The Oscars are once again upon us! The 87th annual Academy Awards will showcase this Sunday, February 22 at 8:30 PM EST. An entertaining evening celebrating and commemorating the 2014 cinematic achievements in the film industry is in store as I’m sure first time host, Neil Patrick Harris, has plenty of jokes and antics up his designer tuxedo sleeve. While it may be hard to top Ellen’s selfie from last year’s show, Neil will certainly do his best to measure up, as he has a whole new crop of nominations to play with.
The star studded presenter line up, which includes Jason Bateman, Liam Neeson, Idris Elba, Best Actress Nominee, Felicity Jones, Ansel Egort (sigh), Terrence Howard, Channing Tatum (double sigh), and previous Oscar winners, Gwyneth Paltrow(Shakespeare in Love) and Nicole Kidman (The Hours).
Amongst this year’s nominees for Actress in a Leading Role are as follows: Felcity Jones for The Theory of Everything; Reese Witherspoon for Wild; Marion Cotillard for Two Days, One Night; Rosamund Pike for Gone Girl; and Julianne Moore for Still Alice. While the favorite seems to be Moore for her emotional and exuberant role as a Columbia professor exhibiting signs of early-onset Alzheimers, all the nominees acted the hell out of their roles and delivered a dynamic and emotional perfomance.
Next up: Actor in a Leading Role…the nominees are as follows: Steve Carell for Foxcatcher; Bradley Cooper for American Sniper; Benedict Cumberbatch for The Imitation Game; Eddie Redmayne for The Theory of Everything; and Michael Keaton for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance). All these nominees played incredibly poignant roles and would be far from being considered losers, however, Keaton who plays a Hollywood star making a comeback, seems to be the predicted winner in this category.
And of course, staying true to the order of the Academy’s presentations, Best Picture will round out the list of nominations. The competition is nothing short of intense yet amazing this year with the nominees consiting of: American Sniper, The Imitation Game, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), Boyhood, Selma, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Whiplash, and The Theory of Everything. The race is tight this year, however, the odds are split on Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), and Boyhood, the story of a Texas boy growing up over the span of 12 years, exhibiting the same cast and same artistry-an incredible cinematic feat.
These are just three of the 24 categories to see the limelight at this year’s Academy Awards.
A couple of other things to look forward to: performances by Jennifer Hudson and Anna Kendrick as well as a special tribute performance by newly engaged, Lady Gaga. And of course, the most anticipated unspoken competition of them all: the Red Carpet Fashion! Be sure to tune in early for the Red Carpet preview and catch what is certain to the most unforgettable looks of this year’s stars.
A few of last year’s Best Dressed stars, from left: Jennifer Lawrence, Naomi Watts, Cate Blanchett, Lupita Nyong’o, and Amy Adams. Stay tuned for a Red Carpet recap next week!