64 thoughts on “Oscars 2015 – Recap, Reflections on Best & Worst Moments”

1. It’s only just morning here so I missed the ceremony but nice to see the final list of winners and fun to read your summary. As much as I enjoyed Birdman I was rooting for Boyhood and Linklater, but never mind, Birdman’s a very good and very distinctive film. (I do think there’s a tendency for the Academy to go for films that are somehow about the movie industry at the moment, as that’s 3 out of 4 of recent winners falling into that category.) Disappointed that Dick Pope didn’t win either, but if I sound down about it all please bear in mind I’ve just woken up and I didn’t actually watch the ceremony! Happy with all 4 actor wins though; haven’t seen Still Alice but I’m glad for Julianne Moore and it sounds as if she deserves it.

   February 23, 2015 at 00:53 Reply

   1. ps this is the first re-cap on my reader list – well done Ruth!

      February 23, 2015 at 00:54 Reply

   2. Hi Stu! I don’t usually finished up my recap this quickly but since I was live-tweeting, I ended up blogging it *live* as well 😀 I think it’s good that two imaginative and innovative films, albeit VERY different in style and tone, were neck and neck up until the last minute. Interesting that the Academy went w/ films about the movie industry, i.e. HUGO, The Artist, but even as far back as Sunset Blvd, that topic’s been popular w/ the voters.

      Yes I haven’t seen Still Alice but I don’t mind Moore winning, though I was pulling for Rosamund. Thanks for being the first commenter Stu! 😀

      February 23, 2015 at 13:38 Reply

2. OK, John Travolta was beyond creepy. It looked like he was molesting the ladies. He really needs to stop with the facelifts on his wig.

   I wasn’t surprised by the wins but my dad was pissed that Eddie Redmayne won over Michael Keaton. I was like “boo!” Yet, he was happy that Inarritu as he’s happy that another Mexican won an Oscar. Let’s get Guillermo del Toro to win the next one so it will be a three-peat for Mexico.

   February 23, 2015 at 01:02 Reply

   1. Hi Steven! Yeah, Travolta or Glom Gazingo needs to contain himself. He looked like a botch LEGO creation too, what’s up w/ that??!

      I probably would’ve been booing Redmayne but I saw Theory of Everything this weekend and y’know what, as much as I LOVE Keaton, I do think both of them are excellent. Plus it seemed that Redmayne was genuinely over the moon w/ the win so that was quite moving. He is right that he was lucky to have gotten such an extraordinary part. Inarritu’s both appearances on stage were fun to watch, very happy w/ Birdman winning!!

      February 23, 2015 at 13:43 Reply

3. Great wrap, Ruth. Myself, I was utterly floored by NPH’s complete lack of….. anything – hosting the Oscars should have been cream for him, but he fell utterly flat. By the time he made any good jokes, the rot had already set in.

   I loved the Idina Menzel bit with Travolta, thought both of them had obviously had enough of the constant reminders, and needed to do something to close the book on that moment. Doing what they did will hopefully put an end to one of Travolta’s more embarrassing moments.

   February 23, 2015 at 03:04 Reply

   1. Hi Rodney, it was fun live-tweeting again w/ you! Yeah, NPH just wasn’t funny or interesting at all, I hope he won’t host again. Maybe he was good at the Tony’s but now it’s even hard to imagine that.

      Yeah, Dazeem & Gazingo moment is hilarious, but dampened by Travolta’s utterly creepy face-touching fiasco. I think the whole room and people watching everywhere were like “Let her goooooo…”

      February 23, 2015 at 13:46 Reply

      1. Last time I touched a woman’s face like that I think I ended up in hospital. 😉

         February 24, 2015 at 23:52 Reply

4. Since the Oscars was on at 1am UK time and we don’t have live TV in our house I didn’t watch any of it but reading your post kind of makes me feel like I have been part of the best bits. John Travolta is such a creepy, creepy man. *Shudder*. I’m pretty indifferent to the results. I would have liked to have seen Boyhood win more awards but Birdman was good too.

