This probably won't be too long of an entry, since the show was, for the most part, blah. It was overlong and boring, and there wasn't a single major upset. Since I haven't seen many of the movies, I won't get into whether so and so deserved to win. Here are some various thoughts about the show:
The host: I think Neil Patrick Harris is very talented, and from what I can tell, he seems like a genuinely nice person and a dad who loves his kids. I really wanted to like him here and say he did a good job, but, unfortunately, I can't. The song and dance number, as expected, was great, but, overall, many of his jokes were corny, his interactions with the audience were awkward, and his "Oscar predictions" magic trick fell flat and wasted time as an already overlong show was trying to end. He didn't lay a total egg like, say, James Franco, but he just wasn't that good, and was a big step down from Ellen DeGeneres, who did a wonderful job last year.
The winners: I stand corrected. My prediction about "Boyhood" didn't come true, because "Birdman" won most of the major guild awards, and there was even some undeserved backlash about "Boyhood," with comments like "If I was given 12 years, I can make an Oscar-winning movie too." I look forward to seeing "Birdman," because I hear it is a well-constructed and well-acted film, although I hear it's a bit artsy-fartsy.
The presenters: As many people pointed out, all 20 acting nominees were white. I warned that the Oscar voters will overcompensate next year, likely nominating mediocre performances as long as they can get some blacks on next year's Oscar ballots so they can make up for this year. What I didn't realize was going to happen was that the overcompensation would start at the ceremony. There were 15, yes, 15 black presenters at the ceremony. This was no accident.
The soapbox: That is what the microphone became for Oscar winners because several winners aired their political beliefs. I am on the fence on this. Many of the issues the winners brought up had some connection to the movies they were involved with. Common and John Legend won for "Glory" from the movie "Selma" and almost had to say something about the continuing struggle for equal rights. Patricia Arquette spoke about wage inequality, having played a single mother in "Boyhood." Again, I am on the fence, because the Oscar stage is not a soapbox, but these are relevant issues that were brought up in these movies, so I will give them a pass. However, every winner was given raucous applause, a stark contrast to Michael Moore, who rightfully accused George W. Bush of waging a phony war during his acceptance speech for "Fahrenheit 9/11" many years ago, and was booed off the stage. I was touched by Best Adapted Screenplay winner Graham Moore talk about his attempted suicide and tell us all to embrace our weirdness. It almost took away my anger after "Whiplash" didn't win this category.
The orchestra: This was the night the winners said F--- you to the orchestra. Apparently at least two winners couldn't care less that they were getting played off, because they just kept on talking. They both had meaningful things to say about their families and the issues their films dealt with, and I admire their rebellious spirit. My advice to the director- next time, just kill the microphone.
The songs: "Everything is Awesome" from the Lego Movie was a lot of fun to watch and listen to. The aforementioned John Legend and Common gave an emotional performance of "Glory," which was the deserving winner. Tim McGraw did a fine job of singing a song Glen Campbell wrote to his family about his battle with Alzheimer's. The other two songs were boring.
The diva: I am referring, of course, to the one and only Lady Gaga. I was very impressed with her vocal ability singing a medley from "The Sound of Music." I bet NBC wishes they had hired her instead of Carrie Underwood when they aired a live version of the musical. However, not to take from Gaga's wonderful performance, but there was no particular reason to make this a part of the show, and it added 10 minutes to an already overlong show. This is one of the reasons the show went 40 minutes long.
The stiffs: First of all, the audience was told during the commercial to hold their applause until the entire dead person montage was over, taking away one of the most delightfully tacky parts of the show in which some dead people get more applause than other dead people. Nonetheless, Robin Williams and Mike Nichols managed to get some applause. Despite the lame excuses made by the Academy, the omissions of Joan Rivers and Elaine Stritch are inexcusable. And where the hell was Jon Lovitz? Finally, Jennifer Hudson comes out afterwards and sings some song from the cancelled "Smash" TV show. She sounded great, but again, this added 4 minutes. This is another reason the show went 40 minutes long.
The insult: When Sean Penn awarded "Birdman" Best Picture, he made the comment "How did this son of a bitch get his green card?" referring to director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. Many people screamed "racism!", saying things like "This only confirms even more that the Oscars are a white man's ceremony." I just saw it as one friend busting on another friend. The two worked together on "21 Grams" and have been together ever since. Inarritu even said he thought the comment was "hilarious."
The supporrting actor award, won by J.K. Simmons for "Whiplash": All I have to say is this: Good job.
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