2014 the 5th Annual Kitty Awards

 

Can you believe it? It's awards season again! Although it may seem like it is ALWAYS awards season. And in the endless loop of give-aways one awards show shines like the shining beacon it is... the KITTY AWARDS!!! And back for the 5th, yes, the 5th!!! Kitty Awards as our favorite host on this or any other planet: Neil Patrick Harris!!!

 At this point, everyone has gotten the nominations for the Academy Awards and  maybe you are hoping Ellen can make it a little less boring and keep you awake until the final droning acceptance speech...something you never have to worry about here at the Kitty Awards! For one thing, NPH is a trooper and knows how to entertain an audience.  Secondly... our winners never make speeches! It's all about looking fabulous and holding their award!

And here he is, our fabulous host, direct from rehearsal for his Broadway starring role in Hedwig and the Angry Inch  here to present the Kittys  for the 5th time,  as we've said before, the man who should be our country's National Host of All Awards and Ambassador of  Hosting Around the World: Neil Patrick Harris:

We are honored to have such a major talent! Thanks for hosting, Neil! We are your biggest fans!

As you know, the Kitty will go to the most deserving winners. Not the movies that cost the most, or the biggest stars. As always, we will use the Academy Award list of nominees so you can see if the judges at the Kittys agree or if they have surprising new nominations that you can get excited about! Nominees the Academy may have overlooked! Now, get ready to settle back and enjoy the show! It's time for... the 5th Annual (can you believe it???) Kitty Awards for all you viewers (well, readers) out there!

OK, get ready, here is the first Award:

Best Supporting Actor
Barkhad Abdi in “Captain Phillips”
Bradley Cooper in “American Hustle”
Michael Fassbender in “12 Years a Slave”
Jonah Hill in “The Wolf of Wall Street”
Jared Leto in “Dallas Buyers Club”
and what about those two boys who were such scene stealers in Mud???
Tye Sheridan and Jacob Lofland! Matthew McConaughey may have been the star but we aren't forgetting these guys! Have a look at the trailer:
And the winner is... or shall we say the winners ARE, yes, the Kitty goes to the Mud boys! They clean up real good, too:         

A kitty for each of you, Tye and Jacob! Congratulations! Truly a night to remember!

Now, on to:
Best Supporting Actress
Lupita Nyong’o, “12 Years a Slave”
Jennifer Lawrence, “American Hustle”
June Squibb, “Nebraska”
Julia Roberts, “August: Osage County”
Sally Hawkins, “Blue Jasmine”

And the winner... Jennifer Lawrence!!! Is there ANYTHING Jennifer can't do? Topping off  her amazing Catching Fire Katniss  role with her over the top crazy Jersey housewife in American Hustle performance she disappears into her characters and makes them real, real, real! We LOVE you Jennifer! Congratulations! The Kitty is YOURS to treasure! 


Best Actor
Christian Bale, American Hustle
Bruce Dern, Nebraska
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Wolf of Wall Street
Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers ClubAcademy Nominators... didn't you forget someone? How about James Franco in Spring Breakers??? He is pretty unforgettable in that role. In fact, he becomes the creepy yet charming Alien so perfectly it's like a documentary about his life! So, James, who is often over looked for his amazingness, This is the End, anyone?  is NOT overlooked by the Kittys! Check out this clip:



     Get ready, folks...and the winner is James Franco!!

Yay! James is actually speechless at receiving his well deserved award!
And here the award for:
Best Actress
Amy Adams, “American Hustle”
Cate Blanchett, “Blue Jasmine”
Sandra Bullock, “Gravity”
Judi Dench, “Philomena”
Meryl Streep, “August: Osage County”


And the winner...Can there be any doubt? Sandra!!! What other actress could make you believe she was lost in  creepy, scary outer space? Sandra was unforgettable as she battled horrifying space debris in 3D, sometimes only in her underwear! 

 Don't feel bad, George. Your turn for a Kitty Award will come.

There's always next year!



