86th annual Academy Awards retrospective

By: Peter Lewis

On March 2, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the AMPAS, held the 86^th annual Academy Awards from the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles . For the second time, comedian Ellen Degeneres hosted.  With performances from U2, Pharrell Williams and others, plus a theme of celebrating movie heroes, this was yet another worthwhile watch.

            Unlike other entertainment award shows concerning the arts, the Academy Awards have a very set identity. Where other shows struggle to either find a balance of awarding popularity and art, the Academy is straight to the point.  The Academy Awards are awarding based on the most artistic expression in film, the most well-structured and put together film, and anything that changes film.  In the opinions of those who are in the Academy, this was their list for the 2013 film year. Winners are in bold.

Best Picture

Best Picture may easily be the most important category, because it’s where everything comes together and makes or break whatever the film is telling or trying to get out in the world.  This year, nine films were up for nomination in the most scrutinized category.  While other categories will be debated, best picture will be the most remembered award and decide the fate of the show as it has in years past.  Listed are the films and their IMDb description.

 

·         American Hustle- A con man, Irving Rosenfeld, along with his seductive British partner, Sydney Prosser, is forced to work for a wild FBI agent, Richie DiMaso. DiMaso pushes them into a world of Jersey powerbrokers and mafia.

·         Captain Phillips- The true story of Captain Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the US-flagged MV Maersk Alabama, the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in two hundred years.

·         Dallas Buyers Club- In 1985 Dallas, electrician and hustler Ron Woodroof works around the system to help AIDS patients get the medication they need after he is himself diagnosed with the disease.

·         Gravity- A medical engineer and an astronaut work together to survive after an accident leaves them adrift in space.

·         Her- A lonely writer develops an unlikely relationship with his newly purchased operating system that's designed to meet his every need.

·         Nebraska- An aging, booze-addled father makes the trip from Montana to Nebraska with his estranged son in order to claim a million-dollar Mega Sweepstakes Marketing prize.

·         Philomena- A world-weary political journalist picks up the story of a woman's search for her son, who was taken away from her decades ago after she became pregnant and was forced to live in a convent.

·         12 Years a Slave- In the antebellum United States, Solomon Northup, a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery.

·         The Wolf of Wall Street-  Based on the true story of Jordan Belfort, from his rise to a wealthy stockbroker living the high life to his fall involving crime, corruption and the federal government.

12 Years a Slave, American Hustle, and Gravity are the major contenders for the prize this year as reported by numerous entertainment commenters.  The Wolf of Wall Street, Dallas Buyers Club, and Her are the next in line to win, while the remaining films are long shots at best to win. 

The remaining major categories this year listed below may look competitive on paper, but other than Best Director, had fairly easy calls on who won.

 

Best Actor

·         Christian Bale- American Hustle

·         Bruce Dern- Nebraska

·         Leonardo DiCaprio- The Wolf of Wall Street

·         Chiwetel Ejiofor- 12 Years a Slave

·         Matthew McConaughey- Dallas Buyers Club

 

Best Actress

·         Amy Adams- American Hustle

·         Cate Blanchett- Blue Jasmine

·         Sandra Bullock- Gravity

·         Judi Dench- Philomena

·         Meryl Streep- August: Osage County

 

Best Director

·         Alexander Payne- Nebraska

·         Alfonso Cuaron- Gravity

·         Steve McQueen- 12 Years a Slave

·         Martin Scorsese- The Wolf of Wall Street

·         David O. Russell- American Hustle

 

 Best Supporting Actor

·         Jared Leto- Dallas Buyers Club

·         Michael Fassbender- 12 Years a Slave

·         Jonah Hill- The Wolf of Wall Street

·         Barkhad Abdi- Captain Phillips

·         Bradley Cooper- American Hustle

 

Best Supporting Actress

·         June Squibb- Nebraksa

·         Lupita Nyong’o- 12 Years a Slave

·         Sally Hawkins- Blue Jasmine

·         Jennifer Lawrence- American Hustle

·         Julia Roberts- August: Osage County