86th Academy Awards - Oscars Winner Results - Live Blog and Recap
Welcome to the 86th Academy Awards live blog and recap, with complete Oscars winner results! Which films will take the top prize? Which actors will earn Oscar gold? It's the hottest Oscar race in years!
Credit: ABC/AMPAS
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Best of luck to the nominees!
The recap starts in two hours. Until then, you can check out the live stream of the red carpet: Red Carpet stream!
While we wait, hit me with your predictions. I'm on Team 12 Years A Slave, even though conventional wisdom says this is Gravity's to lose. Anyone have different thoughts? After all, it's still not too late to vote in our Official Oscar Pool!
RECAP
-We're live! And Ellen is off and cracking jokes. You know, because she was hired to tell jokes, untethered to the tiresome work of Bruce Villanch, of whom I feel more and more like with each passing minute of this ceremony, having eaten my wait in spicy habanero chicken. But I'm confident since fat guys are clearly making a comeback in 2014. Case in point: 2-time Oscar nominee Jonah Hill.
-Some other observations: While I loved his performance in Captain Phillips, but Barkhad Abdi's teeth are like the Gates to Hell; Liza Minnelli is apparently in NO MOOD for being compared to a cross-dresser impersonating herself; Julia Roberts, meanwhile, can't seem to get enough of this; Ellen notes that hardly any of tonight's nominees have gone to college, which immediately has me seriously questioning my life choices; and Ellen kills it with the Jonah Hill dick jokes: "You showed something in that movie I haven't seen in a long time."
-And Ellen calls the Academy out by implying that should 12 Years A Slave fail to win Best Picture, the Academy is racist. Where were you when Crash won, Ellen?! You could have called them out on being homophobes too!
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
-And here's Anne Hathaway to present the award. I'll never tire of hearing "I Dreamed A Dream" (#ThingsStraightGuysSay).
-Watching the clips, I like Barkhad Abdi's performance more and more. It's all the more impressive when you consider he was a limo driver before landing the role in Captain Phillips. Although, and I'll probably get raked across the coals for this, my favorite performance in this category is Jonah Hill's. The Wolf of Wall Street is depraved, but fun as all hell.
-And the Oscar goes to...JARED LETO!
JARED LETO wins Best Supporting Actor!
-Jared thanks Ellen, and talks about how much respect he has for everyone here. He then talks about a teenage girl in 1971 who was pregnant with her second child, was a high school dropout, and a single mom. Yet somehow, she made a better life for her children by inspiring them to be creative and to work for their dreams. Of course, he's talking about his mother, and all of a sudden my eyes are getting really sweaty. What's with all this heat?
-"To all the dreamers watching this around the world tonight, in Ukraine and Venezuela ... we're thinking of you tonight." He also dedicates the award to the 36 million people who've lost the battle against AIDS. Wow, they're really letting this speech run, and it's beautiful. I love this so damn much.
-That was a speech almost as pretty as Jared Leto himself. Seriously, that's a devastatingly good-looking man right there.
-Jim Carey is here to present, and congratulates Bruce Dern on his nomination with a killer impression. He then compares animated films to being high on LSD, which is far more charming than it probably sounds in text form. He then segues into a tribute to the Heroes of animation, because in the fifty years since the Academy Awards were first televised, they still haven't learned the lesson that no one gives a beaver's dam about montages. Well, except my nephew. This montage is the only reason he's even remotely engaged right now.
-Aaaaand Kerry Washington (who's insanely pregnant) is here to introduce our first Best Original Song nominee.
PHARRELL WILLIAMS PERFORMS "HAPPY"
-And he's rocking the hat again! Seriously, Pharrell may not have the best live voice, but this is an infectious little performance. He heads into the crowd and grooves with Lupita Nyong'o, Merly Streep, and Amy Adams, and holy hell, this is the most fun the Oscars has been in YEARS.
Image: Lupita Nyong'o dancing
-Did Jamie Foxx just get up on the stage? I'm seriously wondering.
-Okay, if this song doesn't win, there's something seriously wrong with the Academy. Fix your hearing aids!
