The beginning of a new year is an exciting time, especially for the entertainment industry and all you . We’ve already begun to dip our toes into awards season with The People’s Choice Awards and The Golden Globes, but the excitement has only just started.
Neil Patrick Harris will be our host for the film industry’s most glamorous event of the year and the world is super excited about it. Sure, Ellen Degeneres set the bar extremely high last year with her outstanding hosting and has proven she is one of the best. Who could forget the most famous and epic celebrity selfie of all time? What about Ellen’s Glinda The Good Witch get-up? Or how about the pizza delivery guy who had no idea he was delivering pizza to some of the world’s most respected movie stars? However, NPH has proven to steal the hearts of people of all orientations with his wit, charm, and overall gorgeous face. We’re putting all of our faith into the charismatic star to entertain us to our highest expectations. Don’t let us down NPH! Of course every year, we also anticipate the fashion “do’s & don’t” of the red carpet and obviously the awards themselves.
The biggest award of the evening is ‘Best Picture’ and eight incredible films are in the running. With having the privilege of seeing all eight, it is safe to say that it will be an unpredictable and tight race. Each film shows impeccable acting, cinematography, sound editing, and of course, unforgettable story lines. Let’s take a look at the nominees for Best Picture:
1.) “Birdman”
Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu
Washed-up cinematic superhero Riggan Thompson (played by Michael Keaton), tries to regain some sort of career again by attempting to produce a broadway musical. Riggan’s former drug-addict daughter, Sam (played by Emma Stone), works behind the scenes in her father’s production while struggling to obtain her sobriety right after rehab. Throughout the film, Riggan questions his meaning in this life while being tormented by the voice of his former alter ego, Birdman. This film is up for a whopping nine Academy Awards including: Best Picture, Best Actor (Michael Keaton), Best Director, Best Supporting Actress (Emma Stone), Best Supporting Actor (Edward Norton), Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Sound Editing, and Best Sound Mixing. Keaton successfully won the title of Best Actor in a Comedy at The Golden Globe Awards on January 11th. Emma Stone was nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role at The Golden Globes, but was beat by Patricia Arquette in “Boyhood.” This film will fly you through every emotion such as heartbreak, defeat, determination, and hope.Â
2.) “American Sniper”
Director: Clint Eastwood
Based off of Chris Kyle’s autobiography American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History, this film epically follows the career of Chris and his four tours in Iraq as the deadliest sniper in U.S history. Chris had one major goal in mind: to protect the country he loves deeply. However, he can’t leave the war behind him and PTSD takes over every aspect of his life. Bradley Cooper beautifully transforms into Chris Kyle and gives everything he has into this gut-wretching performance. This film is up for six Academy Award which includes: Best Picture, Best Actor (Bradley Cooper), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Sound Editing, and Best Sound Mixing. After watching this heartbreaking and triumphant film, you will shortly realize the sacrifices and struggles our servicemen and women make to protect our freedom every single day.Â
3.) “The Theory Of Everything”
Director: James Marsh
This is the true story of famed physicist Stephen Hawking (played by Eddie Redmayne), beginning in the 1960’s as a Cambridge University student. He falls in love with fellow collegiette Jane Wilde (played by Felicity Jones). At just the young age of 21, Hawking learns that he has motor neuron disease after a traumatic fall on campus. Despite this, he is determined to put everything he has left into the study of time for the two years he was given by his doctor. With Jane and their children by his side, Stephen defies terrible odds and makes ground-breaking revelations in the fields of medicine and science, making him to be one of the most praised physicists of all time. This film is up for five Academy Awards including: Best Picture, Best Actress (Felicity Jones), Best Actor (Eddie Redmayne), Best Adapted Screenplay, & Best Original Score. Eddie Redmayne holds the victory for Best Actor in a Drama from The Golden Globes. If this film won’t inspire you to do the impossible, nothing will.Â
4.) “Boyhood”
Director: Richard Linklater
