Granted, this year’s Oscars were by no means the most exciting, scandalous, or even most amusing we’ve seen in a while. But that’s not to say the evening didn’t have some great moments. Because honestly, at over three hours long what program is ever going to seem to be a hit in its entirety? The Oscars always have us talking about something, here’s the top moments from the 2015 Oscars that stood out.

#1. The Opening Number

Obviously Neil Patrick Harris is most known for his amazing Tony Awards hosting where he always does musical numbers. Which are of course expected for an evening celebrating theater. The Oscars also have a long history of musical openings, so this was an obvious but excellent decision. NPH sang a touching and catchy tune celebrating movies (of course) but the whole number was stepped up several notches when he was joined by current American Sweetheart Anna Kendrick donning her lovely Cinderella dress from Into the Woods. Just in case anyone worried it would get in schmaltz territory, Jack Black brought some dark moodiness to the affair joining the two on stage and bringing us back to the modern era by reminding us most people watch movies on their “screens in their jeans.” It’s our new favorite hashtag (#screensinjeans).

#2. J.K. Simmons Uses His Acceptance Speech to Get Us All to Call Our Parents

One hears a wealth of emotional and inspiring things in acceptance speeches, and often parents are thanked and appreciated in such speeches, but its more rare for the audience to be chided for neglecting their parents. Not that Best Supporting Actor winner J.K. Simmons meant to make us all feel super guilty that we only call our parents every once in a while, but when the man who threw stools at Miles Teller’s head tells you to call your parents you get the impression he means NOW. On it, sir.

#3. Tegan and Sara and The Lonely Island’s Performance of “Everything is Awesome”

Considering we all knew they weren’t nominated and weren’t likely to win anything at the Oscars, the people behind The Lego Movie still got the point across that they know their film is awesome and nothing has changed. Complete with dancers dressed as characters from the film and with that awesome energetic beat, “Everything is Awesome” was one of the bigger spectacles of the night and by far one of the lighter and more fun moments. When Will Arnett came out to do his solo as Lego Batman, the awesome levels truly were at an all-time high. The real winners were lucky audience members who were handed Lego statuettes, a throwback to director Philip Lord’s tweet that an Oscar nomination mattered not, he could make his own.

#4. NPH’s Birdman/Whiplash Mashup

Running around in his tightie-whities was good enough. Making the connection between Birdman’s erratic drums soundtrack and Miles Teller in Whiplash was perfect. A mostly naked NPH telling Teller his playing was “not my speed” made for some of the biggest laughs of the evening. And those feeling slightly scandalized by the whole thing are just silly. It’s the perfect meta-moment when a live television program references a film scene in which a celebrity endures a ridiculous moment during another piece of live theater. It’s a great scene in the movie and was great when NPH did it as well.

#5. Patricia Arquette’s Simple But Passionate Acceptance Speech/Meryl Streep’s Reaction

These two tie, mostly because they happened at the same time. Upon winning her Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, Patricia Arquette thanked all the appropriate people, referenced the sanitation organization she’s involved with and then somewhat unexpectedly threw out that it was time for equality for women in the workplace. Nothing new, granted, but during a night when everyone seemed to have left their soapboxes at home, it was a refreshing reminder that women especially need to use the spotlight whenever it’s given to them to remind others of where we stand. Almost just as stirring was Meryl Streep’s instant reaction, jumping to her feet and raising her arms in support (now our new favorite gif). The fact that such simple statements still get a rise out of those who hear them, means we’re not quite there yet with women’s equality—(not to mention the clarity the Sony hacking gave us in the differences in paychecks still happening in the industry). Thank you Patricia for the needed reminder.

#6. Common and John Legend’s Performance of “Glory”

We’ve seen this one performed a few times, the Golden Globes and the Grammys most recently, but somehow this performance beat out all the rest. For one because Common and John Legend had a powerful group of people walking slowly behind them as though down the road to Selma. The visuals were truly fantastic, but also since Selma was snubbed in many ways for these Oscars, it was as though these two men were committed to giving the film the recognition it deserved. And boy did they move us. There were tears a plenty in the audience, most notably streaming down star David Oyelowo’s face and also Chris Pine’s (causing female hearts around the country to simply snap in two.) The performance made their win for Best Song even more deserved, and the two men spoke so eloquently and with such conviction all the feels just came rushing back. A sincere congratulations to everyone involved with Selma.

#7. First Time Writer/Winner Graham Moore’s Acceptance Speech

As a complete newbie, it was heartwarming to see the young Graham Moore pick up an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for The Imitation Game, but his speech went even further in making us love him. Falling in line with the slew of “it gets better” style speeches we’ve seen lately, Moore spoke of his attempt to commit suicide at 16 and that anyone out there thinking those same thoughts needs to “Stay weird. Stay different. And when it’s your turn, pass this message on to the next person.” It’s the sort of message we can always use reminding of. And those trolls of the Internet who poked fun at Moore, saying for someone calling for “weird and different” he had one of the more boring scripts of the year, should do well to remember it’s adapted. You can only work with what you got, people.

#8. John Travolta is Ridiculously Creepy to Idina Menzel

So John Travolta made for the best joke of last year’s Oscar show by weirdly mispronouncing Idina Menzel’s name as “Adele Dazeem” before her performance of “Let It Go” from Frozen. An entire meme was formed and we all had a great laugh. Idina Menzel got her much deserved revenge by announcing John Travolta as “Glom Gazingo” when he joined her on stage last night. This was plenty funny and much deserved but as though overly trying to endear the audience (and apparently Menzel) Travolta got extra touchy, weirdly closing in on Menzel and touching her face. It was strange and just reinforced our preconceived notion that Travolta is turning into one of the more eccentric characters in Hollywood.

#9. Eddie Redmayne Wins Best Actor and Oozes Adorableness

Even we were slightly torn over who would take this one home, Keaton and Redmayne had us guessing, even after Keaton took home the Spirit Award the night previous. So when Eddie Redmayne won the award for his role in The Theory of Everything we were happy for him and no one can say he didn’t deserve it. But his baffled expression, his humongous grin, and the exuberance with which he accepted the award sure make him that much more lovable. It’s the sort of excitement one hopes to see from an actor when they’ve truly done work that merits such accolade.

#10. Birdman Wins Best Picture

Ok, so this is obvious, whoever gets Best Picture always achieves one of the bigger events of the evening, but this one feels all the more significant because it didn’t seem likely to happen. Not that Birdman is any dark horse by any means. They were a close second pick in our minds, but Boyhood getting exactly one award (Best Supporting Actress) of its six nominations is a bit shocking. And maybe even a bit harsh. But once again the Academy proves their nostalgia and narcissism picking a film focused on the arts rather than a film that’s artistry was highly involved and historical. Rants aside, Birdman is an excellent picture and pitting two such dissimilar films against one another is hardly an even battle. Congrats to all, and Boyhood, don’t worry. You’ll still make it into all the history books.

Honorable Mentions: Lady Gaga killing it in her performance of songs from The Sound of Music in recognition of its 50th anniversary and then melting our hearts when hugging Julie Andrews. Sean Penn and his awkward and ill-timed joke before announcing Best Picture. Outrage online around Joan Rivers missing from the In Memoriam (despite being far more influential to the red carpet than to film itself.)

Tonight’s the night! Years of work (12 in at least one case), a year of movies, and a lot of hard work leads toward what is considered Hollywood’s highest honor, the Academy Awards. That said, the Academy’s tastes are particular and after last night’s Birdman upset at the Spirit Awards, we can expect a few surprises tonight, but perhaps not in the bigger categories.

Refresh on our predictions. But remember, as they say it absolutely is an honor to be nominated.

List of 2015 Oscar Winners

(Winners highlighted in bold font)

Best Picture
American Sniper
Birdman
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Selma
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash
Highlight: That it won AT ALL?! Not expecting it, but tough competition this year and Boyhood still holds our respect. 

Best Actor
Steve Carell – Foxcatcher
Bradley Cooper – American Sniper
Benedict Cumberbatch – The Imitation Game
Michael Keaton – Birdman
Eddie Redmayne – The Theory of Everything
Highlight: His adorable bashfulness and utter surprise and happiness at winning. 

Best Actress
Marion Cotillard – Two Days, One Night
Felicity Jones – The Theory of Everything
Julianne Moore – Still Alice
Rosamund Pike – Gone Girl
Reese Witherspoon – Wild
Highlight: Her joke about winning an Oscar adding years to one’s life (what science is that based on?!) which helps her out since she’s married to a younger man and also her call to trying to get patients of alzheimer’s to be seen and call attention to the disease. 

Best Supporting Actor
Robert Duvall – The Judge
Ethan Hawke – Boyhood
Edward Norton – Birdman
Mark Ruffalo – Foxcatcher
J.K. Simmons – Whiplash
Highlight: J.K. tells us all to call our parents. Lazy Sunday night parents everywhere tell their kids to “call back later.”

Best Supporting Actress
Patricia Arquette – Boyhood
Laura Dern – Wild
Keira Knightley – The Imitation Game
Emma Stone – Birdman
Meryl Streep – Into the Woods
Highlight: Patricia used a portion of her speech to call attention to her ecological sanitation organization givelove.org as well as an impassioned shoutout to women calling for “wage equality once and for all.”

Best Director
Alejandro G. Iñárritu – Birdman
Richard Linklater – Boyhood
Bennett Miller – Foxcatcher
Wes Anderson – The Grand Budapest Hotel
Morten Tyldum – The Imitation Game

Best Foreign Language Film
Ida – Poland
Leviathan – Russia
Tangerines – Estonia
Timbuktu – Mauritania
Wild Tales – Argentina
Highlight: Director Pawel Pawlikowski defies music deadlines and says his keep, thanking those he wishes to thank.

Best Animated Film
Big Hero 6
The Boxtrolls
How to Train Your Dragon 2
Song of the Sea
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

Best Documentary Feature
CitizenFour
Finding Vivian Maier
Last Days in Vietnam
The Salt of the Earth
Virunga
Highlight: Neil Patrick Harris cracks the joke: “The subject of Citizenfour, Edward Snowden couldn’t be here for some treason.”

Best Original Screenplay
Birdman
Boyhood
Foxcatcher
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Nightcrawler

Best Adapted Screenplay
American Sniper
The Imitation Game
Inherent Vice
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash

Best Original Score
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Interstellar
Mr. Turner
The Theory of Everything
Highlight: Preceded by an amazing performance by Lady Gaga performing songs from The Sound of Music for its 50th Anniversary. 

Best Original Song
“Everything Is Awesome” – The Lego Movie
“Glory” – Selma
“Grateful” – Beyond the Lights
“I’m Not Gonna Miss You” – Glen Campbell…I’ll Be Me
“Lost Stars” – Begin Again
Highlight: Common and John Legend call attention to the current struggle for justice and spotlight on the number of black incarcerated men in America in an impassioned speech bringing tears to many eyes in the audience. 

Best Cinematography
Birdman
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Ida
Mr. Turner
Unbroken

Best Editing
American Sniper
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Whiplash
Highlight: Tom Cross thanks director Damien Chazelle for pushing him to create great art. 

Best Visual Effects
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Guardians of the Galaxy
Interstellar
X-Men: Days of Future Past

Best Sound Editing
American Sniper
Birdman
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Interstellar
Unbroken

Best Sound Mixing
American Sniper
Birdman
Interstellar
Unbroken
Whiplash

Best Production Design
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Interstellar
Into the Woods
Mr. Turner

Best Costume Design
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Inherent Vice
Into the Woods
Maleficent
Mr. Turner

Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Foxcatcher
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Guardians of the Galaxy

Best Live Action Short Film
Aya
Boogaloo and Graham
Butter Lamp
Parvaneh
The Phone Call

Best Documentary Short Subject
Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1
Joanna
Our Curse
The Reaper (La Parka)
White Earth

Best Animated Short Film
The Bigger Picture
The Dam Keeper
Feast
Me and My Moulton
A Single Life

If the BAFTA’s are a sign of what’s going to happen at the Oscars then fans of Boyhood have a lot to look forward to. It may of not of swept the board but it took home the two biggest awards of the night winning best film with best director also going to Richard Linklater. Patricia Arquette also throughly deserves the BAFTA for Best Supporting Actress. Her performance grounded Boyhood giving it the emotional backbone that held the multiple strands of its story together.

Read: Full List of 2015 BAFTA Winners

I predicted that The Theory of Everything would win best film but whilst it may have missed out on that award it went on to take Outstanding British Film, Best Adapted Screenplay and Eddie Redmayne (who else was going to win it) picked up the BAFTA for Best Actor. With Steven Hawking in the audience the awards for The Theory of Everything also gave the academy to excuse to celebrate a British Icon. It was also stronger film than The Imitation Game and deserved to win the battle of the biopics.

It would have been a travesty had J.K. Simmons not one Best Supporting Actor for his performance and thankfully there was no disappointments on that front. Whiplash also went on to win Best Editing which was well deserved, if surprising to me, along with the more predictable Best Sound award.

There clearly is a lot of love in the UK for The Grand Budapest Hotel and it was one of the most successful films of the night. Wes Anderson’s film won a whole host of awards including Production Design, Costume Design, Best Original Music and Screenplay. Those of you who read Way Too Indie’s 2014 Best of the Year feature will know I am a big fan of the film and it was pleasant surprise to see the film walk away with so many awards. Losing out to The Grand Budapest Hotel marked a disappointing night for Birdman. The fact that it only picked up best Cinematography and may lead to some to predict that it will lose out to Boyhood at the Oscars.

Read: Our 2015 BAFTA Predictions

Elsewhere Ida was a predictable winner for best Foreign Language film, even if I felt that the academy might go for Leviathan. Coming from Nottingham myself I was proud to see Jack O’Connell win the Rising Star Ward and referencing the Television Workshop in the city as a key to his success. Although I was disappointed however to see 71’, starring O’Connell miss out on best debut film. However, given the success of the film director Yann Demange will hopefully have more opportunities to win awards in the future.

The BAFTA’s as it always has been was a rather tame awards ceremony. Stephen Fry was on auto-pilot and his jokes were painfully bad. It left you wondering whether the awards could do with a new presenter to liven the show, especially considering Tina Fey and Amy Poehler’s performance at the Golden Globes. The highlight of the night came from Mike Leigh who came to collect BAFTA Fellowship award and gave a brilliant speech on the importance of independent film. Leigh thanked those who had financed his films throughout his career. Yet, with his typical dry sense of humour, he also thanked those who had not describing them as ‘boneheads, Philistines and skinflints’, who could all ‘rot in hell’. Celebrating such an influential British director is what the BAFTA’s is all about and it almost made up for Mr. Turner picking up no awards at the ceremony.

At today’s British Academy Film Awards there were some expected wins (Boyhood) and some unexpected overhauls (The Grand Budapest Hotel), while one Oscar snub got their comeuppance (The Lego Movie). The Brits gave love to their own by bequeathing a couple of awards on The Theory of Everything, while The Imitation Game went home empty-handed. Stephen Hawking, himself, even made an appearance handing out the award for Visual Effects to a standing ovation.

Nothing too surprising, but a few satisfactory awards to those who will likely not find gold come February 22nd at the Oscars.

BEST FILM

BIRDMAN
BOYHOOD
THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL
THE IMITATION GAME
THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING

OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM

’71 Yann Demange, Angus Lamont, Robin Gutch, Gregory Burke
THE IMITATION GAME Morten Tyldum, Nora Grossman, Ido Ostrowsky, Teddy Schwarzman, Graham Moore
PADDINGTON Paul King, David Heyman
PRIDE Matthew Warchus, David Livingstone, Stephen Beresford
THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING James Marsh, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Lisa Bruce, Anthony McCarten
UNDER THE SKIN Jonathan Glazer, James Wilson, Nick Wechsler, Walter Campbell

OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER

ELAINE CONSTANTINE (Writer/Director) Northern Soul
GREGORY BURKE (Writer), YANN DEMANGE (Director) ’71
HONG KHAOU (Writer/Director) Lilting
PAUL KATIS (Director/Producer), ANDREW DE LOTBINIÈRE (Producer) Kajaki: The True Story
STEPHEN BERESFORD (Writer), DAVID LIVINGSTONE (Producer) Pride

FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

IDA
LEVIATHAN
THE LUNCHBOX
TRASH
TWO DAYS, ONE NIGHT

DOCUMENTARY

20 FEET FROM STARDOM
20,000 DAYS ON EARTH
CITIZENFOUR
FINDING VIVIAN MAIER
VIRUNGA

ANIMATED FILM

BIG HERO 6 Don Hall, Chris Williams
THE BOXTROLLS Anthony Stacchi, Graham Annable
THE LEGO MOVIE Phil Lord, Christopher Miller

DIRECTOR

BIRDMAN Alejandro G. Iñárritu
BOYHOOD Richard Linklater
THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL Wes Anderson
THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING James Marsh
WHIPLASH Damien Chazelle

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

BIRDMAN Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris Jr, Armando Bo
BOYHOOD Richard Linklater
THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL Wes Anderson
NIGHTCRAWLER Dan Gilroy
WHIPLASH Damien Chazelle

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

AMERICAN SNIPER Jason Hall
GONE GIRL Gillian Flynn
THE IMITATION GAME Graham Moore
PADDINGTON Paul King
THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING Anthony McCarten

LEADING ACTOR

BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH The Imitation Game
EDDIE REDMAYNE The Theory of Everything
JAKE GYLLENHAAL Nightcrawler
MICHAEL KEATON Birdman
RALPH FIENNES The Grand Budapest Hotel

LEADING ACTRESS

AMY ADAMS Big Eyes
FELICITY JONES The Theory of Everything
JULIANNE MOORE Still Alice
REESE WITHERSPOON Wild
ROSAMUND PIKE Gone Girl

SUPPORTING ACTOR

EDWARD NORTON Birdman
ETHAN HAWKE Boyhood
J.K. SIMMONS Whiplash
MARK RUFFALO Foxcatcher
STEVE CARELL Foxcatcher

SUPPORTING ACTRESS

EMMA STONE Birdman
IMELDA STAUNTON Pride
KEIRA KNIGHTLEY The Imitation Game
PATRICIA ARQUETTE Boyhood
RENE RUSSO Nightcrawler

ORIGINAL MUSIC

BIRDMAN Antonio Sanchez
THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL Alexandre Desplat
INTERSTELLAR Hans Zimmer
THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING Jóhann Jóhannsson
UNDER THE SKIN Mica Levi

CINEMATOGRAPHY

BIRDMAN Emmanuel Lubezki
THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL Robert Yeoman
IDA Lukasz Zal, Ryzsard Lenczewski
INTERSTELLAR Hoyte van Hoytema
MR. TURNER Dick Pope

EDITING

BIRDMAN Douglas Crise, Stephen Mirrione
THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL Barney Pilling
THE IMITATION GAME William Goldenberg
NIGHTCRAWLER John Gilroy
THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING Jinx Godfrey
WHIPLASH Tom Cross

PRODUCTION DESIGN

BIG EYES Rick Heinrichs, Shane Vieau
THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL Adam Stockhausen, Anna Pinnock
THE IMITATION GAME Maria Djurkovic, Tatiana MacDonald
INTERSTELLAR Nathan Crowley, Gary Fettis
MR. TURNER Suzie Davies, Charlotte Watts

COSTUME DESIGN

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL Milena Canonero
THE IMITATION GAME Sammy Sheldon Differ
INTO THE WOODS Colleen Atwood
MR. TURNER Jacqueline Durran
THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING Steven Noble

MAKE UP & HAIR

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL Frances Hannon
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou, David White
INTO THE WOODS  Peter Swords King, J. Roy Helland
MR. TURNER Christine Blundell, Lesa Warrener
THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING Jan Sewell

SOUND

AMERICAN SNIPER Walt Martin, John Reitz, Gregg Rudloff, Alan Robert Murray, Bub Asman
BIRDMAN Thomas Varga, Martin Hernández, Aaron Glascock, Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño
THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL Wayne Lemmer, Christopher Scarabosio, Pawel Wdowczak
THE IMITATION GAME John Midgley, Lee Walpole, Stuart Hilliker, Martin Jensen
WHIPLASH Thomas Curley, Ben Wilkins, Craig Mann

SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS

DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, Erik Winquist, Daniel Barrett
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY Stephane Ceretti, Paul Corbould, Jonathan Fawkner, Nicolas Aithadi
THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES Joe Letteri, Eric Saindon, David Clayton, R. Christopher White
INTERSTELLAR Paul Franklin, Scott Fisher, Andrew Lockley
X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST Richard Stammers, Anders Langlands, Tim Crosbie, Cameron Waldbauer

THE EE RISING STAR AWARD

GUGU MBATHA-RAW
JACK O’CONNELL
MARGOT ROBBIE
MILES TELLER
SHAILENE WOODLEY

Like most years, there was a lot of controversy over the Academy’s choices for Oscar nominations this year. Some felt that the lack of Selma representation, namely in Best Actor and Best Director categories since it did receive a Best Picture nom, spoke volumes about the predominately white demographic of the Academy. Though lets not forget last year’s Best Picture winner was appropriately given to 12 Years a Slave. At the time of announcement others felt the love for American Sniper was a bit of a reach, though the film has since set numerous opening box office records. But don’t think for one second I’m completely siding with the Academy, there were big time snubs in most categories (including the enormous neglect for The LEGO Movie). Below are predictions on who will win an Oscar, who deserves to win, and who should’ve been nominated in all the major categories.

Complete List of 2015 Oscar Predictions

BEST PICTURE
American Sniper
Birdman
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Selma
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash

BEST ACTOR
Steve Carell – Foxcatcher
Bradley Cooper – American Sniper
Benedict Cumberbatch – The Imitation Game
Michael Keaton – Birdman
Eddie Redmayne – The Theory of Everything

BEST ACTRESS
Marion Cotillard – Two Days, One Night
Felicity Jones – The Theory of Everything
Julianne Moore – Still Alice
Rosamund Pike – Gone Girl
Reese Witherspoon – Wild

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Robert Duvall – The Judge
Ethan Hawke – Boyhood
Edward Norton – Birdman
Mark Ruffalo – Foxcatcher
J.K. Simmons – Whiplash

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Patricia Arquette – Boyhood
Laura Dern – Wild
Keira Knightley – The Imitation Game
Emma Stone – Birdman
Meryl Streep – Into the Woods

BEST DIRECTOR
Alejandro G. Iñárritu – Birdman
Richard Linklater – Boyhood
Bennett Miller – Foxcatcher
Wes Anderson – The Grand Budapest Hotel
Morten Tyldum – The Imitation Game

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Ida – Poland
Leviathan – Russia
Tangerines – Estonia
Timbuktu – Mauritania
Wild Tales – Argentina

BEST ANIMATED FILM
Big Hero 6
The Boxtrolls
How to Train Your Dragon 2
Song of the Sea
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
CitizenFour
Finding Vivian Maier
Last Days in Vietnam
The Salt of the Earth
Virunga

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Birdman
Boyhood
Foxcatcher
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Nightcrawler

