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It’s no secret that it has been the year for cinema. The Barbenheimer summer brought audiences to theaters and broke box office records, while the SAG and WGA strikes raged on to protect their jobs due to AI. Viewers have said it best…Cinema is back, and the Oscars celebrated the best of the best of the last year.
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Da’Vine Joy Randolph started off the night with the first win of the night for her role in ‘The Holdovers’. Her acceptance speech moved the room to tears, as she told of her beginnings of becoming an actor as a black woman in the industry. Her standout performance in ‘The Holdovers’ was one to be recognized, as she was clearly deserving of this win.
The dynamic duo, Justine Trent and Arthur Harari won Best Original Screenplay for ‘Anatomy of A Fall’, while Cord Jefferson won his first Academy Award in Best Adapted Screenplay for ‘American Fiction’. These writers’ ways with words paved the storylines in both of these films. Without them, these films would not be the same.
Robert Downey Jr. won Best Supporting Actor for his performance in ‘Oppenheimer’, which was no surprise for film buffs. His performance in Oppenheimer brought him to the next level in the film world, contrasting with that of ‘Iron Man’ and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Jennifer Lane won her first Oscar for Best Film Editing for ‘Oppenheimer’, making this a win for women in film. Only 14% of nominations for the Best Film Editing have been women, and Lane put forth her best foot in editing Oppenheimer
Despite being one of the most iconic and distinct American auteur, Wes Anderson won his long-overdue first Academy Award for his short film ‘The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar’, after eight nominations in the past. The short film tells the story of a wealthy man who learns to cheat at gambling games and stars Benedict Cumberbatch as the title role.
Cillian Murphy won the Academy Award for Best Leading Actor for his performance in ‘Oppenheimer’, dedicating his award to “the peacemakers everywhere”. Murphy has been praised for his role as the scientist, bringing humanity to a man who has created something inhumane. Not only was this Cillian Murphy’s first nomination, but it was his first Academy Award.
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Despite the show having many predicted wins of the night, the Academy Awards was no stranger to debate over who should win. Though it was clear that ‘Barbie’ was snubbed for nominations, as neither Greta Gerwig nor Margot Robbie were nominated for Best Director or Best Leading Actress, the hit film only took home Best Original Song. It has been agreed by fans that the film should have at least taken home Best Costume Design, as the intricate costume designs did not only show the audience who these characters are. The costumes of ‘Barbie’ were their own characters.
One of the biggest showdowns of the night was for Best Leading Actress. Much debate was leading up to the Academy Awards, between Lily Gladstone for ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ and Emma Stone for ‘Poor Things’. Emma Stone ended up taking home the award for her electric performance in ‘Poor Things’. After seeing both performances, the award was truly a toss-up. Emma Stone navigated the world of ‘Poor Things’ with a childlike wonder that is difficult to capture. Lily Gladstone was such a soft fighter and told such a prominent story that needed to be told, as well as highlighting Indigenous voices. Stone highlighted Gladstone in her speech, sharing the award with her and hoping that they could make more art in the future together. Though Stone’s win was well-deserved, Gladstone was just as deserving and her win would have been such a victory for Indigenous people.
‘Oppenheimer’ took home the award for Best Picture. This was no surprise for movie fans, as ‘Oppenheimer’ was such a success. Each of the films nominated was extremely deserving of this award, again, it was hard to tell exactly who was going to win. Again, though ‘Oppenheimer’ was incredibly deserving of this award, it would have been so refreshing to see a story of those whose voices are not highlighted as much as that of the white male to take home the award for Best Picture.
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Billie Eilish and Finneas dazzled in their performance of ‘What Was I Made For?’, once again, bringing the audience to tears. The performance was simple and beautiful, and the sibling duo could hardly hold their excitement at their standing ovation. It was no shock that they won Best Original Song, as this song has become an anthem for womanhood and synonymous with the film, ‘Barbie’.
