2015 Oscars Wrap Up

^The only moment that matters from last night

"Birdman" soars away with the Oscar and so ends another long award season. My final predictions tally came in at 17/24, or 71%. As expected, I got best director wrong. But I told you I would be glad to be wrong on that one. You did predict Inarritu, didn't you?

Most of the awards went according to plan. The biggest surprise is probably "Big Hero 6" stealing the Animated Feature trophy. After failing to win the animated race since the category's inception, Disney now has two in a row. Perhaps we all should have put more stock in the film. Given that there was no clear frontrunner with "The LEGO Movie" absent, Disney's brightly colored Marvel toon was probably the most widely seen.

I'm also kicking myself for not going with my gut on wins for Tom Cross in Editing and "Crisis Hotline" for Documentary Short. I should have seen both of them coming. Flashy editing has an increasing habit of taking the award, and the editing is showy and essential to "Whiplash". Invisible editing fights an uphill battle when the entire Academy is voting instead of individual branches. Thus, Sandra Adair stayed in her seat and "Boyhood" was represented with just a single (deserving) win for Patricia Arquette.

"Birdman" upped its expected award tally by claiming the Best Original Screenplay prize. I guess the thought of the academy splitting Picture, Director, and Writing among its three beloved auteurs (Inarritu, Linklater, and Anderson) was just wishful thinking on my part. I had a feeling the film would pick up an extra win somewhere, but I guessed that sound mixing was a more likely place for it to surprise. Having multiple writers on the ballot usually makes winning unlikely, but it didn't matter this year. "Birdman" put artists and the changing nature of Hollywood as the center of the universe. Its an irresistible setup for the Academy.

In case you somehow missed it, here is the complete list of winners for the 2015 Academy Awards:

BEST PICTURE: "Birdman"
DIRECTOR: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, "Birdman"
LEAD ACTOR: Eddie Redmayne, "The Theory of Everything
LEAD ACTRESS: Julianne Moore, "Still Alice"
SUPPORTING ACTOR: J.K. Simmons, "Whiplash"
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Patricia Arquette, "Boyhood"
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Inarritu et al, "Birdman"
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Graham Moore, "The Imitation Game"
FILM EDITING: Tom Cross, "Whiplash"
CINEMATOGRAPHY:Emmanuel Lubezki, "Birdman"
PRODUCTION DESIGN: "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
COSTUME DESIGN: "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING: "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
ORIGINAL SCORE: Alexandre Desplat, "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
ORIGINAL SONG: Common and John Legend, 'Glory' from "Selma"
SOUND EDITING: "American Sniper"
SOUND MIXING: "Whiplash"
VISUAL EFFECTS: "Interstellar"
ANIMATED FEATURE: "Big Hero 6"
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: "Citizenfour"
FOREIGN FILM: "Ida"
LIVE ACTION SHORT: "The Phone Call"
DOCUMENTARY SHORT: "Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1"
ANIMATED SHORT: "Feast"

Biggest Winners
"Birdman" - 4
"Grand Budapest Hotel" - 4
"Whiplash" - 3

I will point out that in each category I got incorrect, the film I placed in second took the award. So I didn't lead anyone too far astray if you copied my picks. No angry emails y'all!

Final Thoughts

• "The LEGO Movie was perfectly represented with 'Everything is Awesome'. Will Arnet's Batman even took the stage. The Lego Oscars going out to the nominees in the crowd was a great touch

• How good was Gaga? Maybe it was just the straightforward style of performance that we arent used to seeing from her which had everyone surprised, but she nailed it. Flawless vocals. And thankfully left the gloves off the stage. 

• John Travolta was up there trying to make a moment happen. And Idina was all "please stop touching me now, Im trying my best to smile through this". It was awkward.

• It was a night of great speeches. Graham Moore (who is apparently NOT gay?) gave the most moving one for my money. Patricia Arquette killed it while demanding equal pay/rights for women (and more importantly gave us the best reaction shot/meme of the night from Meryl and JLo). JK Simmons was heartfelt and touching. Eddie Redmayne's excitement was fun to watch. And Julianne Moore was so classy. Good job people, thank you for coming prepared. 

• Except you Mr Inarritu. You knew you were going to win at least one trophy: write something down! 

• I think this is the most beautifully designed Oscars I've ever watched. The set looked gorgeous decorated with all those light bulbs. The animations on the opening number backdrop looked great. The title cards of each category were done in a cool and classy way. And the watercolor look to the In Memoriam segment made it somehow even more heartbraking to see those names up there.

• Speaking of: where the hell were Joan Rivers, Elaine Stritch, and Harold Ramis? Either have a definite set of rules dictating what qualifies a person to be included, or just include everyone. These omissions are occurring way too often. 

• Fun trivia: this is the first time since the Best Picture nominees expanded to more than 5 that each film up for Picture took home a trophy. Perhaps this is why we should have seen Graham Moore winning over Damien Chazelle in screenplay? Everyone got lovin' somewhere.

• NPH did a mostly good job as host. I liked the opening number, even if he did let Jack Black steal it from him. Some jabs such as "Hollywood's whitest...I mean brightest" were great. Others ("you could eat her with a spoon"...seriously who wrote that?) not so much. He knows how to infuse the night with energy, and though I already saw him in his skivvies at Hedwig I certainly wasn't saying no to seconds during that "Birdman" skit. Ultimately though, the music performances and classy speeches had more of an impact than his hosting. 

Til next year, dear awards nerds. 

The Sammys (If I Was an Oscar Voter)

We all know The Oscars get things wrong. That's why I am making my own list of nominees and winners: The Sammys. These awards have no bias against genre movies and aren't swayed by campaigning or screeners. And based on The Hollywood Reporters' Anonymous Oscar Ballot series, I think I've seen more films this year than most Academy members.

The list is just for fun, and I tried to stick with the Academy's rulings on placement. I managed this except in two areas.  1.) "Whiplash" is an original screenplay. If we are going to knock filmmakers for making shorts to get producers interested (often a necessity in today's filmmaking world) then the definition of "adapted" will change dramatically. 2.) "Birdman" is eligible for Score. It's the best score of the year and the music branch was foolish to reject it. 3.) Sadly, I've only seen two foreign films this year so I omitted a Foreign Feature category.

Out of everything I've seen this year, the top three movies in my Best Picture lineup registered the most. I waffled back and forth on which would win my personal award. In a previous post I mentioned that "The LEGO Movie" would take the honor. And while I will probably re-watch that joyous film more than any of the others, I can't shake my experience with "Boyhood". It has seeped into my psyche and thoughts and resonates long after the viewing experience is finished. Its the most stunning accomplishment in film this year, in this blogger's humble opinion. It deserves its place at the top.

Best Picture
10. Wild
9. The Grand Budapest Hotel
8. Guardians of the Galaxy
7. Nightcrawler
6. Snowpiercer
5. Gone Girl
4. Birdman
3. Whiplash
2. The LEGO Movie
1. Boyhood

Best Director
Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel
David Fincher, Gone Girl
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Birdman (runner-up)
Bong Joon-ho, Snowpiercer
Richard Linklater, Boyhood (winner)

Best Actor
Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game
Jake Gyllenhaal, Nightcrawler
Michael Keaton, Birdman (winner)
David Oyelowo, Selma (runner-up)
Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything

Best Actress
Emily Blunt, Into the Woods
GuGu Mbatha-Raw, Belle (runner-up)
Julianne Moore, Still Alice (winner)
Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl
Reese Witherspoon, Wild

Best Supporting Actor
Ethan Hawke, Boyhood (runner-up)
Edward Norton, Birdman
Chris Pine, Into the Woods
Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher
J.K. Simmons, Whiplash (winner)

Best Supporting Actress
Patricia Arquette, Boyhood (winner)
Laura Dern, Wild
Rene Russo, Nightcrawler
Meryl Streep, Into the Woods
Tilda Swinton, Snowpiercer (runner-up)