   February 23, 2015 at 07:49 Reply

   1. Hi Abbi! I’m sure you’ve seen plenty of pics of Travolta (I’m gonna call him Gazingo from now on) and he is utterly creepy indeed. He already looked that way, but his behavior just made your skin crawl. I really was floored that Birdman win as I predicted it’d have gone to Boyhood as Inarritu’s got Best Director. But I’ve been #TeamBirdman from the start so I’m a happy camper!

      February 23, 2015 at 14:00 Reply

5. Nice summation Ruth. I wasn’t pulling for anyone in particular this year, other than maybe J.K. Simmons, so I wasn’t as invested as other years.

   NPH was just OK. I still yearn for Billy Crystal but I’m old school. At least it wasn’t as bad as Seth MacFarlane’s or Letterman’s years. Even though Penn knows Iñárritu I thought he could have come up with something classier to say but then again we’re talking about Sean Penn here. The acting categories sure seemed like locks, didn’t they? Especially after I finally saw Redmayne’s performance on Saturday. I thought he truly deserved to win. How about Meryl with her “you go girl” stance when Patricia Arquette was giving her equal wage speech. Travolta couldn’t have been creepier as ninvoid99 said. I thought the jab by NPH at the end about the face touching was hilarious. LOL. The “stay weird” speech by Graham Moore for The Imitation Game was particularly moving. I was only slightly surprised Lady Gaga knocked it out of the park. While she does push the envelope she IS a genuinely talented writer/performer/singer. The Steve Carell/seat filler bit made me laugh. “Ed Norton—he’s right over there.” Glad to see Whiplash and The Grand Budapest Hotel clean up in the technical and production design categories respectively. I thought Hans Zimmer was genuinely happy to see Desplat win for Best Score. From a technical standpoint did you notice there was confetti that kept falling from the ceiling and people walking in the background of the shots? Overall the whole shebang was just so-so.

   Lastly it’s a shame they didn’t have time to add one of my favorite documentarians, Bruce Sinofsky (Brothers Keeper, The Paradise Lost trilogy and Some Kind Of Monster), to the in memoriam list. He died on Saturday of complications from diabetes. I highly recommend seeing the Paradise Lost trilogy if you don’t mind the difficult subject matter. Originally aired on HBO, the Peabody Award winning docs are not for the faint of heart but are absolutely a fascinating look at our justice system gone horribly wrong.

   February 23, 2015 at 09:47 Reply

   1. Hello Dave! I hear ya, if it’s the Emmy’s then you’ll definitely have more people you’re invested in 😛

      I like Billy Crystal too, I mean he is a showman who’s also effortlessly funny. I also like Ellen as I happen to find her hilarious. Yeah I just saw Redmayne’s performance this past weekend so it was fresh in my head. I was still rooting for Keaton but I think Redmayne was also deserving of a win. Oh yeah, that moment Meryl cheering for Arquette’s speech was cool and y’know what, she’s right about the lack of women’s equality in Hollywood (or just in the world in general). I love it when fellow nominees look genuinely supportive to the winner, as Zimmer did w/ Desplat. I mean, it took a real confidence and humility to be able to cheer on someone else.

      Hey thanks for the recommendation on that documentary, sounds intriguing!

      February 24, 2015 at 16:27 Reply

6. Three outta four predictions right for Birdman 😀 I’d have picked it for best director too but I didn’t realise it got that nom. Nice round-up, I’m not a big fan of awards stuff so its nice to have an easily digestible run-down

   February 23, 2015 at 09:48 Reply

   1. Hi Jordan! Yeah, Inarritu was up for Best Director as well and I’m glad he got it! I’m really glad this is the end of a long stretch, now we can focus on bombastic Summer movies 😛

      February 23, 2015 at 14:03 Reply

7. Fabulous wrap up Ruth! Absolutely love how you broke the ceremonies down.

   Obviously we don’t agree on “Birdman” but so many other things you said I 100 agree with. NPH was all over the place and as a whole I wasn’t that impressed with him. And my gosh, that was a side of Lady Gaga I didn’t know existed. I literally sat with my mouth wide open. Wow!

   I do have to say I was a bit surprised to see Eddie Redmayne win. It was the only prediction from the big six categories I missed. I too was rooting for Keaton but Redmayne was really good!

   I will say this about the “Glory” performance, it was a pretty incredible production. I didn’t know people were mocking the crowd’s reactions. That’s unfortunate because I would never assume on people’s emotional reactions to something like that. As for the song, it is absolutely beautiful when John Legend is singing but Common just kills the song for me (and not in a good way).

   All in all it was a fun night though, wasn’t it? The Oscars are far from perfect, but its so much fun to focus on movies and have some great after-discussions with pals.

   February 23, 2015 at 11:39 Reply

   1. Hi Keith! It’s a lot easier to do this WHILST I was watching the thing. Fun live-tweetin’ w/ you too 😀

      As I mentioned to Stu, I’m just glad that both Birdman & Boyhood are both imaginative and inventive. Having just seen Theory of Everything, I’d even say Keaton and Redmayne both were exceptional, I wanted Keaton to win more as he’s been overlooked so many times before. I sure hope this would mean more prominent roles for him in the near future!

      As for the Glory performance, well I saw on Twitter people were mocking the shots of people tearing up after it. I didn’t like how they singled out Oyelowo and the camera lingered on him for so long, like putting him on the spot, y’know. I do think people were genuinely moved by that whole rendition which was beautifully done.

      Yeah, I like the *sporting event* aspect of these award shows. It’s definitely more fun to share w/ friends & fellow movie lovers!

      February 23, 2015 at 14:11 Reply

8. Such an awesome write up! ScarJo was amazing, Travolta was scary! Glory was the best moment of the night, for me, and BIRDMAN!!!!!

   February 23, 2015 at 12:51 Reply

   1. Thanks Drew! I’ll be over to your site to check your recap too later tonight. YES for Birdman, glad for the double win at the end, wahoo! It’d have been nice to see Keaton too but that’s ok, even Keaton himself seems content w/ it. Glory was powerfully moving indeed!

      February 23, 2015 at 14:20 Reply

9. I too wasn’t that impressed by Neil Patrick Harris, although yes he did amuse me by reading those jokes on cards at the end which commented on the show overall.

   There were indeed some memorable messages in some of the speeches, by Simmons(remember your parents), Arquette(equal pay for women), John Legend(more black men are in correctional control now than were enslaved in 1850), Graham Moore(overcoming suicide), Iñárritu(about Mexicans), and others you mentioned.
   I agree Lady Gaga was amazing, maybe she should do more musical stuff in future

   February 23, 2015 at 12:51 Reply

   1. Hi Chris! Yeah, hope we have another host next year. There are some good speeches, but my fave is Iñárritu’s as he’s so hilarious! I agree Gaga was amazing, that’s a whole different side of her I’ve never seen before.

      February 24, 2015 at 12:04 Reply

10. Hi Ruth, great wrap up. You predicted well, yes? I didn’t have a problem with any of the results even that Michael K. didn’t win. I loved that he was laid back–I don’t think it bothered him much. Glad for the back to back wins for Iñárritu and I was very happy to see Julie Andrews and Shirley MacLaine grace the stage. I was bored, frankly, for the most part. I thought the first opening production was great and was bored until the final 6 were announced.

    February 23, 2015 at 13:12 Reply

    1. Hi Cindy! Yeah I love seeing Andrews and MacLaine on stage, that’s so cool! Did you enjoy Lady Gaga’s rendition? I didn’t even know she could sing so well. I LOVE Sound of Music so that was quite a treat. There were some boring parts in the middle, but it’s ok as I have my laptop with me for live tweeting 😀

       February 24, 2015 at 12:07 Reply

11. Great recap! I love that Keaton was able to say a few words during the Best Picture speech. Man deserved it. And yeah, NPH was just too bland. Very few of his bits landed. I mean, making fun of Reese Witherspoon’s name… that’s such a grandfather joke.

    February 23, 2015 at 13:50 Reply

    1. Hello Alex! Hopefully soon you’d be in attendance at the Oscars? Dream big, right? 😀 Yeah, I thought the jokes are just lazy, that bit making fun of Oprah being rich also fell flat.

       February 24, 2015 at 12:08 Reply

12. Great score Ruth! Gotta say I missed it, but picked it up this morning. Boyhood was officially robbed. The Oscars get it wrong -AGAIN!

