Richard Linklater's epic drama scored three big awards, while Anderson walked away with five
If you're going by the results of tonight's BAFTAs ceremony alone, the Oscars race is now shaping up to be a two-horse race between Boyhood and The Grand Budapest Hotel. Richard Linklater's coming-of-age drama scored three major awards, winning best film, best director, and best supporting actress for Patricia Arquette. Meanwhile, Wes Anderson's artful hotel romp won five awards: best original music, makeup and hair, costume design, production design, as well as best original screenplay for Anderson.
Boyhood star Ellar Coltrane, who accepted the award for best film on Linklater's behalf, said in his speech: "The truth is, it didn't feel like a movie, more like an exercise in collaboration and vulnerability... To have this movie recognised alongside such grand pieces of art means life itself must be more exciting than we let on."
Wes Anderson, like Linklater, was held up at the Director's Guild of America awards. Ralph Fiennes, who played the Grand Budapest Hotel's randy concierge M Gustave, read an acceptance speech written by Anderson onstage. "I was already most unhappy (to be missing the Bafta ceremony) - now I am really, really angry and resentful. I am furious."
Congratulations to the Boyhood cast and crew for their truly remarkable film. #EEBAFTAshttp://t.co/84fjTRUywTpic.twitter.com/HLBkLXk9kh
— BAFTA (@BAFTA) February 8, 2015
Alejandro González Iñárritu's Birdman, which was heavily tipped for awards ceremony glory, had to be content with one award for best cinematography.
Julianne Moore won best actress for her moving portrayal of a woman struggling with Alzheimer's in Still Alice, while Eddie Redmayne walked away with best actor for his depiction of Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything. JK Simmons won best supporting actor for his turn as the terrifying jazz maestro in Whiplash, while Jack O'Connell nabbed the audience voted-for prize of EE Rising Star.
Check out the rest of the BAFTA winners below:
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
The Theory of Everything
FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
Ida
OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER
Pride: Stephen Beresford (writer), David Livingstone (producer)
SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS
Interstellar
ANIMATED FILM
The Lego Movie
SOUND
Whiplash
EDITING
Whiplash
DOCUMENTARY
Citizenfour
OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM
The Theory of Everything
Liked this? Check out more stories on Boyhood and The Grand Budapest Hotel below:
How Richard Linklater soundtracked Boyhood