Sunday, March 2nd marked the 86th annual Academy Awards, with Ellen Degeneres hosting for her second time. Ellen kept both celebrities and viewers laughing the whole night, whether she was making fun of Jennifer Lawrence’s tendency to fall, or successfully crashing Twitter with her star-studded selfie.
Ellen’s selfie, which including Bradley Cooper, Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence, Jared Leto, Channing Tatum, Lupita Nyong’o, her brother, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Julia Roberts, and Kevin Spacey, was not the only stunt Ellen pulled that night, although it broke the retweet record. She also ordered three pizzas for the hungry celebrities. Brad Pitt passed out the paper plates.
Delivery boy Edgar Martirosyan was said to have received a $1,ooo tip from his unexpected delivery. Big Mama’s and Papa’s Pizzeria is owned by two brothers in California, and it turns out this upcoming pizzeria has a Niles North connection. Gevik Anbarchian, English and ELL teacher at Niles North is cousins with the boys who own the pizzeria. The two brothers opened their first pizzeria in Glendale, California when they were still in high school. They were simultaneously taking ELL classes, as they arrived from Soviet Armenia after their father passed away. Despite the fact that they came to America with only a couple suitcases and a few hundred dollars, they now own over twenty restaurants in both California and Nevada.
“My cousins are now part of American pop-cultural history.” Anbarchian proudly said. “A true American immigrant success story.”
John Travolta added to the humorous night when he butchered up, although unintentionally, Idina Menzel’s name when announcing her “Let it Go” performance. The next day, Travolta reportedly could not stop “beating himself up” over his mistake. Check out this site to see how the well meaning Travolta would have messed up your own name!
While Sunday had many laughable moments, the night was filled with memorable tributes and historic wins.
Pop-rock singer Pink made a memorable Oscar debut, paying tribute to the 75th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz by singing the movie’s “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” made famous by Judy Garland in its 1939 release.
Bette Midler sang “Wind Beneath My Wings,” paying tribute to the stars Hollywood has lost over the past year, of which included Shirley Temple, Paul Walker, and Philip Seymour Hoffman.
The wins in top categories were as follows;
Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Lupita Nyong’o was arguably the star of the night, being of the very few to win an Academy Award with their debut performance. Nyong’o took home the Oscar for her portrayal of Patsey in 12 Years a Slave.
Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Jared Leto took home the award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his portrayal of an HIV positive transgender woman in Dallas Buyers Club. The 42 year old rockstar made his return to the screen an Oscar worthy performance.
Best Actress in a Leading Role: Cate Blanchett took home the award for Best Actress for her performance in Blue Jasmine, in which she portrayed a rich Manhattan socialite who fall into poverty. This was Blanchett’s second Oscar, the first being for The Aviator(2004).
Best Actor in a Leading Role: Matthew Mcconaughey won the Academy Award for Best Actor in his role as Ron Woodroof, an electrician and rodeo enthusiast who becomes an importer of experimental AIDS medications after contracting HIV, in Dallas Buyers Club. Mcconaughey reportedly lost 40lbs for the role. Also nominated in this category was Leonardo Dicaprio for his performance in The Wolf of Wall Street. Dicaprio walked away empty handed for the fifth time. Many feel that Dicaprio’s Oscar is long overdue, however Mcconaughey’s dedication and performance was second to none.
Best Director: Alfonso Cuaron won best director for Gravity. The science fiction thriller was a big winner this evening, with a total of seven Oscars at the end of the night, including best visual effects, cinematography, and original score.
Best Picture: 12 Years a Slave. This eye-opening historical drama, based on the 1853 memoir of the same name by Solomon Northup, took home three Oscars, including Best Picture. In his acceptance speech, the film’s director Steve McQueen dedicated the award to all those who had suffered slavery. Winner of Best Picture at both the Golden Globes and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), it was no surprise that McQueen’s powerful film took home the Oscar.
American Hustle was nominated for 10 Oscars but did not win any, however it was said to be a close contender for both Best Supporting Actress and Best Picture. Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street also failed to win in any of its five categories. Captain Phillips did not win any of its five nominations, and leading actor Tom Hanks was not nominated for his role.
Overall, the 86th Academy Awards was a memorable night. While there can only be one winner in these continuously competitive categories (there’s always next year, Leo), the Oscars reflected the immense talent that goes into creating such cinematic masterpieces as the ones of 2013.