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
American Sniper
The Imitation Game
Inherent Vice
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Birdman
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Ida
Mr. Turner
Unbroken

BEST EDITING
American Sniper
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Whiplash

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Guardians of the Galaxy
Interstellar
X-Men: Days of Future Past

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Interstellar
Mr. Turner
The Theory of Everything

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
“Everything Is Awesome” – The Lego Movie
“Glory” – Selma
“Grateful” – Beyond the Lights
“I’m Not Gonna Miss You” – Glen Campbell…I’ll Be Me
“Lost Stars” – Begin Again

BEST SOUND EDITING
American Sniper
Birdman
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Interstellar
Unbroken

BEST SOUND MIXING
American Sniper
Birdman
Interstellar
Unbroken
Whiplash

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Interstellar
Into the Woods
Mr. Turner

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Inherent Vice
Into the Woods
Maleficent
Mr. Turner

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
Foxcatcher
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Guardians of the Galaxy

While Birdman comes in with the most Independent Spirit Award nominations this year with a total of six, I’m predicting Richard Linklater’s Boyhood winning the most awards with four (including most of the big ones). Birdman will likely pick up at least two awards, same as Dan Gilroy’s Nightcrawler, and the rest of the field should be fairly spread out. You’re likely to see wins for smaller independent films like Dear White People, Blue Ruin, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, and CITIZENFOUR.

In addition to picking the winners, I explain the reasoning behind my picks underneath each category. There’s still plenty of time for some shakers and movers between now and when the winners are revealed as the award season continues on. Tune into IFC on Saturday, February 21st at 2PM PT and watch live to see if my predictions hold up.

2015 Independent Spirit Award Predictions

(My prediction for the winners are highlighted in bold red font)

Birdman
Boyhood
Love is Strange
Selma
Whiplash

Damien Chazelle – Whiplash
Ava DuVernay – Selma
Alejandro G. Iñárritu – Birdman
Richard Linklater – Boyhood
David Zellner – Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter

André Benjamin – Jimi: All Is By My Side
Jake Gyllenhaal – Nightcrawler
Michael Keaton – Birdman
John Lithgow – Love is Strange
David Oyelowo – Selma

Marion Cotillard – The Immigrant
Rinko Kikuchi – Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter
Julianne Moore – Still Alice
Jenny Slate – Obvious Child
Tilda Swinton – Only Lovers Left Alive

Riz Ahmed – Nightcrawler
Ethan Hawke – Boyhood
Alfred Molina – Love is Strange
Edward Norton- Birdman
J.K. Simmons – Whiplash

Patricia Arquette – Boyhood
Jessica Chastain – A Most Violent Year
Carmen Ejogo – Selma
Andrea Suarez Paz – Stand Clear of the Closing Doors
Emma Stone – Birdman

Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszewski – Big Eyes
J.C. Chandor – A Most Violent Year
Dan Gilroy – Nightcrawler
Jim Jarmusch – Only Lovers Left Alive
Ira Sachs & Mauricio Zacharias – Love is Strange

A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
Dear White People
Nightcrawler
Obvious Child
She’s Lost Control

Desiree Akhavan – Appropriate Behavior
Sara Colangelo – Little Accidents
Justin Lader – The One I Love
Anja Marquardt – She’s Lost Control
Justin Simien – Dear White People

Darius Khondji – The Immigrant
Emmanuel Lubezki – Birdman
Sean Porter – It Felt Like Love
Lyle Vincent – A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
Bradford Young – Selma

Sandra Adair – Boyhood
Tom Cross – Whiplash
John Gilroy- Nightcrawler
Ron Patane – A Most Violent Year
Adam Wingard – The Guest

Force Majeure
Ida
Leviathan
Mommy
Norte, the End of History
Under the Skin

20,000 Days on Earth
CITIZENFOUR
Stray Dog
The Salt of the Earth
Virunga

Blue Ruin – Jeremy Saulnier
It Felt Like Love – Eliza Hittman
Land Ho! – Aaron Katz & Martha Stephens
Man From Reno – Dave Boyle
Test – Chris Mason Johnson

Anyone interested how the acting categories may pan out for the Oscars had their attention on the 2015 Screen Actors Guild Awards tonight, as this award show is much more reliable than say the Golden Globes, though there were a lot of overlap winners in the film categories. In fact, Patricia Arquette (Boyhood), J.K. Simmons (Whiplash), Julianne Moore (Still Alice) and Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything) all repeated their wins in respected categorizes from the Globes two weeks ago. Redmayne continues his streak of edging out Michael Keaton (Birdman) who many consider to be the front-runner. This win might just shake things up for the category come Oscar night. Though Birdman wasn’t completely shut out, the film picked up the Outstanding Performance by a Cast award.

Orange Is the New Black picked up two awards on the television side of the awards, one for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series and Uzo Aduba (for the role of Crazy Eyes) won for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series. Kevin Spacey was the only Golden Globes repeat winner this year, earning Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series in both awards shows. Other winners included Mark Ruffalo (The Normal Heart), Frances McDormand (Olive Kitteridge) and Viola Davis (How To Get Away With Murder).

List of 2015 Screen Actors Guild Award Winners

Film

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Eddie Redmayne – The Theory of Everything

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Julianne Moore – Still Alice

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
J.K. Simmons – Whiplash

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Patricia Arquette – Boyhood

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Birdman

Television

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
Mark Ruffalo – The Normal Heart

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
Frances McDormand – Olive Kitteridge

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
Kevin Spacey – House of Cards

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
Viola Davis – How To Get Away With Murder

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
William H. Macy – Shameless

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
Uzo Aduba – Orange Is the New Black

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
Downton Abbey

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
Orange Is the New Black

So our first big awards ceremony of the season has now come and gone. In their third and final turn hosting, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler owned the opening monologue with some direct, honest, brave and spot-on hilarious jokes. Their were upsets (and quite a few instances where we didn’t predict the winners correctly) but here are our reactions to this year’s Golden Globe Awards.

Ananda Dillon

So there are plenty of things I didn’t call, let’s start there. The Grand Budapest Hotel taking home Comedy or Musical. I guess the only explanation I can think of there is that Birdman hardly fit the category anyway, though it was definitely the one we were expecting to hear called and that I was personally rooting for. There were the long shots I was hoping for, most specifically my call for Rosamund Pike for Actress in a Drama and Emma Stone for Supporting Actress. I knew they weren’t likely and am incredibly happy for Julianne Moore and Patricia Arquette so no hard feelings. All the other actor awards I called spot on. So I guess I can gloat about that. I had hoped the HFPA would get a little wacky with the women’s categories, but they went for the more obvious calls.

Obviously I wasn’t surprised by Richard Linklater‘s win for Best Director, nor Boyhood’s major take home as Best Drama, and while we were dead wrong about Best Screenplay it made me incredibly happy to see Alejandro G. Iñárritu up on stage accepting an award. We were also wrong when it came to the musical categories, but understand that the HFPA decided to be a bit more standard in those choices as well. We were also off with our choices for Foreign Language film and am a bit surprised they went with Leviathan over Ida, or even my backup vote of Force Majeure. Just makes it hard to predict where the Oscars might go. But the one category that I absolutely am flabbergasted by is the HFPA’s choice of How to Train Your Dragon 2 for Best Animated Film over the amazing and incomparable The Lego Movie. I’ve never had strong feelings about an animated film before and I’m truly despondent over their decision. Whatever, I expect the Academy to get it right.

I will say I thought Amy and Tina killed it, delivering jokes that were both daring and hilarious. Their jokes regarding Bill Cosby were of course the more triggering but they went next level delivering their best Cosby impressions, which before this whole scandal was everyone’s favorite way of poking fun at Cosby. It was absolutely meta and the best way to truly express the way humor allows us to showcase that no one deserves safety when using humor to cope with tragedy. Their jab at George Clooney and his more accomplished wife was pitch perfect in calling out Hollywood’s tendency to lose perspective, and the joke that Selma “totally worked and now everything is fine” was delivered perfectly by Tina Fey, casting a great light on unreasonable expectations for films of its ilk while also impressing that this isn’t the sort of conversation that should ever really end.

