That’s a wrap: Best and worst of Hollywood’s biggest night

Team Birdman, led by director Alejandro González Iñárritu, accepts the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Well, that’s it. Months of movie-going, campaigning, and precursor awards, and now, it is all over. Birdman, a film that most predicted would win last night, did win, The Grand Budapest Hotel and Whiplash enjoyed good nights, as well, and Boyhood went home almost empty-handed. The show ended a few minutes after midnight here on the East Coast, something the producers always strive to avoid, but if you read on, I have a few suggestions on how to cut some time from the show – as I am sure you all might.

Click here to go to a full list of winners, and read on for Last Cinema Standing’s best and worst things about the 87th Academy Awards.

Best

The winners – People like to grouse about the nominees list every year for what missed out or sometimes for what got in, and those complaints are often valid. However, on the whole, when it comes to picking winners, the Academy does a marvelous job. Birdman is an unimpeachable Best Picture winner, Alejandro González Iñárritu is among the most deserving Best Director winners, and the film’s screenplay win delighted me to no end.

As much as I may have been pulling for other films and performances, it would be hard to argue with a winners list that includes Eddie Redmayne’s magnificent work as Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything, the great shorts Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1, The Phone Call, and Feast, and three well deserved citations for Whiplash.

Neil Patrick Harris – I try not to read any reviews of the show for a while after it ends because I like to decide what I think first. For whatever reason, I am rarely in the consensus, in that I tend to like the show. I do not know if that makes me really unhip or just less of a grouch than most people when it comes to the Oscars. Probably a little of both. I thought Harris was fun, funny, and swift, and he killed it with Anna Kendrick and Jack Black during the opening musical number written by last year’s Best Song winners Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez. I have a hard time believing Common and John Legend will be back to write next year’s opening number, though I would definitely tune in for that.

I liked the magic trick-style payoff to the predictions in the box, and it was fun watching a mostly befuddled Octavia Spencer play along. The seat-fillers bit was good, and really, once you know where to look, you cannot un-see those people. It was particularly jarring when after watching Redmayne and his wife together all night, Redmayne was on stage accepting his award for Best Actor, and someone else was sitting next to her. I thought Harris got in some good jokes, kept the show moving, and was a generally fun presence I would love to see come back.

The speeches – From Patricia Arquette winning Supporting Actress to John Legend and Common with Best Song and all the way up to Iñárritu when Birdman won Best Picture, the calls for equality rang loud and clear from the Dolby Theater last night. Arquette called for equal pay for women in the U.S. – something Meryl Streep clearly was on board with – while Common reminded us that what Martin Luther King Jr. fought for is still being fought for, and Iñárritu called for better treatment of immigrants in this nation. They were brave and important messages spoken by Hollywood’s brightest stars on its biggest stage. Good on them for using their platform to try to make a difference.

Beyond that, I loved watching Best Foreign Language Film winner Pawel Pawlikowsi talk straight through the crescendo of the play-off music and then just keep going. A couple winners did that last night, and why not? No one knows if they will ever be back, so let them soak up every last minute of it. Thankfully, no one’s microphone was cut off. If the night truly is about the winners, they should be allowed to speak, and the director and producers did a good job of letting that happen.

John Legend and Common perform “Glory” – Speaking of John Legend and Common, how about that performance of their original song “Glory” from Selma? It was a weighty moment, filled with meaning for millions across the world and many in the audience. It brought the audience in the Dolby Theater to its feet and had stars such as David Oyelowo and Chris Pine in tears. The performance will live on in Oscar history. To cap it with an Oscar win, well, how could you not vote for that song?

Worst

The Sound of Music tribute – What was that? A 50-year-old movie that most of the world has seen does not need a montage of non-descript clips and a lackluster musical performance. It would be one thing if the tribute performance had been memorable in any way, but Lady Gaga’s sedate medley of numbers from a fairly dusty musical just added to the inanity of it all.