-Standing ovation for Pharrell! Come on, Academy. Don't screw the pooch on this one!
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
-And we're here with Samuel L. Jackson and Naomi Watts, which is one of those pairings you only get on awards shows and in Princess Di/Marvel slash-fiction.
-And the Oscar goes to...THE GREAT GATSBY!
THE GREAT GATSBY wins Best Costume Design!
-Her speech is tucked into her bra, which is apparently an Australian thing. She thanks the Academy, but mainly her team.
-We then move right on to the next category...
BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
-We move right along without even getting features on the makeup nominees. Normally you'd see an actor in a chair getting his hair done or plaster getting placed on his/her cheeks. No such thing here, as the ceremony rolls right along.
-Samuel L.'s face when he's about to read the winner had me dreading that Jackass had one. But alas...
DALLAS BUYERS CLUB wins Best Makeup and Hairstyling!
-The winners are teary-eyed, and really, this is an exceptional achievement when you think about it: they had a makeup budget of $250. Not $250,000. Not $2,500. $250! They used grits and other things to get that whole "sickness is ravaging my body, also my soul" look. And it's to those victims that they dedicate their award. A classy, moving speech.
HARRISON FORD PRESENTS "AMERICAN HUSTLE," "DALLAS BUYERS CLUB," AND "THE WOLF OF WALL STREET"
-And here's Harrison Ford looking like he'd rather be anywhere else in the world, introducing the first three Best Picture nominees: AMERICAN HUSTLE, DALLAS BUYERS CLUB, and THE WOLF OF WALL STREET. All due respect to the great Ford, but I don't think anyone has ever said "Fasten your seatbelts" with less verve. He's always struck me as one of those famous guys who notoriously hates being famous. I could easily imagine he would have been perfectly fine remaining a carpenter, like he was before he hit it big.
-Hey look! It's Channing Tatum! He introduces Team Oscar, a group of young'uns, one of whom looks unsettlingly like Adam Driver.
-Back from break, and Ellen, in the spirit of not allowing anyone to go home empty-handed, gives Bradley Cooper some consolation scratch-off lottery tickets. Which reminds me, I need to play Powerball this week. I have this fetish for throwing away money, you see...
BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM
-Matthew McConaughey presents with Kim Novak, and MM is able to salvage the absolutely brutal "scripted presenter banter" by making it sound somewhat spontaneous and sincere, saying that her "animated" nature in Vertigo inspired a whole generation of men. Novak even gets a lovely little moment in which she notes how thrilled she is to be here. Of course, the moment is somewhat dulled by Novak getting her wires crossed on what award they're actually presenting, with Novak saying "Animated Feature" while McConaughey says "Animated Short Film."
-And the Oscar goes to...MR. HUBLOT!
MR. HUBLOT wins Best Animated Short Film
-I came THIS close to predicting this too, except I thought it would be impossible for Mickey Mouse to lose YET AGAIN. No lie, he hasn't won in this category ONCE, and he's been nominated around seven times. Who does a Mouse have to blow to get some Oscar gold?!
-The winners break down, and I'm glad. We need more happy tears.
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
-We keep things moving, as Kim Novak draws out the suspense, asking if we're ready. I am sufficiently prepared, Ms. Novak.
-And the Oscar goes to...what else? FROZEN!
FROZEN wins Best Animated Feature!
-This was a deserving win, even though some will cry foul about Miyazaki's final film failing to win. Frozen was as close to the Disney films of old as they've come since, I'd argue, The Princess and the Frog. Actually, scratch that. Tangled was fantastic.
SALLY FIELD PRESENTS MONTAGE ON "EVERYDAY HEROES"
-This is scored to the music from Revolutionary Road, at least the first 45 seconds. And that immediately changes my opinion on the inclusion of yet another senseless montage. Look, I get that the theme of this year's awards is Heroes, and I suppose I'd understand it more if these montages were confined strictly to the heroes of this year's films, but every montage is like a minor treatise on the nature of film. And I'm not even sure casual audiences, for whom these are meant to appeal, are even going to appreciate it. I think they mostly just want the awards to keep rolling on.
-But hey, Will Smith is in the audience, apparently unfazed by his Razzie win for Worst Supporting Actor.