As for TV, once again the HFPA gets premature and gives too much love to first-season shows rather than reward the ones that have gotten stronger (a difficult feat these days) but if it gets more people to watch Transparent, fine by me. All in all, it was a fun evening, if a somewhat confusing one, and whether we can use much in the way of predictions for next Thursday’s Oscar nominations announcement seems unlikely.

C.J. Prince

Well, I guess I can’t say it was a particularly safe night, so that’s a positive. Tina and Amy were great, even though they were only on for a brief time after their monologue. But for the second year in the row they pull off a great George Clooney burn, and probably did the first funny Bill Cosby joke since that whole scandal broke out (there’s no point tiptoeing around it, so good for them for getting as tasteless as possible for network broadcast). But this is an awards show, so I guess I should talk about those…

I have to mention something about the TV awards first. In typical HFPA fashion, the awards went to freshmen shows instead of old favorites (remember Brooklyn Nine-Nine winning last year?). Sometimes that can lead to weird choices (how many people scratched their heads at Jane the Virgin winning Best Actress?), but other times an awesome show like Transparent ends up winning Best Comedy and Best Actor. So this is me saying that Transparent is an incredible show that deserves its awards, and if you haven’t seen it yet please do so immediately. So that’s that about TV.

Going back to the predictions Ananda and I made a few days ago, we wound up splitting on the acting awards. I was right about Julianne Moore, she was right about Eddie Redmayne. Apparently the HFPA love it when actors play people with horrible diseases. Don’t be surprised if Jennifer Aniston winds up playing a genius with ALS next year that discovers she has Alzheimers. We both wound up being right about Michael Keaton and Amy Adams in the comedy acting awards, but those seemed like obvious ones. What really took me by surprise (along with everyone else, I’m sure) is The Grand Budapest Hotel winning over Birdman. While I don’t love Wes Anderson’s latest film (I think it’s a pretty enjoyable trifle), I’m so happy it won over the annoying, unfunny Birdman. And hey, Wes Anderson just officially became a contender (I think?). HFPA also got the supporting actor/actress awards right, so good for them. Very happy Patricia Arquette won, and J.K. Simmons deserves every award under the sun for Whiplash. Some awards didn’t interest me in the slightest (I know my prediction was wrong about Best Score, but I don’t care about that category whatsoever), so I’ll just mention some notable wins and/or losses: Leviathan taking Best Foreign Film over Ida was great, and it gives me hope that Ida won’t get that Oscar so easily. I haven’t seen The Theory of Everything, but I’m bummed Oyelowo didn’t win for Selma. Ditto for Jake Gyllenhaal in Nightcrawler. And The Lego Movie losing Best Animated might have been my biggest disappointment because it totally deserved it.

So all in all, a little more interesting than usual I guess. I’m sad to see Tina and Amy go as hosts, and I’m sure the HFPA will have a hard time picking a suitable replacement. And, oh yeah, Boyhood. Well I’m not surprised it won. You might have seen my thoughts on Boyhood already. I say good for Linklater, because he’s always been a great director. I just wish all of these trophies went to a different, better film by him, like Bernie or any of the Before films or hell, even School of Rock. After tonight, I think that the big Oscar for Best Picture is Boyhood‘s to lose at this point. What’ll be interesting is seeing what other films will end up getting nominated with it.

We’ve been hearing a lot about 2014 as a blah year for movies, a notion seemingly supported by a lack of gut-wrenching and heartrending heavy hitters like last year’s 12 Years a Slave, Dallas Buyers Club, and Gravity. And the performances from those films were just so much more obviously weighty, it wasn’t hard to pick out the ones that gripped us, because, well, they gripped us pretty hard.

But that’s why this year has been so wonderful. Instead of somber dramas, some of 2014’s best films have been comedic (Birdman), scary (The Babadook), and filled with unlikeable characters (Whiplash, Nightcrawler). And this is where the fun of nuancing and parsing out the best performances of this year begins. Because this year we felt different emotions than we did last year, but oh boy did we feel them, and that has all to do with some seriously good acting.

Our list of 2014’s best performances considers all actors as equals regardless of lead or supporting role and with no division of male or female actors. Listed in no particular order is our list of the performances Way Too Indie staff found most compelling this year.

Way Too Indie’s 15 Best Performances of 2014

Dan Stevens – The Guest

The role Stevens plays in Adam Wingard’s The Guest is much more difficult than is usually required for this type of flashy genre film. In the film, “David” must appeal to every character he is trying to dupe in different ways. When he springs himself on the family of a fallen comrade, he has to be a sensitive young man to Laura, an ultra cool badass to Luke, a beer-drinking everyman with Spencer and a hunky protector to Anna. He also, though, has to be all of that (and more) to the viewer, even when we know something is up. The characters in the film may take a while to figure him out (indeed, some of them too late), the nature of this genre throwback sets up the viewer from the start to know “David” isn’t who he says he is, though we may not know the extent of his capabilities. The Guest is one of the funnest movie-going experiences of the year because we love seeing “David” fit all of these roles. We revel in his lie, cheering him on as he beats up high school kids and somehow survives an intense shootout with special forces. But we also genuinely like him. Deep down, he tricks us, too. [Aaron]

Eddie Redmayne – The Theory of Everything

Regardless of your stance on James Marsh’s Stephen Hawking biopic The Theory of Everything, one thing almost everyone can agree on is Eddie Redmayne’s outstanding performance. The film begins during the early stages of Stephen’s declining physical abilities, the occasional coffee spilling and pen fumbling are chalked up to general clumsiness. While this foreshadows the tragedy ahead, it more importantly allows viewers to witness the famous physicist before the disease takes away his ability to walk and communicate. What’s impressive to watch is the transformation into this physically demanding role, which required limiting all of his body movements while still containing his charming personality. The fundamental testament to Redmayne’s work occurs near the end when he emerges from his wheelchair in a dream sequence. It’s a stunning moment, watching him actually walk and then be subsequently reminded that Redmayne is indeed acting, which speaks volumes to his extraordinary performance. He’s sure to gather notice during this award season. [Dustin]

Essie Davis – The Babadook

There’s a level of fatigue only parents know; it comes with raising a child and it is calculated using the denominators 24, 7, and 365. Still, most parents wouldn’t trade it for all the Sandman’s sand. There are a few who might, though, if given the chance, and one of those parents can be found in Jennifer Kent’s The Babadook. Her name is Amelia, and how Essie Davis gasps life into this desperate single mother is staggering. Long before Mr. Babadook wreaks the havoc that spirals Amelia into near-madness, her son Samuel brings a little terror of his own. He is six years’ worth of boundless energy with a volume that Spinal Tap would envy, all complicated by an obsession with a monster that doesn’t (yet) exist. This first half of the film is where Davis mesmerizes. She’s not just the tired single mom with the full-time job and the hyper kid. She’s that woman, plus the one whose husband was killed while taking her to give birth to Samuel six years prior. This background introduces resentment into a mother/child relationship that shouldn’t have such a thing. Davis keeps that resentment one slivery layer below the surface, which puts normal parental fatigue deep in her rearview mirror and has her speeding down the road of emotional exhaustion. With every tired sigh a defeated cry for mercy and with every momentary slouch a little less resistance against the weight of regret, Davis portrays defeated like no one before her. And then the Babadook shows up. [Michael]

J.K. Simmons – Whiplash

Irredeemable. That’s Terence Fletcher in a nutshell. He’s the meanest, nastiest, most abusive jazz instructor on earth in Damien Chazelle’s Whiplash, and he will never, ever apologize for calling his students “limp-dick fucks” or giving them valuable performance tips like, “That’s not your boyfriend’s dick; don’t come too early.” Playing Fletcher is the incomparable J.K. Simmons, who’s an absolute force of nature in the drummer drama, the veins on his bald head pulsing as he berates his poor students, muscles bulging under his tight black shirt. He calls them faggots, too. Again, no apologies.

