Director Alejandro Inarritu (L) embraces actor Edward Norton after their movie “Birdman” won the Oscar for best original screenplay at the 87th Academy Awards in Hollywood, California February 22, 2015. REUTERS/Mike Blake
“Birdman” won for Best Picture at the 87th Academy Awards hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, beating out main rival “Boyhood.” The film’s director and screenwriter Alejandro Iñárritu also won in the directing and screenwriting categories, making “Birdman” the night’s big winner.
“Two Mexicans in a row, that’s suspicious I guess,” Iñárritu quipped after the award’s presenter and friend Sean Penn came out with, “Who gave this son of a bi**h his green card?”
The reference refers to Mexican director Alfson Cuaron, who won for “Gravity” in 2014.
Eddie Redmayne won the Oscar for Best Actor for his portrayal of Stephen Hawking in “The Theory of Everything,” beating out co-favorite, “Birdman” star Michael Keaton.
“This Oscar – wooow!” Redmayne exclaimed before continuing more soberly. “This belongs to all of those people around the world battling ALS. It belongs to one exceptional family, Stephen J. Hawking and children.”
Julianne Moore, a Hollywood favorite for her past role as former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, which was not favorable to the former Alaskan governor, received a standing ovation for winning the Academy Award for her leading role as a woman suffering from Alzheimer’s disease in “Still Alice.”
“I read an article that said that winning an Oscar could lead to living five years longer,” Moore said. “If that’s true I’d really like to thank the academy because my husband is younger than me.”
That Oscar, for Best Supporting Actor, went to J.K Simmons for his role as a domineering music teacher in “Whiplash.” It was the first Oscar nomination for Simmons, 60, a longtime character actor. The actor appears in the Farmer’s Insurance commercials, as well as the journalist in the “Amazing Spiderman” movies.
Patricia Arquette spiced things up a bit when she won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role in “Boyhood,” a movie shot over a 12-year span. Arquette, who was bleeped out for cursing in her first couple of words, dedicated her win to “to every woman who gave birth,” stating “it’s our time to have wage equality once and for all and equal rights for women in the United States of America.”
The evening started off slow, as one major award was president in the first hour and 15 minutes. Neil Patrick-Harris immediately addressed the drummed up controversy over the color of the nominees (yes, really). Nearly all of the major nominations this year went to white people.
“Tonight we honor Hollywood’s best and whitest, sorry I mean brightest,” he joked.
He then melted the ice further when he was joined by Anna Kendrick and Jack Black, and together they broke into the night’s big opening number “Moving Pictures,” a dance number that the Tony’s host has become famous for doing.
But it is John Travolta that everyone is talking about this morning, and it isn’t because they were praising his past performances.
First, in this cringe-worthy picture, Travolta is seen leaning in to kiss a visibly creeped out Scarlett Johansson. Travolta’s hand-placement appears to be unnerving to her (no shocker).
Then, after mistakenly calling Idina Menzel “Adele Dazeem” at last year’s awards, the “Let It Go” singer asked her dear friend “Glam Gazingo” to join her on the Oscars stage, bumping a sheepish Travolta.
“I deserve that one,” Travolta admitted. He then awkwardly clutched Menzel’s face and said, “But you, you look darling my beautiful, my wickedly talented Idina Menzel – is that right?”
A creeped out Menzel answered, “You did it! That was so good. Not like it’s going to follow me around for the rest of my life.”
“I know, tell me about it,” Travolta joked before asking Menzel to announce the winner for Best Original Song.
Host Neil Patrick Harris also took a poke at Travolta.
“Benedict Cumberbatch,” said Harris. “It’s not only the most awesome name in show business, it’s also the sound you get when you ask John Travolta to announce Ben Affleck.”
List of winners at Sunday’s 87th annual Academy Awards
- Best picture: “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance).”
- Actor: Eddie Redmayne, “The Theory of Everything.”
- Actress: Julianne Moore, “Still Alice.”
- Supporting actor: J.K. Simmons, “Whiplash.”
- Supporting actress: Patricia Arquette, “Boyhood.”
- Directing: Alejandro G. Inarritu, “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance).”
- Foreign language film: “Ida.”
- Adapted screenplay: Graham Moore, “The Imitation Game.”
- Original screenplay: Alejandro G. Inarritu, Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris Jr. and Armando Bo, “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance).”
- Animated feature film: “Big Hero 6.”
- Production design: “The Grand Budapest Hotel.”
- Cinematography: “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance).”
- Sound mixing: “Whiplash.”
- Sound editing: “American Sniper.”
- Original score: “The Grand Budapest Hotel.”
- Original song: “Glory” from “Selma.”
- Costume design: “The Grand Budapest Hotel.”
- Documentary feature: “CitizenFour.”
- Documentary (short subject): “Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1.”
- Film editing: “Whiplash.”
- Makeup and hairstyling: “The Grand Budapest Hotel.”
- Animated short film: “Feast.”
- Live action short film: “The Phone Call.”
- Visual effects: “Interstellar.”
