Reporters, photographers, and fans waited anxiously for the arrival of America’s most prestigious actors at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on March 2, 2014. Black limos lined up as Hollywood’s stars emerged onto the bright, red carpet. The production staff of the 2014 Oscars readied their cameras to stream Live on almost every television across the nation. Since last March, the film industry released multiple heart-wrenching, non-fiction films that made their way directly to the Academy Awards. Gravity, American Hustle, Captain Phillips, and  Dallas Buyers Club were some of the few movies that stood in line for the Oscar with more than one nomination per film. The theatre overflowed with the film industries’ renowned nominees: Matthew McConaughey, Leonardo DiCaprio, Sandra Bullock, Meryl Streep, and Bradley Cooper, along with several others. Robert DeNiro, Angelina Jolie, Harrison Ford, and Kate Hudson also sat beside the nominees to support their fellow castmates.

   This year’s host, Ellen DeGeneres, took the Oscars to another level. From ordering pizza for the movie stars to taking the “most tweeted” selfie in the Twittersphere, DeGeneres delivered spunk and energy to the three hour award show. April Tsuei (11) shared, “When Ellen brought out the pizza and seeing the stars fight for a slice was my favorite part. It was the greatest moment of Oscar history. Only she can pull off bringing in pizza on the most prestigious night of Hollywood industry.” DeGeneres opened the night with her endearing sense of humor, and even made a few dress changes that shocked the audience. But, without further ado, the night proceeded with Jared Leto taking home the first award of the night as Best Supporting Actor for his role in Dallas Buyers Club. As he held the Oscar, he presented a moving speech that addressed his true inspirations— his mother and brother. He then spoke of supporting those who have died of AIDS and those in Venezuela who are suffering from the protests. Lindsay Senechal (11) commented, “Jared Leto presented a very touching speech, did a wonderful job of connecting with his audience, and was truly sincere.”

   On top of the wide range of winners for costume, visual design, screenplay, and foreign film, the evening took an interesting spin with special performances. The first performer, Pharrell, sang his hit song “Happy” from the movie Despicable Me 2. Shortly after, lead singer of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Karen O, performed the theme song from the movie, Her. Additionally, P!nk swept the crowd off their feet with her rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” in honor of the iconic Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz. However, the most anticipated performance was by the ice queen herself, Idina Menzel, who sang the popular tune,”Let It Go,” from Frozen.

  Overall, the night was far from disappointing. The compelling and honest story that followed the journey of African-Americans, 12 Years A Slave, won Best Picture and Matthew McConughey’s tremendous performance in Dallas Buyers Club won him his first Academy Award for Best Actor. With DeGeneres as a host, outstanding performances, and genius nominations, this year’s Oscars topped the list.