A fairly unpredictable set of results, and a very different show itself, the 93rd Academy Awards left quite a bit to be desired. But I will commend the organizers and the Academy for pulling it off in times like these. Here are the key highlights of the awards and what was lacking
The starkest difference between the Oscars, as we know the event, and this year’s edition was the venue itself. While the Dolby Theatre (formerly known as the Kodak Theatre) has also evolved over the decades, the basic richness that it presents has stayed intact—at least in the way it looks on-screen. Other TV events, such as AMERICAN IDOL’s Hollywood week, and even AMERICA’S GOT TALENT, look more premium because of this venue. And the look of the theater at the Oscars is usually phenomenal. This year though, probably because of the limited audience this time, the organizers wanted a more intimate venue, and they decided to have the main show at Los Angeles’ Union Station. The art deco venue was quite charming and had a character of its own, but it lacked the grandeur of the Dolby Theatre, which was missed sorely. It kind of made the Oscars look like a preliminary event, such as the nominees’ luncheon.
A VERY LONG SHOW, DESPITE THINGS THAT
WERE LACKING
The smaller venue, and the more intimate gathering should have also been reflected in the duration of the main event, but it went on for three hours and an extra 15 minutes. Especially with the original song performances shown during the pre-show, and with the lack of a host, it seemed unnecessarily long. While the decision to go without a host hasn’t had a huge impact in the previous two editions of the Oscars, this year, I think a host would have been good. I think with things so different this time, they would’ve done well to have an emcee as a hook for the audience throughout the event. Instead, the show went on—for really long. This was in part due to the freedom given to winners to take their time with their acceptance speeches, which was quite respectful and polite. However, with some people, it is a good idea to give them limited time—and a faint music to signal time running out—because not everyone is naturally inclined to keep things concise. And speaking of music, I really did miss a live orchestra. A DJ behind a console just wasn’t very ‘Oscars’ in my opinion. I mean, if you’re organizing an event with a live audience, getting everyone tested for COVID and all, across gatherings in other remote locations as well, why cut corners when it comes to having a full orchestra of musicians!
PRESENTATIONS THAT KEPT THINGS
INTERESTING
There was however, a little game where audience members were quizzed about songs that may or may not have been nominated in the past. It seemed a little random as the only such break in the midst of the proceedings. Yet, Glenn Close doing that little dance was everything. The presentations themselves were not too bad. It was sweet how presenters such as Riz Ahmed, Laura Dern and Reese Witherspoon had little personal anecdotes to share related to the categories they were announcing. Regina King was a strong way to start, with her big stage presence. Riz Ahmed did well with his interactive introduction of the live-action short category, asking the audience if their careers began with short films, to drive home the point that short films can set strong foundations. Angela Bassett’s presentation of ‘in memoriam’ lent the moment some liveliness—a celebration of the departed artists rather than mourning them. And it was good to see the Dolby Theatre briefly, when Bryan Cranston presented one of the humanitarian awards. I wonder why they didn’t present both together, with Viola Davis presenting Tyler Perry his humanitarian award later in the show.
THE BEST ACCEPTANCE SPEECHES
Perry delivered one of the better acceptance speeches of the night, with his anecdote about how he helped a woman in need with some shoes to ‘take her feet off the ground’, eventually urging everyone to do away with hate, and help people take their feet off the ground. Emerald Fennel was a breath of fresh air when she won the Oscar for adapted screenplay for Promising Young Woman. Winning the supporting actor Oscar for Judas and the Black Messiah, Daniel Kaluuya was whimsical and weird and made us all laugh, with the way he said he was going to party that night, and also giving his parents credit for his existence (and win), mentioning the sex that they had had in order to have him. His sister’s and mother’s reactions, watching from the gathering in London, was priceless!
However, the best acceptance speech of the night was by Yuh-Jung Youn, who won the supporting actress Oscar for Minari. Prior to this event, she had stolen the show at the BAFTAs and at the Critics’ Choice Awards before that, with her endearing acceptance speeches, so I was really looking forward to seeing her accept her Oscar. She said it was nice to meet presenter Brad Pitt, and thanked Hollywood. Then she acknowledged the greatness of her fellow-nominees, saying that it didn’t feel right that they were in competition for playing completely different parts in different movies, and that she was simply “luckier than” the others, or that maybe it had something to do with American hospitality towards a Korean actress. She gave a shout-out to fellow-nominee Glenn Close, who was the senior-most actress in the category this time. And she thanked her sons, who ‘made her work’ (probably meant ‘encouraged’ her to work), with this win being a result of that.
