It’s the End of a Travoltified Season

By MELENA RYZIK

LOS ANGELES — What was that we were saying about cynicism?

Ellen DeGeneres’s Oscar selfie was a giant product placement (and it might belong to Bradley Cooper anyway), Barkhad “I am the captain now” Abdi may be broke, and my Travolta name (Melissa Reynzo) isn’t even all that good.

At least the pizza delivery guy seems to have a legitimately sweet story. (And Carpetbagger travoltified is “Cooper Bafer.” Much better!)

It’s the end of the road for this season, historic in its outcome if not, perhaps, in its lead-up – being gorgeous and being thin are still two pretty good signs of Oscar dominance.

Thanks for following along as we did the hard work of sitting down with all four of this year’s acting winners (and one director) and learned the secrets of how the best films of 2013, and a few also-rans, came to be.

A special thanks to our editor, Stephanie Goodman, for steering this celebrity-addled, deadline-laden ship; she is, unquestionably, the best and coolest captain.

The prognosticating for next season’s potential hopefuls has already begun. Cooper Bafer will catch you then.

The Ratings, the Ads, the Backstage Emotions

By THE NEW YORK TIMES
Fellow presenters Penelope Cruz and Robert De Niro consult backstage at the Oscars on Sunday. Monica Almeida/The New York TimesFellow presenters Penelope Cruz and Robert De Niro consult backstage at the Oscars on Sunday.

The Oscars have been handed out, but there’s still news trickling in:

The Ratings: As the Bagger’s colleagues Brooks Barnes and Michael Cieply note, 43 million viewers tuned in to ABC’s Oscars telecast with Ellen DeGeneres as host. That’s a 6.4 percent increase over the numbers for the previous year, when Seth MacFarlane was the host. (His ratings were also an improvement over the previous year’s.) Read more here.

The Commercials: The Academy Awards have been called the Super Bowl for women, mainly because a majority of the viewers are female, and the Bagger’s colleague Stuart Elliott says this year’s edition was particularly useful as a marketing platform. “It did not go unnoticed that Ms. DeGeneres used for her selfie a smartphone made by Samsung, a major sponsor of the Academy Awards,” he writes, though he adds that it was also noted when Ms. DeGeneres used an iPhone backstage. Read more here.

Also: Speaking of backstage at the Oscars, what’s that like? The Bagger’s photographer colleague Monica Almeida left the red carpet to get a closer look, capturing fellow presenters Robert De Niro and Penelope Cruz (above), Matthew McConaughey and his former rom-com co-star Kate Hudson, an emotional Lupita Nyong’o and more. See more photos here.

Will We Be Calling It the ‘12 Years’ Effect?

By MELENA RYZIK
John Ridley greets Sidney Poitier backstage at the Oscars as Angelina Jolie looks on. Monica Almeida/The New York TimesJohn Ridley greets Sidney Poitier backstage at the Oscars as Angelina Jolie looks on.

LOS ANGELES – “Never listen to me.”

That was the entirety of the email from an awards-season expert who had predicted that “Gravity” would win the top prize on Sunday.

The apparently narrow victory that “12 Years a Slave” enjoyed in its historic best-picture win could’ve come from a slimmer margin of voters preferring that film to any other, or it could’ve been a factor of the math in the Academy’s voting system (or possibly both). Or it could’ve been an indication that members were torn about what kind of film, and moviegoing experience, they wanted to favor.

“I think it was a hard year because there were a lot of movies that moved us,” said Kimberly Peirce, the director of “Boys Don’t Cry” and an Academy member. “And I also think the big movies, like a ‘Gravity,’ had a profound impact on us.” It wasn’t just about box office, she added: “I think everybody remembers what it felt like to see ‘Gravity,’ to be lost in space and to have all that thrill.”