 Now for:
Best Director
David O. Russell, “American Hustle”
Alfonso Cuaron, “Gravity”
Alexander Payne, “Nebraska”
Steve McQueen, “12 Years a Slave”
Martin Scorsese, “The Wolf of Wall Street”

Since the judges only saw Gravity and American Hustle... and Gravity WAS in 3D as we mentioned, and was riveting, edge of your seat suspenseful and well worth the ticket price to see on the big screen, the Kitty will have to go to Alfonso Cuaron  for the best depiction of outer space since 2001! See for yourself:

Here you go, Alsonso!

 

Best Foreign Film of the Year
“The Broken Circle Breakdown” Belgium
“The Great Beauty” Italy
“The Hunt” Denmark
“The Missing Picture” Cambodia
“Omar” Palestine
The Kitty Academy judges didn't see any new Foreign Language pictures in the movies this year so, instead we are nominating Frances Ha which we DID see in the movies and it takes place in New York and as everyone knows, New York is like a whole country unto itself , and has a lovely, lovely performance by Greta Gerwig, and why isn't there an indy category, anyway, Academy?
Here's a look at this great film:
 And the winner... Frances Ha!!!! Yay! We've made your day, Greta!

Best Animated Feature Film
The Croods
 Despicable Me 2
 Ernest & Celestine
 Frozen
 The Wind Rises
And the winner: Despicable Me 2! The judges just love Gru and the minions!


                  Congratulations, Gru!

Not every film has as great a soundtrack as Hanna or Django Unchained. Instead of original score this year, the Kittys are nominating Best Soundtrack to make certain films eligible!

Best Soundtrack
John Williams, The Book Thief
Steven Price, Gravity
William Butler and Owen Pallett, Her Alexandre Desplat, Philomena
Thomas Newman, Saving Mr. Banks

 Springbreakers
The Bling Ring

And the winner is Springbreakers!!! Have a listen:

   
Best Original Song
Alone Yet Not Alone from Alone Yet Not Alone
Happy from Despicable Me 2
Let It Go from Frozen
And what about:
Do You Want to Build A Snowman  also from Frozen? The judge has heard that for weeks! Actually ALL the songs from Frozen are pretty great!
The Moon Song from Her
Ordinary Love from Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
And...the winner is the movie with the best song, (or songs!) at least the ones you can remember...

The winner is ALL the songs from FROZEN!!!! Good work, judges!

Now, for the 2nd year in a row, a very special award!!! It's time for the Kitty Lifetime Achievement Award! The award honoring a star's fabulous accomplishments in the arts or what have you and our amazing winner is...Gwyneth (needs no last name but has one) Paltrow!!! The judge (s) was thinking about Duets and Sliding Doors and Goop and...so many other artistic, well dressed and varied roles! Here is a look at her fabulousness in a few clips:
Sliding Doors, which gives us TWO Gwyneths, even better than one!!:


And from Duets


And from Country Strong!

Look how radiant Gwyneth looks holding her Kitty.

We don't blame you, Gwneth! Congratulations!

 And now... the BIGGEST award of the night. Get ready, here are the nominees. Which picture will get the Kitty? It's exciting, yes...as it all comes down to this.
Best Picture12 Years a Slave
American Hustle
Captain Phillips
Dallas Buyers Club
Gravity
Her
Nebraska
Philomena
The Wolf of Wall Street
One thing is missing from this line-up. Anyone who saw Sofia Coppola's The Bling Ring knows it was a perfect movie! Her very best! Mostly because, besides being a great story, almost as documentary like as Springbreakers, it has an actual ending! So, the judges LOVED Her and Gravity and American Hustle but we know those will be getting recognition from main stream awards. Here's a look:

So, the Kitty Judges have spoken and the Best Film Award goes to The Bling Ring!

Way to go, Sofia!
The excitement is coming to a close for this, the 5th Annual Kitty Awards probably the best ever! We can hardly wait for next year! If you haven't made it to the theater to see our incredible winners they are all or mostly available on DVD (and probably coming to a Library near YOU!). Thanks, again, to our host, that ginormous talent, a word that seems like it was made up JUST for him, Neil Patrick Harris! See you next year and good luck with Hedwig! We may not only see you hosting that Tonys but taking one home, too, although not quite as prestigious as a Kitty! 

* A note about the Kitty Award itself. The statue was inspired by the late and majestic  cat among cats: Big Eric. He will live on in the hearts of all the Kitty Award recipients.