With the months of preparation that go into arguably the most important night in film, the 85th Annual Academy Awards did not disappoint this past Sunday evening as the ceremony, which this year had a focus on honouring music in film, was full of entertainment.
Comedian Seth MacFarlane who definitely brought a different tone to the event hosted this year’s show. Though there’s no denying that MacFarlane is one of the most hilarious and entertaining comedians of today, it is certainly valid to question whether or not he was suitable to host the show. His opening monologue addressed not only the Chris Brown and Rihanna abuse drama, but also addressed things like George Clooney’s reputation for dating much younger girls.
Directly following, William Shatner appeared on screen as his famous Star Trek character Captain Kirk to stop MacFarlane from ruining the show. In a clip of the show Kirk brought back in time with him, MacFarlane broke out into a song and dance about the many females who have shown their breasts in some of the nominated films. Belting the lyrics “We saw your boobs” alongside several other male dancers, MacFarlane listed specific names of actresses who have bared it all in films as well as actresses he wishes showed more flesh in their movies.
Luckily, beautiful performances by both Jennifer Hudson and Adele took away from some of the less desirable parts of the show. Adele graced the audience with a beautiful live rendition of Skyfall, the theme for the latest James Bond film. Likewise, Hudson belted out And I Am Telling You from Dreamgirls that had the entire audience on their feet.
The award for Best Supporting Actress went to the well-deserving Anne Hathaway for her role in Les Miserables.
“Here’s hoping that in the future, the misfortunes of Fantine will only be found in stories and not in real life,” said a tearful Hathaway who lost weight and shaved her head to play the starving women forced into prostitution to support her daughter.
Another notable moment was Jennifer Lawrence’s win for Best Actress for her role in Silver Lining Playbook. The star took a tumble on the stairs on her way to accept her award.
“You guys are only standing for me because I fell and you feel bad because that’s embarrassing,” joked Lawrence.
Best Picture, presented by First Lady, Michelle Obama, went to the ever-popular Argo. Although Affleck was not nominated for the Oscar in Achievement for Directing, his acceptance speech was captivating and humble. In his speech, Affleck provided a thank you to Canada, a key player in the CIA operation the film was based upon.
The night was filled with humorous, heart-warming, sad and surprising moments. Through the good, the bad and the awkward, the millions of viewers and commentary on various forms of social media proved that this year’s Academy Awards were as successful and enjoyed as ever.
