How to watch the Oscar winners at home
The big night is over. Chris Rock-ed the #OscarsSoWhite controversy with cutting humor that drew some nervous laughter from the audience. The presenters gave us a mix of sincerity and awkward schtick. The In Memoriam tribute somehow overlooked Abe Vigoda, Joan Leslie, and Geoffrey Lewis. The acceptance speeches covered everything from climate change to the power of art to, of course, diversity, mostly with passion and intelligence. And then there was Stacey Dash in the strangest moment of the show. Not quite sure what that was about.
But all that really matters to most of us is: who won? And how can I now see all those winners I never got around to watching?
A couple are still in the theaters but most are available to see at home in one form or another. Here’s a list of what you can see.
Pay-per-view / Video On Demand
“Spotlight,” the story of the Boston Globe’s investigation into the Catholic Church’s decades-long cover-up of abusive priests, was the expected to take home the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay but it surprised many pundits for beating out “The Revenant” for the evening’s top prize: the Oscar for Best Picture. A great story and a marvelous film. Rated R.
“Room,” nominated for four Academy Awards, came away with the Oscar for Best Actress for the powerful and moving performance from its lead Brie Larson, who already took home acting awards from the Golden Globes, BAFTAs, Screen Actors Guild, and Independent Spirit Awards. R.
“The Danish Girl” won for Best Supporting Actress (in what was really a leading role) for Alicia Vikander, whose nuanced and complex performance overshadowed her co-star, Best Actor nominee (and previous Oscar winner) Eddie Redmayne. Rated R.
For “Bridge of Spies,” the real-life drama of civilian diplomacy at the height of the Cold War, British actor Mark Rylance prevailed over sentimental favorite Sylvester Stallone for Best Supporting Actor. PG-13.
If you count the Original Song category as an award with any credence, you can catch the winning song from Sam Smith over the credits of “Spectre,” the 24th James Bond film. PG-13.
All of these are also on DVD and Blu-ray.
A few of the winners are currently only available to watch in theaters but are coming soon to pay-per-view, VOD, and disc.
- “The Big Short” (Best Adapted Screenplay) arrives on March 15
- “The Hateful Eight” (Best Original Score) comes on March 29
- “The Revenant” (Best Director, Best Actor for Leonard DiCaprio, and Best Cinematography) and “Son of Saul” (Best Foreign Language Film) are slated for April.
Amazon Prime
Best Documentary Feature winner “Amy,” a portrait of Amy Winehouse, is free for Amazon Prime subscribers. For the rest of us, it’s available on VOD and disc. R.
“Ex Machina,” a clever science fiction game of wiles between man and machine with Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander, and Oscar Isaac, was a surprise winner for Best Achievement in Visual Effects. It’s also on disc. R.
HBO
In terms of sheer numbers, the post-apocalyptic speed thriller “Mad Max: Fury Road” is the big winner of the 88th Academy Awards with six Oscars, including awards for editing, sound design, sound editing, production design, and costume design. Streaming for HBO and HBO Now subscribers, plus it’s on Blu-ray and DVD. R.
And premiering on HBO on March 7 and HBO Now on March 11 is Best Documentary Short Subject winner “A Girl in the River: The Prince of Forgiveness.” No rating.
Disc
Pixar’s “Inside Out,” winner for Best Animated Feature, makes emotions themselves the main characters. It’s bright and clever and funny and sad, filled with inventive metaphors and imaginative mindscapes and directed with compassion, and it is on disc and for digital purchase. PG.
The Big Night
In case you missed the party on Sunday, “The 88th Academy Awards” is available to stream in its entirety, along with Red Carpet pre-show, on Hulu. You need to be a subscriber to see the big show but select clips and highlights are available for anyone to watch.
Sean Axmaker is a Seattle film critic and writer. His reviews of streaming movies and TV can be found at http://streamondemandathome.com.