The 87th annual Academy Awards ceremony took place on Sunday, February 22, in the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. It was sure to be a lighthearted evening with host Neil Patrick Harris starting the evening with a stab at the lack of non-white nominees, saying, “Tonight, we honor Hollywood’s best and whitest.” This was the first of many jokes (both verbal and physical) Harris had planned for the night’s festivities.
Throughout the evening, just as with any Oscar ceremony, there were many musical performances between presentations of nominees. Starting with Maroon 5 performing “Lost Stars” from the film Begin Again (in which Adam Levine, the lead singer of Maroon 5, stars) and ending with Lady Gaga performing a medley tribute to The Sound of Music, a night that was filled with honoring films left just enough room to shine a light on the musical side of Hollywood. Gaga’s performance shocked the audience and left Julie Andrews nearly speechless. A new song “Glory” from the film Selma was performed by John Legend and Common. It received a standing ovation and brought many people to tears, including David Olelowo, who played Martin Luther King in the film.
Lady Gaga after her musical performance
As those who were honored with awards gave their acceptance speeches, they thanked everyone who helped with their achievements. Besides thanking people, some winners spoke about deeper subjects, such as suicide and the importance of realizing an individual’s importance. Statements of this nature reach out to young people and make viewers realize how circumstances in the lives of the nominees affected how they chose to live the rest of their lives. It shows how everyone struggles, but you can still go on to be successful.
As the Oscars went on, Neil Patrick Harris announced that he had made predictions about what would happen during the ceremony. He had the envelope displayed in a glass case on stage that was in view of the entire theatre and was being livestreamed online. He even gave Octavia Spencer the task of watching the case throughout the evening. When he finally revealed the contents of the envelope, they were not predictions about who would win which award as members of the audience and viewers from home believed. They were predictions about what would be said and what would happen during the introduction of presenters, the presentations of awards, and the acceptance of awards. And they were shockingly spot-on.
The 87th Academy Awards provided a night of solid entertainment for those who viewed it. Filled with emotional acceptance speeches and Neil Patrick Harris’s wit and humor, the evening was another success for Hollywood. If there was an awards show for awards shows, this year's Oscars ceremony would receive many nominations.
No comments:
Post a Comment