THE NEW OSCAR WINNERS—HIGHLIGHTS AND
DISAPPOINTMENTS
It was indeed great to see powerful and moving performances such as Kaluuya’s and Youn’s being awarded. I was very happy that Anthony Hopkins won for his stellar performance in The Father. And Emerald Fennell deserved her original screenplay win for the gripping Promising Young Woman. Most other wins were also due, such as the excellent film editing and sound of Sound of Metal being recognized, or the soundtrack of Soul and the screenplay of The Father being rewarded. I was, however, disappointed that my two favorite awards season movies this year—The Trial of the Chicago 7, and One Night in Miami…—didn’t win anything. And they were such good and strong films, even objectively-speaking. Other winning highlights included Chloé Zhao becoming (only) the second woman to ever win for directing, while Frances McDormand won her third Oscar and became the actress with the second-most wins for lead actress, after Katharine Hepburn (who won four).
With a few disappointing results, and a slightly underwhelming show overall, there were a few high points that kept things relatively interesting. I look forward to, hopefully, a more ‘regular’ Oscars taking place at the Dolby Theatre next year. I would also appreciate it if they go back to announcing the directing and best picture categories at the end of the show, after the lead actress and actor winners are awarded. I also hope we can go back to the cinemas this year to watch the films that will be in consideration next year.
And, while we hope for better times ahead, here’s a complete list of this year’s Oscar winners.
Best motion picture of the year
The
Father
Judas
and the Black Messiah
Mank
Minari
Nomadland
Promising
Young Woman
Sound
of Metal
The
Trial of the Chicago 7
Achievement in directing
Another
Round | Thomas
Vinterberg
Mank | David Fincher
Minari | Lee Isaac Chung
Nomadland
| Chloé Zhao
Promising
Young Woman | Emerald
Fennell
Performance by an actress in a leading
role
Viola Davis in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Andra Day in The United States vs. Billie Holiday
Vanessa Kirby in Pieces of a Woman
Frances
McDormand in Nomadland
Carey Mulligan in Promising Young Woman
Performance by an actor in a leading
role
Riz Ahmed in Sound of Metal
Chadwick Boseman in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Anthony
Hopkins in The Father
Gary Oldman in Mank
Steven Yeun in Minari
Performance by an actress in a
supporting role
Maria Bakalova in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of
Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of
Kazakhstan
Glenn Close in Hillbilly Elegy
Olivia Colman in The Father
Amanda Seyfried in Mank
Yuh-Jung
Youn in Minari
Performance by an actor in a supporting
role
Sacha Baron Cohen in The Trial of the Chicago 7
Daniel
Kaluuya in Judas and the Black Messiah
Leslie Odom, Jr. in One Night in Miami...
Paul Raci in Sound of Metal
Lakeith Stanfield in Judas and the Black Messiah
Adapted screenplay
Borat
Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make
Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan | Screenplay by Sacha Baron Cohen & Anthony Hines
& Dan Swimer & Peter Baynham & Erica Rivinoja & Dan Mazer &
Jena Friedman & Lee Kern; Story by Sacha Baron Cohen & Anthony Hines
& Dan Swimer & Nina Pedrad
The Father
| Screenplay by Christopher Hampton and Florian Zeller
Nomadland
| Written for
the screen by Chloé Zhao
One
Night in Miami…
| Screenplay by Kemp Powers
The
White Tiger | Written for
the screen by Ramin Bahrani
Original screenplay
Judas
and the Black Messiah
| Screenplay by Will Berson & Shaka King; Story by Will Berson & Shaka
King and Kenny Lucas & Keith Lucas
Minari | Written by Lee Isaac Chung
Promising Young Woman
| Written by Emerald Fennell
Sound
of Metal | Screenplay
by Darius Marder & Abraham Marder; Story by Darius Marder & Derek
Cianfrance
The
Trial of the Chicago 7
| Written by Aaron Sorkin
Achievement in cinematography
Judas
and the Black Messiah |
Sean Bobbitt
Mank
| Erik Messerschmidt
News
of the World | Dariusz
Wolski
Nomadland | Joshua James Richards
The
Trial of the Chicago 7
