By all appeareances the pre-Oscar scuttlebutt about a lack of diversity in the Academy Awards nominee voting process and choices, though it had gained substantial momentum in days leading up to the broadcast, was resoundingly negated and rendered moot on various levels and in several categories during the program.
First of all, it was a wise act to expand upon the telecast and include recipients of the Governors Awards, social activist Harry Belafonte the perfect choice being one of the most notable and consistent artist activists over his lifespan and career. It set the tone for the evening, did the Afro-American community proud and made me feel very much a part of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences community, as in "inclusive".
Two Mexicans, Latinos Hispanics Best Director awards shed a light on immigration issues without tackling them head-on or intentionally. It just worked out in its own way with Birdman directors' (of Mexican descent) tongue in cheek comments about immigration during his Oscar acceptance comments. John Legend and Common's win for Best song "Glory" was the perfect top off for the evening not just for "Selma's " social justice message and the hard fought right to vote, but broadened the victory to overlap into women's rights equal pay issues, age discrimination, immigration and the phlight of aging actors (Birdman) who often get looked over because of the value misplaced on youth in society. (Whiplash's actor @ 60 has been in the industry 40 yrs before winning an award).
Reese Witherspoon's interview on the red carpet about the role she played behind the scenes as a producer of two Oscar nominated movies,Wild and Gone Girl set the table so to speak for Patricia Arquette's big win for her performance in Boyhood and for women's rights in the motion picture industry across the board. Giving more insight and credit to technical aspects of filmmaking by presenting video on special affects designers, etc. was a nice touch.
The outcome was the perfect social consciousness palette, a racially diverse spread of Oscar winners list done with class. A beautifully done reminder that we can and must do this thing called "great society" together...
See Wikipedia for a more detailed breakdown of the 87th Annual Academy Awards ceremony here.
Cynthia
