On March 2, the Oscars premiered live from the Dolby Theatre with first-time host, “fourth-time viewer” Conan O’Brien, delivering a mostly apolitical opening monologue. In a nod to the five-time nominated film “The Substance,” a montage featured Conan edited into pivotal scenes from the movie.
Amid jokes that John Lithgow would give a “slightly disappointed look” at anyone going overtime in their speeches, Conan performed an ironic musical number promising not to “waste time.” It came complete with a dancing Deadpool and a piano-playing Dune sandworm.
The “Wicked” opening performance, featuring stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo–both nominated for Leading and Supporting actress. It started with “Somewhere over the Rainbow” from “The Wizard of Oz” and ended with the spellbinding song “Defying Gravity.” “Wicked” was nominated for 10 Oscars, including Best Picture, but only won for Production Design and Costume Design.
As the categories were announced, a clear winner emerged: “Anora” won in five categories.
“Anora” lead Mikey Madison won Best Actress. As Ani in “Anora,” Madison pulled off a compelling Brooklyn accent, advanced choreography with no dance background, and an emotional component to a character terrified of seeming fragile. Madison won over “The Substance” star Demi Moore, who, for many, was the anticipated and deserved winner. Moore had recently received the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a musical or comedy role over Madison. Additionally, she has spent many more years in Hollywood compared to Madison, for whom “Anora” is her first major role.
For their Best Picture speech, “Anora” producer Samantha Quan said, “Tell the stories you want to tell, tell the stories that move you, I promise you, you will never regret it.” Director Sean Baker closed the evening with, “Long live independent film!” Independent films like “Anora” have historically been able to tackle more controversial topics or experimental elements than those with big budgets.
“Anora” is the fifth of Baker’s independent films to portray sex work without glamorization while working to reduce the stigma against supporting sex workers. In his speech for Best Screenplay, Baker said, “I want to thank the sex worker community. They have shared their stories. They have shared their life experience with me over the years. My deepest respect. Thank you—I share this with you.”
Several historic firsts were celebrated at this year’s awards. “Flow” won Best Animated Feature, earning Latvia its first-ever Oscar and winning over box-office successes “The Wild Robot” and “Inside Out 2.” Iran’s animated short film, “In the Shadow of the Cypress,” is the country’s third Oscar winner and its first win in the Best Animated Short category. As one of two Oscars received by “Wicked,” Paul Tazewell became the first Black man to win Best Costume Design.
Record-breaking achievements like these reflect the Academy’s slow evolution toward celebrating more diverse and international voices. For the seventh year in a row, an international movie was nominated for Best Picture, including “Roma” (2018), “Parasite” (2019) “Minari” (2020), “Drive My Car” (2021), “All Quiet on the Western Front” (2022), and “Past Lives”, “Anatomy of a Fall”, and “The Zone of Interest” in 2023. In recent years, the Academy has expanded to include more overseas voters than ever, broadening the scope of its nominees.
As always, some speeches tested viewers’ attention spans, others sensitively characterized the nature of oppression and war, and some were slightly awkward.
In his speech for Best Actor, Adrien Brody gave a long, uncompelling, and arrogant performance. When the music signaled him to wrap up, he asserted that this wasn’t his “first rodeo” and continued speaking. While speeches are intended to run around 45 seconds, Brody’s speech clocked in at five minutes and 40 seconds–the longest speech in Oscars history. And the worst part? He didn’t have anything particularly memorable to say.
The night’s most outwardly political speech came from the co-directors of Best Documentary winner “No Other Land.” The film’s political content prevented it from receiving an official U.S distribution and made it difficult for American viewers to see the film. In their speech for “No Other Land,” the co-directors called the war in Gaza the “ethnic cleansing of Palestinian people.” The film, which follows the displacement of Palestinian communities in the West Bank, was described by Yuval Abraham, an Israeli journalist and “No Other Land” co-director: “We made this film, Palestinians and Israelis, because together, our voices are stronger.”
In probably the most cringe-worthy moment of the evening, the Best Original Song winners from “Emilia Pérez” started to sing a completely different song from the film than the one they were being awarded for as they were playing off the stage.
The songwriters of “Emilia Pérez” also didn’t acknowledge the trans community or the film’s ties to Mexico–identities both currently under attack. Such omissions added to the controversy surrounding the film, which also included racist, Islamaphobic tweets from the movie’s co-star and a French, non-Spanish-speaking director who shot the Mexican-set movie in France.
There were three performance tributes during the ceremony, but only two made much of an impact, receiving some mixed reviews overall.
The mixed reactions came from the James Bond tribute and the “In Memoriam” segment. There were a lot of opinions, from Doja Cat’s singing to the memoriam music, which some found creepy and off-putting, to the disappointment over some celebrities who passed away and didn’t make the list.
There was a tribute dedicated to the beloved spy films and their brilliant work. Lisa, Doja Cat, and Raye performed three of the most iconic Bond songs, depicting a Bond girl through the performances, with the help from Marquet Qualley, who started the tribute by dancing to the James Bond theme.
The “In Memoriam” segment is one of the most-discussed moments of the ceremony. This year was definitely one for the books because the music and the selections of honorees were the talk of the portion. For many, the music felt eerie and out of place. Additionally, not all of the stars who tragically passed away this season, like Michelle Trachtenberg and Tony Todd, were included due to limited time.
In a year absent from major controversy, independent film reigned supreme, with “Anora” winning Best Picture and indie films like “Flow” and “No Other Land” gaining recognition. Hollywood favorites like “Emilia Pérez,” despite 13 nominations, were mostly boxed out and became the target of jokes. A movie in a category typically celebrated by the Academy–one about Hollywood by Hollywood, “The Substance”-lost many of its anticipated awards.
While the ceremony generally lacked drama, it opened up new questions about how Hollywood can better include more international filmmakers and independent films. If the multi-category sweep and Best Picture win for “Anora” said anything, it’s that Hollywood is ready for change–in production size, actor notoriety, and creative ambition. Hopefully, that shift will continue in what is funded, promoted, and awarded next season and beyond.
Author
Holly Brusse is a first-year student at Seattle Central College. Her interest in journalism started when she joined her high school newspaper during her sophomore year of high school. She enjoys writing on politics, music, and pop culture. Outside of school she enjoys listening to music, painting in watercolor, and spending time with her cat.
As Rhiannon had done journalism in the past for her high school. She hopes to continue that path through the Collegian.
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