Best Film Editing
Birdman
Boyhood (runner-up)
Edge of Tomorrow
Gone Girl
Whiplash (winner)

Best Original Screenplay
Birdman
Boyhood
The LEGO Movie (winner)
Nightcrawler (runner-up)
Whiplash

Best Adapted Screenplay
American Sniper
Gone Girl (winner)
Guardians of the Galaxy
The Imitation Game
Wild (runner-up)

Best Cinematography
Birdman (winner)
Gone Girl
Mr. Turner (runner-up)
Nightcrawler
Unbroken

Best Production Design
The Grand Budapest Hotel (runner-up)
Interstellar
Into the Woods
Mr. Turner
Snowpiercer (winner)

Best Costume Design
Belle
The Grand Budapest Hotel (winner-tie)
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1
Into the Woods (winner-tie)
Maleficent

Best Makeup/Hairstyling
Belle
Guardians of the Galaxy (winner)
Into the Woods (runner-up)
Maleficent
Mr. Turner

Best Score
Birdman (winner)
Gone Girl (runner up)
The Grand Budapest Hotel
How to Train Your Dragon 2
The Imitation Game

Best Song
'Everything is Awesome' from "The LEGO Movie" (winner)
'Glory' from "Selma"
'Grateful' from "Beyond the Lights" (runner-up)
'Mercy Is' from "Noah"
'The Last Goodbye' from "The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies"

Best Visual Effects
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (winner)
Edge of Tomorrow
Guardians of the Galaxy
Interstellar (runner-up)
X-Men: Days of Future Past

Best Sound Editing
American Sniper (runner-up)
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Edge of Tomorrow (winner)
Godzilla
The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies

Best Sound Mixing
American Sniper
Guardians of the Galaxy (runner up)
Into the Woods
Unbroken
Whiplash (winner)

Best Documentary Feature
The Case Against 8 (runner up)
Citizenfour
Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me
Last Days in Vietnam
Virunga (winner)

Best Animated Feature
Big Hero 6
How to Train Your Dragon 2 (runner up)
The LEGO Movie (winner)
Song of the Sea
The Tale of Princess Kaguya

WINS
Boyhood: 3
The LEGO Movie: 3
Whiplash: 3
Birdman: 2
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes: 1
Edge of Tomorrow: 1
Gone Girl: 1
The Grand Budapest Hotel: 1
Guardians of the Galaxy: 1
Into the Woods: 1
Snowpiercer: 1
Still Alice: 1
Virunga: 1

MULTIPLE NOMINATIONS
Birdman - 8
Boyhood - 6
Gone Girl - 6
Into the Woods - 6
The Grand Budapest Hotel - 5
Nightcrawler - 5
Whiplash - 5
The LEGO Movie - 4
Guardians of the Galaxy - 4
Snowpiercer - 4
Wild - 4
American Sniper - 3
Belle - 3
Edge of Tomorrow - 3
The Imitation Game - 3
Mr. Turner - 3
The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies - 2
How to Train Your Dragon 2 - 2
Interstellar - 2
Maleficent - 2
Selma - 2
Unbroken - 2

Your Complete Guide to the Oscars...Even the Shorts

Hello Oscar Watchers

We are just days away from the Academy Awards. Ballots are in and being counted. Potential winners are holding their breath until Sunday.

This is a final breakdown of my thoughts on the season. Every category is included, even those pesky shorts which throw off everyone's Oscar pools. I have pretended to be smart and insightful to those races, but as is the case every year: no one knows what the hell is going to happen with them.

On a personal note, last night I completed my work in a new play (performing to a sold out house!) called "Submission" with Rapidfire Bootleg Theatre. This was the reason I didn't have quite as many postings in February as I would have liked. Though the Contenders section stayed mostly updated, and you can click over there for final rankings and more in depth thoughts on each category. (And in a personal plug: if you wan to know more about "Submission" and the work your favorite blogger has been doing, head to: http://www.rapidfirebootleg.com/)

Without further ado: Who will, could, and should win this years Academy Awards.

