The Annual Academy Awards - General Discussion

[thuganomics85]

Still a few months away, but they've just announced the host: it will be none other then Neil Patrick Harris.  Lets see how this will compare to his gigs at The Tonys and The Emmys!

[cpcathy]

Ugh, I am kind of on NPH overload right now.

[nowandlater]

It was inevitable....but I'm wondering, wasn't Kimmel supposed to host at some point? Actually, his name was up there last year, before Ellen (his good friend) got the gig. (I'm a big Kimmel fan, but I can't imagine him ever hosting the Oscars.)

 

One of the reasons NPH never hosted was because he was on a rival network. (But then again, so is Ellen, right?) With How I Met Your Mother over, NPH can be on ABC.

[Dejana]

Ellen's show is syndicated.

Didn't Kimmel host the Emmys last year? I don't remember the reviews being stellar. He's great with the post show. Kevin Spacey appeared on it this year and expressed interest in Oscar hosting. That would be different, at least.

NPH is in Gone Girl, so he might have some fun with that.

Whoever hosts or produces, there will be montages. The studios insist on their inclusion because it's a way for them to advertise their back catalogs during such a highly-rated telecast.

Edited October 15, 2014 by Dejana

[Hanahope]

I can only hope they do an opening musical number as good as that one Tony show,  the "bigger" number. That was just fantastic.

[legaleagle53]

Still a few months away, but they've just announced the host: it will be none other then Neil Patrick Harris.  Lets see how this will compare to his gigs at The Tonys and The Emmys!

 

All I can say is that it's about bloody time.  I skipped the Oscars this year because I can't stand Ellen DeGeneres.  Neil will easily blow her out of the water.

[Rick Kitchen]

Neil just needs to host the Grammys next...

[Princess Sparkle]

I am cautiously optimistic about NPH hosting, because while he's been an awesome Tony host, I thought his Emmy hosting stint fell pretty flat.

[legaleagle53]

Neil just needs to host the Grammys next...

 

That's an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) Grand Slam I could get behind.  I might even watch the Grammys if he hosts -- and I never watch the Grammys!

[Amello]

Forgive me if this is the wrong place to ask this, but other than the Cannes Film Festival are there any other film festivals which (can) help serve as a precursor to the Oscars?

[superdeluxe]

All I can say about Neil Patrick Harris hosting is -- ugh.  Just ugh.  There are no words in the English language to describe how much I hate him.  This makes me want to skip the Oscars.

Edited October 31, 2014 by superdeluxe

[cpcathy]

I LOVE the Oscars! Over the years I have fell out of love with the Emmys (Modern Family, five years in a row, really?) but the Oscars are still my special friend. I'm thinking of tuning out, I don't hate NPH, I'm just in a mode where I can't take him anymore. I was hoping for someone more original.

[legaleagle53]

All I can say about Neil Patrick Harris hosting is -- ugh.  Just ugh.  There are no words in the English language to describe how much I hate him.  This makes me want to skip the Oscars.

 

That's what I said about Ellen hosting the last Oscars.  I was all too happy to skip that whiny, unfunny woman.  Neil will be like coming home.

[JAYJAY1979]

Sorry, I'd rather the host be someone who is more known for movies then tv.  Ellen, Seth, and now NPH?  I know Anne Hathaway and James Franco were horrible.. but there has to be some talented movie actors the academy could try to snag as a host.

[Rick Kitchen]

NPH is in "Gone Girl".  He's also been in something like 16 theatrical films, not to mention TV movies.

[ktwo]

...but there has to be some talented movie actors the academy could try to snag as a host.

I have no way to back this up, but I bet there are a lot of people asked by the producers to host who turn them down. It is a pretty thankless job.

[Princess Sparkle]

I would totally believe that.l  I feel like there is so much pressure on Oscar hosts to knock it out of the park, that they're practically set-up for failure right off the bat.  I can't even think of the last Oscar host that was pretty universally praised - maybe Hugh Jackman?  Or Billy Crystal (but not from 3 years ago, from the time before that)?

 

I'll out myself as one of the few who liked Seth McFarlane's hosting stint, but I feel like people were expecting him to be terrible before he took the stage.  And those same expectations held true for James Franco/Anne Hathway, and for Ellen I think.  I almost think it's the opposite for NPH - if he's anything less than fantastic, he's going to be panned.  Which is a real shame.  No wonder it's hard to find a host.

 

And some hosts that I think would do a killer job probably pass because of the restrictions on what they can do for content - you could tell Chris Rock really wanted to open up and let loose when he hosted, but was clearly hampered by restrictions on what he could say.  

[aradia22]

 

Forgive me if this is the wrong place to ask this, but other than the Cannes Film Festival are there any other film festivals which (can) help serve as a precursor to the Oscars?

Like a billion. There are too many film festivals and awards for me to care about. Sundance, Toronto, the Spirit Awards, the SAG awards, the Golden Globes. I can't. Put it on TV and give me a red carpet and I'll try to care. 

[blackwing]

Here are the nominations:  http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/15/entertainment/oscars-nominees-list/index.html

 

Surprised that David Oyelowo was snubbed for "Selma".  Everyone said he was a lock.  I remember him as Danny Hunter on "MI-5".  Or Jake Gyllenhaal.  It seems that Steve Carrell and Bradley Cooper took their nominations.  What happened to Jennifer Aniston?  She was widely praised for "Cake" and widely expected to be nominated.  Worst of all, it was bad enough that "The Lego Movie" didn't win the Globe, but it got completely ignored here?  It was one of my favourite films of the year, way better than "How to Train a Dragon 2" and "Boxtrolls".  At least "Everything is Awesome" got a Best Song nod, although I don't think it stands a chance against "Glory" from "Selma".

 

Would love for Eddie Redmayne to win, but the front runner seems to be Keaton.  Julianne Moore will also probably win her Oscar at last.  The Supporting categories seem all but certain for JK Simmons and Patricia Arquette.

[Inquisitionist]

It seems that Steve Carrell and Bradley Cooper took their nominations.

 

I haven't seen any of the nominated performances yet, but they're all judgment calls, yes?  :-)  From the current buzz, your predicted winners all seem virtually locked-in.  Best Actor may have the most wiggle room, but unless Keaton pisses people off between now and the voting deadline, it's hard to see the Academy passing up a chance to honor him. 

[Chaos Theory]

No "Pride." Booooo!

[lassiecat]

I try to wait to see any potential nominated movies because I go to the AMC best picture marathon. Excited to see the ones that were chosen. It does always seem like a slap in the face to the other potential nominees when they end up with less than ten. But I am glad I don't have to watch Gone Girl again.

[cpcathy]

No Ralph Fiennes for Grand Budapest Hotel? I know it was a tough year, it seems Carrell's nomination could have also gone to Gyllenhaal or Fiennes.

[Inquisitionist]

Re Ralph Fiennes:  here's an interesting take on "Oscar acting" by Richard Brody in The New Yorker:

Aniston is a genre unto herself, who should have had her Oscar for Best Actress a long time ago—for her exciting, spontaneous, and multi-registered performance in “The Break-Up,” Peyton Reed’s version of Douglas Sirk for fourteen-year-olds. Comedy gets no respect. Skim back over the nominations for Best Actor and Actress; there are a few that one could stretch to consider mildly comedy-tinged, but, by and large, the heavier the drama, the likelier the award. Reese Witherspoon is widely considered to be in the mix this year for her work in “Wild” (and she has already won an Oscar, for “Walk the Line”), but she’s a superb natural comedian, whose star turns in “Legally Blonde” and “Election” should have been recognized from the start.