Then there was “12 Years a Slave,” a film she described as intense, intimate and revolutionary; it might not be a candidate for repeat viewing, but it had an undeniable emotional impact. Ms. Peirce, who takes her voting (and her craft) so seriously that she often reads the Oscar-nominated screenplays (and who you might think would lean toward artier, indier fare), found herself torn between the front-runners. “I was very challenged, because I think when we vote, we really want to do the right thing,” she said.

No matter the methodology, the night ultimately belonged to “12 Years a Slave” – only the third time in Oscar history that winners in three categories were African-American. The first time, according to an Academy historian, was in 2007, with two wins for “Dreamgirls,” best supporting actress and sound mixing, and one for Forest Whitaker in “The Last King of Scotland.” The second was in 2010, with two wins for “Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire,” best supporting actress and best adapted screenplay, and one for best documentary short. (There have been three black winners in one category before, as when Three Six Mafia picked up best song. The count does not include years with honorary Oscars.) It’s not insignificant that this change has seeped in just in the last few years, though there was ample opportunity to reward films with diverse casts and crews before. (See: Lee, Spike).

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Travolta Trips Up and Other High Points

By MELENA RYZIK
Idina Menzel and John Travolta backstage at the Oscars. Christopher Polk/Getty ImagesIdina Menzel and John Travolta backstage at the Oscars.

LOS ANGELES – With its high point arguably being a retweeted selfie, the Oscars this year were meme-ready. Yes, you can already insert yourself into that photo, which host Ellen DeGeneres took and which Liza Minnelli didn’t quite make it into. (It was the most shared tweet of all time.)

While there’s nothing quite as enduring as @pharrellhat, John Travolta mispronouncing Idina Menzel’s name – he called her Adel Dazeem, or something — spawned multiple Twitter accounts, like:

There’s even its own pronunciation guide. Please welcome your new celeb crushes, Lunesta Knee-Congo and Bento Tinderbox.

On social media, one of the high points of the night came when Ms. DeGeneres delivered pizza to the audiences; the moment also delivered 158,159 tweets per minute, according to Twitter. One of the Bagger’s high points came when Steve Coogan stepped into the E! 360 fashion booth and made some monster faces.

One winner who’s known for being highly quotable, Matthew McConaughey, instead left some viewers puzzled with his acceptance speech, in which he called his future self his own hero and failed to mention AIDS, the disease his character in “Dallas Buyers Club” (and his real-life inspiration) died from. But Mr. McConaughey did mention his deceased father: “I know he’s up there right now with a big pot of gumbo. He’s got a lemon meringue pie over there. He’s probably in his underwear. And he’s got a cold can of Miller Lite and he’s dancing right now.”

In the press room backstage, Mr. McConaughey explained why his thoughts turned to family on that heady night. His father died in 1992, six days into Mr. McConaughey’s first acting job, on “Dazed and Confused,” the one where he coined his famous catchphrase, “all right, all right, all right.” Instead of focusing on his loss, Mr. McConaughey saw it as an auspicious moment.

”He got to be alive for me doing the one thing that was not my fad, hobby or job,” he said. “We didn’t know it then, but it turned out to be my career. And that’s why — he came to my mind tonight in speaking about him. It feels wonderful. Yeah. It feels wonderful.”

Lupita Nyong’o Dancing With Bill Murray and Other Party Memories

By MELENA RYZIK
Lupita Nyong'o with Sidney Poitier at the Vanity Fair party. Jeff Vespa/VF14/WireImage, via GettyLupita Nyong’o with Sidney Poitier at the Vanity Fair party.

WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. – The annual Vanity Fair afterparty retains its status as a must-stop for Oscar winners and nominees and plain old ultra-famous, ultra-beautiful people. But in a crowd that included gold medal winners (the ice dancers Charlie White and Meryl Davis), world’s richest artists (Jeff Koons) and Lady Gaga, there was no mistaking who was the queen of the night.

