87th Academy Awards Show
by Rachelle Eldar
Luckily for all of us tired students, the coldest month of the year is full of events to look forward to. On Sunday evenings, homework is hastily finished just in time to tune into the Superbowl, the Grammys, and most recently: the Oscars.
Award shows can be a subject of controversy or difference of opinion. Both the Oscars and the Grammys have some negativity attached to them. Racism in the voting process has come into question, and the awards are sometimes an obvious game of politics and popularity where artists and actors are snubbed.
Negativity and injustice aside, the award shows are still a celebration of the power of music and movies, and this really does shine through at certain moments every year. For the Oscars in particular, a good host makes all the difference. And the host this year definitely delivered; Neil Patrick Harris was hilariously quick-witted as always. The speeches throughout the night touched on important topics and gave heartfelt messages and advice to viewers.
The Oscars had some especially great moments this year, some of which were hilarious and others very emotional. One of these highlights was definitely Neil Patrick Harris (in a very gutsy move) running out in nothing but his underwear in a joking reference to the movie Birdman. As the saying goes, if you’ve got it, flaunt it. Well…Neil Patrick Harris has definitely got it.
Another great moment was John Travolta’s presentation of an award together with Idina Menzel. During the 2014 Oscars, he infamously butchered her name, calling her “Adele Dazeem”, which no one will let him forget any time soon. This year, he made up for it by calling her (clearly pronouncing his words this time) “My wickedly talented Idina Menzel”. The moment was slightly soured by the fact that she was clearly uncomfortable with the way he grabbed her face (not cool, Travolta) but the joke itself was still spot on.
For me, what may have been the most wonderful moment of the whole night was Eddie Redmayne winning an Oscar for his performance in The Theory of Everything. I wanted very much for him to win, as his devotion to the role was absolutely incredible. But considering his young age and the fierce competition, seeing it actually happen was an amazing moment.
The two most heartfelt Oscar moments of the night were two of the performances. One of these was the performance of the song “Glory”, written for the movie Selma about Martin Luther King Jr. The song very rightfully won an Oscar and at the end of the performance, there was a standing ovation, and many audience members were in tears.
Last but not least, Lady Gaga’s dazzling tribute to The Sound of Music in honour of its 50th anniversary absolutely blew everyone away. She worked with a vocal coach for months beforehand, and it really showed. When Julie Andrews came onstage to hug her when she finished, it was hard not to tear up.
While the prospect of sitting through a three and a half hour award show can bore some people stiff, the 87th Academy Awards Ceremony really was a night to remember.