A veteran host of other awards ceremonies, Neil Patrick Harris made his Oscar debut on the Dolby Theater stage and did a little bit of everything. There was a spectacle-packed opening number featuring the DeLorean time machine from “Back to the Future” and several Marilyn Monroes. And there was his parody of a scene from “Birdman,” in which Michael Keaton runs through Times Square in his underpants. Mr. Harris ran through backstage corridors and onto the stage in white briefs and black socks and shoes.
The show itself was an awkward mix of socially charged commentary — like Patricia Arquette’s call for gender equity and John Legend’s plea to protect voting rights — and traditional segments like a tribute to “The Sound of Music.” After Laura Poitras collected the Oscar for her documentary “Citizenfour” and praised her subject, the whistleblower Edward J. Snowden, “for his courage,” Mr. Harris joked that he “couldn’t be here for some treason.”
Patrick T. Fallon for The New York Times
February 23, 2015
With a 90 percent chance of rain, the Academy was taking no chances and erected elaborate tenting. But a leak sprung and pandemonium ensued. Among the journalists. The celebrities were much more sanguine. For the British contingent, which included David Oyelowo, the weather was a reminder of home. “If the Brits are going to invade, we should let the weather do it, too,” he said.
And Kerry Washington, the “Scandal” star, had practical advice for her fellow celebrities. “So what if we all have to deal with a little bit of sogginess and frizz?” she said. “California needs water. Everybody suck it up and celebrate the rain.”
Monica Almeida/The New York Times
The Academy took steps Sunday to quiet the clamor — fueled by the perceived snub of “Selma” in the directing and acting categories — over a lack of diversity among its membership voters. Among the black stars lined up to present were Terrence Howard, Kevin Hart, Oprah Winfrey, Zoe Saldana and Viola Davis. The musical performers included Common, John Legend and Jennifer Hudson.
The Oscar audience was up last year, to 43.6 million viewers, the best since 2000 according to Nielsen. But that set the bar high — and the black audience is crucial. In a good ratings year, like 2005, when Chris Rock was the host, African-Americans accounted for 12.5 percent of Oscar viewers, Nielsen data showed. In a weak year, like 2008, they fell to 6.7 percent.
Neil Patrick Harris hit the controversy head on at the start of the show, quipping, “Tonight we honor Hollywood’s best and whitest, sorry, brightest.”
— BROOKS BARNES and MICHAEL CIEPLY
Patrick T. Fallon for The New York Times
“Call your mom, call your dad. If you’re lucky enough to have a parent or two alive on this planet, call ‘em.
Don’t text. Don’t email. Call them on the phone.”
— J.K. Simmons, accepting his supporting actor Oscar for “Whiplash”
Gender equity, or lack thereof, was a theme of this awards season, and the absence of female filmmakers like Ava DuVernay (“Selma”) and Angelina Jolie (“Unbroken”) in the best director category was widely noted. So when Patricia Arquette took the stage to accept her best supporting actress Oscar, her rousing speech brought cheers from the audience and a fellow nominee, Meryl Streep, to her feet. “To every woman who gave birth, to every taxpayer and citizen of this nation, we have fought for everybody’s equal rights,” Ms. Arquette said. “It’s our time to have wage equality once and for all, and equal rights for women in the United States of America.”
Patrick T. Fallon for The New York Times
“They are four women, plus, in accordance with California state law, Meryl Streep.”
— Jared Leto
“The Lego Movie” may have gotten snubbed for best animated feature, and it may have lost best song, the only category it was nominated in. But the performance of that song, “Everything Is Awesome,” was a hit in the Dolby Theater and online.
The rousing number featured Tegan and Sara, the Lonely Island guys, Questlove, a Batman, many many dancing construction workers (per the movie) and even a furry Awesome Possum.
But they weren’t even the best part: That would be the Lego Oscars given to Oprah and others and were instantly coveted by multitudes of Twitter users.
By the way: Not many people knew Tegan and Sara were behind the song. “It’s kind of like the perfect thing where we can tell people it’s us if we want them to know,” Sara said on the red carpet, “and then if they’re like, that song is driving me crazy, I’m like, I know, who sings it, they’re the worst.”
Photographs by Monica Almeida/The New York Times. Top right: Patrick T. Fallon for The New York Times
For the In Memoriam segment of the Academy Awards, the membership of the committee that selects who is remembered reportedly keeps itself secret. After Joan Rivers was not remembered in this year’s broadcast, you could understand why.
The segment mentioned Mike Nichols, Maya Angelou, Elizabeth Peña and more than one marketing executive. But when Ms. Rivers wasn’t mentioned, the outrage was vented in many, many tweets:
“Did I miss Joan Rivers? Or did the Oscars?” — @poniewozik
“Hey @Oscars Joan Rivers is the only reason 3/4ths of people watch your boring 3 hour award show, put her in the In Memoriam.” — @nikkikoppers
“Look, Joan Rivers was ok but she was no Marketing Executive. — @BillCorbett
“Bad news, Academy. There’s a red carpet on the way to the afterlife, and Joan Rivers will show you even less mercy than usual.” — @peterhartlaub
Ms. Rivers, as the chief of fashion police for the red carpet, played an important role in the Oscars, but perhaps one the Academy might not want to acknowledge.
— MICHAEL ROSTON
Patrick T. Fallon for The New York Times
“Tonight, I am wearing the real Michael Keaton
tighty whities.”
— Alejandro G. Iñárritu, accepting the Oscar for directing “Birdman”
John Travolta memorably mangled Idina Menzel’s name at last year’s ceremony. Remember Adele Dazeem? But the witty idea of pairing the two onstage at this year’s show was undercut when the actor touched her face in a sort-of caress more than once. Cue the GIFs.
John Shearer/Invision, via Associated Press
Common and John Legend’s performance of “Glory,” the song they wrote for “Selma,” proved an emotional showstopper. The visibly moved audience — including a tearful David Oyelowo, the film’s star — leapt to its feet and applauded for what seemed like minutes. As a fitting capper, the musicians won the best song Oscar.
Patrick T. Fallon for The New York Times
February 23, 2015
Going into Sunday’s ceremony, the cinematographer Roger Deakins had been nominated 11 times without a win (that includes the year he was nominated twice). The 12th time was not the charm. His work on “Unbroken” was passed over in favor of Emmanuel Lubezki and “Birdman.”
Andrew Gombert/European Pressphoto Agency
February 23, 2015
The Oscar producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron are known for their love of movie musicals, and they’ve used the Academy Awards ceremony to celebrate the form before. This year, they enlisted Lady Gaga in a 50th-anniversary tribute to “The Sound of Music” that proved winning even if it arrived after 11 p.m. At the end, the original Maria, Julie Andrews, applauded her note-perfect performance.
Patrick T. Fallon for The New York Times
As he was presenting the best picture Oscar for “Birdman” to the Mexican director Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Sean Penn joked, or tried to, “Who gave this son of a bitch a green card?”
The show was ticking past midnight, and Mr. Iñárritu took the stage and went for the save: “Two Mexicans in a row. That’s suspicious, I guess,” he responded.
The remark by Mr. Penn, a star of Mr. Iñárritu’s 2003 film “21 Grams,” did not go over well in many quarters, but backstage the director said he wasn’t offended. “I found it hilarious,” he said, adding “Sean and I have that kind of brutal relationship. I think it was very funny.”
Patrick T. Fallon for The New York Times
Correction: An earlier version of this item misidentified a comedy group taking part in the performance of “Everything Is Awesome.” The group is the Lonely Island, not Lonely Planet.
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