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
-Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Emma Watson are here to present the awards, and holy hell, the babies these two could have. And how charming was it that they bowed to each other? Forget the facile presenter banter, just have good-looking people doff their proverbial cap at one another, and call it a day.
-And the Oscar goes to...GRAVITY!
GRAVITY wins Best Visual Effects!
-The winners thank the visual effects artists and their families, as well as Alfonso Cuaron for his "audacity" in getting the picture made. A succinct speech. I like it.
KAREN O AND EZRA KOENIG PERFORM "THE MOON SONG"
-Zac Efron is here, which has me hoping, in future trailers and movie posters, he's billed as "Academy Awards presenter Zac Efron." This is the big time, kid! You've made it!
-As for the performance, I love "The Moon Song" something fierce, although the Ezra Koenig duet is my least favorite version of the song. But even then, it's not like it's a bad performance or anything. It's more cute, than anything else. And startlingly brief. I took a sip of coffee, and by the time I'd put it down, I'm looking at a commercial for Lipton tea featuring the Muppets. Has anyone ever noted how Kermit doesn't look a single loving thing like a frog? Still, kudos for using "Everybody's Talkin'" from Midnight Cowboy for the ad. That's my jam. Well, one of them. I several jams. It's like Smuckers up in here.
-We're back from break, and Ellen has a guitar. She does nothing with it, and it's never commented upon. Love it.
BEST LIVE-ACTION SHORT FILM
-Kate Hudson and Jason Sudeikis present, and I swear, Kate Hudson might actually be aging in reverse, like some glorious, lady-parts Benjamin Button.
-And the Oscar goes to...HELIUM!
HELIUM wins Best Live-Action Short Film!
-The winners thank the Academy for keeping this category in the ceremony, and I agree. You could probably argue that the category hasn't produced as high a level of quality as it has in past years, but I think it's worth lauding live-action shorts, since it's a different kind of narrative/filmmaking challenge that deserves recognition, given the skill it takes. Of course, this category is noteworthy for being the first orchestra play-off of the night, as the guys talk a little too long, and since they aren't huge movie stars, they get the subtle piano/"Hurry the f*** up" cue. But they have Oscars, so I'm not exactly feeling bad for them.
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT
-We keep things rolling right along with the same presenters. The Oscar goes to...THE LADY IN NUMBER 6! Because OF COURSE it does! (Good luck ever getting one over on the Holocaust at the Oscars. Especially when the subject of the film passed away during the voting process)
THE LADY IN NUMBER 6: MUSIC SAVED MY LIFE wins Best Documentary Short Subject!
-The award is dedicated to Alice Somner, the 110-year-old Holocaust survivor about whom the documentary was made, and who just passed away a week ago today.
-Ellen then lightens the mood by asking the audience if they're willing to go in with her on a pizza. Do they have Pizza Time in LA?
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
-Bradley Cooper presents the award for the Heroes Who Tell the Truth, or some similar phrase, as this ceremony continues to reach for its Heroes theme.
-The Oscar goes to...20 FEET FROM STARDOM!
20 FEET FROM STARDOM wins Best Documentary Feature!
-I don't see Judith Hill in the audience. But Darlene Love is here, and she's thrilled to be representing the ladies of 20 Feet From Stardom, and then sings a little bit. And yeah, that microphone is NOT in any kind of shape to be accepting sound from someone with such a powerful voice. But it doesn't mar the moment, as it really was beautiful. Especially the sight of Bill Murray jumping to his feet in applause...along with the rest of the audience.
KEVIN SPACEY PRESENTS GOVERNORS AWARDS HIGHLIGHTS
-Spacey immediately wins the internet, as well as the planet Earth, by doing the opening lines of his presentation in his Frank Underwood voice. House of Cards is just aces, and Kevin Spacey is a man for all seasons.
-We then get clips from the Governors Awards, in which honorary Oscars were presented to Angela Lansbury, Steve Martin, Piero Tosi (film design) and Angelina Jolie, who earned the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. Why George Lucas presented it to her is beyond me, but hopefully he doesn't go back and edit her speech to be delivered by a Taun-taun over something.
BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM
-Ewan McGregor and Viola Davis present, and I'll never tire of hearing either one talk. McGregor for the accent, and Davis for her classy diction.
-And the Oscar goes to...THE GREAT BEAUTY!
THE GREAT BEAUTY wins Best Foreign-Language Film!
-For a film compared to the best works of Federico Fellini, this win was inevitable, but not undeserved. Bonus, it helps me in the Oscar pool. So it's wins all-around!
TYLER PERRY PRESENTS "NEBRASKA," "HER," AND "GRAVITY"
-No, this isn't the latest series on OWN. It's just Tyler Perry presenting clips from three of the Best Picture nominees: NEBRASKA (my favorite film of the year), HER, and GRAVITY. If I had an operating system like Samantha, I'd never leave the house. (Side observation upon seeing clips from HER: Is Amy Adams the only actress in Hollywood? Girlfriend is EVERYWHERE, and I have no idea why she needs to be. I mean, I'll take it, since I like her. But it just seems strange that she's simultaneously a huge star, yet strangely inconspicuous)
-Ellen comes out in a clean white tux, drawing coos from the crowd. Well, she DOES look sharp.
U2 PERFORMS "ORDINARY LOVE"
-Brad Pitt presents them as "The biggest rock band in the world," and while he's probably true, I could easily see the Academy awarding them the prize simply out of a belief that it'll prove how relevant they are, not recognizing that Pharrell is HUGE and "Let It Go" is damn near as popular. I just hate the idea of a "message song" getting Best Original Song for being a "message song". To be fair, they might actually like this song. But I just can't imagine anyone listening to the nominees, even the octogenarian conglomerate we call the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and choosing it as their favorite of the year on a purely aesthetic level.
-Okay, that's probably a bit strong. It's a perfectly good song that actually grows on me the more I hear it. Seriously, that chorus is tremendous and anthemic. In a lesser year, this would probably be my pick. But this isn't any other year. The competition is literally TOO good for THIS to be the winner. So while I do enjoy Bono, The Edge, and the others whose names I can't remember (if I ever knew them in the first place), I'm hoping it's either "Happy" or "Let It Go".
-And an image of Nelson Mandela appears on the screen at the end, since this is from the movie Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom. And Jared Leto leads the crowd in a well-deserved standing ovation.
-I love how the theme from ET: The Extraterrestrial is one of those go-to Academy themes that gets played as transition music at damn near every ceremony, right up there with the theme to Indiana Jones.
-Ellen is in the audience singlehandedly killing the concept of selfies. I consider this a public service.
-She succeeds in roping in Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence, Kevin Spacey, Brad Pitt, Bradley Cooper, Kevin Spacey, Julia Roberts, someone who may or may not be J-Lo, and another guy who looks vaguely like DJ Jazzy Jeff. Looks like we have our gold medal winner for the Selfie Olympics. Ellen even gets one from Chiwetel Ejiofor, for good measure.
Credit: Ellen DeGeneres Twitter
MICHAEL B. JORDAN AND KRISTEN BELL PRESENT SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL AWARDS HIGHLIGHTS
-Michael B. Jordan is 65% cheeks. It's part of what's so endearing about him. I mean, yeah, there's the talent and all that. But the man looks like he's storing nuts for winter, and that will never not be beautiful. Speaking of beautiful, hey there, Kristen Bell...
BEST SOUND MIXING
-Chris Hemsworth and Charlize Theron are out here to present, and not, surprisingly, to participate in a "Who's Best At Making Their Gender Question Its Collective Sexuality" contest.
-In listing the nominees, Theron deserves special recognition for nailing the pronunciation of "Smaug" from The Hobbit. That woman is incapable of wrong.
-And the Oscar goes to...GRAVITY!
GRAVITY wins Best Sound Mixing
-After a quaint acceptance speech, we keep the show rolling...
BEST SOUND EDITING
-And the Oscar goes to...GRAVITY!
GRAVITY wins Best Sound Editing!
-This acceptance speech is prompting me to recognize that just about everyone in the world has more charming accents than Americans living in the Northeast like myself.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
-Last year's Best Supporting Actor, Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained) is out to present the award, in accordance with tradition. Let's go Lupita!
-They really did pick a terrific clip for Sally Hawkins. Too bad the camera at the ceremony couldn't find her in the audience after the clip aired (instead settling on fellow nominee June Squibb, prompting me to wonder if Sally aged forty years in between the opening of the ceremony and now. Granted, this is not beyond the realm of possibility).
-And the Oscar goes to...LUPITA NYONG'O!
LUPITA NYONG'O wins Best Supporting Actress!
-Lupita's freakout is terrific, as is her ascension to the podium amid raucous applause and a standing ovation. Seriously, this woman is adorable.
-She can hardly contain her excitement as she thanks the Academy and notes the unfortunate irony that so much of the joy in her life is the result of the pain in someone else's. She thanks Patsey (the woman whom she played in 12 Years A Slave), Steve McQueen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Alfre Woodard, Sarah Paulson, editor Joe Walker, and others. Tears! Tears galore! I love it. She also shouts out her brother Junior, who is the DJ Jazzy Jeff from earlier. "No matter where you're from, your dreams are valid."
-Lupita lifts her Oscar in triumph as the orchestra cues up "Pure Imagination" from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and I start singing along.
-Back from break and Ellen actually followed through on her vow to order pizza, leading to a delightful little segment in which she and the pizza man hand out slices to everyone from Julia Roberts, Meryl Streep, Jonah Hill, and Harrison Ford, among others. She then asks Sandra Bullock to pay the man a tip, since she apparently forgot her money. I'd think he'd take an I.O.U. just this once...
ACADEMY PRESIDENT CHERYL BOONE ISAACS
-Isaacs is here to talk about the strides the Academy has made in education, and the overall health of the movie industry. She also talks about the Academy Museum, which is due to open in late 2017. We see designs of the museum, and it looks like a cross between the Epcot Center and the Death Star. I, for one, can't wait for this thing to take to the stars and obliterate us all.
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
-Amy Adams is here with Bill Murray, who looks like he's seen some s***. Murray, however, wins for all-time by naming Harold Ramis a nominee at the end for Caddyshack, Ghostbusters, and Groundhog Day.
-And the Oscar goes to...Emmanuel Lubezki!
GRAVITY wins Best Cinematography!
-This was well-deserved in every measurable respect. Lubezki acknowledges that it's a cliche to thank the crew, but he really does owe them the world. He also thanks Alfonso Cuaron, of course.
BEST FILM EDITING
-Anna Kendrick and Gabourey Sidibe are here to present, but I'm mostly distracted by the utterly delightful orchestral rendition of "Cups" they enter to.
-And the Oscar goes to...GRAVITY!
GRAVITY wins Best Film Editing!
-This is Cuaron's first Oscar, although it's not his only nomination tonight, naturally. Yet the image of Alfonso Cuaron holding an Oscar looks so right. And hey, now we can say that an Oscar winner directed a Harry Potter film! After Mark Sanger gives his speech, saying it's an honor to be recognized along someone he admires, Cuaron steps up to the mic to give his speech...and is immediately cut off by the orchestra. I'm guessing they're assuming he'll get to speak again when he wins Best Director and/or Best Picture. But man, are they going to look bad if he doesn't win either. Still, he's winning one or the other, for sure.
THE WIZARD OF OZ 75TH ANNIVERSARY TRIBUTE WITH PINK
-Whoopi Goldberg is wearing the Wicked Witch's striped stockings with platform ruby red pumps. It looks better in theory than it sounds. Whoopi then introduces Liza Minnelli and her half-siblings, Joey and Lorna Luft, who are in attendance to honor their mother's most classic film. But not by performing. That job is for the woman Whoopi knows as Alicia Moore, but whom we know as...Pink.
-Pink looks stunning in her ruby red gown, and normally I'm not as attentive to fashion as all this. Especially when the segment is actually being anchored by an even better vocal. Pink sings "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," and it's the best vocal of the night, unless Idina Menzel and Bette Midler come out and slay it, which they're well within their capabilities to do. But man, this was just fantastic, especially with images from The Wizard of Oz in the background. A deserving standing O. I'm glad they didn't go with a tacky medley or throw in a bunch of people with costumes. This was simply, poignant, and to-the-point.
