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It’s somewhat ironic that in a year when Hollywood decided to award a movie about itself again - the third time this has happened in the last four years - many winners would choose to make speeches about socially relevant topics. It’s also somewhat ironic that in a year when it’s likely that many conservatives tuned in to see American Sniper win (and then saw it walk away with a lowly Best Sound Editing Oscar) that they were treated to the most liberal Oscars telecast in a long while.

On one hand, it’s nice to hear speeches that are not just a long litany of thank yous. On the other hand, one does wonder how much the people giving these speeches actually care about these issues. I don’t doubt the legitimacy of Common’s commitment to civil rights, for example. But when Harvey Weinstein says that he would give up his British honors so that gay men who were persecuted under Britain’s old anti-homosexuality laws are given pardons, one does wonder if he means it or if he’s campaigning.

As for the host, the consensus amongst my friends was that Neil Patrick Harris fell somewhat flat. As you know, I don’t watch the Oscars for that, as I care about the awards, so I don’t really have an opinion and will leave to others to analyze the content of the show outside the awards.

We now put the season to bed, and the two questions to ponder are: what happened to Boyhood, and why have the Oscars become so predictable? I’ll leave the second for one last column about 2014. As for the first - one does wonder. Did Boyhood peak too soon? Did it collapse under the weight of its own expectations? I liked both movies a lot and was sad that Linklater could not walk home a winner. The project was ambitious and successful. It’s difficult to believe, even now, that a movie as strange as Birdman won Best Picture. It sticks out as something completely different.

In the end, however, Boyhood was saved in a way. In the future, it will not have to live up to that impossible standard, that ever-present gloss that comes with being labeled a “Best Picture.” Like other masterpieces before it, Boyhood will live on without that Oscar. Birdman, now, will have to stand that test of time. It is a great movie, but I suspect it will also be dismissed by many as another example of the industry congratulating itself.

Nevertheless, Boyhood’s poor showing last night is disappointing to me and the other people who liked the movie. It is hard to see this as a weak year, when so many deserving movies were available for praise and were recognized by the Academy. It’s really hard to argue with a lot of the picks - Sniper deserved the Sound Oscar as much as Selma deserved the Song one. Whiplash truly deserved its wins. Boyhood, perhaps, could have used a bit more love, but there are only so many categories.

I’ll put a final bow on the season with one final column soon, and then we can move on with our lives.

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