87th Annual Academy Awards Results and Commentary (2015)

©A.M.P.A.S.®
©A.M.P.A.S.®
  • Date of Ceremony: Sunday, February 22, 2015
  • For films released in: 2014
  • Host(s): Neil Patrick Harris
Other years:

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Welcome to DigitalHit.com’s coverage of the 87th Annual Academy Awards which took place on February 22, 2015.

8:30 PM

And the show is underway. Host Neil Patrick Harris welcomes us to the 87th Oscars®. “Tonight we honor Hollywood’s best and whitest — sorry — brightest,” he says, referring to the complaints that this year’s nominees lacked diversity. He then launches into a song with some amazing effects and moments that put him into famous movie scenes. Anna Kendrick joins him part way through as does Jack Black, who sings a rant about blockbusters and sequels.

“That whole thing: completely improvised,” he quips.

8:39 PM

Our first presenter tonight is Lupita Nyong’o, who is presenting Actor in a Supporting Role. And the Oscar goes to J.K. Simmons for Whiplash.

“And if I may, call your mom, everybody. I’ve told this to, like, a billion people, or so. Call your mom, call your dad. If you’re lucky enough to have a parent or two alive on this planet, call ‘em. Don’t text. Don’t email. Call them on the phone. Tell ‘em you love ‘em, and thank them, and listen to them for as long as they want to talk to you. Thank you. Thank you, Mom and Dad.” – J.K. Simmons

8:44 PM

Neil Patrick Harris talks about his Oscar predictions and how he’s had them locked up until the end of the show and nominates Octavia Spencer to keep an eye on them during the show. He then introduces Liam Neeson.

Liam is presenting clips from Best Picture nominees The Grand Budapest Hotel and American Sniper.

Harris introduces Dakota Johnson, who in turn introduces a performance by Maroon 6 of the nominated song “Lost Stars” from the movie Begin Again.

8:56 PM

“It’s the Oscars…or as I like to call it, The Dependent Spirit Awards,” says Harris before introducing Chris Pine and Jennifer Lopez. They’re presenting Costume Design. And the Oscar goes to The Grand Budapest Hotel’s Milena Canonero. She seems to take a lifetime to get to the stage.

“And thank you, Wes. This is—this is you. This I should share with you. You’ve been a great inspiration. You are like a conductor. You are like a composer.” – Milena Canonero

9:00 PM

NPH says “Our next presenter is so lovely you could eat her up with her spoon.” Reese Witherspoon is presenting Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling. And the Oscar goes to The Grand Budapest Hotel’s Frances Hannon and Mark Coulier.

“I’d like to thank my dear friend, Bill Murray, who introduced me to Wes 17 years ago in Rushmore and, of course to thank Wes. Without you, Wes, we wouldn’t be here, any of us. It’s been such a pleasure working with you over all these years.” – Frances Hannon

“I’d like to thank the legendary makeup artist Dick Smith, whose innovation and—who passed away last year—his innovation and his generosity has helped us all raise the bar.” – Mark Coulier

9:03 PM

Channing Tatum is out next to talk about the Team Oscar winners, young filmmakers who will help hand out tonight’s statuettes.

9:09 PM

Chiwetel Ejiofor and Nicole Kidman are here to present Best Foreign Language Film. And the Oscar goes to Poland’s Ida. The director, Paweł Pawlikowski, keeps talking past the cutoff music.

“How did I get here? We made a film about — as you saw, black and white — about the need for silence and withdrawal from the world and contemplation. And here we are at this epicenter of noise and world attention. Fantastic, you know, life is full of surprises. So, I’d like to thank the Academy.” – Paweł Pawlikowski

9:13 PM

Shirley MacLaine presents clips from Best Picture nominees Boyhood, The Theory of Everything and Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance).

9:16 PM

NPH talks to a few of the seat-fillers as well as talking to Steve Carell. He then introduces Marion Cotillard, who in turn introduces a performance of “Everything Is Awesome” from The Lego Movie by Tegan & Sara and The Lonely Island.