This cinematic adventure is life seen through the eyes of a child named Mason (played by Ellar Coltrane), his parents (played by Patricia Arquette and Ethan Hawke), and his sister (Lorelei Linklater). Filmed with the same cast over the course of 12 years, this film takes us through life’s most precious moments and milestones such as birthdays, graduations, relationships, and moving away. Six Academy Award nominations include: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actress (Patricia Arquette), Best Supporting Actor (Ethan Hawke), Best Original Screenplay, and Best Film Editing. This fantastic and courageous film walked away with three Golden Globes, winning for Best Motion Picture (Drama), Best Director, and Best Supporting Actress for Arquette. Relive your childhood through the brightest and darkest times as Richard Linklater outstandingly takes the film industry to places it’s never been before.Â
5.) “The Imitation Game”
Director: Morten TyldumÂ
Set at the brink of World War Two in 1939, this film tells the true story of Cambridge University mathematics professor Alan Turing (played by Benedict Cumberbatch), being recruited by the newly created British intelligence agency MI6 to solve Nazi codes, including Enigma which cryptanalysts had thought to be proven unbreakable. Turing’s team, including Joan Clarke (Keira Knightley), analyze Enigmatic messages while he builds a machine to solve them. Turing and his team succeed after much struggle and become heroes. In 1952, however, Turing encounters trouble when authorities reveal he is gay and send him to prison. This inspiring film is nominated for eight Academy Awards including: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor(Benedict Cumberbatch), ‘Best Supporting Actress (Keira Knightley), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Original Score, and Best Production Design. “The Imitation Game” will encourage you to never give up when you have a groundbreaking vision, even if it seems hopeless.
6.) “Selma”
Director: Ava DuVernay
This is the true story of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (played by David Oyelowo), and his followers back in 1965 Alabama fighting for suffrage. Despite dangerously violent attacks, King and his team historically marched forward from Selma to Montgomery. Due to their courageous efforts, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Sadly and unjustly, this beautiful film was only nominated for two Academy Awards including Best Picture, and Best Original Song. It truly deserves more nominations than given. This film displays Dr. King’s legacy and commemorates all of the brave men and women who were brutally injured or killed while peacefully attempting to gain deserved freedom.
7.) “Whiplash”
Director: Damien Chazelle
Freshman music student, Andrew Neiman (played by Miles Teller), wins a seat behind the drums in a jazz band at the best music school in the country led by the intimidating professor, Terence Fletcher (played by J.K. Simmons). Fletcher is notorious for using fear and abusive language with the idea that it will inject his students with passion to be better. Andrew spends endless nights, to the point of splitting his hands open with his drum sticks, practicing his parts to perfection to win the almost impossible approval of Fletcher. This electrifying film is nominated for five Academy Awards including: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (J.K. Simmons), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing, and Best Sound Mixing. J.K. Simmons took away the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor. “Whiplash” will keep you at the edge of your seat the entire time and gritting your teeth at the shockingly abusive tactics of Terence Fletcher. Â
8.) “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Director: Wes Anderson
This eccentric film takes you on a beautifully cinematic journey to 1930s Europe, where The Grand Budapest Hotel is a buzzing ski resort, managed by concierge Gustave H. (played by Ralph Fiennes). Zero (played by Tony Revolori) a junior lobby boy and refugee, becomes Gustave’s trusted companion and protege. Gustave strives on providing high-class service to the hotel’s guests, including swooning the many elderly women who stay there. Gustave discovers he is the recipient of a priceless painting and the number one suspect when one of his elderly lovers is suddenly murdered. This whimsical tale is nominated (along with “Birdman”) for nine Academy Awards including: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, and Best Makeup and Hair. You will be in awe at the beautiful and colorful cinematography, creative costumes, and charming humor.Â
Each of these films has proven to make us laugh, make us cry, make us reminisce about our best childhood days, inspire us, and refill every lost hope we have. The art of film is a priceless gift we have created for ourselves and is limitless. We can put anything and everything we could ever dream of into a film and live our deepest desire through them. This is the night where dreams come true and stars are born. It is well deserved to the film that wins the big award at the end of the night, as all of these films are absolutely breathtaking. Tune into ABC on February 22nd at 7 PM and join the world in celebrating Hollywood’s most important night of the year.Â