And the Oscar Goes To... (2014)

Genre: Documentary

Directed by: Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman

Cast: Anjelica Huston, Billy Crystal, Tom Hanks, Whoopi Goldberg

Running time: 87 minutes

As a very big cinephile, I was truly excited to see this 2014 documentary that details the history of the Academy Awards from the beginning, in the 1930’s, and I was not disappointed.

Over a little less than 90 minutes, this great documentary covers a lot of ground. From the impact of the McCarthy days on the movie business, to the racial situation, to the impact of television, it was all discussed. I particularly appreciated the fact that the filmmakers did not try to skirt around the controversies. From the small number of black nominees and winners to the time Marlon Brando sent a Native American woman to accept his Oscar for The Godfather, it was all there.

There were a few poignant moments, such as Jane Fonda discussing the time where she accepted the Oscar for her sick father, Henry Fonda. Also, there was the footage of Hattie McDaniel’s acceptance speech for the award she received for her role in Gone with the Wind.

In this documentary narrated by Anjelica Huston, we hear from people such as Whoopi Goldberg, Billy Crystal, Jane Fonda and many more. It is truly a gem for the movie lovers out there. I wish they could have gotten comments from Jack Nicholson, since he’s one of the people I associate more closely with the Academy Awards, but it was not to be. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed this film.

Rating: «««««