BEST PICTURE
Will Win: "Birdman"
Could Win: "Boyhood"
Should Win: "Boyhood"

The most confounding Oscar duel in recent memory. Both "Birdman" and "Boyhood" have strong claims to the throne. There is a lot of sentiment in "Boyhood" and industry respect for its achievements...but will they award its director for that instead? The PGA is what is pushing "Birdman" out front for me. It won using the same preferential ballot the Oscars now use to determine Best Picture.

BEST DIRECTOR
Will Win: Richard Linklater, "Boyhood"
Could Win: "Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, "Birdman"
Should Win: Richard Linklater, "Boyhood"

I'm definitely predicting a split for Picture/Director. With my luck it will probably go opposite the way I predicted it, which is the tricky part of predicting a split. If you are voting in an office pool or a friends Oscar party, you should put down the same film for Picture and Director in case you guess the opposite split. But I'm being silly and stubborn. I just can't see filmmakers looking at Richard Linklater's 12 years of dedication and not awarding him for it.

BEST ACTOR
Will Win: Eddie Redmayne, "Theory of Everything"
Could Win: Michael Keaton, "Birdman" (Bradley Cooper?)
Should Win: Michael Keaton, "Birdman"

The only acting race with any suspense. Redmayne has picked up the Globe, SAG, and BAFTA. That almost always spells Oscar. Keaton has Critics Choice and Globe (comedy) wins, and the film serves as a capstone to his career. He could eek out a win on sentiment. Bradley Cooper is a late entry wild card who threatens to upend the whole thing.

BEST ACTRESS
Will Win: Julianne Moore, "Still Alice"
Could Win: One of the others could win best dressed?
Should Win: Julianne Moore, "Still Alice"

Ms. Moore finally gets her Oscar moment. Four other actresses get to rest easy and enjoy the evening knowing they aren't coming anywhere near the podium.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Will Win: J.K. Simmons, "Whiplash"
Could Win: Edward Norton...if J.K. Simmons wasn't nominated
Should Win: J.K. Simmons, "Whiplash"

This is as locked up as Best Actress is. Nothing to see here.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Will Win: Patricia Arquette, "Boyhood"
Could Win: she's got this
Should Win: Patricia Arquette, "Boyhood"

Arquette has won every supporting actress trophy under the sun. No reason to think she won't be on stage this Sunday.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Will Win: "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
Could Win: "Birdman"
Should Win: "Nightcrawler"

Seems like an easy place to reward "Grand Budapest" in a major category. But if "Birdman" is indeed loved enough to win Best Picture, they may check it off here as well.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Will Win: "Whiplash"
Could Win: "The Imitation Game" or "Theory of Everything"
Should Win: "Whiplash"

Anything could win this one (except "Inherent Vice"). They may even choose this as a place to reward "American Sniper". Put the four films on the wall and throw a dart, and you'll know just as much about this category as anybody.

BEST FILM EDITING
Will Win: "Boyhood"
Could Win: "Whiplash"
Should Win: "Whiplash"

"Boyhood" seems like the clear winner here, but "Whiplash" gave everyone pause when it took the BAFTA. Both have passionate fanbases and very different styles of editing. In the end Sandra Adair's monumental 12 year task puts "Boyhood" in the lead.

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Will Win: "Birdman"
Could Win: "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
Should Win: "Birdman"

"Birdman" has one guaranteed win of the night here. Lubezki will win his second consecutive Oscar for his dizzying long shots.

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Will Win: "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
Could Win: "The Imitation Game"
Should Win: "The Grand Budapest Hotel"

Production design is a key element of any Wes Anderson film and the iconic pink and purple motif should score an easy win. "The Imitation Game" has potential for an upset with similar period decorations as "Lincoln" did, but I don't think team "Budapest" needs to worry.

