February 26, 2012 marked the date of the much-anticipated 84th annual Academy Awards, in which this 2011’s most acclaimed and celebrated films and performances were honored. Films such as The Help, The Artist, Moneyball, and The Iron Lady were nominated for the Academy’s most prestigious awards, however this year’s winners weren’t the only features of the ceremony being closely watched (and scrutinized) by viewers.
It is widely known that last year’s Academy Awards, hosted by James Franco and Anne Hathaway, was considered by many to be a colossal failure. Though Hathaway and Franco seemed to give it their best, the jokes where poorly delivered and Franco’s attitude came off as a bit dispassionate. The world was watching to decide if this year’s Academy Awards would make up for last year’s disappointment.
The Verdict
Good, but not good enough. This year’s ceremony was hosted by comedian Billy Crystal of When Harry Met Sally fame. Having hosted the Academy Awards an astonishing nine times, it was no wonder producers turned to Crystal to work his magic on this year’s show. Though Crystal’s past efforts were met with praise, this year’s performance was mediocre at best. While some of Crystal’s jokes were enjoyable, most seemed to fly over the audiences heads and the vast age gap between Crystal and most of the viewers did not help matters. Ratings of this year’s Academy Awards went down 7% from last year.
Despite the less than savory parts, the show did have a few saving graces. An astonishing performance by Cirque Du Soleil, the hilarious presentations from the cast of Bridesmaids, and the heartwarming In Memoriam honoring actors that passed away in 2011. Though these efforts had redeeming qualities, they weren’t enough to save the 2012 Academy Awards from receiving poor reviews across the board.
And the Academy Award goes to…
The big winners of the night were: Jean Dujardin, taking home the Award for Best Actor in The Artist, Meryl Streep taking home the award for Best Actress in The Iron Lady, Christopher Plummer taking home the award for Best Supporting Actor in Beginners, and Octavia Spencer taking home the Best Supporting Actress Award for her performance in The Help. The Award for Best Picture went to The Artist, which beat out notable films such as Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Moneyball, The Help, Midnight In Paris, War Horse, Hugo, and The Descendants.
Other big winners of the night included Hugo, which took home five awards including Best Art Direction and best Cinematography, The Artist, which also won five awards including Best Original Score, and Best Director, and The Iron Lady, which won two awards including Best Actress and Best Makeup.