What Simmons brings to the role that lesser actors wouldn’t is utter remorselessness: this is who Fletcher is, and you either take it up the ass or he’ll kick you the fuck out. That’s the deal. He’ll make you tremble and weep because he’s not human; he’s evil incarnate, and he doesn’t care about redemption or the happiness of himself or others. He exists for a single purpose, letting nothing stand in his way, least of all sympathy or morality. It’s an unflattering role, and Simmons embraces it without ego. No one could have done better. [Bernard]

Jake Gyllenhaal – Nightcrawler

It’s not entirely surprising that Nightcrawler received comparisons to Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver. Despite the differences between those two movies, the hard to resist likability of both films’ psychotic leads makes it hard to root against them completely even as they commit their most vile acts. What makes Gyllenhaal’s Lou Bloom even more frightening than De Niro’s Travis Bickle is Bloom’s ability to exist within the system. He embodies many of the characteristics of a model employee in a modern, competitive, capitalist climate. His ghostly pale complexion serves to accentuate the dark shadows created on Bloom’s emaciated face (Gyllenhaal lost 20 pounds to help give Bloom that hollowed-out appearance) and make his presence even more unsettling. As Bloom, Gyllenhaal exploits people’s ugliest indulgences to get ahead in the world of freelance crime journalism and is rewarded for his lack of empathy, particularly in people’s darkest moments. The actor brings Bloom to life through an unhinged, masterful performance. Delivering lines of dialog with an unnaturally chipper tone, Gyllenhaal gives Bloom the social acumen of an alien that’s slipped on human clothing. The actor has never been better and the character is hauntingly familiar. [Zachary]

Marion Cotillard – Two Days, One Night

As Sandra, the worker desperately fighting for her job over the course of one weekend, Marion Cotillard pulls off her best performance to date. After taking time off work due to severe depression, Sandra finds out her bosses have given her the boot through a borderline sadistic method: by letting her coworkers vote on either letting Sandra keep her job or receiving their yearly bonus. After convincing her superiors to hold a re-vote after the weekend, Sandra visits each one of her 16 coworkers to ask them to give up their bonus in order to save her job. Cotillard, whose face could act as the definition of sympathy, fully embodies Sandra, and her raw emotions put the viewer right with her when she goes from hopelessly despondent to joyously optimistic. As clichéd as it sounds, Cotillard simply is Sandra. Sometimes it’s hard to watch an A-list star on-screen and separate the performance from the celebrity; that’s never the case with Cotillard, who does it with so much ease it’s no wonder why she’s considered one of the greatest actors working today. [C.J.]

Michael Keaton – Birdman

Acting within the constraints of Birdman’s captivating long-takes would be a challenge for any actor, but as Riggan Thomson, Michael Keaton bears the brunt of the film’s heavy lifting. Without the benefits of traditional film editing pulling together the best parts from several takes, Birdman’s stars are required to be at their best for the duration of every long-take scene they’re in. This is doubly true of Keaton as the film’s lead, guiding the audience and the camera through claustrophobic Broadway backstage hallways during quick-tongued Sorkin-esque walk-and-talks. Riggan teeters on the brink of sanity, and in Keaton’s embodiment of the character you can almost see the threads coming loose. When the tone abruptly shifts, Keaton demonstrates an enviable flexibility as an actor, turning a belly laugh into an unexpectedly poignant confession within only a few lines. As the character facing a series of obstacles that threaten to prematurely end his self-mounted comeback before it can begin, Keaton clutches to whatever empathetic strings are left for Riggan, while also allowing the character to slip further away from lucidity. His performance is simultaneously among the funniest and most heartfelt of 2014. [Zachary]

Patricia Arquette – Boyhood

While Ellar Coltrane grows up in front of our eyes as Mason, the boy in Richard Linklater’s everyday-epic Boyhood, sitting on the periphery throughout the coming of age journey is Patricia Arquette, as the boy’s mom. Mason’s moral makeup is shaped as he watches his single mom face stiff adversity (“a parade of drunken assholes” he once calls it), endure and adapt. We always see her from a distance, the same distance most boys keep from their mom.

She’s his anchor, but what’s special about the character is that she isn’t anchored to the ground herself; she’s on her own life journey, parallel to young Mason’s, and grows as much as he does. Over the colossal 12-year production, Arquette managed to form the most beautiful character arc in the film. Her performance is so rounded, so natural, so cogent, that at times Boyhood feels more like a home movie than a marketable Oscar contender. [Bernard]

Reese Witherspoon – Wild

We all have that friend, the one we watch go through life making incomprehensible decisions and reaping the obvious and inevitable consequences. In Wild, Reese Witherspoon is that friend, walking us through the steps that led to one woman’s particularly devastating life choices. And walking the literal steps that lead to her redemption. Witherspoon evokes our compassion, compelling us not to leave this woman for dead, to sleep in the bed she’s made. Perhaps it is how well Witherspoon helps us identify with Cheryl in the little things: her simple humanity in wrestling with her monster of a hiking bag, the fear in her eyes running into mostly men alone on the trail, her rage-filled meltdown when she loses a boot in the opening scene. All of our interactions with Witherspoon throughout the film are intimate and raw; showing us the heart of Cheryl open and vulnerable. Even her thoughts and muttered curses echo what ours might. Despite the depths that her darkness had reached, Witherspoon has us cheering for her to climb out. Her achievement in this is quite incredible: showing us the humanity in the hopeless. [Scarlet]

Rosamund Pike – Gone Girl

Rosamund Pike’s maliciously delicious turn as Amy Dunne in David Fincher’s Gone Girl stands at the very top of the breakthrough 2014 performance pile for me, precisely because it comes from an actor who’s been around for years. Though making a noticeable presence in every role, Pike has always been in the background. For what feels like her entire career, she’s been playing second fiddle to the likes of Pierce Brosnan (Die Another Day), Tom Cruise (Jack Reacher), Keira Knightley (Pride and Prejudice) and Edgar Wright’s Cornetto boys (The World’s End). But all of those roles were worth their trials and errors because they led her to Amy, the part of a lifetime and one that will assuredly change Pike’s career (she’s looking pretty locked for a deserved Oscar nomination at this point). Amy Dunne is the kind of character that takes the fiddle and in an act of magic, snaps it in half and turns it into a saxophone with enough gusto to lead an entire orchestra. Thanks to the story’s structure, Amy is a bundle of multiple personalities (the charmed girlfriend, the doting daughter, the victim, the victor, the bitch, the cool girl, the wife from a modern nightmare), which Pike unpacks like a pro. “There is before Fincher, and after Fincher,” Pike has said on the Gone Girl campaign trail, so it’s pretty clear where the inspiration comes from, but the talent is hers and hers alone. She captures every complex facet of this satirized monster with such precision, charm, and presence; it’s impossible to root against her even when recoiling from her actions and certain personality traits. She’s a revelation, and here’s hoping strong female roles are written with her in mind from now on. [Nik]

Scarlett Johansson – Under the Skin

Johansson has already had a slew of breakout performances that have put her in the current acting elite (Vicky Christina Barcelona, Her, etc.) but none have been as commanding as her nameless character in Under the Skin. She dons a more-than-passable British accent and often dons no clothing. She has to be realistically enticing without overplaying sexuality. The film is borderline incomprehensible, but it doesn’t matter with the strong force at its center. And the more that has been revealed about the film’s strange production, the more interesting and incredible her performance seems. Many of her nameless invader’s conversations and confrontations happen with non-actors who don’t know they are being filmed. Improvisation is a difficult skill for any actor, but usually improvisation in film is done in a fairly controlled setting – everyone knows their general part and are working together to get the heart of the scene right. Here, though, the environment is unpredictable and Johansson proves she’s always ready for what may come. Not to mention pulling off being one of the world’s most recognizable movie stars slipping about incognito. [Aaron]

