February 23, 2015 12:19 AM EST
Birdman soared past the competition, winning the Best Picture prize at the 87th Academy Awards.
Director Alejandro González Iñárritu’s film, shot to resemble a single take and featuring a large ensemble cast, was a major undertaking; what may have clinched the award for Birdman , though, is the film’s element of satire. In a Hollywood defined by big-budget superhero films, a movie that asked what it meant for a franchise player to try to be an artist was an apt winner. (It has gone widely noted that this win makes three of the past four Best Pictures about the challenges and inner strength of the people who make movies, after 2011’s The Artist and 2012’s Argo .)
Also of note: Birdman ’s $36 million domestic box-office take makes it the second-lowest-grossing Best Picture of the past 35 years, though presumably its audience will grow thanks to the Academy’s imprimatur. Birdman also won Oscars for Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best Cinematography.
Oscars 2015: Celebrities on the Red Carpet Emma Stone attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images Scarlett Johansson attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images Chris Pratt and Anna Faris attend the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Kevin Mazur—WireImage/Getty Images Jessica Chastain attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images Benedict Cumberbatch and Sophie Hunter attend the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images Chris Pine attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images Reese Witherspoon attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images Anna Kendrick attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Frazer Harrison—Getty Images Rosamund Pike attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images Bradley Cooper attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Kevin Mazur—WireImage/Getty Images Neil Patrick Harris, right, and David Burtka attendsthe 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Steve Granitz—WireImage/Getty Images Lupita Nyong'o attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Kevin Mazur—WireImage/Getty Images Gwyneth Paltrow attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Kevin Mazur—WireImage/Getty Images Eddie Redmayne attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images Julianne Moore attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images Oprah Winfrey attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Kevin Mazur—WireImage/Getty Images Nicole Kidman attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images America Ferrera attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Steve Granitz—WireImage/Getty Images Cate Blanchett attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Kevin Mazur—WireImage/Getty Images Michael Keaton attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images David Oyelowo attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images J.K. Simmons attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images Zendaya attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images Josh Hutcherson attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images Kevin Hart attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images Dakota Johnson attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Kevin Mazur—WireImage/Getty Images Melanie Griffith attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images Hans Zimmer attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Ethan Miller—WireImage/Getty Images Giuliana Rancic attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Steve Granitz—WireImage/Getty Images Jason Reitman attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jeff Kravitz—FilmMagic/Getty Images Margot Robbie attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images Joanna Newsom, left, and Andy Samberg attend the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images Common attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images Karolina Kurkova attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images Jamie Chung attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images Patricia Arquette attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Steve Granitz—WireImage/Getty Images Michael Strahan attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Michael Buckner—WireImage/Getty Images Mario Lopez attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Steve Granitz—WireImage/Getty Images Ryan Seacrest attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images Will i Am attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images Kelly Osbourne attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Steve Granitz—WireImage/Getty Images Miles Teller attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images Felicity Jones attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Steve Granitz—WireImage/Getty Images John Stamos attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Steve Granitz—WireImage/Getty Images Naomi Watts attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images Marion Cotillard attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images Alejandro G. Inarritu attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Steve Granitz—WireImage/Getty Images Genesis Rodriguez attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Frazer Harrison—Getty Images Laura Dern attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Steve Granitz—WireImage/Getty Images Questlove attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images Chrissy Teigen attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images Faith Hill and Tim McGraw attend the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jeff Kravitz—FilmMagic/Getty Images John Legend attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Steve Granitz—WireImage/Getty Images Rita Ora attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Kevin Mazur—WireImage/Getty Images Chloe Grace Moretz attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images Viola Davis attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Steve Granitz—WireImage/Getty Images Chiwetel Ejiofor attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Steve Granitz—WireImage/Getty Images Kerry Washington attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Kevin Mazur—WireImage/Getty Images Sienna Miller attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images Ansel Elgort attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images Ed Norton and Shauna Robertson attend the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images Channing Tatum attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images Keira Knightley attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images Justin Theroux and Jennifer Aniston attend the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Steve Granitz—WireImage/Getty Images Chris Evans attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Kevin Mazur—WireImage/Getty Images Felicity Jones attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Frazer Harrison—Getty Images Lady Gaga attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Kevin Mazur—WireImage/Getty Images Jennifer Lopez attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. Jason Merritt—Getty Images Solange Knowles attends the 87th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 22, 2015 in Hollywood, Calif. 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