9:24 PM

Harris introduces Kerry Washington and Jason Bateman. They’re presenting Best Live Action Short Film. And the Oscar goes to The Phone Call and Mat Kirkby and James Lucas.

“Crikey. Crikey, alright. These are big buggers. These are heavier. We’re only little and they’re heavy to us. I’m particularly happy ‘cause this now means I can get a free donut at my local bakery, the Pump Street Bakery. They do fantastic donuts.” – Mat Kirkby

Kerry and Jason are now presenting Best Documentary Short Subject. And the Oscar goes to Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1 Ellen Goosenberg Kent and Dana Perry.

“I want to dedicate this to my son Evan Perry. We lost him to suicide. We should talk about suicide out loud. This is for him. Thank you.” – Dana Perry

9:31 PM

Viola Davis strolls out next. She talks about the Governors Awards that were handed out on November 8th. On that Honorary Oscars were presented to Jean-Claude Carrière, Hayao Miyazaki and Maureen O’Hara, while the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award was presented to Harry Belafonte.

9:34 PM

NPH talks about how things sound better with accents and gets David Oyelowo to read a joke.

9:36 PM

Tim McGraw sings “I’m Not Gonna Miss You” from Glen Campbell…I’ll Be Me. Campbell was unable to sing it because of his Alzheimer’s disease.

9:42 PM

The camera goes looking for Neil, who runs out in his underwear like Michael Keaton in Birdman. Miles Teller, from Whiplash, plays the drummer from Birdman’s soundtrack.

9:44 PM

Miles Teller and Margot Robbie, who hosted the Scientific and Technical Awards a couple of weeks ago, pay tribute to the wizards that make movies work.

9:46 PM

Sienna Miller and Chris Evans team up to present Achievement in Sound Mixing. And the Oscar goes to Whiplash’s Craig Mann, Ben Wilkins and Thomas Curley.

“Damien Chazelle, I don’t quite know where you are. There he is. Under extremely difficult conditions, you showed us the meaning of leadership and under that leadership, a creative collaboration blossomed. And that creativity is really what helps us do our job.” – Craig Mann

Miller and Evans also present Achievement in Sound Editing. And the Oscar goes to American Sniper’s Bub Asman and Alan Robert Murray.

“First of all, to Mr. Clint Eastwood, it’s always been an honor and a privilege to work with you. You are the best. To Rob Lorenz, Bradley Cooper and the entire Malpaso team, thank you for your inspiration and your support.” – Alan Robert Murray

9:51 PM

Jared Leto is here now to present Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role. He jokes that Streep’s nomination is per California State law. And the Oscar goes to Boyhood’s Patricia Arquette. She uses part of speech to do a call our for wage equality. Meryl Streep yells in support from the audience.

“To every woman who gave birth, to every taxpayer and citizen of this nation, we have fought for everybody else’s equal rights. It’s our time to have wage equality once and for all and equal rights for women in the United States of America.” – Patricia Arquette

10:00 PM

Josh Hutcherson introduces Rita Ora, who is singing “Grateful” from Beyond the Lights.

10:03 PM

Ansel Elgort and Chloë Grace Moretz are presenting Achievement in Visual Effects. And the Oscar goes to Interstellar’s Paul Franklin, Andrew Lockley, Ian Hunter and Scott Fisher.

“Thank you to one of the smartest people on Earth, Professor Kip Thorne of Caltech, and all the explorers of science who show us the universe in all its amazing and terrifying beauty. And one of these apparently is good for a free drink, so we’re gonna go and test that out back there. Thank you.” – Andrew Lockley

10:06 PM

Kevin Hart and Anna Kendrick are presenting Animated Short, which Kendrick figures is a joke on their stature. And the Oscar goes to Feast’s Patrick Osborne and Kristina Reed. I loved that short!

“Oh, man. The shorts are so freaking amazing this year. Thank you, the Academy, for recognizing short animated films. They’re my favorite thing to make and watch.” – Patrick Osborne

10:09 PM

Zoe Saldana and Dwayne Johnson are presenting Best Animated Feature. And the Oscar goes to Big Hero 6 and Don Hall, Chris Williams and Roy Conli.

