On March 2nd, Hollywood celebrated another year of film-making at the 86th Academy Awards. The verdict? It was less awful than other years (James Franco in a dress comes to mind) and Ellen Degeneres always makes for pleasant company. That said, it's The Oscars, so the program went on too long and didn't offer any real shockers.
Ellen didn't dance this time around, but she did order pizza for celebrities and take a bunch of selfies. She had a few good playful shots, and the best was: "Between all the nominees here tonight, you've done over 1400 films, and you've gone to a total of 6 years of college." But the funniest parts of the evening were the unintentional ones. Like what the hell did John Travolta call Idina Menzel right before she sang "Let It Go"? It certainly wasn't her name.
There was also a lot of randomness. Pink singing "Somewhere Over The Rainbow," a film clip montage without a purpose, Robert De Niro and Penelope Cruz presenting an award together. This particular show seemed way more stoned than others. Maybe that explains the pizza.
We've included a list of nominations below, with the winners marked in bold.
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
David Wooderson from "Dazed and Confused" has gone on to become a really serious actor - when he wants to be. He went way out of his comfort zone in "Dallas Buyers Club," both physically and emotionally, and he nailed it.
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
If Jared Leto doesn't break your heart in this role, you don't have one.
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Even amid all the bad Woody press of late, Cate couldn't be stopped from snagging the top prize. You can't take your eyes off her, and that final scene of the movie is truly haunting.
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Oh, Patsy. This was a surprisingly strong category this year, but Lupita deserved it. She was so raw and devastating. And her speech was great.
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM OF THE YEAR
Who did "The Croods" sleep with to get on this list? Anyway, "Frozen" is the best Disney film to come out in years. Great music, great message.
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
"The Great Gatsby" is all style and zero substance, so this award seems fitting.
ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY
Well, duh. "Gravity" is a work of art, visually speaking. That's about all it is.
ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECTS
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
My pick was "The Hunt," a very underrated, under-seen flick.
ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
A must-see movie for any major music fan. Go underdogs!
ACHIEVEMENT IN FILM EDITING
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
BEST ORIGINAL SONG
Not a bad lineup of songs, but "Let It Go" is the captain of this squad.
ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND EDITING
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
It's nice to see "Before Midnight" nominated for something, even if it didn't win jack. Same goes for "Philomena." But "12 Years a Slave" is adapted from a book that few people knew about, and need to know about.
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
So happy to see Spike win his first Oscar. I love the quirky realism of "Her."
ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING
This is one of the coolest-looking films set in outer space, but I think there is stronger competition in this category. Also, I will never understand how a movie can win Best Picture and not Best Director, but alas.
BEST PICTURE
I can't imagine ever sitting through it again, but "12 Years a Slave" will likely stand the test of time and be an important historical movie for future generations. It's a masterwork.
Thanks for tuning into our coverage of the 86th Academy Awards. Please exit out the doors to your left. No, that's your right, the other way. Good job.
