The 85th Annual Academy Awards took place at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland on Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013 and aired on ABC at 7e/4p this year. The nominations were announced on Jan. 10, 2013 by Seth MacFarlane and Emma Stone.
The opening of the ceremonies was one of the most interesting and most entertaining in recent years. Last year was great because of all the throwbacks Crystal made. The Oscars were back to their former glory. This year, while some might think that MacFarlane's song about boobs we have seen in films was not classy, the spot still amused me.
The salute to Bond films was less than spectacular. Most of us were expecting to see something with outstanding visual editing. Instead, the best part of the tribute was hearing Shirley Bassey's performance of "Goldfinger," but maybe that was the point. Granted, the segment was to promote the music of the film franchise, but considering this is The Oscars and not The Grammy Awards, saluting the films would have been the better way to go.
However, the salute to "Chicago," "Dreamgirls," and "Les Misérables" was nothing short of spectacular. Part of me keeps yearning for the musical genre to make a comeback and this tribute in particular should make people yearn for performances that produce chill bumps.
And while it made me laugh upon hearing it, I am not sure whose idea it was to have the music played to cue people off stage be the score from "Jaws", but kudos to that brilliance. What made this Academy Award program better than some of those of past years was the lack of fear represented by both presenters, winners, and host.
And without further adieu, The Big Five winners are as follows:
Best Motion Picture of the Year
Winner:
- Argo (2012): Grant Heslov, Ben Affleck, George Clooney
Nominees:
- Amour (2012): Margaret Ménégoz, Stefan Arndt, Veit Heiduschka, Michael Katz
- Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012): Dan Janvey, Josh Penn, Michael Gottwald
- Django Unchained (2012): Stacey Sher, Reginald Hudlin, Pilar Savone
- Les Misérables (2012): Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Debra Hayward, Cameron Mackintosh
- Life of Pi (2012): Gil Netter, Ang Lee, David Womark
- Lincoln (2012): Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy
- Silver Linings Playbook (2012): Donna Gigliotti, Bruce Cohen, Jonathan Gordon
- Zero Dark Thirty (2012): Mark Boal, Kathryn Bigelow, Megan Ellison
Best Achievement in Directing
Winner:
- Ang Lee for Life of Pi (2012)
Nominees:
- Michael Haneke for Amour (2012)
- David O. Russell for Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
- Steven Spielberg for Lincoln (2012)
- Benh Zeitlin for Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012)
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Winner:
- Daniel Day-Lewis for Lincoln (2012)
Nominees:
- Bradley Cooper for Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
- Hugh Jackman for Les Misérables (2012)
- Joaquin Phoenix for The Master (2012)
- Denzel Washington for Flight (2012)
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Winner:
- Jennifer Lawrence for Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
Nominees:
- Jessica Chastain for Zero Dark Thirty (2012)
- Emmanuelle Riva for Amour (2012)
- Quvenzhané Wallis for Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012)
- Naomi Watts for The Impossible (2012)
Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen
Winner:
- Django Unchained (2012): Quentin Tarantino
Nominees:
- Amour (2012): Michael Haneke
- Flight (2012/I): John Gatins
- Moonrise Kingdom (2012): Wes Anderson, Roman Coppola
- Zero Dark Thirty (2012): Mark Boal
Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published
Winner:
- Argo (2012): Chris Terrio
Nominees:
- Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012): Lucy Alibar, Benh Zeitlin
- Life of Pi (2012): David Magee
- Lincoln (2012): Tony Kushner
- Silver Linings Playbook (2012): David O. Russell
For all other winners please click here.
The 85th Annual Academy Awards took place at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland on Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013 and aired on ABC at 7e/4p this year.
Also remember, some of those films are currently available for rental. If you are interested in renting any of the films mentioned from last year, make sure to check your closet video rental store, Videodrome, Netflix, or movie channels based upon your cable or satellite provider for availability.
To purchase any Blu-rays or DVDs mentioned in this review please check out your local Austell Best Buy, Walmart, Target, or Kmart.
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