Lupita Nyong’o sailed in at 1 a.m., in a different gown than she wore onstage to collect her best supporting actress Oscar and deliver one of the most memorable and graceful acceptance speeches of the evening. Ms. Nyong’o was with her younger brother Peter, who’s known as Junior, and who orchestrated a photo-bomb for the ages by placing himself front-and-center in the selfie that Oscar host Ellen DeGeneres took mid-show. “I had to do it,” he said, grinning.

Ms. Nyong’o gave the Bagger a hug – we felt anointed – but didn’t linger to chat. She was quickly swept away towards Sidney Poitier, seated on a banquette with Quincy Jones. They posed for photos as the room (a parking lot, transformed with tents and carpets) seemed to tilt toward them, and a crowd gathered three-deep to snap their own photos of Ms. Nyong’o. No other Oscar winner inspired this kind of reaction, not even Jared Leto, who was giving his statuette to anyone and everyone to hold.

“She’ll never talk to anyone again,” grumbled one veteran party-watcher, as Ms. Nyong’o was swarmed. But Ms. Nyong’o, who told the Bagger on the red carpet last night that she was trying to maintain her equilibrium by doing things she’d always done, like spend time by herself, may yet prove him wrong.

Later she moved to a less crowded room at the party, snapping photos with her brother, her bestie Ben Kahn and a posse that included her “12 Years a Slave” castmate Adepero Oduye. Bill Murray was nearby, as he always is when a good time is to be had. The DJ played “Twist and Shout” and a dance circle broke out, with Ms. Nyong’o unself-consciously shimmying as though her galaxy had never shifted.

At the Indie Spirits, Oscar Warm-Ups and Also-Ran Quips

By MELENA RYZIK
Lupita Nyong'o at the Indie Spirit Awards. Randall Michelson/WireImageLupita Nyong’o at the Indie Spirit Awards.

SANTA MONICA, Calif. – “12 Years a Slave” was the top winner at the Indie Spirits here on Saturday, earning best picture, best director, best adapted screenplay and best supporting actress prizes.

“Not a bad way to celebrate my birthday!” cheered Lupita Nyong’o, who won the acting prize, after being carried to the stage, in a hug, by Steve McQueen.

Mr. McQueen, the winning director, paid tribute to other independent filmmakers. “I first saw a John Cassavetes movie,” he said. “It stunned me and it changed my life.”

John Ridley, who won for adapting Solomon Northup’s memoir, grew emotional as he gave his acceptance speech. “I’m so appreciative of what everyone did,” he said of the cast, “ and how you did it, and what you gave up in Solomon’s service.”

But it was far from a somber event: Michael Fassbender, a star of the movie – and an Oscar nominee for best supporting actor – celebrated with a shot of tequila. (Patron was a sponsor.)

The Indie Spirits, considered the hipster little sibling of award shows – far cooler than the stalwarts but still, in some ways, in their shadow – is a ceremony that was for some winners a rehearsal for the Oscars, and for others, a chance to give and receive their only recognition of the season. (See a full list of winners here.)

There were the de rigueur quips about low budgets and little-seen films.

“Since my monologue started,” said Patton Oswalt, the host, “’The Lego Movie’ has made more money than all the nominees combined.”

But the winners got some good lines in as well.

“This fulfilled a lifetime dream of one day becoming the oldest recipient of the first-time screenplay award,” said Bob Nelson, the 57-year-old screenwriter of “Nebraska.”

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Helen Mirren Takes on the Gender Gap

By MELENA RYZIK
Lupita Nyong'o and Helen Mirren at the Women in Film event. Getty ImagesLupita Nyong’o and Helen Mirren at the Women in Film event.

WEST HOLLYWOOD – “Shut up,” said Helen Mirren, “’cause Mama’s in the house.”

“That includes all you guys over there near the bar,” she added, as she waited for the crowd to quiet down at the Women in Film reception on Friday evening. The boys did as the Dame commanded.

Ms. Mirren was out and about on the party circuit on Friday – she’d also made a brief appearance at the British film reception beforehand – and was this year’s co-host of the annual event, held at Fig & Olive restaurant. It spotlights female Oscar nominees – each wears a fragrant white gardenia corsage – and also serves as a booster moment to reverse the continued gender disparity in the industry.

As Cathy Schulman, president of Women in Film, noted, “There are only 41 women who have directed the last 1,100 top films.”

If Ms. Mirren were in charge of more of them, that would probably be different. Actually, if Ms. Mirren was in charge of anything at all, the Bagger would gladly follow suit.

“I don’t often wish I’m younger, because I think it’s pretty cool to be old,” she said from the stage. “What I love most about being old(-er) is that lovely, I don’t give a” — let’s say, hoot –“kind of thing,” she continued, using a stronger word. “All you young things, don’t be afraid about being older because it’s” hooting “great.”

The crowd cheered. That included nominees like June Squibb (another of the don’t-give-a-hoot variety) and Lupita Nyong’o, making the rounds with her mother, Dorothy, and best friend, Ben Kahn, and personalities like Melanie Brown, better known as Scary Spice of the Spice Girls.

“But tonight, looking at this audience, I do wish I was about 40 years younger,” Ms. Mirren continued.

“It’s not that I want to have a better body or, you know, remember my husband’s name – remind me? Taylor, thank you, Taylor Hackford – or be able to dance all night or any of those things,” she said. “I’m just so excited about what happens next.”

When she started out in the business, she said, “you walked onto a film set and it was all men. Really it was like walking into a locker room of an N.F.L. team. It was a very, very male atmosphere. Maybe there were one or two women on the set. And my God, how much things have changed. I’ve witnessed that change.”

She’s now worked with female cinematographers, first assistant directors, boom operators and more. “I just salute those women who’ve made that change happen — the women who stood there 20-odd years ago and said, ‘I can do that.’ You know? ‘I can do that!’ And they have made the world such that the younger girls amongst us are looking at you guys going, ‘Well, if she can do it, then I can do it.’”

“That’s why I want to live another 40 years,” she concluded, “because I want to see what further changes are coming. It’s coming, women and girls, it’s coming! Enjoy it. And have a drink.”

British Weather and Nominees at a California Party

By MELENA RYZIK
The British consul general, Chris O'Connor, left, and the director Steve McQueen. Angela Weiss/Getty Images for Jaguar Land RoverThe British consul general, Chris O’Connor, left, and the director Steve McQueen.

LOS ANGELES – It’s been raining here. Have you heard?

The unexpected weather – which California, in the midst of terrible drought, badly needs – caused some rearranged party plans: Barry Diller and Diane von Furstenberg canceled their traditional Saturday-afternoon lunch because of it, according to Roger Friedman at Showbiz 411.

Tent suppliers are also experiencing a boom. (The red carpet at the Oscars, already rolled out, is encased in plastic and covered by plexiglass.) The reception on Friday evening honoring British films and filmmakers, at the home of the British consul general, is typically an elegant lawn party; it was tented this year, and there was still a bit of mud. A helpful lady handed out plastic heel-tip coverings – made by a British supplier, of course — so women in stilettos didn’t sink in, as guests converged over cucumbers with Roquefort and smoked salmon on toast.

“It’s phenomenal that so many of you made it,” said the consul general, Chris O’Connor, as he congratulated the 26 or so nominees on hand, “given that we also imported the great British weather.”

Steve McQueen, director of “12 Years a Slave,” was a host of the party, and recalled his first time filming in Belfast, for “Hunger.” At the time, “it was one of the places that no one went to” for film production, he said, but “coming from Britain, it’s always about being hard-headed and being determined.” He was hustled out a side exit soon after his speech, as fans clamored for photos.

Jeremy Kleiner, a producer of “12 Years a Slave,” said he wasn’t nervous at all about being part of one of the tightest Oscar races in recent memory. “All the good things have already happened,” he said, pointing to the plan to make the book and film available in schools. The film has also found traction with non-American audiences, grossing nearly double what it did in the United States and putting the lie to the idea that foreign audiences will not respond to an American drama with a largely black cast.