    February 23, 2015 at 14:30 Reply

    1. Hi Mark! Ummm, no I don’t think Boyhood was robbed, I’m Team Birdman so I’m thrilled that it won. I do think both that and Birdman are worthy contenders and both are imaginative.

       February 24, 2015 at 12:12 Reply

       1. Well, everyone has an opinion!

          February 24, 2015 at 15:46 Reply

          1. Yes we do and we can’t always agree on everything, which makes it all the more fun to talk about movies right? 😉

             February 24, 2015 at 15:48 Reply

             1. Quite right 🙂

                February 24, 2015 at 15:55 Reply

13. I was taken by a few moments. The best speech of the night was, without a doubt, from the writer of the screenplay for The Imitation Game (his name escapes me). He started out a little rattled, but then gained composure and gave some wise words to the people at home who have struggled with depression or have thought of suicide.
    I was surprised by the homage to The Sound of Music. I don’t think I’ve ever liked a performance by Lady Gaga until this one, and to see her hug it out with Julie Andrews was the biggest kind of endorsement she could have gotten.
    I was also creeped out by John Travolta who can’t seem to get a PR break lately. He tried to make fun of his introduction to Idina last year, but just made it worse by being very awkward and grabbing her face….oh Hollywood actors…

    I agree with most of your other thoughts even though I’d have preferred Boyhood to take the prize. It was such a labor of love that film, and the performances were all so natural. I really don’t think Linklater will get another chance like that one to take the award. In any case, Inarritu was right to say that the only and best judge of a work of art is time, and Boyhood may, after all, get the recognition it deserves years from now.

    February 23, 2015 at 14:57 Reply

    1. Hi Niels! I never liked Gaga before either but her performance blew me away. Dame Julie Andrews looked genuinely moved by it, too.

       Travolta is definitely the creepiest guy ever and why is he even still invited to these things? I don’t even know what he’s done lately, other than his infamous Adele Dazeem fiasco.

       I still need to see Boyhood, but to me, simply doing an experimental style of filming something in the course of 12 years doesn’t automatically mean it deserves an Oscar. I think every film is a labor of love of the filmmaker, there are lots of challenges w/ Birdman that Inarritu faced as well, and surely the same could be said w/ the rest.

       February 24, 2015 at 17:03 Reply

14. I know, Penn was so lame. It was just painful. I know Inarittu thought it was funny but it was just distasteful to make this joke at all much less at such a moment, why the hell did they got him to present it anyways? I really don’t understand what Theron sees in him. It’s so odd and stupid Keaton didn’t win, so much of Birdman’s success lies in his performance.

    February 23, 2015 at 16:50 Reply

    1. Yeah, I wish they had invited some other person to present. I mean why not Benicio Del Toro who’s also in 21 Grams or Brad Pitt who’s in Babel?? Those two have more class obviously. I really don’t know what Theron sees in him, I mean if I were her I’d be scared she’d end up like Madonna or worse!

       It’s such a bummer Keaton didn’t win. It’s nice to see him speak during the film’s acceptance speech though, Inarritu obviously realized as we do that he’s the major reason the film worked beautifully.

       February 24, 2015 at 12:15 Reply

15. Nice write up as always Ruth, as someone who doesn’t care about the show, I was hoping there would be some big “controversies” or something. But the most “controversy” thing was Penn making some lame jokes, lol. I guess I’m a little surprised that Boyhood and American Sniper didn’t make a splash at the event, BOYHOOD seems to be all that was talked about before awards season began. Personally I have no desire to see a movie about some boy growing up.

    February 23, 2015 at 17:30 Reply

    1. Hey Ted, totally agree with you on Boyhood… I have a younger brother, so I’ve already seen it 😉

       February 24, 2015 at 11:30 Reply

       1. Yeah, just because it took 12 years to finish the movie doesn’t mean it’s some sort of a masterpiece. I was also a boy so I don’t need to experience some other dude’s life growing up, ha ha.

          February 24, 2015 at 13:44 Reply

    2. Ahah yeah, I still haven’t seen Boyhood either Ted, for the exact same reason. Penn was super lame though, his *joke* is distasteful, but then again what do you expect from a jerk like him [shrug]

       February 24, 2015 at 12:17 Reply

       1. Yeah I don’t need to spend nearly 3 hours watching the life of some kid growing up, I already experienced that myself. As for Penn, I’m not the biggest fan of his either but I won’t be surprised if that “offensive” joke was thought of my him and the director, I mean they’re good friends and he’s not offended by it. Personally I don’t have any issues with it, my buddies and I always make off color jokes to each other, some will find them offensive but it’s something most guys do.

          BTW, that’s also me responding to Becky’s comment, I’m running a blog for my work so I’m on WordPress constantly. I have to remember to switch my username when I comments on this site. LOL.

          February 24, 2015 at 13:52 Reply

          1. Hey Ted, good to know Ideasblog is you, must be great to get paid working on a blog (grin).

             February 25, 2015 at 11:56 Reply

16. Terrific recap Ruth. I thought a lot of the winners were fair but I’m one of those in the Boyhood camp. Disappointed it never won Best Picture or Director. I feel bad that Linklater never got his chance to go up on stage and thank everyone/recognise the achievement etc. Ah well. That rendition of Glory was something else, right? Wow.

    Adam.

    February 23, 2015 at 18:41 Reply

    1. I know Team Boyhood is disappointed, and even though I’m Team Birdman, I was truly surprised that it didn’t win. I thought it’d be a split that Best Director would go to Inarritu & Boyhood gets BP. I do agree the GLORY rendition is a major highlight, as well as the Lady Gaga Sound of Music tribute!

       February 24, 2015 at 12:21 Reply

       1. Yep, I thought they were going to split it too. I’m not a Gaga fan but she was great!

          February 24, 2015 at 19:14 Reply

17. Hey Ruth! LOVED Gaga. Not so much NPH, I was pretty disappointed. I think the writing was partly to blame, and I think as the night wore on he started to lose more and more confidence, was less likely to improvise, make off the cuff remarks, etc. Definitely bring back Ellen next year. That woman is a complete natural.

    Surprised that Keaton didn’t pick up Best Actor, especially considering Birdman cleaned up with Best Pic, Director and Screenplay. Seems a bit odd. Though I do think Redmayne deserved it, too.

    As for Penn, what an absolute arse. I actually cringed in my seat waiting for him to read the winner.

    February 23, 2015 at 18:49 Reply

    1. And great recap by the way! I was following your live tweets too. Twitter was almost more entertaining than the awards ceremony itself last night.

       February 23, 2015 at 18:50 Reply

    2. Hello there V! Glad we agree about NPH, yeah I don’t mind seeing ELLEN again, she’s effortlessly funny and jovial. I don’t mind if the Chris-es take turns hosting: Evans, Pratt and Pike I mean, I think those three could do a fine job 😉

       I think Keaton winning would’ve made the most sense as he’s the major reason the film worked. But I can’t honestly say Redmayne didn’t deserve it though. Plus it is a flashier role that Oscar usually go for. Yep, don’t care about Penn, never did, wish he’d never get invited again.

       Live tweeting is fun, you should join in more often V!

       February 24, 2015 at 12:24 Reply

       1. The three Chris-es hosting, eh? Sounds like quite the delicious plan, Ruth. 😉 I like it.

          February 26, 2015 at 15:28 Reply

          1. We can’t have enough eye candy, right? We can make it a foursome too w/ Chris Hemsworth though I really can’t imagine he’d be a good host, unless if he’s shirtless the entire time, mwahahaha!

             February 26, 2015 at 15:31 Reply

             1. HAHA! Oh, I could certainly live with an added Chris in the form of a shirtless Chris Hemsworth. He wouldn’t even have to talk, he could just stand off to one side of the stage, shirtless, maybe waving his hammer around. ;D

                February 26, 2015 at 15:57 Reply

                1. Mwahahaha!! Waving his hammer around… now you are talking about Mjölnir now right? 😉

                   February 26, 2015 at 15:59 Reply

                   1. *Teehee*

                      … Of course! 😀

                      February 26, 2015 at 16:04 Reply

                      1. Just checking to make sure 😉 We should pitch this idea to The Academy, V!!

                         February 26, 2015 at 16:05 Reply

                         1. It certainly has merit! We’ll be rich, rich I tells ya!

                            February 26, 2015 at 16:18 Reply

18. Oh is that Lady Gaga. She’s a fashion chameleon and I seem to have a hard time recognizing her even though I’m usually good with faces. She does have an amazing voice, she did a live duet with Tony Bennett at the Grammy’s and it sounded like a perfect studio recording but it wasn’t.

