In my opinion, the Hollywood crowd just flunked "Audience." Many adroit bits of humor either went right over their heads or they were afraid laugh lines would spoil their Botox. (I know, I know... Meow...)
Here were some of the featured players:
- Neil Patrick Harris did a terrific job as host, from his sendup of "Birdman" in his whitey tighties to his clever introductions that seemed to fall on mostly deaf ears, e.g., he said Jason Bateman was the only person in the room who had successfully navigated a path from being a child star to an adult one. (Harris has done EXACTLY that, from TV's "Doogie Howser, M.D." to Broadway and Hollywood fame. The audience seemed unaware.)
- J.T. Simmons (Best Supporting Actor for "Whiplash") made a great impression thanking his wife for raising their "above average children" and urging the audience to "Call your mom! Call your dad!" He began his career in Montana theater, but spent time in Seattle working here.
- Patricia Arquette (Best Supporting Actress for twelve-years-in-the-making "Boyhood") brought the audience to its feet with her call for equality for women.
- Julianne Moore (Best Actress for "Still Alice") made a call for research and funding to cure Alzheimer's. She also mentioned that she read that an Oscar winner lives an average of five years longer than his or her peers. She's glad she won, because she's older than her husband.
- Eddie Redmayne (Best Actor for "The Theory of Everything") was absolutely dancing with joy but managed to thank everybody and his uncle.
- Lady Gaga surprised all of us with her coloratura rendition of selections from "The Sound of Music." I had NO idea that she was a trained singer. Julie Andrews was appropriately impressed and grateful (Andrews suffered damage to her vocal chords decades ago and hasn't been able to sing since). This was to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the movie.
- Wes Anderson ("The Grand Budapest Hotel") never took the stage but the cameras sought his happy face over and over as Oscar winners sang his praises for his dedication to filmcraft. (That isn't a word but it should be!)
- Graham Moore (Best Adapted Screenplay for "The Imitation Game") told us he had tried to commit suicide when he was a teenager because he "felt different and like he didn't belong." He reached out to any teenagers who might be watching to reassure them that they DO belong!
- Clint Eastwood ("American Sniper") never took the stage but his sound editors Alan Robert Murray and Bub Asman won for Best Sound Editing. Eastwood's blockbuster made more than the rest of the "Best Picture" nominees combined.
- Laura Poitras, Mathilde Bonnefoy and Dirk Wilutzky (Best Documentary for "Citizenfour") made a plea for protection from governmental overreach, case in point: Whistleblower Edward Snowden must remain in exile. When Neil Patrick Harris said Snowden "couldn't be with us tonight," it went right over the audience's head.
- Joan Rivers - did the "In Memoriam" segment overlook her? If she was included, I missed it.
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