The 2014 Oscars were more enjoyable than they have been over the past few years, due in part to the charm of Ellen Degeneres. Ellen has a knack for true improvisation, and she took the Oscars live audience in a direction they had never been taken before.
It all began with her monologue, rife with roasting and ribs (the joke kind, not the food kind), and continued throughout the show with group togetheries (is that what you call a selfie with lots of people?). At one point, she even had several boxes of pizza delivered.
For an awards show that is typically dull, the celebs in attendance from the realms of movies, music and television were having a great time–at times, they seemed caught up in moments of genuine surprise and fun. Ellen has a wonderful way of fishing the humanity and humor out of any and every scenario.
Ellen kicked off the night sporting a sweet tuxedo, and delivering some pretty stellar one-liners. She’s always quick to the punch with her set-up and delivery, so you never have to wait for her to drop the boom. No one was safe from the friendly fire, and the celebs were well placed within an eye-shot of the stage. This allowed Ellen to really delivery the goods. Jennifer Lawrence, Jonah Hill, Liza Minelli, the citizens of the United States of America, members of the Academy: just a few of the individuals and who felt a little heat.
To hear some of Ellen’s best opening lines at the 2014 Oscars, check out the hilarious video below.
Also Check Out: The 11 Best Moments of the 2014 Oscars!