Oscar Winners 2015

Another Oscar ceremony has come and gone so let's reflect back on what happened less than twelve hours ago.

Neil Patrick Harris hosted for the first time and knocked it out of the park.  He was funny, witty, and seemed completely at home.  None of his bits fell flat and, while he didn't have as much audience participation as Ellen Degeneres, what he did have was well-handled.  I didn't get to see the payoff of whatever joke he had set up with his personal Oscar predictions because my DVR cut off right in the middle of the Best Actress acceptance speech even though I had set the end time to a half hour past.  What the hell was up with people continuing to talk even after the music cut them off?  People!  There is a schedule to keep!

I was having a lot of playback issues with my cable last night and I was too far behind to cut to the live show.  Anyway, I have no idea if that was funny or not because I couldn't find any clips online when I was looking last night.  

Fortunately, the clips from the musical numbers were already up and if you missed any of them you should go and find them online.  They were amazing.  I forget sometimes that underneath all the wigs and bizarre costumes Lady Gaga is an incredible singer.  Her tribute to The Sound of Music was so tasteful and beautiful.

Let's get to the results, shall we?

Best Supporting Actor:  J.K. Simmons
This was not a surprise in any way.  Simmons steamrolled this category in pretty much every award show in which he was nominated.

Best Costume Design:  The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Makeup and Hair:  The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Production Design:  The Grand Budapest Hotel
I was a little disappointed one of the more fantastical movies didn't take the first two categories since I feel like they showed more imagination but I enjoyed Grand Budapest so I can't complain too much.  It was a very pretty movie with excellent production design.

Best Foreign Language Film:  Ida
I only got to see one film in this category this year.  Good thing I picked the winner, huh?

Best Live Action Short Film:  Phone Call
Best Documentary Short Film:  Crisis Hotline:  Veterans Press 1
I didn't see either of these but they apparently both deal with the numbers of veterans seeking help for suicidal thoughts.  This is a very important thing to me and I am glad they are both getting recognition.

Best Sound Mixing:  Whiplash
Best Sound Editing:  American Sniper
I still don't really know what these do.

Best Supporting Actress:  Patricia Arquette
Again, not a surprise at all.

Best Visual Effects:  Interstellar
I'm pretty sure this was the only award Interstellar won last night.

Best Animated Short Film:  Feast
Best Animated Film:  Big Hero 6
Disney was the big winner last night with Big Hero 6 and its accompanying short.  I didn't think it was going to win after the Golden Globes but there you go.  I still think The Boxtrolls was better and I don't want to even talk about The Lego Movie's snub.  It's still too soon.

Best Cinematography:  Birdman
That whole "looks like one take" thing was too good for the Academy to ignore.  Glad to see it.

Best Film Editing:  Whiplash
Best Documentary:  CITIZENFOUR
I haven't seen either of these.  Something about Laura Poitras, who won for CITIZENFOUR, bothered me.  Could have been the way she didn't really blink, a la Nightcrawler, or it could have just been the terrible dress.  I'm not sure.

Best Original Song:  "Glory" from Selma
All of the Best Song presentations were good and while I would have loved for "Everything is Awesome" to win (especially after they presented people in the audience with Lego Oscars), I can't deny that "Glory" is the more important and culturally significant song.

Best Original Score:  Alexandre Desplat for The Grand Budapest Hotel
This guy was kind of a shoe-in, seeing as he was nominated for two films.  However, that is not always a guarantee.  John Williams was nominated for two films in 2012 and went home empty-handed.

Best Original Screenplay:  Birdman
Best Adapted Screenplay:  The Imitation Game
I'm pretty sure that was the only win for Imitation Game, too.

Best Actor:  Eddie Redmayne
THIS, this was the one that tripped my shit.  I was sure Micheal Keaton had it in the bag.  I would have put money on it.  I can only think that he and Benedict Cumberbatch split the vote, so the tally went to Redmayne instead.  He seemed just as surprised to hear his name announced as I was and deliriously happy to be the statue's "custodian."

Best Actress:  Julianne Moore
Also, not a surprise.  I didn't see her film but she had also steamrolled the category.

Best Director:  Alejandro G. Inarritu
Best Picture:  Birdman
Who fucking called it?!  Yes.  I think that might actually have been the first time I've ever been right about a Best Picture winner and I could not be more pleased.  I really thought they were going to give it to Linklater for Best Director, though.  Boyhood kind of got shut out, except for Arquette's win but I guess that's how the cookie crumbles.