 

The Golden Globes have separate Comedy-or-Musical categories, but the Oscars don’t—and critics usually relegate such performances to a subordinate category, acting-with-an-asterisk. Michelle Williams gave one of the most brilliant of recent supporting performances in “The Baxter,” from 2005, and her comedic genius should have been rewarded. Instead, she has been slogging through cinematic heavy weather as if to prove merit that was already brightly apparent. Renée Zellweger won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for “Cold Mountain,” from 2003, when she should have been considered for Best Actress, in the same year, for “Down with Love.”

 

 

I don't agree with all of the above, but I do agree that brilliant comedic performances are routinely overlooked by awards groups (including SAG). 

 

Also, keep in mind that "A Los Angeles Times article from 2012, revealed that Oscar voters were 94% white, 77% male and only 14% under the age of 50."

[Chaos Theory]

Also, keep in mind that "A Los Angeles Times article from 2012, revealed that Oscar voters were 94% white, 77% male and only 14% under the age of 50."

That explains so very much.

[blackwing]

I would consider Jennifer Lawrence's Oscar winning turn in "Silver Linings Playbook" to be a fairly comedic role.

 

"Selma" got a Best Picture and a Best Song nomination, but it was otherwise largely ignored.  I'm wondering when the media will complain about the completely white slate of 20 acting nominees this year.  They seem to make a big deal whenever an expected black nominee is snubbed.  But when was the last time an Asian actor was nominated, let alone won?  I think the last nominee was the Japanese girl from "Babel" (I forget her name) and for a win, I think we have to go all the way back to the late Haing S. Ngor sometime in the 80s.  I know Ang Lee has won Best Director twice but things always seem awfully hard for the Asian actor.  Part of it is there aren't many roles, part of it is that Hollywood is still a mostly white industry.

[redlaces]

Okay.. So who should have been nominated besides David Oyelowo?

[JAYJAY1979]

I think if sally field and Cher can get nominated and win an Oscar then Jennifer Aniston.can as well. She needs to forgo romantic comedies and playing Rachel green.esque parts and do more indie work. She was great in Derailed and Management.. and hear great things about this recent movie. She's on.the right track though.

[blackwing]

Well, the most notable other snub would be Ava DuVernay, the director of "Selma".  She would have been the first black female nominated for Best Director.

 

As far as Asian actors.... I dunno.  Like I said, there aren't many plum Oscar-bait roles for Asian actors.  And even when there are, the actors always seem to get snubbed.  Think of all of the acclaimed movies with largely Asian casts that have been recognized by the Academy over the years.  Many are nominated for Best Picture, Best Director and lots of artistic awards, but the actors almost always get snubbed.  "The Last Emperor", "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon", "Memoirs of a Geisha", "Slumdog Millionaire"... all acclaimed movies that won many Oscars, but none of their actors were nominated.

[ABay]

I haven't seen any of the nominated films in any of the categories. Grand Budapest Hotel is on my DVR from the last free premium-channel weekend so I'll probably watch that before the Oscars but I don't think any others are likely to be available before that. And yet I'll watch the show, or at least the red carpet.

[blackwing]

"Boyhood" is on DVD and it is fantastic.  I think it has a very strong chance to win.

[Inquisitionist]

 I'm wondering when the media will complain about the completely white slate of 20 acting nominees this year.

 

I've seen several such articles on my Facebook feed today.

[mortonsalt]

Surprised that David Oyelowo was snubbed for "Selma".  Everyone said he was a lock.  I remember him as Danny Hunter on "MI-5".  Or Jake Gyllenhaal.  It seems that Steve Carrell and Bradley Cooper took their nominations.

 

With Selma and David Oyelowo, it was most likely due to Paramount. They didn't switch over in time after it was apparent that Interstellar wasn't going to be in the race for best picture. They also probably should have held Selma back until next year because DuVernay didn't complete the film until very late in the game since neither Oyelowo or DuVernay are that well known yet. Clint Eastwood or Martin Scorsese can do that, or a film with Leonardo DiCaprio will likely be okay if it misses SAG, but a small film like Selma needed to open early to build momentum. Maybe if Paramount had sent out screeners to all the guilds instead of just sending them out to Oscar voters, maybe things would be a little bit different, but I think this would have won had they released it in 2015 around October or November instead of 2014.

 

What happened to Jennifer Aniston?  She was widely praised for "Cake" and widely expected to be nominated.

It was probably a variety of factors. Her film was very small even by indie standards, and the film mostly got pretty bad reviews. On the other hand, Cotillard is a previous nominee who some say was snubbed at least twice for Nine and Rust and Bone, and had won several critics awards including two out of the three big critics awards. Plus, her film has stellar reviews. The Oscars do their votes preferentially so it's likely that Cotillard had more number one votes because it seems like her movie/performance would inspire more passion even if Aniston and likely Amy Adams may have been on more ballots overall.

 

Worst of all, it was bad enough that "The Lego Movie" didn't win the Globe, but it got completely ignored here?  It was one of my favourite films of the year, way better than "How to Train a Dragon 2" and "Boxtrolls".  At least "Everything is Awesome" got a Best Song nod, although I don't think it stands a chance against "Glory" from "Selma".

 

I'm not sure because I've read it could be for a variety of reasons. I've read that it was either because there were too many live action sequences in it. I've also read that the animators didn't like it because they thought it was one long advertisement for Lego. 

Also apparently for best animated film, they do it a little differently than the other branches which require a certain number of votes to make it in which might help explain why it was snubbed. http://www.thewrap.com/oscar-nomination-voting/

 

There’s no magic number in this category. Nomination voting is done by volunteer members of the Animated Feature Film Award Screening Committees, a group whose membership is typically a mixture of members of the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch and all other branches of the Academy.

Members of the committees must see 65 percent of the eligible films — this year, 13 out of 20 — and must score each film on a scale of 6 to 10. The top five vote-getters, provided they average at least 7.5, receive nominations.

[lassiecat]

After hearing all the hubbub about the Lego Movie snub I finally saw it last night. I enjoyed it, and thought it was very creative animation-wise. But I can see how a committee of animators might think it doesn't fit with the other animated films of the year. I won't go so far to say it's a groundbreaking/ahead of its time kind of film, but it certainly is different.

My question is how they are going to perform the song? There were a few different versions in the film. If it did win, it would have to be the coolest win since It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp a few years ago. Who'd ever think they'd say 'Andy Samberg, Oscar winner'?

[blackwing]

I'd love to understand why The Lego Movie didn't make it.  I wonder if it's because there were the few minutes of live action at the end.  I read one article that said perhaps people were turned off by the fact that the whole movie was just a big advertisement for Lego.  To which I say.... jiggawha?  All of the Disney movies are big giant advertisements for everything Disney... go to Disney World and meet Elsa in person, go to the Disney Store and buy Elsa dolls, go to Target and WalMart and buy Elsa shirts and clothes and toys.

 

I thought the whole point of the Best Animated Feature category was a recognition that animated movies can be great but it is difficult for an animated movie to compete for Best Picture against a film with live actors.  I didn't think it was about the actual best animation, especially since everything is done on computer these days.  The Lego Movie was funny and had a great message.

 

Unfortunately, I don't see anyone beating Common and John Legend for Best Song.  Even if "Everything is Awesome" was a very catchy tune.

[ruby24]

Yeah, I think the Selma song has to win now, which kind of bugs me because as a song, I don't think it's all that good. Lost Stars is my favorite.

 

But because Selma was overlooked so many places they're going to designate this category as the place to give it something, no matter how weak the actual song is.

[anyanka323]

Selma should have been held until Fall 2015.  It may have been completed in time but Paramount didn't have the time to build up buzz and get out screeners.  If it had been debuted at Telluride or Toronto next fall, that would have given Ava DuVernay and David Oyelowo more time to network and make connections with voters and critics.  Look at 12 Years a Slave and Lupita Nyong'o.  If that film had been released in 2012, no one would have known who she was.  The 2013 release gave her time to work the festival circuit and get her name out there.  Paramount should have given Selma that push instead of forcing it into 2014 just because Interstellar wasn't going to be their Oscar horse. 

