The 2014 black comedy about actor Riggan Thomson that won Best Picture was Birdman.
Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, Birdman stars Michael Keaton as Riggan Thomson, a former superhero-film star trying to revive his artistic reputation by staging a Broadway adaptation of a Raymond Carver story. The film blends backstage comedy, psychological drama, fantasy, and satire about celebrity culture and artistic validation.
Birdman is famous for appearing to unfold in one continuous take, achieved through elaborate long takes, digital effects, hidden cuts, and precise choreography. Emmanuel Lubezki’s cinematography helped create the fluid movement through the theater’s corridors, dressing rooms, and stage.
At the 87th Academy Awards, Birdman won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Cinematography from nine nominations. It is often confused with The Artist or Boyhood when recalling recent Best Picture winners, but those films did not win that year. The title’s stylization is sometimes written as BiRDMAN, with the subtitle The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance.