The 85th Academy Awards, hosted this year by the ever-provocative Seth McFarlane, lived up to everyone’s wildest expectations. There were a fair share of front-runners who pulled through, as well as wild cards who stole the spotlight. There were those who literally stumbled to the podium (Jennifer Lawrence) and those whose on-stage nonchalance felt refreshing amid so much nervous tension (Quintin Tarantino’s easy going acceptance speech for Best Original Screenplay). There were moments of hilarity (Daniel Day Lewis told the audience Meryl Streep was chosen over him for The Iron Lady) and moments of heart-wrenching poignancy (the winners for best Documentary Short, Inocente, included a woman who was homeless not even a year ago). The best surprise of all, perhaps, came at the end when First Lady Michelle Obama was telecast into the auditorium to present Best Picture in tandem with Jack Nicholson. Here’s a list of nominees and winners for all highlighted categories.
HIGHLIGHTED CATEGORIES
BEST PICTURE: ARGO
NOMINEES:
Amour
Argo
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Django Unchained
Les Misérables
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Silver Linings Playbook
Zero Dark Thirty
CINEMATOGRAPHY: CLAUDIO MIRANDA, LIFE OF PI
NOMINEES:
Anna Karenina – Seamus McGarvey
Django Unchained – Robert Richardson
Life of Pi – Claudio Miranda
Lincoln – Janusz Kaminski
Skyfall – Roger Deakins
DIRECTING: ANG LI, LIFE OF PI
NOMINEES:
Amour – Michael Heneke
Beasts of The Southern Wild – Benh Zeitlin
Life of Pi – Ang Lee
Lincoln – Steven Spielberg
Silver Linings Playbook – David O. Russell
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE: JENNIFER LAWRENCE, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
NOMINEES:
Jessica Chastain – Zero Dark Thirty
Jennifer Lawrence – Silver Linings Playbook
Emmanuelle Riva – Amour
Quvenzhané Wallis – Beasts of the Southern Wild
Naomi Watts – The Impossible
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE: CHRISTOPH WALTZ, DJANGO UNCHAINED
NOMINEES:
Alan Arkin – Argo
Robert De Niro – Silver Linings Playbook
Philip Seymour Hoffman – The Master
Tommy Lee Jones – Lincoln
Christoph Waltz – Django Unchained
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE: DANIEL DAY LEWIS, LINCOLN
NOMINEES:
Bradley Cooper – Silver Linings Playbook
Daniel Day-Lewis – Lincoln
Hugh Jackman – Les Misérables
Joaquin Phoenix – The Master
Denzel Washington – Flight
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE: ANNE HATHAWAY, LES MISERABLES
NOMINEES:
Amy Adams – The Master
Sally Field – Lincoln
Anne Hathaway – Les Misérables
Helent Hunt – The Sessions
Jacki Weaver – Silver Linings Playbook