-Apropos of nothing, these ads for Resurrection are the reason DVRs were invented. If I have to hear "I'm Coming Home" one more time, I'm seriously going to defenestrate someone.
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
-Jennifer Garner and Benedict Cumberbatch make a lovely pair. And Cumberbatch still has one of my favorite speaking voices of any human being on the planet.
-And the Oscar goes to...THE GREAT GATSBY!
THE GREAT GATSBY wins Best Production Design!
-Lots of thanks for fellow production designers and artists of every stripe. Catherine Martin has now won four Oscars, although Beverly Dunn's count escapes me at the moment. And I'm pretty sure the announcer made a comment on that after the winner was announced, but all I could think at the time was, "Crap, did I pick Gatsby in the Oscar pool?"
CHRIS EVANS PRESENTS ANOTHER MONTAGE ON HEROES
-This is getting kind of silly, as these all somehow manage to be pretty much the same montage, but with different characters. This one is centered on action heroes, and are they seriously using music from Mass Effect from this?! Or is this Inception music? I seriously can't tell. Not that I'm complaining.
-Announcer: "Sponsored by Pepsi. Little can, epic satisfaction." There's a dirty joke in there somewhere, but damned if I'm going to be the one to search for it.
IN MEMORIAM
-Glenn Close is here, and I'm not entirely convinced she isn't Luna Lovegood fifty years from now. That said, I can never hear Close speak without thinking of Homer Simpson's mom.
-The In Memoriam segment usually does one of two things: stuns people because they forgot (insert name) died this year, or it infuriates them because (insert name) was left out. I'm in the latter camp, personally. I wasn't even that big on his work, but my heart temporarily dropped when Paul Walker came onscreen, as I'd momentarily forgotten he'd left us. Annette Funicello too, and I'm the one who posted about it here when it happened! It speaks to the ephemeral nature of fame and death...well, that, or the huge gaps in my memory. Probably the latter.
-This was a classy tribute, and I can't think of anyone, off the top of my head, that were left out. Although I'm sure the blogosphere will be alight with names tomorrow morning. Still, for what this was, it was an absolutely beautiful montage.
-Except then it's capped off by a performance from Bette Midler, which takes this too far over-the-top into treacly, sappy territory. Particularly since she's singing "Wind Beneath My Wings," a song that is so distinctly of its time that it just sounds out of place in any other era. It's an aural anachronism, and it's made all the stranger by Bette offering the biggest, widest smile throughout the entire thing, somehow not realizing that this is a solemn moment of mournful reflection. Although I suppose you could spin it as being a celebration of life, hence the smiley performance. But in that case, I wish they'd have picked a different song. She can sings other things, you know. Not just her own stuff.
-With that said, the performance itself was wonderful. Bette has still got it. (Not that she ever lost it.)
-Back from break with Ellen noting that they've officially broken Twitter tonight, presumably from that selfie business. In the annals of selfies, it shall never be topped, I fear. Not even by this.
GOLDIE HAWN PRESENTS "PHILOMENA," "CAPTAIN PHILLIPS," AND "12 YEARS A SLAVE"
-Goldie Hawn presents the three films, and I completely forgot how much I adored Philomena. SUCH a profoundly good movie, and both Judi Dench and Steve Coogan were outstanding, and Stephen Frears did subtly excellent directorial work. It has no shot of really winning anything other than maybe Screenplay or Score, but I hope it's a movie that is remembered fondly in the years to come. It deserves its sterling reputation.
IDINA MENZEL SINGS "LET IT GO"
-Travolta randomly introduces her as "Adele Adzeem" or something, which...I mean, how does that even HAPPEN? Still, expect the internet to rise up in angst like the world's pettiest Voltron.
-Idina probably saw Pink's performance and decided that shots had been fired, and so came out and left it all on the stage. I'd go as far as to argue that it's better than the actual studio version. Standing ovation at the end, and boy, does she ever deserve it.