[ruby24]

I agree about that. I also think that this outrage over the lack of diversity needs to be more directed at Hollywood in general and not just the Academy specifically. The Academy is a voting body that's 94% white, 77% male. It's not like anyone can objectively say what's "best." When you're dealing with that kind of demographic, their tastes will be reflected in what they pick, obviously. They've snubbed lots of good movies over the years- when Selma was the ONE movie that had a shot at getting people of color nominated, that's a bigger problem to me.

 

There were others this year that could have been in contention- Beyond the Lights, Belle, Top Five, Dear White People, but NONE of them were hits or had campaigns from studios to get voters to see them, so they didn't stand a chance. It all falls on the shoulders of one movie, and that's just unfair. The whole thing is so political- these voters will not SEE any movies unless they're sent directly into their hands with screeners and a big publicity campaign behind them so that they're aware of it.

 

I think the only way to change these results is to change the membership of the Academy's voting body. Get more women, more people of color in there, and you will naturally have more people with different kinds of tastes reflected. They're trying to do that, but when the dynamic is THAT unbalanced, it's going to take a while.

Edited January 18, 2015 by ruby24

[Trini]

 

I'd love to understand why The Lego Movie didn't make it.  I wonder if it's because there were the few minutes of live action at the end.

 

I have don't know the reasons why, but it probably wasn't because of a few minutes of live-action. Happy Feet won with scenes with live-action AND mo-cap, which was a bigger controversy.

[Umbelina]

Only an hour until the pre shows begin.  I think this may be one of the most boring Oscars ever, but at least there will be clothes!

[truthaboutluv]

Hmm, I think it may be one of the more interesting one in years because everything isn't pretty much a foregone conclusion. Last year all the acting awards and Best Director was pretty much a lock by Oscar night. Only Best Picture had some tension thanks to the PGA tie between Gravity and 12 Years A Slave. This year Best Actor, Best Picture and Best Director are all really, really close.

[ByaNose]

Will Bradley win? Will Julianne mention ATWT in her acceptance speech again? Will Aniston present a big catergory? Will Bradley bring his Mother.....again? LOL!!!! Time to go pick up the pizza. It's Oscar night!

[Shannon L.]

 

Only an hour until the pre shows begin.  I think this may be one of the most boring Oscars ever, but at least there will be clothes!

And it's raining and cold out here!  I always feel bad for them--especially the women with their hairdos--with their expensive clothes when it rains on Oscar night. 

Edited February 22, 2015 by Shannon L.

[Umbelina]

It's starting.

 

It looks like it's completely covered.  So weird, drought for years, but it rains tonight?  Ha.

[ByaNose]

The red carpet now looks purple. Even, in LaLa Land they have their weather woes.

[CofCinci]

Okay.. So who should have been nominated besides David Oyelowo?

Jake Gyllenhaal.  He was robbed!

It's starting.

 

It looks like it's completely covered.  So weird, drought for years, but it rains tonight?  Ha.

HAARP?  Chemtrails?

[Umbelina]

That was a cute little segment with Marion Cottilard.  I adore her.  I wish she had a shot in hell of winning.

[aradia22]

Is this where we'll discuss the red carpet as well? 

[CofCinci]

That was a cute little segment with Marion Cottilard.  I adore her.  I wish she had a shot in hell of winning.

She killed her career coming out as a 9/11 Truther.

[Shannon L.]

There were so many great performances from actors this year that if I were voting on which 5 to nominate, I'd have had to flip a coin. I think Jake Gyllenhaal, Ralph Fiennes and David Oyelowo all deserved a nomination but I don't know who of the nominated 5 I'd replace them with!