A historic night where every Best Picture nominee won an award
In short: The 87th Academy Awards marked a rare cinematic milestone: for the first time since 2010, every single film nominated for Best Picture walked away with at least one trophy. It was a night of record-breaking viewership and intense cultural scrutiny over the industry's diversity.
The 87th Academy Awards, held on February 22, 2015, at the Dolby Theatre, showcased a year of diverse cinematic achievements. Birdman emerged as a major victor, securing four awards including Best Picture. Following the 1980s Ordinary People, this production marked the initial instance of a Best Picture victor lacking an editing nod. Other significant winners included The Grand Budapest Hotel, which also took home four awards, and Whiplash, which earned three.
The ceremony was also defined by individual milestones. Alejandro G. After Cuarón triumphed for Gravity, Iñárritu secured the second straight Best Director title for a Mexican. Lubezki joined a small group of four people to secure back-to-back Best Cinematography trophies, a milestone last reached by John Toll in 1995. On the acting side, 84-year-old Robert Duvall set a record as the oldest male acting nominee in Oscar history.
Despite the artistic accolades, the ceremony faced significant backlash regarding racial diversity. For the second time since 1998, all 20 acting nominees were of Caucasian descent, sparking the OscarsSoWhite movement and criticism from figures like Congressman Tony Cárdenas. This contrasted sharply with the previous year's nominations, which included winners like Lupita Nyong'o and the film 12 Years a Slave.
The production also faced mixed critical reviews. While the telecast reached over 37 million viewers in the U.S., some critics described the hosting by Neil Patrick Harris as a "slog," noting that his running gags felt tedious or poorly paced. However, the musical performances, including the opening number "Moving Pictures," were frequently cited as the evening's saving grace.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: 87th Academy Awards
- Also: Wikidata — 87th Academy Awards · CC0
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