-Ellen announces that the musical director, William Ross, is conducting from a studio across the street. He has the orchestra play the old Academy theme, and man how I've missed hearing that on nominations morning the past two years.
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
-Jamie Foxx and Jessica Biel are out here. Jamie Foxx: "Great stories will change your life. Great scores will blow...your mind." He then does the theme from Chariots of Fire over Jessica Biel's narration, and it's a fun moment.
-This is one of the strongest Original Score categories they've had in some time. I predicted Gravity, but my personal favorites are Philomena and Saving Mr. Banks. Just beautiful work, both of which are eminently listenable.
-And the Oscar goes to...GRAVITY!
GRAVITY wins Best Original Score!
-And that's Oscar number six for Gravity. It's looking really good for Best Picture.
BEST ORIGINAL SONG
-We keep things rolling with the next category. The Oscar goes to..."LET IT GO"!
"LET IT GO" FROM FROZEN wins BEST ORIGINAL SONG!
-Well, if it wasn't going to be "Happy," I'm glad it was this. The announcer notes that co-winner Robert Lopez is one of the few men to achieve the EGOT, winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and a Tony. He and his wife, co-winner Kristen Anderson-Lopez, do a funny rhyming acceptance speech, before Kristen breaks down into tears thanking her family. One of my favorite speeches of the night.
-Ellen is passing around Pharrell's Smokey the Bear hat for collection of pizza funds, getting money from Kevin Spacey, Harvey Weinstein, Brad Pitt, Chiwetel Ejiofor and lip balm from Lupita Nyong'o.
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
-Robert De Niro, who is presenting alongside Penelope Cruz, gets the quote of the night by remarking that a writer's mind is a place of alternating emotions, including "soul-crushing inadequacy."
-And the Oscar goes to...John Ridley, 12 Years A Slave!
JOHN RIDLEY wins Best Adapted Screenplay for 12 YEARS A SLAVE!
-John Ridley offers a profoundly wonderful speech, thanking Solomon Northup, his family, and everyone who worked on the film in a manner far more eloquent than I could ever recap. He also makes a comment on banishing the "soul-crushing inadequacy," and yeah, just look it up on YouTube. It's worth it. Especially if you're a writer yourself, and need the encouragement.
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
-You would think with Robert De Niro would be presenting this award to his Silver Linings Playbook director David O. Russell, since I genuinely believe the Academy plans out presenters in accordance with what they think will win. But, unfortunately for David O. Russell, the Oscar goes to...SPIKE JONZE for HER!
SPIKE JONZE wins Best Original Screenplay for HER!
-The reaction is surprisingly enthusiastic, as the crowd leaps to its feet and lets out a huge cheer at the announcement. Well, it's surprising to me, since I didn't think the script was the strongest element in HER. But the people seem to genuinely like Jonze, and I don't feel like the category had a clear frontrunner anyway, so this isn't exactly a bad choice by any stretch of the imagination.
BEST DIRECTOR
-Angelina Jolie and Sidney Poitier come out to a standing ovation, and honestly, if Twitter hadn't pointed it out, I wouldn't realize how disastrously over-schedule this ceremony is going. I don't think they've been this over-the-clock in a decade, given how many categories remain. But I'd also never know how far overtime we were headed from how leisurely this ceremony still is, as Angelina takes the time to hug Poitier and deliver a speech about what he's meant to the film industry. However, the moment is beautiful, so there's absolutely nothing to complain about here. Poitier tells the industry to keep up the good work. Both stars are pure class.
-And the Oscar goes to...ALFONSO CUARON for GRAVITY!
ALFONSO CUARON wins Best Director for GRAVITY!
-Cuaron shakes Poitier's hand and just seems tickled pink to be up there. He delivers a fairly charming speech about the rigors of making a film. He really deserves this, and you can tell how much his cast and crew respects him from how emotional they all get during his acceptance speech, particularly Sandra Bullock, whose eyes are glassy and filmed over with tears that never bother falling.
-Ellen then makes a joke about the length of the ceremony, thanking everyone for coming and wishing them goodnight, before realizing we still have three more awards to go.
