"Birdman", "Grand Budapest" Biggest Winners at 87th Academy Awards

"Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)" swooped into the 87th Academy Awards on Sunday night taking four Oscars including best picture.

The cynical comedy about a washed-up actor trying to stage a comeback also claimed director, original screenplay and cinematography at the annual kudos fest at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood.

Going in with a leading nine nominations — along with another best picture-nominated comedy, "The Grand Budapest Hotel" — "Birdman" beat out the likes of "Boyhood", "American Sniper" and its co-leader in nomiantions for the top prize.

Like how they tied in nominations tally, "The Grand Budapest Hotel" also won four awards including costume design, production design and makeup and hairstyling. Its composer, Alexandre Desplat, won for the film's original score after six failed attempts in the category - he was also nominated this year for scoring "The Imitation Game".

While laffers picked up four awards each, best picture nominee "Whiplash" about a jazz drummer earned three gongs: best supporting actor (J.K. Simmons), editing and sound mixing.

Eddie Redmayne and Julianne Moore continued their awards season stomp to Oscar gold in the lead acting categories for "The Theory of Everything" and "Still Alice," respectively.

Patricia Arquette picked up best supporting actress for "Boyhood," the best picture front-runner's only win.

The remaining best picture nominees won one award each: "American Sniper" for sound editing; "The Imitation Game" for adapted screenplay; and "Selma" for original song.

The animated hit "Big Hero 6" won animated feature.

"Ida" became Poland's first successful win in the foreign language film category. "CitizenFour" won for documentary feature.

The sci-fi film "Interstellar" won only one of its awards: visual effects.

Best Picture:"Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)"
Best Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu, "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)"
Best Actor: Eddie Redmayne, "The Theory of Everything"
Best Actress: Julianne Moore, "Still Alice"
Best Supporting Actor: J.K. Simmons, "Whiplash"
Best Supporting Actress: Patricia Arquette, "Boyhood"
Best Original Screenplay: "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)"
Best Adapted Screenplay: "The Imitation Game"
Best Animated Feature: "Big Hero 6"
Best Foreign Language Film: "Ida" (Poland)
Best Documentary Feature: "CitizenFour"
Best Cinematography: "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)"
Best Costume Design: "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
Best Editing: "Whiplash"
Best Makeup and Hairstyling: "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
Best Original Score: "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
Best Original Song: "Glory" from "Selma"
Best Production Design: "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
Best Sound Editing: "American Sniper"
Best Sound Mixing: "Whiplash"
Best Visual Effects: "Interstellar"
Best Animated Short: "Feast"
Best Documentary Short Subject: "Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1"
Best Live-Action Short: "The Phone Call"

'Boyhood' Best Film at 2014 EE BAFTA Film Awards, 'Budapest Hotel' wins five

"Boyhood" may have been the biggest winner at the 68th BAFTAs winning best film, director and supporting actress (Patricia Arquette), but it was "The Grand Budapest Hotel" that took home the most awards. The comedy-caper won five awards: best original screenplay, production design, costume design, score and make-up & hair.

Other big winners were homegrown favorite "The Theory of Everything" with wins for lead actor (Eddie Redmayne), outstanding British Film and adapted screenplay.

Joining the aforementioned in the best film race were "Birdman" which won for its cinematography, while "The Imitation Game" was shut out of its nine categories.

Of the films not nominated in the top race, "Whiplash" won three for supporting actor (J.K. Simmons), sound and editing.

 Stephen Beresford and David Livingstone won oustanding British debut for their film "Pride".

Other winners in top races were Julianne Moore for lead actress.in "Still Alice," "The LEGO Movie" winning animated feature, and Oscar-nominated films "Ida" winning for film not in the English language and "Citizenfour" for documentary.

"Interstellar" won its bid for special visual effects.

Best film- "Boyhood"

Best director- Richard Linklater, "Boyhood"

Lead actor- Eddie Redmayne, "The Theory of Everything"

Lead actress- Julianne Moore, "Still Alice"

Supporting actor- J.K. Simmons, "Whiplash"

Supporting actress- Patricia Arquette, "Boyhood"

Original screenplay- "The Grand Budapest Hotel"

Adapted screenplay- "The Theory of Everything"

Outstanding British film- "The Theory of Everything"

Outstanding British debut- Stephen Beresford and David Livingstone, "Pride"

Animated feature- "The LEGO Movie"

Film not in the English Language- "Ida"

Documentary- "Citizenfour"

Production design- "The Grand Budapest Hotel"

Costume Design- "The Grand Budapest Hotel"

Cinematography- "Birdman"

Score- "The Grand Budapest Hotel" (Alexandre Desplat, composer)

Editing- "Whiplash"

Sound- "Whiplash"

Special visual effects- "Interstellar"

Make up and hair- "The Grand Budapest Hotel"

British short film- "Boogaloo and Graham"

British animated short- "The Bigger Picture"

Movie Review: 'The Theory of Everything' Explains Nothing, Worst Film of the Year

The Theory of Everything (2014, directed by James Marsh. U.K, English, color, 124 minutes) The above poster for "The Theory of Everything" states that it's the "incredible" story of Jane and Stephen Hawking. Perhaps the story of their 30-year marriage is incredible, but you sure won't see it in this pile of garbage that's being marketed as an uplifting story. This movie, quite frankly, is bullshit.

When you tackle a true story, especially one that includes one of the great physicists in the world, there should be a delicate and sincere touch that makes its delivery less like a cheap Hallmark movie and more like a deeply engrossing and enlightening experience. This film is like a combination of  "My Left Foot" and "A Beautiful Mind", but deletes any sort of sincerity those films presented. I'm not saying the aforementioned are the greatest in cinema history, they're just better portrayals of those afflicted with a handicap or mental disease to accomplish greatness.