I just checked out how well I did on the previous two years. How many awards I picked right.
In 2013, I got 10.
Last year, I got 14.
...this year, I only got 7. [based on title alone, I picked two of the documentaries... but I didn't write that down beforehand so that doesn't count]
So of course, I was getting more and more annoyed as the night went on... this may be the last time I use the Golden Globes as my guide for picking winners because, except for the actors, they never agreed with each other...
So I hope any readers I have will forgive me if my tone starts out very testy...
Foreign Film
How long after the Golden Globes did the Academy make their decision? Did they go with "Ida" from Poland because we're now anti-Russian a couple months after "Leviathan" won the Golden Globe? Or was "Ida" the better film? Either way, this is the first time I'd personally witnessed where the two awards shows picked different movies.
Sound & Effects
Where the hell did "Whiplash" come from? [okay, that's a rhetorical question. I know it came from the Sundance Film Festival]
- why did it take Sound Mixing from "American Sniper"? (Which I picked for Mixing & Editing, only getting Editing).
- How the hell did it get Film Editing over "Boyhood?" That was filmed over 12 years! How is that not rewarded?
The only technical award I picked right was "Birdman" for Cinematography. One of 4 awards it won that night. And with the lack of editing and those long tracking shots, there was no way it couldn't have not won...
Best Animated Film
Okay... so why did the Academy go with Disney when the Hollywood Foreign Press picked DreamWorks? To my knowledge, the last time Disney lost to DreamWorks was when the "Shrek" franchise ruled theaters (according to Wikipedia, the last time DreamWorks won was 2005 with "Wallace & Gromit and the Curse of the Wererabbit")...
As if it wasn't already disappointing enough that "The Lego Movie" wasn't nominated, it's even more annoying/disheartening that the award didn't go to the only other animated film I saw last year. And "How to Train Your Dragon 2" was really good...
MusicGoing by the Globes, again, I picked "The Theory of Everything" for Best Original Score... this was one of three occasions I hadn't picked "The Grand Budapest Hotel" to win.
I'd given Costume Design to "Into the Woods" (c'mon, how could you not?)
and Makeup to "Foxcatcher" (Steve Carell's transformation to unrecognizability... c'mon!)
I did, however, guess that "The Grand Budapest Hotel" would win for Production Design (formerly known as Art Direction). Like with "Birdman" in Cinematography, that much was very obvious.
...admittedly, some of my choices were purely sentimental...
The performance of "Everything is Awesome" on the Oscars... that was pretty amazing. One of the more exciting performances of the night. But as time went on, it was outdone. First by John Legend and Common with "Glory," which was the only award win for "Selma."
Then by Lady Gaga paying tribute to "The Sound of Music."
At this point in the evening, I was fuming about the show running long... I have to get up at 5:30am for work. I don't appreciate sacrificing my sleep for the Oscars. [Common sense suggests I should call it quits and find out what happens tomorrow, but as an avid moviegoer, you know that's not gonna happen].
I didn't even realize it was the 50th anniversary of the movie. I thought it came out in 1964... so this is the anniversary of it winning Best Picture?
Either way, they'd be hyping about Gaga all evening. I liked her red carpet look... oddly conservative for her.
She was AMAZING. I'm already a Little Monster, so I'm a huge fan. Love her and her music. I never thought I'd see her perform at the Oscars, considering how crazy her stage presentation and costumes get. This should silence all the doubters out there for good... and the best part was Julie Andrews coming on stage afterwards and giving her major props. #PawsUp
Plus, I'd missed Julie Andrews. I don't think I'd seen her since the "Princess Diaries" movies. [And for the record, I haven't seen the original "Sound of Music" and it's been ages since I'd seen her in "Mary Poppins]
As for other red carpet looks, again, Anna Kendrick rocked it. Looking at my previous post, she was my favorite then too.
and the fact she performed with Neil Patrick Harris wearing her "Into the Woods" Cinderella costume... that was just magical :D I loved every minute of it.
Neil Patrick Harris
Yeah, his official title should be actor/awards show host... his opening musical number was so much fun with all the references, all the effects. Heck, even when Jack Black did a Kanye moment and hi-jacked the song to voice his complaints, that was cool.
A running joke throughout the show was that he had a suitcase under lock & key of his predictions. And he appointed Octavia Spencer to be sure no one tampers with it.
The predictions, in fact, were of things that would happen through the course of the show, not who the winners would be. Still a great fun moment.