Stacy Martin – Nymphomaniac

There are a lot of stars that adorn the sensual confines of Lars Von Trier’s newest controversial film, Nymphomaniac. Charlotte Gainsbourg, Stellan Skarsgard, Christen Slater, Shia LaBeouf, Uma Thurman and Willem Dafoe are just some of the names that headline. But surprisingly none of them take the spotlight (Thurman comes close) away from film debutant Stacy Martin who makes a big statement as an actress with her role here. It’s been years since we’ve seen a début from a young actress like the one that’s on display here (at the moment, I can’t recall one). Martin is fearless as she portrays a teenage version of Joe (Gainsbourg) who goes from one sexual escapade to another. Von Trier puts her in all sorts of scenes that require contrasting emotional levels. Sometimes she needs to be vulnerable. Sometimes weak, other times powerful. Sometimes even shameless. Sometimes she needs to be more than one at once and never does she shy away. The role would be demanding enough in the hands of any filmmaker but the fact that it’s helmed by Von Trier (who is known for being tough on his leading ladies) only amplifies how impressive her performance is. Mark my words, Martin is going to be a star. [Blake]

Steve Carell – Foxcatcher

When Steve Carell first appears in Bennet Miller’s Foxcatcher, his based-in reality character, John du Pont, invites Channing Tatum’s Mark Schultz into an extravagant trophy room to talk about the business proposal he has. And at first its hard to focus much on what he says because his nose and teeth are so obviously not Carell’s. And then it becomes clear nothing of what we see on that screen is Carell. His slow manner of speech and the strange way he looks down his nose at people and sometimes doesn’t bother to look at them at all. The way he speaks with a pompous pretense, always trying to throw in some tidbit or fact of little circumstance in a weak attempt to prove his superiority. His stiffness, both arrogant and insecure simultaneously. And under it all a boiling tension, an internal battle of psychosis. Carell gives us this in every single scene he’s in. As the spoiled and unloved heir to a massive fortune, his misguided attempts to build love out of the sportsman around him are more than pathetic, they are disturbing. Carell provides layers upon layers to what could easily have been a simple story of mental breakdown and murder. It’s the sort of performance that stays in your head and demands you go home and watch a few episodes of The Office to calm down. [Ananda]

Tilda Swinton – Snowpiercer

To quote Amy Schumer at this year’s Gotham Awards: “Tilda. Fucking. Swinton.” It’s been an amazing year for the Scottish actress, who played three truly memorable roles. It’s just as easy to talk about her amazing turns in Only Lovers Left Alive and The Grand Budapest Hotel, but for us it’s her role as Minister Mason in Snowpiercer that left the biggest impression. Originally written for a man, Swinton came on board and turned the character from a sinister, mild-mannered character to a garish, over the top figure. The absurdity of her character, from the giant glasses to the fake teeth and Yorkshire accent, also gives the film’s gritty first act a bit of levity, while hinting at the bizarre, distorted moments to come as the characters make their way to the front of the train. This is why Tilda Swinton is one of the best; it’s a showy, distinctive role, but it singlehandedly supports and elevates the film to an even better place. [C.J.]

Timothy Spall – Mr. Turner

Mike Leigh has always been something of an ‘actor’s ’ director, often giving his leads opportunities to improvise and find their characters, and in Mr. Turner this approach has been rewarded by a superb performance by Timothy Spall. There are few actors who can inhabit a role quite like Timothy Spall. Spall channels the vivid life of Turner’s paintings into the character, injecting Turner with boundless energy, enthusiasm and a lust for life. Yet Spall also delicately reveals Turner’s flaws; his stubbornness, his lack of empathy for his estranged family and, as he reaches the end of his life, his frustration at his own fragility. What is particularly impressive about Spall’s performance is the sheer array of emotions he conveys non-verbally throughout the film, often saying a thousand words with a simple grunt. Despite being surrounded by a talented cast Spall outshines them all and bears the weight of the film on his shoulders. It is a role that has already earned him the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival and there is a strong chance that he could be in the running for Best Actor at next year’s Oscars. [Eddy]

We Can’t Help But Mention:

We could never include everyone we’d like, but some honorable mentions include: Uma Thurman (Nymphomaniac), John Lithgow (Love is Strange), Jonathan Pryce (Listen Up Philip), Rene Russo (Nightcrawler), David Oyelowo (Selma), Sheila Vand (A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night), Julianne Moore (Still Alice), Jessica Chastain (Miss Julie), Laura Dern (Wild), the cast of Winter Sleep, the cast of We Are The Best!, the cast of Leviathan, cast of Fury, cast of Interstellar, and Agata Kulesza and Agata Trzebuchowska of Ida.

With the beginning of December, the New York Film Critics Circle became the first of many critics groups to release their year-end awards earlier today. Top honors went to IFC Films’ Boyhood, which not only claimed Best Picture but saw its director Richard Linklater and one of its stars Patricia Arquette win prizes. Some of the other big winners were worthy albeit more surprising picks, notably Best Actor going to Mr. Turner‘s Timothy Spall and Best Actress to Marion Cotillard for two films, The Immigrant and Two Days, One Night.

While seen by many as the “first precursor” awards to the Oscars, last year’s New York Film Critics Circle winners overwhelming went Oscar-less at that year’s ceremony. Only Cate Blanchett and Steve McQueen prevailed at both ceremonies, while the other 9 NYFCC winners were passed over by the Academy Awards. This year’s crop of winners contains several suspected frontrunners, including Best Supporting Actor winner J.K. Simmons (Whiplash). Check out the full list of winners below:

Best Picture: Boyhood
Best Director: Richard Linklater (Boyhood)
Best First Film: Jennifer Kent (The Babadook)
Best Actress: Marion Cotillard (for The Immigrant and Two Days, One Night)
Special Award: Adrienne Mancia
Best Actor: Timothy Spall (Mr. Turner)
Best Cinematography: Darius Khondji (The Immigrant)
Best Screenplay: The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Supporting Actress: Patricia Arquette (Boyhood)
Best Supporting Actor: J.K. Simmons (Whiplash)
Best Nonfiction Film: Citizenfour
Best Foreign Language Film: Ida
Best Animated Film: The Lego Movie

You might be thinking “Already?!” but yes, award season is already starting. Today, New York’s Gotham Independent Film Awards put out their nominees, a list filled with pleasant surprises and some very obvious choices.

Let’s start with the obvious choice: Boyhood. Any indie award would be insane to deny Richard Linklater’s film, possibly the indie event of the year, some love, so Gotham understandably gave it four nominations: Best Picture, Best Actor (Ethan Hawke), Best Actress (Patricia Arquette) and Breakthrough Actor (Ellar Coltrane). Also unsurprising is Birdman nabbing three nominations for Best Picture and Best Actor (Michael Keaton). Expect to hear even more about Birdman in the months to come.

Because the Gotham Awards are about independent film, that gives some great underrated films and performances the chance for some exposure through a nomination. The biggest surprise might be Under the Skin and Scarlett Johansson scoring nominations for Best Picture and Actress. It’ll be unlikely for Jonathan Glazer’s strange sci-fi to get much love outside of critics’ circles this year, so nominations like these are nice to see. Another great choice by Gotham: Giving Ira Sachs’ wonderful Love is Strange a Best Picture nomination. Sachs’ film, a quietly heartbreaking drama, seems bound to get left out this year once the awards race kicks into high gear (if Best Actor weren’t so competitive this year, John Lithgow and Alfred Molina would have been locks). Any recognition for Love is Strange is a huge plus.

