Worst Speech: Jennifer Lawrence—“Silver Linings Playbook”
It isn’t because she tripped. It isn’t because she wished a happy birthday to a random friend. It isn’t even because she didn’t deserve to win. She managed to screw up the opportunity to be gracious and adult by, well, pulling a Jennifer Lawrence.
The young lady previously nominated for “Winter’s Bone” has become a well-respected facet of the Hollywood community for her talent behind a screen (and willingness to pick up the next sci-fi franchise), although her fellow actors always seem to forget she and Ke$ha have something in common; everything.
They gave her an Oscar. She made a silly joke, thanked a few people and ran off the stage. Let’s cross our fingers that she will have been learned her lesson if this happens again.
—Alex Tucker
Best Actor/Actress: Daniel Day-Lewis and Jennifer Lawrence
In the two of the most deserved award wins of the night, best actor and actress found their rightful home. Against the best in their field and faced with serious competition, Daniel Day-Lewis and Jennifer Lawrence came out victorious.
For Day-Lewis, this is his third win in five nominations, a new record for best actor wins. Day-Lewis first won in 1990 for “My Left Foot” and again in 2008 for “There Will Be Blood” and this year for “Lincoln.” Day-Lewis is far and away the best method actor I have ever seen, and quite possibly the best actor of the current generation, and his win was entirely deserved.
Jennifer Lawrence took home the award for best actress with her incredibly moving and mercurial performance in “Silver Linings Playbook,” which was my second favorite movie of the year. Lawrence, only 22, has had an incredibly successful career to date, garnering a Best Actress nominee two years ago for “Winter’s Bone” before being cast as Katniss in “The Hunger Games.”
While tonight may have provided us with some head scratching moments, neither of these two awards felt forced or undeserved.
—Brian Weidy
Seth MacFarlane —The funny and apt Oscars host
Seth MacFarlane entered a lion’s den last night, a theater filled with people who he has personally mocked in “Family Guy.” Even before hearing a single joke, you have to respect the man’s bravery.
Before long, his opening monologue started to look a lot like the TV show that made him famous, full of out-of-left-field, horribly inappropriate digressions. While an 80-year-old Captain Kirk was on the big screen yelling at Seth, and the rest of us were wondering if the show was going to get any stranger, it got a lot stranger.
Seth began singing about his audience’s boobs and Charlize Theron looked like she was ready to march on stage and beat him to death with her $800 purse. After Daniel Radcliffe came on stage with Joseph Gordon-Levitt to do a dance number, the only logical next step in an awards show is to have sock puppets act out a Denzel Washington film.
Seth’s monologue ended with The Help coming on stage to announce the first award. I was about ready for him to stop singing anyway. But after he gave up the spotlight, I actually found myself missing him. This is the brilliance of Seth MacFarlane.
As he’s snidely ridiculing anything and everything, his appeal is that, even when his jokes don’t land, he doesn’t care about what the academy, or anyone at home thinks. Seth carries the lunchroom jerk attitude and wears it too well to not buy in. He has one of those presences that will keep me entertained even if he began singing about nothing in particular with a choir I’ve never heard of (oh, wait).
His job was to make The Oscars enjoyable for his audience, but he took it upon himself to have fun as well, with plenty of music numbers and judgmental remarks made “under his breath”. And while I’m sure some people in the live crowd may not have appreciated his subtle racism, bulimia jokes that brought back early career memories for half the actresses in the room, or his sinister sarcasm, I did.
—Jonny Shapiro
'Argo': The Best Picture winner is worthy of the award
“Argo” is one of those seemingly rare best picture winners that excel in everything a good film is supposed to. It’s surprisingly funny, a potent jab at the movie making business, an armrest gripping thriller and, most of all, a movie that reminds us of the power of movies and why we all still turn out to see them.
But don’t think that “Argo” is just some well-made political thriller, because that would be severely undercutting the magic of the film. “Argo” is a film that reminds us why we go to movies. From the moment our hero Tony Mendez gets the idea for his hair-brained scheme from watching “Battle For The Planet of the Apes” with his son; to the scene where Republican guard members gawk over the story boards of the fake sci-fi movie; to the last shot panning over his son’s “Star Wars” action figures, it’s clear Affleck is showing the audience the inspiring and enchanting nature of cinema. Films encourage us to think outside the box, to challenge norms and to be brave and daring. All these values are encapsulated in Mendez’s mission, and by having it all originate from a weekly movie night with your son we’re shown the amazing and crazy things movies can inspire us to do.
There are many people who will be bitter about “Argo” winning; they’ll say it’s not completely historically accurate, that it’s too unsympathetic in its depictions of the Iranian revolutionaries or that it’s only a well-made thriller. These views are nothing but shortsighted hyperbole. “Argo” is the best film of the year because, through its exciting story and its thematic elements, it reminds us of why we go to movies: to be excited, inspired and enchanted by the power and the magic of cinema. Best picture of the year by far, well done Academy. And to anybody who disagrees… well you can go “Argo-f***- yourself!”
—Lars Lindqvist
Best Speech: Daniel Day-Lewis—'Lincoln'
Not only was he the best performer of the night, he was also gracious, sincere, touching and as good-spirited as always. Day-Lewis made history Sunday night by becoming the only man to win Best Actor in a Lead Role three times. Practice must make perfect, because his acceptance speech was pure gold.
Day-Lewis joked with the audience as he displayed his shock and gratitude with stammering words. He thanked his wife, used big words and complimented his fellow nominees all without the smug condescension often shown by his predecessors.
To finish: “For my mother.” What a way to accept an Academy Award.
—Alex Tucker
Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actresss
Christoph Waltz, formerly best known for his award-winning role in “Inglorious Bastards” (2009), took home the Oscar tonight for his supporting role in Tarantino’s quirky spaghetti western, “Django Unchained.” Waltz gave his respect to co-nominees—Robert De Niro, Tommy Lee Jones, Alan Arkin and Philip Seymour Hoffman—a phenomenal bunch that made results rather unpredictable. Waltz also credited director and screenwriter Quentin Tarantino for his genius and the inspiring world that he created. “We participated in a hero’s journey—the hero here being Quentin,” said Waltz. This is his second Academy Award in the same category.
Just as predicted, the award for best supporting actress went to Anne Hathaway for her portrayal of Fantine in Tom Hooper’s “Les Miserables.” Hathaway struggled to hold back tears as she accepted her first Academy Award (she has been previously nominated for her role in the 2008 film, “Rachel Getting Married”). Hathaway graciously acknowledged her co-nominees as well as her own cast and crew, especially Hugh Jackman. She also thanked her creative team, particularly Simon Hayes and the rest of the award-winning sound wizards. Hathaway ended her speech by expressing an inspired hope for future generations, that the misfortunes of Fantine will soon be something only found in stories and not real life.
—Gabriella Bonamici