Its success on Oscar night will be closely watched too, not just for those with money riding on a ballot or a stake in Oscar history, but because, as one voter put it at the reception, it could serve a signal about the kind of films and voices the Academy could use more of.

Insulted by Don Rickles and Thrilled About It

By MELENA RYZIK
David O. Russell and Robert De Niro at the party  for "American Hustle." Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Vanity FairDavid O. Russell and Robert De Niro at the party  for “American Hustle.”

LOS ANGELES – Philomena Lee was not the only party-hopper on Thursday night. The Bagger and Martin Scorsese made the rounds too though, sadly, not together.

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At a party held by Paramount and its chief, Brad Grey, at Spago in Beverly Hills, Mr. Scorsese sat ensconced in a booth, chatting with “Nebraska” star Bruce Dern (hard to imagine which would get a word in edgewise there). Peter Fonda, in tinted glasses, cowboy boots, jeans and a jacket, stopped by to say hello. He once talked to “Nebraska” director Alexander Payne about taking the part that went to Mr. Dern.

Also in the booth, picking at desserts, were Don Rickles and his wife, Barbara, prime attractions for “The Wolf of Wall Street” stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Jonah Hill, who posed for their own photographs with Mr. Rickles. Mr. Hill gleefully showed them off on his phone later – the newsie cap Mr. DiCaprio wore did not go uninsulted by Mr. Rickles, he reported, nor did Mr. Hill himself. They were both harangued at length. “It was awesome,” he said.

At Ago in West Hollywood, at a cocktail party for “American Hustle” sponsored by Vanity Fair and Chrysler, guests donned 1970s wigs and sunglasses for their photo-booth pics. Robert De Niro, another unlikely party circuiter and a friend of the “American Hustle” writer-director David O. Russell, with a brief part in the movie, paid his respects.

Mr. Russell, now on his third Oscar trail in four years, said he was tired but happy. The event benefited the Ghetto Film School, a Bronx institution to which he’s been very loyal. By the end of the evening, he was deep in a couch surrounded by women, including another friend, Florence Henderson.

They met at the New York premiere of his 2010 film “The Fighter,” she said, where he named her and Gloria Steinem as his heroes. “I think because he grew up watching me” on “The Brady Bunch,” she said, “and wishing I was his mother.”

“I would be happy to be his mother,” she added. They’ve been friendly ever since. “We sort of formed a spiritual connection,” said Ms. Henderson, 80. “He’ll start a prayer and I’ll finish it.”

She gave high marks to the ’70s looks of his film. “Why couldn’t we wear those clothes on ‘The Brady Bunch’?” she asked. “Why were we stuck in stripes and plaid?”

“I could’ve done it then,” she added. “The boobs were –” and she stuck hers out.

Oscars in Party Mode, a Few Days Early

By MELENA RYZIK
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Conan O'Brien and Joel McHale at the Irish film party. Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for US-Ireland AllianceConan O’Brien and Joel McHale at the Irish film party.

LOS ANGELES – With Oscar Sunday comes Oscar Party Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Oh and Saturday, too. The flurry of congratulatory activity leading up to the big show includes cocktails, galas, benefits and celebrations old and new.

New this year was a party co-hosted by the Canadian consul general and chaired by the filmmaker Norman Jewison, to tout the Canadian Oscar nominees, whoever they might be. (They’re humble.) The US-Ireland Alliance had its ninth annual “Oscar Wilde” shindig, honoring the Irish in film and media. It’s among the Bagger’s favorite events because it’s held at J.J. Abrams’s nifty production company headquarters in Santa Monica and features a firepit, copious whiskey and some (drunken) dancing to Irish music. This year’s honorees were Conan O’Brien and Chad Hurley, a founder of YouTube. Philomena Lee, the inspiration for the Oscar-nominated “Philomena,” was also in the crowd.