-Back from break with Ellen chatting with Matthew McConaughey about losing all the weight for Dallas Buyers Club by sweating to the oldies. Cute.
BEST ACTRESS
-Daniel Day-Lewis is out, and he gets right to it, presenting the nominees and clips. Amy Adams looks achingly beautiful. Like, it genuinely hurts to look at her right now.
-I love Cate Blanchett's clip, but not as much as I love Judi Dench's. Philomena was just such a great movie, and her performance was so wonderfully understated. That forgiveness scene is devastatingly powerful and perfect and every superlative in the book.
-And the Oscar goes to...CATE BLANCHETT!
CATE BLANCHETT wins Best Actress for BLUE JASMINE!
-It's Oscar #2 for Blanchett, as the crowd gives her a standing O. "Sit down! You're too old to be standing!" she tells the crowd, laughing. She also thanks Daniel Day-Lewis for presenting her the award, talking about how much greater its significance is coming from him. She then delivers my new favorite speech of the night, thanking each of her nominees one at a time, before adding that films with females at the center are not niche. "Audiences want to see them. And, in fact, they earn money. THE WORLD IS ROUND, PEOPLE!" Cate Blanchett is a goddess.
-She closes by thanking the Sydney Theater Company, noting how much talent is in Australia. As a man tasked with covering The X Factor Australia, I can attest to this.
BEST ACTOR
-Jennifer Lawrence is introduced, then questions why the audience laughed. It's a funny, off-the-cuff moment. We need so many more of those. Luckily, Ellen has mostly provided them in spades. Seriously, I might as well take this opportunity to note what a terrific host she's been, far better than her first stint in 2007.
-The clips note just what a preposterously intense field this category is this year. So many incredible performance, some of which weren't even nominated, like Tom Hanks in Captain Phillips. This is one of the strongest lineups in ages.
-And the Oscar goes to...MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY for DALLAS BUYERS CLUB!
MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY wins Best Actor for DALLAS BUYERS CLUB!
-He hugs Leo on his way up, in a lovely touch. He then thanks the Academy and his other nominees: "I didn't see a false note anywhere." Before launching into his speech proper, he also thanks his director and co-stars Jennifer Garner and Jared Leto. In thanking God, McConaughey says, "It's a scientific FACT that gratitude reciprocates. In the words of Charlie Laughton, if you've got God, you've got a friend. And that friend is you."
-McConaughey talks about his late father cooking up gumbo in the great beyond, and then thanks his mother for instilling respect in he and his brothers. He shouts out his wife and fights back tears when saying his family are the ones he most wants to be proud of him. Then we get a wonderful moment in which he tells an anecdote about his only heroes in life are a version of himself 10 years from now, since it gives him someone to keep chasing. He caps it off with an "Alright, alright, alright!" for good measure, and dammit, this was SUCH a wonderful moment. Watch it on YouTube as soon as humanly possible.
BEST PICTURE
-Will Smith is here to present the award, and while I'm sticking with 12 Years A Slave, it's hard to bet against Gravity, which has won a metric ton of Oscars so far tonight.
-And the Oscar goes to...12 YEARS A SLAVE!
12 YEARS A SLAVE WINS BEST PICTURE!
-YES! THAT JUST HAPPENED! Steve McQueen triumphantly grasps his Oscar as Brad Pitt, now an OSCAR WINNER, looks a bit teary-eyed as he thanks the Academy for recognizing the film on which he was a producer. McQueen thanks Pitt, without whom he says the film would not have been made. He then goes through the boilerplate acceptance speech, rambling and asking for one more minute, charmingly enough. He dedicates the film to those who suffered slavery in America, and the 21 MILLION who continue to suffer today. He then bounces up and down for joy. LOVE IT.
-Ellen wishes everyone a goodnight, and I don't know that I can complain about a single choice the Academy made tonight. And that pretty much NEVER happens. EVER!
-And that's it! What did you think of tonight's big winners? Did the right films/performances/music win? If not, what would you have chosen? What were your favorite moments?
-Sound off in the comments and on the BuzzDial, and check the post above for select videos and pics of tonight's festivities. Thanks for joining us for another fantastic awards season!