It's a bit puzzling what the Kodak Theater was reserved for. I figured the night's performances, for stuff like Song of the Year or others, were going to take place there; instead it was only shown once, to hand out the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award to an organization (the first time) that apparently has done a lot over the last century to help people working in the movies when in need.
But the prize wasn't handed out on the stage, and those in attendance were kept in what looked like the foyer. Even more puzzling, the nominees for Best Song of the Year all performed live, but during the pre-show, ordinarily the red carpet, when few people tune in at all. I completely missed them and only know this because a friend saw them and told me.
I figure something must have happened at the Kodak Theater that forced a scrambling and reordering of whatever was supposed to happen there, and that was that. But who knows?!
Not having picked a host for the second year in a row -- a poor choice in my opinion -- each subsequent presenter was tasked with filling the air with some anecdote before listing the nominees and declaring a winner. This obviously took time, fairly longer than we're used to with regular Oscar presenters, but the information was occasionally interesting.
I'm just wondering, since the ceremony flowed pretty nicely and went only slightly overtime, whether we'll see songs, dances, and (my favorites) montages at the Oscars ever again. They might all get the cut just like the host, so no more entertaining opening numbers either.
And now some random thoughts about the night:
- Original Screenplay went to Emerald Fennell: very happy this multi-hyphenate got to go home with an Oscar
- The director of Another Round gave a very emotional and touching acceptance speech. I can't imagine the pain they went through for losing their daughter so suddenly
- Very happy for Daniel Kaluuya; he's a very talented actor whose work I really admire
- Super happy for Chloé Zhao's Best Director win; Nomadland is a real masterpiece and she deserves the credit; it's also nice to see another woman finally land this prize -- way overdue! She also gave a really nice speech
- Sound of Metal's win for Best Sound was awesome, especially given the amount of work that went into creating the particular sounds of the movie, which are a huge element of its success. The movie also took home the prize for Editing, which only adds to its luster
- Several speakers acknowledged the precariousness of the times we live in right now, whether related to all the pandemic deaths, systemic racism, inequality, police brutality, or general divisiveness. Social activism was definitely at the Oscars last night, and that's a good thing. We definitely need the people that have the most visibility to speak up and engage their fans for the common good
- I just saw Soul and loved it, so I was very glad it won Best Animated Feature as well as Score, which is obviously a key element of it success
- I haven't seen Minari yet, but I heard only good things about Yuh-Jung Youn, so her win seems well deserved and certainly historic
- Despite its shortcomings, Mank is a technical wonder, so I was happy to see its Production Design and Cinematography get recognized
- I wasn't very familiar with all the Best Song nominees, but I know H.E.R. is a very accomplished artist, so I was happy for her
- I was ecstatic that Nomadland took home the top prize, since I loved that movie, and I was happy for Frances McDormand too, who is absolutely phenomenal throughout. I almost wished to see Viola Davis win as it would have been, I believe, the first Black actress to earn two Oscars, but I haven't seen the movie yet, so I can't speak about her performance (though I'm sure it's great -- it's Viola Davis!)
- One sour note here: this is McDormand's third acting Oscar, and there were no protesting voices about her "already having gotten her due" and "already having won twice" like there were when Meryl Streep looked a favorite to win her third Oscar a few years back, after an almost 30-years-long drought. Just saying . . .
- The final award, for Best Actor, was the big shock of the night, with my beloved Sir Anthony Hopkins winning his second Oscar for what sounds like the best work of his career. I couldn't have been happier. I understand a lot of people wanted to see Chadwick Boseman being recognized posthumously, but this is an award for the Best Performance of the year, it's not a memorial for a beloved actor no longer with us. There are other Oscars for that, and I can't imagine there's anyone who can say that Hopkins isn't deserving of a second statuette (which made him the oldest recipient of an acting Academy Award ever, by the way). Posthumous Oscar shouldn't become a thing. It's hard enough to get nominated for one, let alone win, that one shouldn't also have to compete with plain sentimentalism
So that's it. I enjoyed the night and was overall happy of where the wins landed. One thing is sure: the Academy's revamping of its membership, after the #OscarsSoWhite campaigns, really is working, bringing about changes that will only widen the appeal of movies for years to come.
