Highlights from the 2015 Oscars

And the winner of Best Dressed on the Oscars Red Carpet is… a tie! Between Lupita Nyong’o (who was pearl-fection in custom-made Calvin Klein work of art) and Anna Kendrick (who was peach perfect in a gown designed by Thakoon).
Neil Patrick Harris was a decent host. The jokes and bits were so-so, but I did nod at that jab about this year’s ceremony being a celebration to Hollywood’s best and whitest (I mean brightest!). Oh, the accuracy. The night’s theme was pretty standard: a tribute to moving pictures – well, no duh! Again, the lovely Anna Kendrick stole the spotlight as Cinderella (from Into the Woods) during that opening musical number.
The musical presentations kept the evening alive: Tegan and Sara and The Lonely Island (and Batman)’s energetic and hilarious “Everything is Awesome” (from The Lego Movie) was awesome possum! Lego Oscars are better than the real thing. John Legend and Common’s relevant and moving “Glory” fromSelma rightfully won Best Original Song, and the duo’s performance moved the whole room to tears. While Selma did not receive the acclaim and accolades I felt they deserved, I am glad to see this song having such an impact on people. I was blown away by Lady Gaga’s stunning Sound of Music tribute. After tonight, even her biggest critics cannot deny her incredible vocal talents. Perhaps Broadway is in her future? And of course, Julie Andrews’ presence on any stage is always a delight.
My predictions in the acting categories were 4/4, and all four winners delivered great speeches: Best Supporting Actor J.K. Simmons for Whiplash (Call your parents!), Best Supporting Actress Patricia Arquette for Boyhood (Equality for women!), Best Actor Eddie Redmayne for The Theory of Everything (he dedicated his award to people with ALS), and Best Actress Julianne Moore for Still Alice (she spoke up for the representation of people with Alzheimer’s in the media in hopes of finding a cure). I’ve seen all of these films, excluding Still Alice (which is the next movie on my queue!), and these wins were well-earned!
Besides Selma, I didn’t feel too passionate towards any of this year’s Best Picture nominees (though congratulations to Birdman‘s crew and cast for picking up the grand prize of the night!), but I was very happy for the two big animation award winners: Disney’s Feast for Best Animated Short and Disney’s Big Hero 6 for Best Animated Film. If you haven’t yet, I recommend watching both!