“Once upon a time, there was a freckle-faced little boy who told his mom and his dad that one day he was gonna work at Walt Disney Animation and they did something amazing: they supported him and they believed him, and from the bottom of his heart, he thanks them. Thank you.” – Don Hall

10:17 PM

NPH introduces the Academy’s President, Cheryl Boone Isaacs. She talks about the power of film and freedom of expression.

10:21 PM

Chris Pratt and Felicty Jones are handing the presenting chores for Achievement in Production Design. And the Oscar goes to The Grand Budapest Hotel’s Adam Stockhausen and Anna Pinnock.

“And thank you, thank you, thank you to Wes Anderson for making this beautiful film. Wes, making The Grand Budapest with you was a dream come true and I just, I can’t say thank you enough.” – Adam Stockhausen

10:24 PM

Idris Elba and Jessica Chastain are presenting Achievement in Cinematography. And the Oscar goes to Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)’s Emmanuel Lubezki.

“I want to especially share this with my friend Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu, an extraordinary director. To your curiosity, your passion and your friendship.” – Emmanuel Lubezki

10:31 PM

Meryl Streep is here now to present this year’s In Memoriam segment. After the images of the deceased, Jennifer Hudson sings “I Can’t Let Go.” Oddly, this song is from the failed TV show Smash, which was produced by the Oscar telecast’s producers, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron.

10:43 PM

Naomi Watts and Benedict Cumberbatch discuss the power of the editor before presenting Achievement in Film Editing. And the Oscar goes to Whiplash’s Tom Cross.

“Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons, I need to thank you for delivering gold to the cutting room everyday. And most of all, I need to thank the person who never once threw a chair at my head but always pushed to make it better, the writer and director Damien Chazelle. Damien, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing this journey with me. I — I will forever be indebted to you. Your art changed my life.” – Tom Cross

10:47 PM

Terrence Howard presents clips from Whiplash, The Imitation Game and Selma.

10:50 PM

Neil’s jokes have referenced a few snubs. He does so again as he introduces Jennifer Aniston and David Oyelowo. They’re presenting Documentary Feature. And the Oscar goes to CitizenFour and Laura Poitras, Mathilde Bonnefoy and Dirk Wilutzky.

“The disclosures that Edward Snowden reveals don’t only expose the threat to our privacy but to our democracy itself. And the most important decisions being made affecting all of us are made in secret. We lose our ability to check the powers that control. Thank you to Edward Snowden for his courage and for the many other whistleblowers.” – Laura Poitras

“The subject of CitizenFour, Edward Snowden, could not be here tonight for some treason,” quips Neil Patrick Harris. The joke, like several others tonight, falls flat in the room.

10:58 PM

Neil references his locked prediction box. He wonders where Octavia Spencer is, but then intros her as the next presenter. In a quick change of tone from that bit, Spencer talks about how the Oscars were postponed for several days after Martin Luther King, Jr.‘s assassination. She then introduces Common and John Legend performing “Glory” from Selma.

11:04 PM

“‘Benedict Cumberbatch’. It’s not only the most awesome name in show business. It’s also the sound you get when you ask John Travolta to pronounce ‘Ben Affleck’,” says Harris, a reference to Travolta’s “Adele Dazeem” mangling of Idina Menzel’s name last year. Menzel comes out and introduces Travolta as “my very dear friend, Glom Gazingo.”

The pair then presents the nominees for Best Song. And the Oscar goes to Selma’s “Glory” by John Stephens a.k.a. John Legend and Lonnie Lynn a.k.a. Common.

