By Ian Rapoport
Executive Arts Editor
When I sat down to watch the 87th-annual Academy Awards, I was disgruntled and annoyed at the thought of sitting through three hours of weak jokes and self-flattering speeches. But, when the show finished, all I wanted to do was turn back the clock and kick myself for thinking such an absurd thought.
This year’s Oscars show impressed in every respect. Actor Neil Patrick Harris was a brilliant host, while the show’s musical performances and the winners’ acceptance speeches each brilliantly succeeded in outdoing their phenomenal predecessors. Being consistently charming over the course of three hours is an arduous task, but it was something that Harris was able to achieve with flying colors. His opening joke, which insulted the Academy for generally feeling dominated by the interests of old white men, established a note of honesty early on that succeeded in making his witty remarks throughout the rest of the show all the more enjoyable.
Luckily, the show did not lose steam when Harris was off-stage, as the performances of the singles nominated for Best Original Song each flawlessly captured the themes of the films they were from. Country singer Tim McGraw’s performance of “I’m Not Gonna Miss You” from the documentary film “Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me” was emotionally devastating, as the song’s lyrics delved into the most horrifying aspects of Alzheimer’s disease.
Rapper Common and musician John Legend’s performance of Best Original Song winner, “Glory,” from the film “Selma,” was accompanied by a choir and stage made to look like the bridge Martin Luther King, Jr. crossed in his march from Selma in the name of voting rights. The clear imagery, coupled with Common’s strong vocals and Legend’s simple, yet motivational piano playing made a performance that would have made King proud.
However, the real star of the show was the award winners’ acceptance speeches. Director Laura Poitras, winner of Best Documentary Film for “Citizenfour,” commended the actions of U.S. traitor Edward Snowden at the end of her speech, which, (despite whether or not you agree with her) was undoubtedly courageous.
After winning Best Adapted Screenplay for writing “The Imitation Game,” Graham Moore took a moment to talk about how he attempted suicide as a teen because he felt like he did not fit in and how he worked to overcome his depression. In just a few quick sentences, Moore gave a speech that was as crushingly heartbreaking as it was powerfully inspiring.
To put it simply, the 87th-annual Academy Awards was fun, emotional and uplifting, doing justice to a year overflowing with phenomenal films.
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