They did this last year with the 75-year anniversary tribute to The Wizard of Oz, and it did not work then, either. A few years back, there was a tribute to movie musicals in general, which made no sense. Enough. We get it. Musical performances seem like they would make for a good show. They do not. This is neither the Grammys nor the Tony Awards. This is the Oscars. The opening musical number and the Best Song performances (see above) are plenty.

Post-In Memoriam performance – On that note, this is the second year in a row they have had the In Memoriam segment followed by a musical performance tribute. Last year was Bette Midler. This year was Jennifer Hudson. Neither year worked. As soon as the show ends, people complain about its length – and often, they do not wait that long. Doubling the running time of the In Memoriam segment does nothing to help that cause, particularly when an extra song actually distracts from the memory of those lost. Either sing under the montage or get rid of the song.

My predictions – Mea culpa. Every year, I go about predicting these things in completely the wrong way. I am always trying to beat everyone else by going with outside-the-box predictions for things that might happen. Well, that is not the way to do it. The consensus usually knows what is going to happen, and I either willfully ignore it or think I know better. No more. Next year, I’m going 24 for 24, guaranteed.

That’s a wrap

Thanks to those of you who have checked in these past few weeks and months to talk about films and indulge my hobby. I love this stuff. There is not a night I enjoy more than the Oscars, and I am glad you folks hung around these parts to share that with me. I am going to take a little time off here to recover, but I will be back soon with more reviews, more columns, and more talk about films I love that I hope you will love, too.

Countdown to the Oscars: Best Original Song

The Lego Movie, which missed out on a Best Animated Feature nomination, is nominated for Best Original Song.

Each day as we make our way to the Academy Awards ceremony Feb. 22, Last Cinema Standing will take an in-depth look at each of the categories, sorting out the highs, the lows, and everything in between. Check back right here for analysis, predictions, and gripes as we inch toward the Dolby Theater and that world-famous red carpet.

Best Original Song

The nominees are:

“Lost Stars” from Begin Again

“Grateful” from Beyond the Lights

“I’m Not Gonna Miss You” from Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me

“Everything Is Awesome” from The Lego Movie

“Glory” from Selma

Full disclosure: This is the category in which I have seen the fewest nominees, just three of the five, because, well, sometimes these things just fly under the radar. As discussed previously in our post about Best Original Score, the music branch’s nominating process is broken. As bad as the rules are for original scores, they are just as bad for songs. Often, the arbitrary guidelines around submissions and eligibility prevent the best work from even being considered, let alone nominated.

Case in point, nothing from either Frank or We Are the Best! was on the initial long list compiled by the music branch because artists must submit their material for consideration. Well, some production companies just do not have the budget to mount an Oscar campaign for their films. Great songs from great films should not be penalized for arbitrary reasons, but that is the current state of the music branch of the Academy, and honestly, it bums me out.

All that being said, the songs that are nominated this year range from good to great and make for a strong lineup. It simply is not as strong a group as it could have been if the branch would loosen its restrictions. One thing that tends to happen with this category is that obscure nominees from little-seen films will get in because they strike a chord with the music branch. However, few Academy members will have seen the films, and due to a short voting window, it is unlikely they will. So, your two most likely winners also come from the two highest profile films in the category.

“Glory” (Selma) – Objectively, this is probably the best song in the bunch, and it has the highest profile. It plays first over the opening credits in a Best Picture nominee that has been very much in the news. Songwriters John Legend and Common have been doing the press rounds at major events, including the Grammys and on 60 Minutes. They won the Golden Globe for best song, and their song appears in the best film of the group.

I love this song, and I love this film, but I do not love this song for this film. Context counts, and a song that plays over the end credits is at a disadvantage because it is perceived as being less important to the film. Beyond that, to my ears, it just does not fit. Director Ava DuVernay creates a highly specific 1960s world, full of moody atmospherics and quiet, delicately observed moments, and the modern sound of “Glory” intrudes at the worst possible time. At the movie’s close, when the audience should be reflecting on the gravity of the film, Legend and Common treat us to a great pop song with brilliant lyrics but an inappropriate feel.

“Everything Is Awesome” (The Lego Movie) – By contrast, this Shawn Patterson-penned, Tegan and Sara-performed synth-rock number is the perfect fit for the style and mood of The Lego Movie. In addition, it is the kind of earwormy pop song that you will find yourself singing hours after you have seen the movie.

Unlike “Glory,” “Everything Is Awesome” is sung throughout the film in a number of different styles that reflect the changing setting of the world as the characters go from place to place. The lyrics are both funny and poignant as they relate to the themes of group think vs. individualism and conformity vs. creativity, ideas that cut to the heart of what The Lego Movie is about.

“Lost Stars” (Begin Again) – Begin Again is not quite a remake of writer-director John Carney’s earlier breakout hit Once, but the films are close enough to make a few comparisons. A guy in the music industry is down on his luck when he meets a young immigrant singer-songwriter who gives him a reason to get his act together. Both films are essentially musicals about musicians, and both ended up nominated for Best Original Song. But where Once was a charming, low-key surprise, Begin Again tries just a little too hard to capture that lightning in a bottle twice.

The song appears in the movie a few times in a couple different versions, and the final conflict of the film revolves around what version audiences will hear. It is kind of an ingenious conflict for a poor singer who could have a breakout hit if she is willing to compromise her vision of the song. Unfortunately, I just did not find the song to be that memorable. Writers Gregg Alexander and Danielle Brisebois have crafted an earnest, emotional ballad, but it is also completely disposable, kind of like the film itself.

“Grateful” (Beyond the Lights) – Now, we are into territory where I would just be guessing. I have heard the song, which is a rousing, soulful ballad, but without knowing its context within the film, I cannot say if it is entirely successful. Beyond the Lights is a backstage musical drama about a pop superstar looking to break out of the box fame has put her in and find her own voice. One thing I can say, as opposed to the would-be hit “Lost Stars,” I could see “Grateful” climbing the charts. Penned by Dianne Warren, it is a radio-ready song that will appeal to voters if they actually take the time to see the movie.

“I’m Not Gonna Miss You” (Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me) – Meaning no disrespect to the great Glen Campbell, this nomination feels like a bit of a cheat. I have not had a chance to see the documentary Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me, which chronicles Campbell as he embarks on his final tour while battling Alzheimer’s. I imagine it is a cathartic and emotional journey, but he is a professional songwriter and musician.

I would expect that a documentary about his life would include an original composition, which Campbell co-wrote with Julian Raymond. To call that a song written specifically for the film – a stipulation of the Best Original Song rules – seems a bit of a stretch. The song itself is quite strong, hitting on themes of loss, regret, love, and pain, all the things a songwriter might think about he nears death. I am happy for Campbell. It is a great work, and he deserves recognition. I just am not sure this was the forum for it.

The final analysis

“Glory” is in the lead for this award, and it would be a highly deserving winner, if only because it will allow us all to call Selma an Academy Award winner as it should be. It should not and may not come down to guilt, but an Academy that wants to recognize a picture that was otherwise unfairly snubbed will be more likely to vote for “Glory.” “Everything Is Awesome” has the narrative relevance and pop sensibility that often combine to make a winner, and the Academy has always been open to songs from animated films, but without a Best Animated Feature nomination, it is possible the love for this particular animated film does not run as deep as some thought. When in doubt, go with the song from the Best Picture nominee.

Will win: “Glory” from Selma

Should win: “Everything Is Awesome” from The Lego Movie

Wish it had been here: “I Love You All” from Frank

Because it deserved at least to be considered, here is my favorite song of the year – from a film or not – “I Love You All,” from Frank, written by Stephen Rennicks and Lenny Abrahamson.