My Oscar Reactions!

I apologize that they're coming so late, but here are my reactions to the big winners on Sunday night! For the most part, I guessed very well (I won my family's pool!). There were some surprises, obviously, but I'd say overall, most of the winners were expected. Below is a summary of my thoughts.....

Best Picture: Argo

After Affleck was snubbed of a Best Director nomination, Argo gained considerable steam, and dethroned the film considered to be the frontrunner all season: Lincoln. Though I would have been happy to see either film win, Argo was a truly exceptional film. The victory was well-deserved.

Best Director: Ang Lee

This was the biggest surprise of the night, and the only major category that I missed. I thought that Spielberg was going to take home his first Oscar in many, many years, but the Academy chose to honor the filmmaker who not only made an "unfilmable" film, but also did so very well. It is a curious thing that Steven Spielberg, widely considered to be one of the finest filmmakers of all time, could be underrated (only 2 Directing Oscars?). I was pulling for his win, but I was also happy for Lee.

Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis

This one was a given. Day-Lewis's performance was nothing short of dazzling, and no one else should have won.

Best Actress: Jennifer Lawrence

I think Jennifer Lawrence is a great actress, and her performance in Silver Linings Playbook was impressive, but I did not think it was Oscar-worthy. Unfortunately, Harvey Weinstein bought this Oscar for her. Emmanuelle Riva, on her 86th birthday, deserved it more. Her performance was mesmerizing, while Lawrence's was, unfortunately, conventional. I was disappointed with this one.

Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz

In a category filled with worthy contenders, it was Waltz who came out on top, and for good reason: his portrayal of Dr. King Schultz in Django Unchained was spectacular. I really think he should have been nominated in the Lead Actor category because he was pretty much the entire film, but I can understand why his chances of winning monumentally escalated in the Supporting category. Plus, Waltz is such a class act, so it was great seeing him win!

Best Supporting Actress: Anne Hathaway

This category was as much a lock as Best Actor. Hathaway nabbed her first Oscar for her portrayal as the sick prostitute Fantine in Les Mis. I think her performance was the best of the five, and so her win was well-deserved.

Other Musings

• Pixar did it again, winning Best Animated Feature for Brave. A very charming film, I'm glad it won!
• There was a tie! The exceedingly rare outcome came in the Sound Editing category, with Oscars going to both Zero Dark Thirty and Skyfall. Congrats!
• Adele is unstoppable: She is halfway to EGOT with her Oscar win. Maybe she'll look into that Emmy or Tony sometime soon?
• Searching For Sugarman won for Best Documentary, which absolutely delighted me. It was one of the best films of the year, and it completely deserved the win.
• Chris Terrio (Argo) and Quentin Tarantino Django Unchained) won the Adapted and Original Screenplay categories, respectively. They were very worthy winners, although Tarantino's win was bittersweet, because it means that Mark Boal was not honored for his superb work in developing Zero Dark Thirty.