Neil Patrick Harris and the Oscars

And the Oscar goes to… On February 22, 2015, the Academy Awards or The Oscars celebrated its 87th anniversary with Neil Patrick Harris, the former star of “How I Met Your Mother,” as their 2015 host. “I loved Neil Patrick Harris as the host,” stated Natalie Arnold. “He was so funny, especially his “Birdman” spoof.” The ceremony began with a bang as Neil broke out in song, which eventually turned into a duet with “Pitch Perfect’s” leading lady, Anna Kendrick, and a special guest appearance by Jack Black. The opening number caught the attention of viewers all over the globe, but this year many people were surprised with the performances of some of the most talented people in the music industry. Lady Gaga received a standing ovation from the audience after her amazing tribute to “The Sound of Music,” wowing the film’s lead actress, Julie Andrews. The night continued with more incredible musical performances, especially John Legend and Common’s rendition of “Glory” from the Oscar nominated film “Selma.” “Glory” managed to win the award for Original Song. Jennifer Hudson, Tegan and Sara with The Lonely Island, Tim McGraw, Rita Ora, and Maroon 5 also performed.

The night continued with incredible speeches involving gender equality, race equality, and much more from the Oscar winners. The most famous speech of the night came from Graham Moore, winner of the Best Adapted Screenplay category for The Imitation Game. He stated, “When I was sixteen, I tried to kill myself because I felt different and that I didn’t belong. Now I’m here, and I want this moment to be for that kid who feels weird or different. Stay weird, stay different.” He received much praise for sharing his personal experience and warning people about the effects of bullying. According to Natalie Arnold, “My favorite speech was from Dana Perry after she won for Documentary Short Subject. She talked about how society should work against the stigma of mental illness and suicide prevention/awareness. I thought the message she and her documentary were trying to convey was wonderful. Mental illness is one of society’s many problems that isn't taken as seriously as it should be.” Julianne Moore continued with the trend of keeping people aware of illness and mental illness as she accepted her Best Actress award for her role in Still Alice, the story of a linguist professor who is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. She declared, “I’m so happy - I’m thrilled actually that we were able to hopefully shine a light on Alzheimer’s disease. So many people with this disease feel isolated and marginalized and one of the wonderful things about movies is it makes us feel seen and not alone. And people with Alzheimer’s deserve to be seen, so that we can find a cure.” I recently saw this movie and I must say her performance was astounding. It’s no wonder why Julianne Moore won the Best Actress award. Still Alice sheds light on the challenges and confusion those with Alzheimer’s face on a daily basis. The film gives its audience a deeper understanding of this heartbreaking, incurable illness through its realistic ….

Many viewers were shocked when Clint Eastwood’s American Sniper failed to snag the Best Picture award. As stated by Hailey Coleman, “I wanted to see Unbroken or American Sniper win Best Picture. Both were unbelievably good movies and deserved more recognition.” American Sniper tells the incredible true story of Chris Kyle, the deadliest sniper in United States history. It became 2015’s most talked about movie as it remained at the top of the Box Office charts, grossing nearly $500 million worldwide. Although it didn’t win Best Picture, American Sniper obtained an award for Sound Editing.

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