A naked John Cena graced the stage to present the award for Best Costume Design to ‘Poor Things’. ‘Poor Things’ also took home Best Scenic Design, Best Makeup and Hair Design which was no shock for the intricate world that was created for the film.
‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ brought Native American representation to the Oscar stage, a place where Indigenous voices have previously been excluded. Performing ‘Wahzahazhe (A Song for my People)’, Scott George and Osage Nation received a standing ovation for their authentic Osage Nation song and dance. This performance is a far step in advance after Sacheen Littlefeather was blacklisted for representing Marlon Brando at the 1973 Oscars. Though there is work to be done for Indigenous representation, this performance was a win.
One of the most anticipated performances of the night was Ryan Gosling’s ‘I’m Just Ken’. Gosling did not disappoint, sporting a pink rhinestone suit and a black cowboy hat. His performance notably includes his female counterparts, Margot Robbie, Greta Gerwig, and America Ferrera, as well as a ‘La La Land’ reunion with Emma Stone.
Despite the star power of the 96th Academy Awards, the biggest star of the night was Messi, the lovable dog from ‘Anatomy of a Fall’. The border collie was featured in his own seat, clapping along with puppet paws, and ending the night marking his territory on Matt Damon’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
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Overall, the 96th Academy Awards was full of wins, comedy, triumphs, and defeats. Though I, personally, do feel that each win was well-deserving and every single person who has worked on each of these films deserves every award, this year’s winners had little diversity. I felt that many of the films nominated focused on the white male perspective which is no surprise in Hollywood. Despite this, the 96th Oscars took steps to amplify black and native voices, as well as women’s voices. Though Hollywood is far from perfect, we are taking closer steps every day to a better industry and world.
By Abigail Johnson
Click here to read The Hollywood Insider’s CEO Pritan Ambroase’s love letter to Cinema, TV and Media. An excerpt from the love letter: The Hollywood Insider’s CEO/editor-in-chief Pritan Ambroase affirms, “We have the space and time for all your stories, no matter who/what/where you are. Media/Cinema/TV have a responsibility to better the world and The Hollywood Insider will continue to do so. Talent, diversity and authenticity matter in Cinema/TV, media and storytelling. In fact, I reckon that we should announce “talent-diversity-authenticity-storytelling-Cinema-Oscars-Academy-Awards” as synonyms of each other. We show respect to talent and stories regardless of their skin color, race, gender, sexuality, religion, nationality, etc., thus allowing authenticity into this system just by something as simple as accepting and showing respect to the human species’ factual diversity. We become greater just by respecting and appreciating talent in all its shapes, sizes, and forms. Award winners, which includes nominees, must be chosen on the greatness of their talent ALONE.
I am sure I am speaking for a multitude of Cinema lovers all over the world when I speak of the following sentiments that this medium of art has blessed me with. Cinema taught me about our world, at times in English and at times through the beautiful one-inch bar of subtitles. I learned from the stories in the global movies that we are all alike across all borders. Remember that one of the best symbols of many great civilizations and their prosperity has been the art they have left behind. This art can be in the form of paintings, sculptures, architecture, writings, inventions, etc. For our modern society, Cinema happens to be one of them. Cinema is more than just a form of entertainment, it is an integral part of society. I love the world uniting, be it for Cinema, TV, media, art, fashion, sport, etc. Please keep this going full speed.”
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Abigail Johnson is a New York City-based writing intern, screenwriter, actor, and director. Her main focus is women in the entertainment industry and authenticity, especially advocating for diverse storytelling and new perspectives. Abigail loves discovering indie films that may not be seen in a traditional movie theatre, as well as listening to pop music and trying to find the next big artist. Abigail connects to Hollywood Insider’s values of substance over scandal and focusing on compassion and philosophy in her writing at Hollywood Insider. Utilizing writing for good is the main Hollywood Insider value that Abigail connects with, as her main goal is to use her talents for good.
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