A dedicated film fan’s take on this year’s 86th Academy Awards
This was it. The big one. The last night of seeing stars from behind the scenes amongst the stars of the big screen. What am I speaking of? Why, the Super Bowl of my life: The 86th Academy Awards.
If you didn’t catch Ellen DeGeneres’ second time hosting the Oscars Sunday night, I suggest you check your Twitter feed or YouTube for some major catching up.
The evening consisted of the usual red carpet coverage, with actress Lupita Nyong’o standing out amongst the sea of golds, nudes and royal blues. Nyong’o donned the best look of the night: a light blue Prada gown accessorized with a diamond headband.
Actress Jennifer Lawrence set social media on fire (“The Hunger Games” inside joke) when she tripped after exiting her limousine on the red carpet. Embarressing? A little. Funny to watch repeatedly? Always.
Of course, the Oscars would not have been complete without some hijinks by the host. DeGeneres’ antics included taking a group “selfie” with the likes of Brad Pitt, Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Channing Tatum, Jennifer Lawrence and other major stars. Needless to say, if anyone else would ever be so lucky to obtain the same “selfie,” they would quickly frame that picture in every single room of their home. For me, this photo would have been my Christmas card for the rest of my life.
Another moment to be envious of was when a pizza boy came to feed the first couple of rows in the audience, which sat again the likes of Streep, Roberts and Pitt among others. In that instance, every pizza delivery boy at home probably ate his pizza proudly.
A couple of tributes were paid to one of the most iconic films made, “The Wizard of Oz.” The film was celebrating its 75th anniversary since its release in 1939.
On a personal note, this film pretty much scarred me for life after I witnessed what would be a recurring nightmare: “The Wicked Witch of The West.” Before you start judging, I was five and this green-faced lady, whose cackle cannot be mimicked, was probably the first scary thing I ever saw and maybe still scares me from time to time.
There were many winners and losers for the 86th Academy Awards, one of them being me. No, I didn’t graciously receive a shiny little guy called Oscar, but I did win an Oscar ballot bet among co-workers. That’s enough bragging rights for the rest of the week.
Alfonso Cuaron won Best Director for his film, “Gravity” becoming the first Latin American director to do so.
My two favorite winners were Jared Leto and Lupita Nyong’o, who both won for their supporting roles in “Dallas Buyers Club” and “12 Years a Slave” respectively. Both gave genuine speeches, and despite squashing rumors that they are dating, I am still rooting for the potential duo to work together in some way. It’s easy to say the two were both the critical darlings of this year’s awards season, dominating most of the shows and topping it off with their first Oscars.
One last tidbit would be Matthew McConaughey winning Best Actor for his role in “Dallas Buyers Club.” After thanking God, his Dad and family, he ended his speech with a couple of his key (and my favorite) catchphrases, “Alright, alright, alright,” and “Just keep living.”
How am I going to deal until next year’s awards? I think I’ll try consoling Leonardo DiCaprio for his Best Actor loss.