One of the local radio personalities (who didn't even watch the whole show) had it right: he executed his hosting duties with such ease. I felt that Billy Crystal, Seth McFarland and Ellen DeGeneres had tried too hard with their jokes, trying to be funny and so on. With NPH, it was just natural. I don't know if he can do this AND the Tony's every year, but I'd love to see him back again.
I guess we gotta thank the creators of the "Harold and Kumar" movie franchise for thrusting NPH back into the spotlight ;)
Writing
I got 50/50 on this one. Of course, I'd love for Wes Anderson to win another Oscar for his quirky original writing style. But that award went to "Birdman."
I had hoped that "The Imitation Game" would get ONE award tonight because it's been said to be one of the best movies of the year. And it finally got one for Best Adapted Screenplay. Graham Moore gave an emotional speech, revealing that he tried to commit suicide because he felt different and didn't belong, and left us with a message to "stay weird and stay different."
Whenever heated topics come up in acceptance speeches, you worry that it might bring the show down or it might not be the right time/place for it. But that pitfall was avoided in this particular case with the positive take-away message.
Others can argue about the grandstanding for equal pay and combating racism and such in other speeches... I'm just not going to be one of those people because it's not my place.
Directing
Richard Linklater won the Golden Globe. Alejandro Gonzalez Irriatu won the Oscar. When he accepted the award previously for Best Original Screenplay and ran long, I joke "you'll probably win a couple more times so there's no need to remember everything now."
I'd only caught part of the making of "Boyhood" hours before on IFC. First of all, I didn't even know it was based on a real family. I knew it was a documentary of sorts, but didn't know that was what it was about.
That being said, it's kinda sad that "Boyhood" only won once the entire night.
Acting
again, I picked both of the guys right...
one I did so begrudgingly...
I don't know how many times I saw JK Simmons slap the beejuz out of Miles Teller in that "Whiplash" scene, but it makes REALLY not want to see the movie. The fact anyone can be that cruel... :shudder:
I would have loved Robert Duvall to win for "The Judge," but there was no ignoring literally every other award show that picked JK Simmons to win.
Our biggest cheer was when Eddie Redmayne won for Best Actor for playing Stephen Hawking.
Firstly because we're huge "Les Miz" fans and that was the first time we saw him.
Secondly because I picked him to win as soon as I heard he'd be playing Stephen Hawking.
Thirdly because there's nothing better than seeing a young first time Oscar-winner give an acceptance speech.
He was so excitable, humble and real... and he looked incredibly handsome in that blue tux.
With the women, the girls I picked were both sentimental choices.
Months ago, I predicted Reese Witherspoon would win her 2nd Oscar based on all the hype she was getting before her movies even came out... meanwhile, every other award show picked Julianne Moore... before the nominations, I never even heard of "Still Alice"... so of course, I'm annoyed on principle.
But it was her 5th nomination so she needed to win.
Hopefully next year, Amy Adams will finally get what she richly deserves.
I picked Emma Stone to win for "Birdman" simply because I think she's awesome... nothing more than that... but at this point, I'd be happy for anyone but Meryl Streep.
Before reading the nominees, Jared Leto joked "four women, plus, in accordance with California state law, Meryl Streep."
...it's about time someone made that comment. Seriously, it feels like every year I'd been watching the Oscars, she's been nominated for something. The only plus is she'd only won 3 times... one of which I personally witnessed.
Patricia Arquette won "Boyhood" its only award, which was richly deserved.
Best Picture
Months ago, I remember how people were saying "Birdman" was one of the best movies of the year... when it wasn't even in theater yet.
I'd thought a couple of times of going to the community theater to see it and chickened out. Yesterday, I stopped short of watching it on demand and opted instead to take a chance of Jason Batemen's directorial debut "Bad Words"... he was one of those actors I never understood the hype before and didn't even like... granted, he was a jerk in that movie, but I really enjoyed it.
I guess that goes to show that I should be willing to give anyone a chance. Because at some point, I'm sure many of the actors or musicians or bands I don't "get" now, I will "get" them at some point. It's just a matter of when. [Although I'll draw the line at rappers and reality TV stars]
I'd have loved "The Grand Budapest Hotel" to win, but I had a gut feeling it'd go to "Birdman"... and I was happy that I at least got that right...
I definitely need to see "Birdman" at some point... I'd like to see it On Demand because I don't feel like buying the DVD without seeing it first, and I don't want to wait until it premieres on HBO.
Other Comments
John Travolta and Idina Menzel revisited his flub from last year's Oscars in hilarious fashion.
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