With the Oscars, you can always expect a night full of marvelous musical performances, fabulously dressed stars, and celebrations of the latest in movies that have captivated audiences. Tonight’s ceremony was no exception, but if you didn’t have over three hours to devote to watching the telecast, worry not! We’re recounting our favorite moments below.
Best Expected Musical Opening
Host Neil Patrick Harris opened the ceremony with a “completely improvised” (we think he was kidding!) musical homage to movies featuring delightfully surprising guests Anna Kendrick and Jack Black. From his past award show hosting gigs, we knew Neil would give us some type of mesmerizing music, but he set the stage for a night of unforgettable performances!
Most Awesome Burst of Much Needed Fun
Who doesn’t love a little Lonely Island? Seeing the trio perform “Everything Is Awesome” with Tegan & Sara was a welcome, lighthearted distraction from the usual pomp and circumstance of the Oscars.
Best (Un)dressed
The honorable host stripped down to his skivvies when he was seemingly locked out of his dressing room. He did know that he was supposed to picture the audience in their underwear if he got nervous, right? Just wanted to clear that up.
Most Likely to Speak the Truth While Presenting
Meryl Streep being nominated for an Oscar is sort of a given. Her yearly recognition by the Academy has definitely become a running joke in the acting community. But Jared Leto’s faint but well-meaning dig at the film icon was the most spot-on comment we’ve heard about the actress in a while.
Best Message of Empowerment
At the beginning of the night, who would had guessed that Patricia Arquette would make a huge, game-changing statement for women’s rights while accepting her statue for Best Supporting Actress? The only thing that made the moment better was ladies like Meryl Streep and Jennifer Lopez cheering her on.
Most Emotion-Provoking Performance
By now, we’ve heard John Legend and Common perform their song “Glory” on many award shows, but tonight’s showing brought the entire audience to its feet for a much-deserved standing ovation. And we noticed a few tear-streaked faces among the crowd, too. We’re looking at you, Chris Pine!
Best Presenting Duo
In last year’s most talked about snafu, John Travolta flubbed his introduction of Idina Menzel, calling her Adele Dazeem. In an effort to make things right, the Oscars brought them together again for a stunningly awkward interaction that involved a lot of unsolicited face caressing.
Best Musical Performance We Didn’t Know We Needed to Hear
Lady Gaga showcased her powerhouse vocals with a tribute to The Sound of Music. A perfect yet unexpected choice, she more than did Maria justice with a medley of the musical’s most enchanting tunes, which earned her a hug from the film’s star Julie Andrews.
Best Acceptance from an Otherwise Unknown Winner
After thanking the Academy—and Oprah—for his Best Adapted Screenplay win for The Imitation Game, Graham Moore spoke of a future that gave hope to those who feel “different,” “weird,” or are having trouble fitting in.
Most Humble Winner
Eddie Redmayne has been nothing but charming throughout his awards season run, but his acceptance speech for Best Actor set him apart even further as he sweetly displayed his shock and spoke of his intended care for his newly acquired statue.
What were your favorite moments from the Oscars this year, collegiettes?