“Recently, John and I got to go to Selma and perform “Glory” on the same bridge that Dr. King and the people of the civil rights movement marched on 50 years ago. This bridge was once a landmark of a divided nation but now is a symbol for change. The spirit of this bridge transcends race, gender, religion, sexual orientation and social status.” – Common

“We know that the Voting Rights Act that they fought for 50 years ago is being compromised right now in this country today. We know that right now the struggle for freedom and justice is real. We live in the most incarcerated country in the world. There are more black men under correctional control today than were under slavery in 1850.” – John Legend

11:13 PM

Scarlett Johansson talks about the Sound of Music’s fiftieth anniversary. Lady Gaga then does a killer medley of songs from the film. Close your eyes and she’s very close to Julie Andrews. Girl can sing. She gets a standing ovation. Julie Andrews walks out on stage and hugs her, getting her own ovation. She then presents the award for Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original score). And the Oscar goes to The Grand Budapest Hotel’s Alexandre Desplat.

“It’s been a beautiful decade for me in Hollywood. I’ve worked with great directors and producers and I’m very grateful.” – Alexandre Desplat

11:30 PM

Eddie Murphy says the old adage “If it’s not on the page, it’s not on the stage” before presenting Original Screenplay. And the Oscar goes to Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)’s Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris Jr. and Armando Bo.

“Wow. The journey of Birdman start three years ago when I ask Nico, Armando and Alexander to follow me in a crazy idea. And because they are crazy, they did it and we wrote together Birdman. And for that I am all my life grateful and thankful for that, to share this experience with them.” – Alejandro González Iñárritu

11:34 PM

Oprah Winfrey is now presenting Adapted Screenplay. And the Oscar goes to The Imitation Game’s Graham Moore. He makes a beautiful speech about acceptance.

“When I was 16 years old, I tried to kill myself because I felt weird and I felt different and I felt like I did not belong. And now I’m standing here and, so, I would like for this moment to be for that kid out there who feels like she’s weird or she’s different or she doesn’t fit in anywhere. Yes, you do. I promise you do. You do. Stay weird. Stay different. And then when it’s your turn and you are standing on this stage, please pass the same message to the next person who comes along.” – Graham Moore

11:42 PM

Ben Affleck is now presenting Achievement in Directing. And the Oscar goes to Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)’s Alejandro González Iñárritu.

“Good luck charms work because in the DGA Award, I was wearing a Raymond Carver shirt, a Billy Wilder tie and I won. But today, tonight, I am wearing the real Michael Keaton tighty whities. Thank you. They are tight, smell like balls. But it work. I’m here. Thank you, Michael.” – Alejandro González Iñárritu

11:48 PM

Cate Blanchett is now presenting Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role. And the Oscar goes to The Theory of Everything’s Eddie Redmayne.

“I don’t think I’m capable of articulating quite how I feel right now. Please know this, I am fully aware that I am a lucky, lucky man. This Oscar — wow! — this Oscar, this belongs to all of those people around the world battling ALS. It belongs to one exceptional family: Stephen, Jane, Jonathan and the Hawking children. And I will be its custodian and I will promise you I will look after him. I will polish him. I will answer his beck and call. I will wait on him hand and foot.” – Eddie Redmayne

11:54 PM

Matthew McConaughey is here now to present Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role. And the Oscar goes to Still Alice’s Julianne Moore.

“I read an article that said that winning an Oscar could lead to living five years longer. If that’s true, I’d really like to thank the Academy because my husband is younger than me. There’s no such thing as best actress, as is evidenced by the performances of my fellow nominees. I’ve been honored to be among you every step of the way.” – Julianne Moore

12:04 AM

Sean Penn is here to present tonight’s final award, Best Picture. Saying “Who gave this son-of-a-bitch his green card?”, Penn announces the winner: Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) and producers Alejandro González Iñárritu, John Lesher and James W. Skotchdopole.

“I want to dedicate this award for my fellow Mexicans. The ones who live in Mexico, I pray that we can find and build the government that we deserve. And the ones that live in this country who are part of the latest generation of immigrants in this country, I just pray that they can be treated with the same dignity and respect of the ones who came before and build this incredible immigrant nation. Thank you very much.” – Alejandro González Iñárritu

12:10 AM

Neil Patrick Harris wishes us “Buenas noches” and that’s it for another year.

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