    Anyways, I thought The Imitation Game was alright but I was hoping that Whiplash would take the best adapted screenplay award instead. I actually didn’t watch the Oscars so thanks for the great recap and photos! Loving ScarJo’s hair due! 😀

    February 23, 2015 at 22:54 Reply

    1. I was floored by Gaga’s demure appearance and her beautiful voice! I should look up her duet w/ Tony Bennett now.

       I wasn’t rooting for Imitation Game for Best Screenplay either, but it seems that Oscar is spreading the love so that each film has at least one award this year. Yeah, ScarJo looked phenomenal!

       February 24, 2015 at 12:27 Reply

19. Great recap! I was actually pretty bored with the ceremony, but I was also pretty bored with the year in general. Loved seeing J.K. Simmons and Eddie Redmayne…both had brilliant speeches! And, I also surprisingly loved Gaga! What a classic moment!

    February 23, 2015 at 23:22 Reply

    1. Hi Courtney! Yeah there are some boring moments in Oscar, that’s why I always have my laptop with me so I can do other things. Live tweeting makes it fun though. I think there are some brilliant speeches that night, though Redmayne was more nervous and frantic. Gaga was definitely a highlight for me too!

       February 24, 2015 at 13:50 Reply

20. Great post Ruth! Being in the UK I missed the ceremony – I would have loved to hear GaGa though! I think all her attention on costumes and ‘show’ makes it easy to forget what a good singer she actually is. As for the awards, I’m ecstatic that Birdman took home four awards! Thrilled for Iñárritu that he got Director, Screenplay and Picture. I might have liked Dick Pope to win Cinematography but Lubezki was a fine choice too. So pleased for Redmayne and Simmons and very much looking forward to seeing Moore in Still Alice when it’s released here in a few weeks. Oh and I love that pic of Aniston and Emma Stone, love those two!

    February 24, 2015 at 03:20 Reply

    1. Hi Natalie! Here’s the full performance of Gaga at the Oscars: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqjgyM6gYmA I thought she was spot on, and this coming from a huge fan of Sound of Music! Glad to hear you’re Team Birdman too! Dick Pope did Mr Turner right? I haven’t seen that one yet.

       Still Alice hasn’t opened wide yet but yeah I’m curious to check that one too!

       February 24, 2015 at 16:38 Reply

21. Thank you for the recap Ruth 🙂

    I haven’t watched Oscar in ages so I am always happy to read a summary of it. I already have The Imitation Game and Birdman 🙂 Just need to find time to watch them.

    February 24, 2015 at 08:03 Reply

    1. Hi Nov! Oh you should see both of them soon, esp Birdman!

       February 24, 2015 at 16:55 Reply

22. Disappointed in NPH. He looked, acted and sounded totally bored the whole night, hardly even cracked a smile. Too bad, I really like him. Yes, bring back Ellen. Glad to see The Imitation Game won something, at least, for Best Adapted Screenplay.

    February 24, 2015 at 11:29 Reply

    1. Hi Becky! Yeah NPH did look like he’s bored that night, which made him boring as well. I think you love Imitation Game much more than I did. I think it warrants the nom but I don’t know about the win.

       February 24, 2015 at 17:05 Reply

23. Awesome recap! I was thrilled for Birdman, which doesn’t feel like a Best Picture winner at all. NPH wasn’t the worst host in recent memory, but I hope they go with someone else next year. John Travolta should totally come back again. He’s made some interesting blunders these past two ceremonies.

    February 26, 2015 at 09:53 Reply

    1. I’m glad Birdman ended up winning. I didn’t think The Academy would go for such a bold and imaginative film but I’m glad they did! Yep, NPH has got to go but you’re right, Travolta’s blunders are actually entertaining, ahah.

       February 26, 2015 at 15:54 Reply