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
Will Win: "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
Could Win: "Guardians of the Galaxy"
Should Win: "Guardians of the Galaxy"

The race is always close in a three-nominee category. But I see no reason why the voters won't stop "Grand Budapest's" domination of the crafts categories stop here. The intricate body makeup of "Guardians of the Galaxy" does provide an opportunity to reward a popular film, so a surprise here is certainly possible.

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Will Win: "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
Could Win: "Into the Woods"
Should Win: "Into the Woods"

"Into the Woods" has under-performed in this category all season long, in what should have been a locked in win for beloved designer Colleen Atwood. So, the stylized garb from "Grand Budapest" steals the gold.

BEST SCORE
Will Win: "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
Could Win: "The Theory of Everything"
Should Win: "Birdman" (stupidly deemed ineligible)

I'm less confident about "Grand Budapest" here. Johann Johannsson's sweeping score to "Theory of Everything" has won over a great many viewers. But, it seems time for veteran composer Alexandre Desplat to finally win an Oscar, and he's contributed a score to the presumed tech/craft juggernaut of the awards season.

BEST SONG
Will Win: 'Glory' from "Selma"
Could Win: 'I'm Not Gonna Miss You' from "Glenn Campbell: I'll Be Me"
Should Win: 'Everything is Awesome' from "The LEGO Movie"

Common and John Legend have been pushing "Glory" hard. And in a year without a mega hit like "Let it Go" or "Skyfall", it allows the Academy to say "see, we gave 'Selma' something!". Though the opportunity to award the Alzheimer afflicted Glenn Campbell a final trophy could give him the sentiment vote.

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Will Win: "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes"
Could Win: "Interstellar"
Should Win: "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes"

"Interstellar" would appear to have more support given its multiple nominations tally. But it has proven to be a divisive film. And the team on "Apes" has taken home multiple guild awards and pushed the boundaries of visual effects.

BEST SOUND EDITING
Will Win: "American Sniper"
Could Win: "Birdman"
Should Win: "The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies"

Most voters have no idea what good sound design entails, so usually the loudest film wins. War films do very well, and they will want to give the highest grossing best picture nominee something. It should be an easy get for "American Sniper".

BEST SOUND MIXING
Will Win: "Whiplash"
Could Win: "American Sniper" or "Birdman"
Should Win: "Whiplash"

Those who don't know the difference between editing and mixing might be tempted to check off "American Sniper" for both categories. But they have the opportunity to vote for "Whiplash" in this one, and there is more passionate support for that movie in the Academy. And the drums are, you know, loud.

BEST FOREIGN FILM
Will Win: "Ida"
Could Win: "Wild Tales"
Should Win: "Ida"

"Ida" has a cinematography nomination, and many voters probably saw this on Netflix before they even received screeners. It has a powerful story and wide enough reach to take home the trophy. But, if voters aren't in the mood for a depressing film about the Holocaust, the stylish and fun "Wild Tales" will pick up their vote.

BEST ANIMATED FILM
Will Win: "How to Train Your Dragon 2"
Could Win: "Big Hero 6"
Should Win: "The LEGO Movie" (not nominated for reasons beyond comprehension)

Animation professionals might vote for the hand drawn "The Tale of Princess Kaguya", but "How to Train Your Dragon 2" looks gorgeous and works on basically every level. Unless voters simply check off the Disney title, "Dragon" should repeat its Globe win this Sunday.

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Will Win: "CitizenFour"
Could Win: "Virunga"
Should Win: "Finding Vivian Maier"

"Citizenfour" has been picking up basically every documentary prize. I don't think the heart wrenching tale of the mountain gorillas in "Virguna" can surpass it, as hard as Netflix has been campaigning.

