The 86th annual Academy Awards marked the end of awards season and celebrated the best in film from the past year. Ellen DeGeneres brought the laughs as host as she took selfies with celebrities in the crowd and ordered pizza to tame their hunger. American Hustle and Gravity stepped up to the plate with 10 nominations each. Gravity took home seven awards including best director and best visual effects. Completely shut out, American Hustle took home zero awards despite Amy Adams’s and Jennifer Lawrence’s Golden Globes wins for the film. Dallas Buyers Club also scored awards for best supporting and lead actor, but it was 12 Years a Slave that took home the biggest award of the night for best picture.
The star-studded night highlighted the most talented workers in the film industry, both on and off screen. Some speeches lasted minutes; others only went on for a few seconds. Many actresses donned pale colors on the red carpet, and several leading men brought their mothers as their dates. Jared Leto showed off his luscious locks, while Leonardo DiCaprio’s fourth Oscar nomination (5th, if you include the fact that he was a producer for Wolf of Wall Street) left him empty-handed once again. With so many different genres of films and levels of talent, celebrities from all kinds of backgrounds and films filled the room to celebrate the best in film. Here are five of the best moments of the night.
Jared Leto’s Acceptance Speech
Leto took home the first award of the night for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Dallas Buyer’s Club. In his speech, he discussed the struggles his mother faced as a teenage single mother and thanked her for teaching him how to dream as thousands of girls everywhere swooned. He also briefly applauded the people of Venezuela and Ukraine for following their own dreams. His speech ended with a nod to the victims highlighted in the film.
“This is for the 36 million people who have lost the battle to AIDS. And to those of you who have ever felt injustice because of who you are and who you love, I stand here in front of the world with you and for you.”
There is no doubt Leto gave one of the best speeches of the night and set the bar high for the rest of the nominees.
Pharrell’s Performance of “Happy”
Nominated for best original song, Pharrell performed his hit “Happy” from Despicable Me 2. Dancers donned 1970s-inspired clothes and twisted and turned on the stage. Pharrell walked down to the front row and showed off his movies to the ladies of the crowd. Lupita Nyong’o, Meryl Streep and Amy Adams joined in on what was probably the most fun performance of the night.
Lupita Nyong’o’s Acceptance Speech
In what was shockingly her first film, Lupita Nyong’o took home the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for 12 Years a Slave. Although she has been making headlines for her fashion sense on the red carpet, her speech is newsworthy, too. She thanked director Steve McQueen, co-star Michael Fassbender and others who contributed to her success. She ended with a line of hope and encouragement.
“When I look down at this golden statue, may it remind me and every little child that no matter where you’re from, your dreams are valid. Thank you.”
Well-spoken and obviously thankful, Nyong’o won the night with her speech.
“Alright, alright, alright…”
Matthew McConaughey arrived at the Oscars with his first nomination and left with his first Academy Award. His performance in Dallas Buyers Club proved that he has come a long way since How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. After thanking several people, the actor ended his speech in his famous accent with three words: “Alright, alright, alright…” McConaughey showed he could take on the role of a lifetime but that he is still a Texas boy at heart.
Ellen’s Selfie
Host Ellen DeGeneres broke the record tonight for most retweets for a single tweet. She asked Meryl Streep to pose in a selfie with her, and several other celebrities joined in, including Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper, to produce the best picture in selfie history. It currently has been retweeted more than 2 million times.
With a diverse group of nominees and films, this year’s Academy Awards brought laughs, tears, inspiration and most importantly awareness of several important issues of both the past and present through the art of film.
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