The Oscars. They came, we saw, and now I break it down for you. Here are my seven favorite moment's from the 86th Academy Awards. It conspicuously avoids a "Best Of" fashion feature primarily because I think the Oscars play it safe: pretty girl in a pretty dress. How inspiring! Wait for the Met Gala for all of the couture-inspired fashion risks to elicit any sort of emotional response from me. So without further ado...
1. Cate Blanchett’s Acceptance Speech
1. Cate Blanchett’s Acceptance Speech
If you haven’t seen Blue
Jasmine, you’re doing yourself a disservice. Cate Blanchett delivers an awe-inspiring performance of an
Upper East Side socialite’s fall from graces into Xanax-fueled mental
instability. On Sunday, Blanchett
won the Academy Award for Best Actress and did so in a stunning fashion. First off, she stunned in a sheer nude
Armani Privé gown with silver beaded detailing and gorgeous Chopard drop
earrings. Secondly, her acceptance
speech was spot on in addressing the “random and subjective” nature of the Academy
Awards, she congratulated her fellow nominees in a
non-Macklemore-at-the-Grammy’s type of way and shattered the idea that “female
films with women at the center are niche experiences –they are not. Audiences
want to see them, and in fact, they earn money.” Blanchett FTW.
2. Ellen’s Inside Joke to Jonah Hill
In probably her best joke of the night, Ellen Degeneres
said, "Jonah Hill is
nominated for his amazing performance in Wolf of Wall Street. Honestly, I
have to say, you showed us something in that film that I have not seen for a
very, very long time. You get it?"
The thing about a joke is that it becomes exponentially less funny when
you have to explain it, so here’s the back-story: In Wolf of Wall Street, Jonah Hill publicly masturbates at a pool
party. Ellen is a lesbian. Think about it.
3. The Selfie that Crashed Twitter
The Oscars are a breeding ground for live Tweeting for
attendees and viewers alike. Where
else would you find out Kerry Washington couldn’t eat the pizza Ellen ordered
because she’s gluten-free #SnacksInMyPurse or see your timeline collectively go
really when hearing Matthew
McConaughey admit that his hero is his future self? So, when Ellen literally crashed Twitter’s servers by
posting the biggest celebrity selfie in –ever, you knew it was a momentous
occasion. It’s not everyday you
have Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, Angelina Jolie, Julia Roberts, Kevin Spacey,
Brad Pitt, Meryl Streep, Lupita Nyong’o and her brother in one photo.
4. Steve McQueen’s Reaction to Receiving Best Picture
There’s something delightful about witnessing pure,
unadulterated happiness. And
that’s how I’d classify McQueen’s jumping up and down after delivering his
acceptance speech for Best Picture.
12 Years a Slave delivered an
unflinching portrayal of slavery with stellar performances by a star-studded
cast that included Lupita Nyong’o, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano and Michael
Fassbender, so it was only fitting that the Academy Awards ended with the
entire cast on stage celebrating.
5. Darlene Love Singing During Her Acceptance
Another shameless plug for one of my
favorite movies of last year: 20 Feet
from Stardom, which took home the Academy Award for Best Documentary
Feature. It chronicles the lives
of some of the most well known voices but most obscure faces in musical
history. Try to imagine the
Rolling Stone’s “Gimme Shelter” without the piercing scream of “Rape, Murder!”
and you begin to understand the importance of the backup singers who have brought
shape and style to popular music.
So, Darlene Love’s singing her way through her acceptance speech was
just the cherry on top of her incredible struggle from obscurity to Grammy
winner documented in the film.
6. Lupita’s Acceptance Speech
The awards season has catapulted Lupita Nyong’o from unknown
to “it” girl. A fresh face in an
otherwise established industry (18 Oscar noms, Meryl Streep, really?), Lupita
has perfected the role of the grateful, gracious nominee. She has made a name for herself not
only with her powerful performance in 12
Years a Slave but also her colorful red carpet appearances. It seems the girl can do no wrong,
which she made even clearer in her astute acceptance speech: “It doesn’t escape
me for one moment that so much joy in my life is thanks to so much pain in
someone else’s, and so I want to salute the spirit of Patsey for her guidance. And for Solomon, thanks for telling her
story and your own.” No matter
where you are from, your dreams are valid.
This wouldn’t be an Oscars post if I didn’t mention the
gloriousness that is Jared Leto’s hair.
He rivals The Bachelor’s Andi
for best ombré. Call it the hommebré (I wish I came up with that on my own. Thanks, NYMag). Oh, and congrats
on the Award for Best Supporting Actor in Dallas
Buyer’s Club.
No comments
Post a Comment