BEST LIVE-ACTION SHORT
Will Win: "The Phone Call"
Could Win: "Boogaloo and Graham" or "Parvaneh"
Should Win: "The Phone Call"

"The Phone Call" features Academy award nominee Sally Hawkins as a crisis hotline operator who tries to talk a widower (Jim Broadbent) out of committing suicide. She gives a powerful performance that anchors the film. Its competitor is the upbeat and ridiculous "Boogaloo and Graham" about two young brothers whose chickens face euthanasia amidst a war in Ireland...hard to describe, just watch it. The adorable film will stand out for its upbeat tempo, but will it be enough to overcome the emotional gut punch of "The Phone Call"?

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
Will Win: "Johanna"
Could Win: "Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1"
Should Win: "Our Curse"

A tough race to call between a worthy crop of nominees. "Johanna" follows a dying Polish women trying to pass on wisdom to her 5 year old son in her last months before she dies. "Crisis Hotline" follows a crisis phone room where responders attempt to talk down suicidal veterans. I expect the vote will be very close. "Crisis Hotline" feels more important, and successful suicide interventions stir powerful emotions. But the story of Joanna is so deeply personal, and her strength in facing death leaves too deep an impact to ignore.

BEST ANIMATED SHORT
Will Win: "Feast"
Could Win: "The Dam Keeper"
Should Win: "The Dam Keeper"

"Feast" has the Disney touch and played before "Big Hero 6", so it will be the most widely seen nominee. "The Dam Keeper" features gorgeous animation and a poignant (though dark) story of a bullied pig who runs a windmill that protects his anthropomorphic town from pollution. Its probably the better film than the cutesy Disney fare, but with the entire Academy now voting on the short categories, Disney has the edge.

The Oscar is Officially Up for Grabs

Raise your hand if you're confused.

"Boyhood" was the clear leader of awards season, taking nearly every critics prize and the Golden Globe. Then the guilds swerved in a different direction as "Birdman" laid claim to the important SAG, PGA, and DGA. We assumed Inarritu's film was the one to beat, but the Brits slapped it down, awarding "Boyhood" with three trophies including picture and director.

What does it all mean!?

Let's start with the Directors Guild. Many assumed this would still be Linklater's to lose despite the film stumbling with guild awards. According to many reports, there were audible gasps when Alejandro G Inarritu's name was called. So the voting must have been close. The winner of this guild award has gone on to claim the corresponding Oscar trophy 90% of the time since 2004. A more impressive stat for "Birdman": the only film to claim all three top guild awards and lose Best Picture at the Oscar's was "Apollo 13" in 1995. It was unseated by "Braveheart".

Will this be a repeat of 1995? If we follow the statistics with the BAFTA awards it may be. These kudos hardly ever worked as an Oscar predictor until they changed their voting procedures six years ago. And in that time their choice for Best Picture has gone on to claim the Oscar every year. "Boyhood" won three out of five nominations at the British ceremony while, "Birdman" took just one out of a whopping ten.

It is worth noting that "Braveheart" took the Writers Guild award in 1995, so it did have one major precursor going into the Academy Awards. The WGA has not announced winners yet, but its status as an Oscar barometer is always shaky. Thanks to a slew of eligibility rules in the guild, eventual Academy nominees and winners are frequently shunned from their ceremony. This year "Birdman" failed to meet requirements, and the group placed "Whiplash" in original screenplay. That film will compete in the adapted race on Oscar night. If Richard Linklater could claim the WGA prize for "Boyhood", it would directly mirror 1995, and carve a clear path to victory. Though I think Wes Anderson will have something to say about that.

Speaking of "The Grand Budapest Hotel", the film forms an interesting trio with the two frontrunners. Wes Anderson, Inarritu, and Linklater are all nominated for Picture, Director, and Writer of their respective movies. If all three films are loved, it stands to reason the Academy could spread the wealth and reward them all. Quirky films tend to do well in Original Screenplay ("Her", "Eternal Sunshine") and Anderson is the reigning king of quirk. I can certainly see a scenario where Anderson takes Screenplay, and Linklater and Inarritu split Picture and Director. ...The problem is I cant grasp who takes which.

