Academy Awards 2014

Although I won't be able to watch them, except possibly the last half hour between The Talking Dead and True Detective, I hope that Amy Adams wins for best actress, she's up against stiff competition but she deserves the Oscar.

With 9 movies up for Best Picture there was a plethora of performances to choose from. I always come down on the side of Judi Dench but I can see the merit of quite a few of the other actors, including Amy Adams who really was wonderful in her movie.   

Ah, Cate Blanchette won. That was one of the performances I didn't see because it was a Woody Allen film. Glad Matthew McConaghy won although his category was so full of great performances I don't know how anybody could decide between them. And I am satisfied that 12 Years A Slave took best picture. Loved Ellen DeGeneres as a host.  

http://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/movie-news/2014-oscars--complete-list-of-nominees-and-winners-201452624.html

Gravity was the only movie I saw so can't say anything about the rest except that McConaghy's performance in True Detective is more interesting to me than in Dallas Buyers Club which may be rated higher than it deserves. At only $22 million at the box office, that number would normally be called a failure or at least disappointing.

Interesting that the Legos movie has brought in more than 9 times as much, so far.  But it's not unusual that the movies that resonate with the general movie public are not the same as the ones that get the awards.

Also, McConaghy's thanks at the Awards, was baffling to the audience......quite interesting.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2571689/Oscars-2014-Pregnant-Olivia-Wilde-dresses-bump-elegant-black-white-gown-hits-Oscars-red-carpet-Jason-Sudeikis.html

http://www.vanityfair.com/vf-hollywood/vanity-fair-oscar-party-2014-photos

I loved McConaghy's speech. He thanked in a sweet and thoughtful way the people who mean something to him. Particularly to his Mom I think he was saying that she taught him to believe in himself which gave him the courage at a certain point in his career to start turning down those shirtless stud roles (with no guarantee that he would ever be offered anything else) and invest himself in poorly paid but more interesting roles which have now led him to some real breakthru roles and consequently "power to choose" in Hollywood. And he said the real worth of that was in making his family proud of him.

He has never been a particular favorite of mine...but "Good for him!" Sounds like a well earned award to me.  

It was a good speech, I was thinking of the part where he thanked God, and it was met by nearly dead silence.

Ah, he said that was who he "looked up to" . Well, the Oscar audience isn't used to anything but rote speeches so someone talking honestly to them no doubt left them a bit....contemplative.   

LOL ! I was very glad McConaghy won. He lives in Austin and is very approachable. Often people visiting in different parts of downtown have run into him and he has grabbed their camera and called for a friend of his to come take their picture. He is very open and friendly but doesn't tarry. As soon as the onlookers get their picture and are standing in awe, up drives a car for Matthew and he jumps in and waves saying he's got to get home to the family.

I think he is finally taking his craft seriously and making people realize he is and always has been a good actor but in his early days who could get beyond his good looks?

His speech did surprise me but in a good way. It takes guts to speak your mind. Especially in front of that group. Good for him!  

I was struck by what he actually looks like (not that I was ignorant of that ) vs. what he looks like on True Detective in those scenes where he's sitting, talking to the two detectives, with his long gray hair, chain smoking, and making 'things' out of the Lone Star beer cans.....  

Well, I think the hair was dyed a darker color than his usual look and was styled . But I'm sure he does look better than that character (altho I still have a soft spot for the long haired boys...leftover from the college days) and he cleans up darn nicely.  

Yes, he does clean up nicely. Craig read an article which stated that he had not gained all his weight back. He still needed between 10 to 15 pounds to be back where he started. I barely recognized him in the movie...I think loosing all that weight was a big tipping point and spurred him on to make it more real.