There were two new competing events on Thursday. The Academy’s first-ever Oscars concert, with performances of all the nominated scores and songs, highlighted just how good the musical nominees are this year, with everyone from perennial maestro John Williams (nominated for his suite from “The Book Thief”) to Oscar newcomers Arcade Fire (the composers of the “Her” soundtrack) and Steven Price, whose score for “Gravity” is considered a frontrunner. There were also renditions of “Happy,” Pharrell Williams’s infectious chart-topping pop song, performed by Jill Scott, and “Let It Go,” from “Frozen,” by its composers, Brooklyn’s own Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez.

And Variety and the new charity Unite4:Good, which seeks to promote positivity and volunteerism, held an inaugural benefit gala, with honorees including Ms. Lee, Bill Clinton, Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro.

Mr. De Niro, in a lighthearted mood, also presented Mr. Scorsese with the “creative conscience” prize.

“The creative conscience award?” Mr. De Niro said from the podium, according to Variety. “Are you kidding me? Have you guys not seen ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’?”

Oscar Hosts and the Academy’s Dilemma

By THE NEW YORK TIMES

As host of the Oscars and of her own daytime talk show, Ellen DeGeneres has been making the most of cross-promotional opportunities this awards season. That sets her apart from the typical Academy M.C., but in other ways she represents a safe choice for the organization, which may have felt gun-shy after turns by Seth MacFarlane and James Franco. Here’s the Times’s chief television critic, Alessandra Stanley, explaining the Academy’s thinking when it comes to choosing Oscar hosts over the years.

Need Help on Your Ballot?

By THE NEW YORK TIMES

Have you filled out your ballot yet? Oscarologists across the web are starting to weigh in, if you’re looking for guidance. But as the Bagger writes here, it’s been “an unusually competitive Oscar race for best picture, with even the most-seasoned pundits, the kind who can spot the leader weeks out, changing their minds in the days before Sunday’s show, pleading confusion.”

That includes the Bagger herself, who is going with “12 Years a Slave” for the top prize. Best picture actually may have been an easier race to call than original screenplay, where she is reserving the right to update her ballot on Sunday, before the telecast begins. See her current picks here.

The Times media columnist David Carr, co-host of a special Oscar-night edition of “The Sweet Spot,” is also reserving that right. See his current picks here.

‘Blackfish’ in the Cross Hairs Again, and Other Developments

By STEPHANIE GOODMAN

Awards campaigns have wound down but there have been developments in some stories from the season:

SeaWorld’s Counterattack: “Blackfish,” a critical film about whales in captivity that was shortlisted for best documentary (it didn’t receive a nod in the end), is back in the cross hairs. The marine park it singles out, SeaWorld, has mounted a fierce public relations campaign. Now, the Bagger’s colleague Michael Cieply writes, the company is questioning the ethics of “one of its government monitors for her supposed cozy relations with animal-rights activists and involvement in the film.” Read more here.

A Passing Noted: Alice Herz-Sommer, a distinguished pianist before World War II whose study of Chopin helped her survive the death camp Theresienstadt, has died at the age of 110. As the Bagger’s colleague Margolit Fox writes in the obituary, “In recent years, because of her great age; her indomitability; her continued, ardent involvement with music (she practiced for hours each day until shortly before she died); and her recollections of her youthful friendships with titans like Franz Kafka and Gustav Mahler; Mrs. Herz-Sommer became a beacon for writers, filmmakers and members of the public eager to learn her story.” That includes the makers of “The Lady in Number 6,” a short documentary that is up for an Oscar on Sunday. Read more here.

Video: Countdown to Oscar Night

By THE NEW YORK TIMES

With just three days to go until the big night, Hollywood is working overtime on preparations, and so are pundits. While the Bagger sorts out her predictions in what has shaped up as a very competitive awards season, The Times media columnist David Carr and co-chief film critic A.O. Scott have surveyed the best-picture field in preparation for a special Oscar-night edition of their show “The Sweet Spot.”

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