Here's the list of the winners:
Best Motion Picture of the Year
Judas and the Black Messiah
Mank
Minari
Nomadland
Promising Young Woman
Sound of Metal
The Father
The Trial of the Chicago 7
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Anthony Hopkins, The Father
Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Gary Oldman, Mank
Riz Ahmed, Sound of Metal
Steven Yeun, Minari
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Andra Day, The United States vs. Billie Holiday
Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman
Frances McDormand, Nomadland
Vanessa Kirby, Pieces of a Woman
Viola Davis, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah
LaKeith Stanfield, Judas and the Black Messiah
Leslie Odom Jr., One Night in Miami
Paul Raci, Sound of Metal
Sacha Baron Cohen, The Trial of the Chicago 7
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Amanda Seyfried, Mank
Glenn Close, Hillbilly Elegy
Maria Bakalova, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
Olivia Colman, The Father
Youn Yuh-jung, Minari
Best Achievement in Directing
Chloé Zhao, Nomadland
David Fincher, Mank
Emerald Fennell, Promising Young Woman
Lee Isaac Chung, Minari
Thomas Vinterberg, Druk
Best Original Screenplay
Will Berson, Shaka King, Kenneth Lucas, Keith Lucas, Judas and the Black Messiah
Lee Isaac Chung, Minari
Emerald Fennell, Promising Young Woman
Darius Marder, Abraham Marder, Derek Cianfrance, Sound of Metal
Aaron Sorkin, The Trial of the Chicago 7
Best Adapted Screenplay
Sacha Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines, Dan Swimer, Peter Baynham, Erica Rivinoja, Dan Mazer, Jena Friedman, Lee Kern, Nina Pedrad, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
Chloé Zhao, Nomadland
Kemp Powers, One Night in Miami
Christopher Hampton, Florian Zeller, The Father
Ramin Bahrani, The White Tiger
Best Animated Feature Film
A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon
Onward
Over the Moon
Soul
WolfWalkers
Best International Feature Film
Colectiv
Druk
Quo vadis, Aida?
Shaonian de ni
The Man Who Sold His Skin
Best Documentary Feature
Colectiv
Crip Camp
El Agente Topo
My Octopus Teacher
Time
Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score)
Terence Blanchard, Da 5 Bloods
Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Mank
Emile Mosseri, Minari
James Newton Howard, News of the World
Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Jon Batiste, Soul
Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Song)
Richard Göransson, Savan Kotecha, Fat Max Gsus, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, "Husavik"
H.E.R., D'Mile, Tiara Thomas, Judas and the Black Messiah, "Fight for You"
Diane Warren, Laura Pausini, La vita davanti a sé, 'Io Si (Seen)"
Leslie Odom Jr., Sam Ashworth, One Night in Miami, "Speak Now"
Celeste, Daniel Pemberton, The Trial of the Chicago 7, "Hear My Voice"
Best Achievement in Cinematography
Judas and the Black Messiah
Mank
News of the World
Nomadland
The Trial of the Chicago 7
Best Achievement in Film Editing
The Trial of the Chicago 7
Nomadland
Promising Young Woman
Sound of Metal
The Father
Best Achievement in Production Design
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Mank
News of the World
Tenet
The Father
Best Achievement in Costume Design
Emma.
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Mank
Mulan
Pinocchio
Best Sound
Greyhound
Mank
News of the World
Soul
Sound of Metal
Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling
Emma.
Hillbilly Elegy
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Mank
Pinocchio
Best Achievement in Visual Effects
Love and Monsters
Mulan
Tenet
The Midnight Sky
The One and Only Ivan
Best Documentary Short Subject
A Concerto Is a Conversation
A Love Song for Latasha
Colette
Do Not Split
Hunger Ward
Best Animated Short Film
Burrow
Genius Loci
If Anything Happens I Love You
Já-Fólkið
Opera
Best Live Action Short Film
Feeling Through
The Letter Room
The Present
Two Distant Strangers
White Eye
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