Personally, I think "Boyhood" should be the one to take it. It's an introspective film that finds magic in the everyday. It finds meaning in the seemingly mundane and asks the audience to contemplate its own lives. "Boyhood" will likely be remembered as a classic for a long time, versus the audacious "Birdman". Not that I wish to belittle "Birdman" in the least, but it feels like something that is hot right now, versus something that will stay hot through the ages. Come to think of it, the way Oscar voters usually vote, that means it probably will take Best Picture.

BAFTA Awards: Complete Winners List

The 67th Annual BAFTA Awards Ceremony has just begun. BBC American wont be airing the ceremony until later tonight at 8pm EST. If you simply cannot wait until then, have no fear! I will be updating the winners as they are announced on this page. Can "Boyhood" get a much needed final wind over "Birdman's" domination of the guild awards? Complete winners listed below.

BEST PICTURE
"Boyhood"

BEST DIRECTOR
Richard Linklater, "Boyhood"

BEST ACTOR
Eddie Redmayne, "The Theory of Everything"

BEST ACTRESS
Julianne Moore, "Still Alice"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
J.K. Simmons, "Whiplash"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Patricia Arquette, "Boyhood"

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Wes Anderson, "The Grand Budapest Hotel"

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Anthony McCarten, "The Theory of Everything"

BEST EDITING
Tom Cross, "Whiplash"

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Emmanuel Lubezki, "Birdman"

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
"The Grand Budapest Hotel"

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Milena Canonero, "The Grand Budapest Hotel"

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIR-STYLING
"The Grand Budapest Hotel"

BEST ORIGINAL MUSIC
Alexandre Desplat, "The Grand Budapest Hotel"

BEST SOUND DESIGN
"Whiplash"

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
"Interstellar"

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
"Ida"

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
"Citizenfour"

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
"The LEGO Movie"

RISING STAR AWARD
Jack O'Connell

BEST BRITISH FILM
"The Theory of Everything"

OUTSTANDING BRITISH DEBUT
Stephen Beresford and David Livingstone, "Pride"

BEST BRITISH SHORT
"Boogaloo and Graham"

BEST BRITISH ANIMATED SHORT
"The Bigger Picture"

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO BRITISH CINEMA
BBC Films

The Guilds Create a Close Oscar Race with "Birdman" vs "Boyhood"

So to everyone who complained and yammered that this year's Oscars were too predictable: are you happy now? The PGA and SAG have doled out their annual kudos and things did not go as planned. "Birdman" has emerged as a likely upset to Richard Linklater's 12 year spanning "Boyhood". I personally had "Birdman" in second place for quite sometime, but other pundits and bloggers seemed less convinced. "Boyhood" was always a bit of an underdog (low budget, won't appeal to the below the line branches, etc) and has had a target on its back for a while. Inarritu's stunning display of filmmaking is almost the polar opposite film, and the clear alternative for those not interested in the front-runner. In fact, it just became the front-runner.

If you weren't paying attention, the guild winners were the following:

PGA
Best Picture: "Birdman"

SAG
Best Ensemble: "Birdman"
Best Actor: Eddie Redmayne, "The Theory of Everything"
Best Actress: Julianne Moore, "Still Alice"
Best Supporting Actor: J.K. Simmons, "Whiplash"
Best Supporting Actress: Patricia Arquette, "Boyhood"

While the SAG ensemble win was expected, the citation from the Producers guild is huge. "Boyhood" was the expected winner, but it isn't the typical type of movie that appeals to producers. Had they not gone with it, I expected them to opt for one of the well received blockbusters ("American Sniper" or "Gone Girl"), or the polished bio-pic ("The Imitation Game"). The producers guild also utilizes the same preferential balloting system that the Academy uses. Not to mention many members of this guild are also Academy members.

In the blink of an eye, "Birdman" just became the new leader of the pack. Can it actually win the Oscar? A great deal of fuss has been made over its lack of an editing nomination. And awards geeks will be quick to tell you that a film has not won Best Picture at the Oscars without an editing nomination since "Ordinary People", over three decades ago in 1980. But since the Oscars moved to the "anywhere-from-5-to-10-nominees" era, rules have been consistently broken, and the old stats add up to nothing. "Birdman" has support in  the important directing, acting, and writing branches; as well as cinematography and sound. Can it win? Absolutely.

It can win because of the actors. The Actor's branch is the largest branch of the Academy with over one thousand members. "Birdman" speaks directly to them. The narrative of a performer trying to stay relevant with meaningful work, and find his place in a world overrun with loud superhero movies, is likely to resonate with the voting body. Consider past winners like "Shakespeare in Love", "The Artist", "Chicago", and "Argo". They are all about performers triumphing.

"Boyhood" isn't down for the count, but the race just got a whole lot tougher for the little movie that could. I have heard many complain that if you remove the "gimmick" of filming for 12 years, then you are left with nothing. To which I say: you are fools. The so called "gimmick" of telling a story over time is the entire point, and aides the films reflective, introspective effect. One could also say the "continuous shot" effect in "Birdman" is a gimmick. Without it, the movie would read as a stage play captured on film. Speaking in such terms devalues the accomplishments of each film, and I'm growing tired of hearing it on every website that mentions the Oscar race. Since when is using a narrative device a "gimmick"?

All awards season grievances aside, we may have to look to the DGA as the final glimmer in our crystal balls.  The ACE Eddie awards will be handed out on Sunday. However, they split the best editing award into two categories for drama and comedy. Both "Birdman" and "Boyhood" are likely to be the winners in their respective categories, so that won't clear anything up. Though should one of them lose (to say "Grand Budapest" or "Whiplash"), that would be a major red flag. The director's could be a big piece of the puzzle this year.

Over in the acting categories, SAG has proved there is only one category with any competition. Eddie Redmayne's win there is a big deal for him. It is entirely likely he can take the BAFTA as well and turn the conversation away from Michael Keaton. I would argue Keaton has the standout behind the scenes narrative this year, which is often more important that the onscreen narrative when it comes to winning awards. Just ask last year's champ Matthew McConaughey. I think this will be a nail biter until the envelope is opened. But I'm glad for the suspense. I mean, Best Actress might as well be called "Julianne Moore and the Four Women Who Will Lose to Her".

Our quiet little awards race just got a big shakeup. And there's still room for more maneuvering. Can you imagine if the DGA gave their best director prize to Wes Anderson?

Tony Awards Announce Dates and Robin Hood Declines the Marquis

We now have an official announcement from the Tony Awards on dates for the upcoming awards season.

Thursday April 23rd is the official cut off date for nomination eligibility. Opening night must be on or before this day in order for a production to be considered.

Tuesday April 28th is the Tony Awards nomination announcement. The event will take place from the Diamond Horseshoe in the Paramount Hotel. A live webcast can viewed at www.tonyawards.com. A limited number of tickets to the Tony Awards will also go on sale at this date, by visiting the aforementioned website.

Wednesday April 29th is the annual Meet the Press Reception for all of 2015's Tony nominees. This event will also take place at the Paramount Hotel.

Friday May 15th is the Tony Nominee Luncheon. Located in the Paramount's Diamond Horseshoe, this is a private event for the nominees and is closed to all media.

Sunday June 7th is the 69th Annual Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall. The awards will be broadcast by CBS from 8:00-11:00 pm EST.

One show which won't be hunting for Tony Awards this season is The Heart of Robin Hood. The production is currently playing in Toronto (and also received a recent staging at ART) and was originally booked for the Marriott Marquis Theatre this spring.

The Broadway bow came with a contractual end date in August. The producers, citing booming business with the Toronto mounting, have chosen to scrap the move to Broadway this season. The show has extended for an additional four weeks at the Royal Alexandria Theatre in Toronto. They hope to bring the show to New York when a longer Broadway run is possible.

The Gloria Estefan backed musical "On Your Toes" is already set to play the Marquis in the fall.