Read on below for the full list of nominees, including the nominees for Breakthrough Director and Actor. For those more interested in the bigger awards, take note of Oscar Isaac’s nomination for A Most Violent Year. The film hasn’t come out yet (it opens AFI Fest next month), so this nomination might be a hint of another shake-up in the coming weeks. And if anyone’s wondering where current Best Actor frontrunner Steve Carrell is, Gotham decided to give Carrell and co-stars Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo a special award for their ensemble performances in Foxcatcher.

The Gotham Independent Film Awards will hold their awards ceremony on December 1st.

Best Feature

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Love Is Strange
Under the Skin

Best Actor

Bill Hader in The Skeleton Twins
Ethan Hawke in Boyhood
Oscar Isaac in A Most Violent Year
Michael Keaton in Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Miles Teller in Whiplash (Sony Pictures Classics)

Best Actress

Patricia Arquette in Boyhood
Gugu Mbatha-Raw in Beyond the Lights
Julianne Moore in Still Alice
Scarlett Johansson in Under the Skin
Mia Wasikowska in Tracks

Best Documentary

Actress
CITIZENFOUR
Life Itself
Manakamana
Point and Shoot

Breakthrough Actor

Riz Ahmed in Nightcrawler
Macon Blair in Blue Ruin
Ellar Coltrane in Boyhood
Joey King in Wish I Was Here
Jenny Slate in Obvious Child
Tessa Thompson in Dear White People

Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director Award

Ana Lily Amirpour for A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
James Ward Byrkit for Coherence
Dan Gilroy for Nightcrawler
Eliza Hittman for It Felt Like Love
Justin Simien for Dear White People

With last year’s Before Midnight being clearly one of the best of 2013 (at least in our opinion), it would seem Richard Linklater, whose films can be somewhat hit or miss (Me and Orson Welles was a bit more on the miss side), is reaching some kind of maturation. Like a fine wine. It would be easy to say he peaked in the 90’s and early 2000’s where his youthful film angle seemed perfectly suited for his age, but with Before Midnight, he proved he could grow with his subject matter. So how to classify Boyhood? A film that shows that Linklater can not only mature with his work, but one that required planning ahead for over a decade’s worth of work.

Boyhood was shot over 12 consecutive years with the same actors, an impressive feat in and of itself. Complicated production aside, the film is quite simple. 6-year-old Mason (Ellar Coltrane) lives with his single mother Olivia (Patricia Arquette) and older sister, Samantha (Lorelie Linklater), in Texas. He goes to school, hangs out with his friends, argues with his sister, and watches his mother bounce from failed relationship to failed relationship. Some years they move. Others their estranged father (Ethan Hawke) bounces into their lives, attempting to assert his place in their lives and his genuine love for them. Nothing especially out of the ordinary happens, the height of the drama being an especially bad marriage situation that Olivia is forced to endure and eventually escape from. Mostly we watch Mason grow up. Looking wide-eyed and too-wise as a child, greasy and awkward in middle school, thoughtful and rebellious in high school. This is an average lower-middle class family — divorced, single-parented, all-American. And somehow at an unholy two hours and forty-five minutes, from a man known to embrace free-form “plot-less” filmmaking, there is never a second of Boyhood that isn’t entirely mesmerizing.

While I can hardly imagine being a 6-year-old and committing to spend a few days of every year until college on a movie, Linklater seems to have gotten incredibly lucky with his cast. Each of them somehow managing to channel their character on demand for each consecutive chapter of their, and their character’s, lives while effectively showcasing the undeniable maturity that comes with one’s personal aging. It’s a film full of absolute honesty because it’s made in a format that embraces reality. When Ethan Hawke shows up for his first visit onscreen as Mason Sr., it’s the younger scragglier version of him we haven’t seen since the late 90’s, and by the time the film closes, in a scene where Mason Sr. explains to his son that no one in life really knows what they are doing, he’s the older, grayer Hawke we saw in Before Midnight. And not a drop of CG.

The most extraordinary and intriguing transformation is that of Ellar Coltrane, who must find it surreal to watch a film that showcases his every bad haircut of adolescence, and those in-between years of baby fat and sudden pubescent shift. Within two scenes his voice goes from high and childish to a deeper adult sound, the sort of brutal realism a film is hardly able to capture in its normal production methods. Aside from how intriguing it is to watch Mason/Ellar age, more extraordinary is Linklater’s ability to capture the molding of his mind and personality. All the musings and thoughts we see running through his head, as though we’re literally watching him learn and grow, even when we’re not privy to what those thoughts are. Linklater, a lover of loquacious films, turns off that impulse in Boyhood and allows Mason’s silences and observations to do all the telling.

Even if Mason’s experiences aren’t exactly mirrored personally with audiences, the literal zeitgeist peppering each scene and giving it so much cultural context will make it impossible not to remember those years, not so long ago, and to feel utterly transported. Moreso than other historical-ish films even, because unlike a documentary, this film has literally captured time. Britney Spears songs, Harry Potter book releases, and political references are all genuinely reflective of the fervor surrounding them in real-time. It’s not a nostalgic remembrance — though it induces nostalgia — instead Boyhood is like watching a home video. It’s a preservation of time wrapped up in an every-man/child’s life story.

As a fascinating study in mixing reality and fiction, Boyhood stands out from say scripted reality shows in that it simply and effectively holds a lens up to the reality inherent in all films. A nuance that perhaps couldn’t be captured in anything less than 12 years, and which, it turns out, is so fascinating it turns an almost 3 hour film about almost nothing into a remarkable piece of art.

Boyhood trailer

Richard Linklater created a coming of age story unlike anything ever done before by remarkably filming the same cast for 12 years in an ambitious project entitled Boyhood. Linklater began filming a six-year-old boy named Mason (played by Ellar Coltrane) in 2002, and over the next 12 years we literally get to see him grow up. Although the film is primarily about life through the eyes of a child, the film is also about parenting, capturing Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette as parents struggling to raise a child.

The trailer offers a small taste of how captivating this development process is to watch, see for yourself in the trailer below.

Watch Boyhood trailer

A special preview screening of Richard Linklater’s ambitious new project, Boyhood, has been added to the Sundance 2014 lineup.

The film, also known as the “12 Year Project”, is an unprecedented undertaking: for the past 12 years, Linklater has made one short film a year that follows a boy named Mason (played by Ellar Coltrane), along with his sister Samantha (Lorelei Linklater, the auteur’s daughter), as he navigates the rocky road from boyhood (age 6) to adulthood (age 18).

Coltrane, who began filming in 2000, ages with his character in real time, an idea that, if nothing else, will be visually unlike anything ever seen on film. Playing Coltrane and Linklater’s parents (and aging along with him during the shoot) are Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette. To watch Coltrane physically transform from a tiny tot into a young man within the running time of a feature film, “like timelapse photography of a human being”, as Hawke told The Playlist last year, is a uniquely compelling incentive to keep our eyes on Linklater’s latest.

ABOVE: Linklater in San Francisco, April 2013

This is the auteur’s second project to utilize the real-life passing of time as a storytelling device, following his Before series (whose latest entry, Before Midnight, was my favorite film of 2013), a trio of romance movies separated by 9 years each starring Hawke and Julie Delpy. That series celebrated its 18th birthday last year (a somewhat poetic coincidence). We chatted with Mr. Linklater about the series in an extended interivew last April at the San Francisco International Film Festival.

Linklater has a long-standing relationship with the festival, premiering several of his films there: Before Sunrise (1995), subUrbia 1997, Waking Life (2001), Tape (2001), and Before Midnight (2013).

Boyhood premieres Sunday, January 19th, rounding out the 121 feature-length film lineup. The 2014 Sundance Film Festival runs from January 16th-26th in Park City, Utah.