| Phedon Papamichael
Achievement in film editing
The
Father | Yorgos
Lamprinos
Nomadland | Chloé Zhao
Promising
Young Woman | Frédéric
Thoraval
Sound of Metal
| Mikkel E.G. Nielsen
The
Trial of the Chicago 7
| Alan Baumgarten
Achievement in sound
Greyhound | Warren Shaw, Michael Minkler,
Beau Borders and David Wyman
Mank | Ren Klyce, Jeremy Molod, David
Parker, Nathan Nance and Drew Kunin
News
of the World | Oliver
Tarney, Mike Prestwood Smith, William Miller and John Pritchett
Soul | Ren Klyce, Coya Elliott and David
Parker
Sound of Metal
| Nicolas Becker, Jaime Baksht, Michelle Couttolenc, Carlos Cortés and Phillip
Bladh
Achievement in production design
The
Father | Production
Design: Peter Francis; Set Decoration: Cathy Featherstone
Ma
Rainey’s Black Bottom |
Production Design: Mark Ricker; Set Decoration: Karen O’Hara and Diana
Stoughton
Mank
| Production Design: Donald Graham Burt; Set Decoration: Jan Pascale
News
of the World | Production
Design: David Crank; Set Decoration: Elizabeth Keenan
Tenet | Production Design: Nathan
Crowley; Set Decoration: Kathy Lucas
Achievement in costume design
Emma | Alexandra Byrne
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
| Ann Roth
Mank | Trish Summerville
Mulan | Bina Daigeler
Pinocchio | Massimo Cantini Parrini
Achievement in makeup and hairstyling
Emma | Marese Langan, Laura Allen and
Claudia Stolze
Hillbilly
Elegy | Eryn Krueger
Mekash, Matthew Mungle and Patricia Dehaney
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
| Sergio Lopez-Rivera, Mia Neal and Jamika Wilson
Mank | Gigi Williams, Kimberley Spiteri
and Colleen LaBaff
Pinocchio | Mark Coulier, Dalia Colli and
Francesco Pegoretti
Achievement in visual effects
Love
and Monsters | Matt Sloan,
Genevieve Camilleri, Matt Everitt and Brian Cox
The
Midnight Sky | Matthew
Kasmir, Christopher Lawrence, Max Solomon and David Watkins
Mulan | Sean Faden, Anders Langlands,
Seth Maury and Steve Ingram
The
One and Only Ivan
| Nick Davis, Greg Fisher, Ben Jones and Santiago Colomo Martinez
Tenet
| Andrew Jackson, David Lee, Andrew Lockley and Scott Fisher
Achievement in music written for motion
pictures (Original score)
Da
5 Bloods | Terence
Blanchard
Mank | Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
Minari | Emile Mosseri
News
of the World | James Newton
Howard
Soul
| Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross and Jon Batiste
The hypnotizing and haunting,
yet lively and uplifting scoring of Soul
became the extraordinary backdrop of the film. And I think it’s going to win
for it.
Achievement in music written for motion
pictures (Original song)
‘Fight
for you’ from Judas and the Black Messiah
| Music by H.E.R. and Dernst Emile II; Lyric by H.E.R. and Tiara Thomas
‘Hear my voice’ from The Trial of the Chicago 7 | Music by
Daniel Pemberton; Lyric by Daniel Pemberton and Celeste Waite
‘Husavik’ from Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire
Saga | Music and Lyric by Savan Kotecha, Fat Max Gsus and Rickard Göransson
‘Io sì (seen)’ from The Life Ahead (La Vita Davanti a Se) |
Music by Diane Warren; Lyric by Diane Warren and Laura Pausini
‘Speak now’ from One Night in Miami... | Music and Lyric
by Leslie Odom, Jr. and Sam Ashworth
Best animated feature film of the year
Onward
Over
the Moon
A
Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon
Soul
Wolfwalkers
Best international feature film of the
year
Another Round
| Denmark
Better
Days | Hong Kong
Collective | Romania
The
Man Who Sold His Skin
| Tunisia
Quo
Vadis, Aida? | Bosnia and
Herzegovina
If the Academy has recognized
its directing among every film in consideration overall, one can safely say
that Another Round has an edge over
the others in this category.
Best documentary feature
Collective
Crip
Camp
The
Mole Agent
My Octopus Teacher
Time
Best documentary short subject
Colette
A
Concerto Is a Conversation
Do
Not Split
Hunger
Ward
A
Love Song for Latasha
Best animated short film
Burrow
Genius
Loci
If Anything Happens I Love You
Opera
Yes-People
Best live-action short film
Feeling
Through
The
Letter Room
The
Present
Two Distant Strangers
White
Eye
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