory of Everything inspired me to write this haiku.
Felicity Jones:
No. No. Just no. Why would you?
This dress is so bad.
I was rooting for Boyhood and Grand Budapest Hotel - even though neither of them actually cracked my Top 10 from last year, because all the various SFF films I went to see were more enjoyable experiences, they were both great. I ummed and aahed about Grand Budapest and whether it or Lucy should be number 10 for ages. Glad Patricia Arquette won.
ReplyDeleteAnd sunbunny I love the haiku!
What a fun read. :) The Lego Movie got robbed. Even God was tweeting about it last night.
ReplyDeleteLady Gaga rocked it. She is no Julie Andrews, but it was an amazing performance. The Sound of Music is my favorite movie ever, and I got goosebumps watching Gaga sing Climb Every Mountain. Then again, I always get goosebumps listening Climb Every Mountain.
ReplyDeleteGo Patricia Arquette! I don’t know what I liked more, her speech or Meryl Streep’s enthusiastic reaction.
Go Julianne Moore. And finally! Her award was waaaay overdue.
Now onto NPH. He’s a great actor, a great comedian and a great host. But I’m not his fan. He played a ridiculously misogynist character on How I Met Your Mother and loved playing him. Last night he picked Octavia Spencer as the help. I was really shocked when that happened (but now I wonder why I was shocked. Racism is everywhere). If his intention was to make a joke/comment on how Hollywood treats black people, he failed big time. And not only was his joke racist, it was also fat shaming. Really, NPH? He is a gay man, he suffers a direct oppression from society, so he should not be helping other kinds of oppression. Get your act together, dude.
But let’s not end this on a sour note. There was one gay man who did it right: the writer of The Imitation Game. What a lovely speech. Keep it weird, everyone. :) (Sharon Needles, winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 4, had a similar speech. I bet Graham Moore watches RuPaul’s).
What a fun review - thanks! I loved the Lego movie but I also loved Big Hero 6. I would have liked to see Selma get more love and Wes Anderson is a genius but I guess too weird for Hollywood. What did you think of Lupita Nyong'o's dress sunbunny?
ReplyDeletedrnanamom - I wanted to like it because I love her and she looks preposterously chic in everything, but it was a little much for me to be perfectly honest.
ReplyDeleteFor once I've seen a few of the movies..J.K Simmons really deserved that Oscar..for a long and brilliant career and for that performance which was uniquely intense.
ReplyDeleteSo happy for Julianne Moore too.
Oh Lupita is such a goddess in almost any dress.