#huddyawards

This was a tough decision as many of the films that came out in 2014 were phenomenal. Biopics like Selma and The Theory of Everything were excellent portrayals of two great innovators. American Sniper demonstrates the issues that surround all wars with a first-hand look at PTSD. Whiplash was a fantastic display of how destructive some teachers can be when they are given too much power. Boyhood covered twelve years of growth that the whole cast endured. The Imitation Game covered topics from defeating the Nazis to bullying and homosexuality. Fury was a great display of what it’s like to be in a tank when the tracks get destroyed. The resolve those soldiers had was unbelievable. A Most Violent Year covered 1981 in New York, one of the most violent years in American history. However, the Huddy Award for Picture of the Year goes to The Judge, a story about a father who never found a way to forgive his son. This story of a son’s attempt to support his father right after a funeral is relatable to anyone who has lost someone.

These actresses demonstrate how important supporting roles are to film. Patricia Arquette plays a mother who is trying to find herself in Boyhood. Laura Dern plays the mother of a strong woman focused on healing herself in Wild. Keira Knightley emulates the cryptanalyst Joan Clarke in The Imitation Game. Oprah Winfrey portrayed the “magnificence of Annie Lee Cooper and what her courage meant to an entire movement,” (Winfrey) in Selma. Jessica Chastain accentuates the malevolent wife of Abel Morales in A Most Violent Year. Whilst portraying a recovering addict, Emma Stone cemented her place in modern Hollywood with her role in Birdman. The Huddy Award for Actress in a Supporting Role goes to Emma Stone.

All of these actresses are fantastic in their portrayals as loyal wives or independent woman. Felicity Jones plays Stephen Hawking’s wife and accentuates the struggle of Lou Gehrig’s Disease of all those entangled in The Theory of Everything. Rosamund Pike plays the wife who Nick Dunne is looking for in Gone Girl. Her portrayal of a wife who has fallen out of love is stunning yet fantastic. Julianne Moore demonstrates the enduring nature of Alzheimer’s Disease in Still Alice. Marion Cotillard plays an independent woman reclaiming her strength in Two Days, One Night. Carmen Ejogo plays Coretta Scott King in Selma. Reese Witherspoon receives the Huddy Award for Actress in a Leading Role due to her ability to portray a rebirth in Wild. Due to recent events, Strayed (Witherspoon) goes on a hike over 1,000 miles by herself in order to heal herself.

All of this year’s nominees do a phenomenal job of playing the supporting role. Colman Domingo plays Martin Luther King Jr.’s best friend Ralph Abernathy in Selma. He does an excellent job acting as the co-founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). Edward Norton plays an antagonist type of role in Birdman as Mike Shiner, an acclaimed Broadway actor. Mark Ruffalo plays a worried brother in Foxcatcher and once again demonstrates his great ability to act. Ethan Hawke accentuates what it’s like to be a father in modern America in Boyhood, a movie about blended families. J.K. Simmons emulates an overbearing teacher at a music institute in Whiplash. Robert Duvall plays a bitter father in The Judge. The issues involved are relatable to anyone who has fought for their father’s affection. His performance is deserving of the Huddy Award for Actor in a Supporting Role.

All six of the nominees demonstrated why they either are or will be staples of Hollywood. Steve Carell takes on a very serious and strange role in Foxcatcher. Bradley Cooper demonstrates the issues surrounding Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in American Sniper. Michael Keaton plays a washed up actor attempting to revitalize his career in Birdman. Joaquin Phoenix plays a hippie private investigator in Inherent Vice. Eddie Redmayne does a great job impersonating Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything. However, David Oyelowo gives the performance of the year as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma. The Huddy for Actor in a Leading Role goes to David Oyelowo.

The Huddy Award for Animated Feature Film goes to The LEGO Movie. I was skeptical when I first started watching this animated film but only because I had not seen any movies involving LEGOs. The script is actually pretty good as there are two different universes the audience has to follow. One involves the animation of the LEGOs as the other involves the creator of the LEGO town (Will Ferrell). He is considered to be evil throughout the movie as he wants to “freeze” the citizens of the LEGO world with Krazy Glue. The imagination of Finn, a boy, is the driving force behind this film and accentuates what’s most important. A reminder that our youth is our future, The LEGO Movie restores my faith in humanity.

The Grand Budapest Hotel was a fabulous movie and wins the Huddy for Comedy of the Year. Wes Anderson’s distinct directing style is often overlooked by the OSCARs but his films are fantastic. Watch Moonrise Kingdom or The Royal Tenenbaums if you don’t believe me. His quirky sense of humor is similar to early Monty Python movies. You have to watch the movie a couple of times in order to understand his intricate comedy. The cast is phenomenal, as Ralph Fiennes gives one of the best performances of his career. F. Murray Abraham, Jude Law, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum and many other stars grace the screen to help compose this year’s Comedy of the Year.

I know it’s been a long time coming, so to refresh your memories as to what the nominees are:

Comedy: Nominees:

Dumb and Dumber To Birdman St. Vincent The Grand Budapest Hotel This Is Where I Leave You Horrible Bosses 2

Animated Feature Film: Nominees:

Big Hero 6 The Boxtrolls How to Train Your Dragon 2 The Lego Movie Mr. Peabody & Sherman Penguins of Madagascar

Actor in a Leading Role: Nominees;

Steve Carell (Foxcatcher) Bradley Cooper (American Sniper) Michael Keaton (Birdman) Joaquin Phoenix (Inherent Vice) Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything) David Oyelowo (Selma)

Actor in a Supporting Role: Nominees:

Robert Duvall (The Judge) Ethan Hawke (Boyhood) Edward Norton (Birdman) Colman Domingo (Selma) Mark Ruffalo (Foxcatcher) J.K. Simmons (Whiplash)

Actress in a Leading Role: Nominees:

Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything) Julianne Moore (Still Alice) Reese Witherspoon (Wild) Marion Cotillard (Two Days, One Night) Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl) Carmen Ejogo (Selma)

Actress in a Supporting Role: Nominees:

Patricia Arquette (Boyhood) Laura Dern (Wild) Keira Knightley (The Imitation Game) Emma Stone (Birdman) Jessica Chastain (A Most Violent Year) Oprah Winfrey (Selma)

Best Picture: Nominees: