The Academy Awards. The Oscars. The biggest, longest, most glamorous night in motion pictures. This was a varied year in cinema, and the industry’s most celebrated evening had no shortage of stars and surprises.
Host Seth MacFarlane was not as raunchy as many predicted, instead opting for American history jokes (On Lincoln’s death: “It’s been 150 years, and it’s still too soon?”) and honing in on his musical ability.
His show-stopping opening number channeled previous host and 2013 nominee Hugh Jackman’s 2009 introduction but did not reach the same epic level.
There were some great cameos, from a dancing duet of Channing Tatum and Charlize Theron to a tap-dancing number with Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Daniel Radcliffe. The performance was good, but not Hugh Jackman good. Then again, there’s not much that can be Hugh Jackman good.
Continuing with the show’s performance-heavy focus, the night also included a special movie musical tribute with performances from “Chicago,” “Dreamgirls” and “Les Miserables.” In tweets and Tumblr posts, many wrote the Oscars were turning into the Tony Awards — but no complaints here.
Beloved divas Adele and Barbra Streisand performing “Skyfall” and “The Way We Were,” respectively, added to the night’s theme of music in film.
The night was orchestrated by classic movie themes, from Harry Potter’s “Hedwig’s Theme” to transition to and from commercial breaks, to the title track from “Jaws” used as a hilarious cut-off for long acceptance speeches.
Golden statues for Best Supporting Actress and Actor went to Anne Hathaway for “Les Miserables” and Christoph Waltz in “Django Unchained,” respectively. In light of Ben Affleck’s “Argo” snub, Ang Lee took the Best Director trophy for “Life Of Pi.”
Best Actress and Best Actor went to Jennifer Lawrence for “Silver Linings Playbook” and Daniel Day-Lewis for “Lincoln,” respectively.
“Argo” took home the night’s top honor of Best Picture, courtesy of a satellite telecast from first lady Michelle Obama and in-person Jack Nicholson.
Endless jokes about the show’s nearly four-hour time slot aside, this year’s ceremony was just what the Oscars should be: a combination of artistic (sometimes overhyped) cinematic excellence, the stars who made them shine both on and off the screen, and the occasional slip up the stairs. (It’s OK, Jennifer Lawrence. You’re an Oscar winner now.)
