On Sunday, Mar. 2nd, the 97th Annual Academy Awards, or Oscars, were held at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles. There were many winners that surprised fans, some causing controversy that was immediately shared on social media after the ceremony. Through Anora taking home the most wins, Adrien Brody’s acceptance speech, Emilia Pérez ’s two wins, Wicked making history, and Kieran Culkin’s well-deserved win, and more, the Oscars had a bunch of memorable moments that are sure to be talked about for weeks to come.
Anora
Celebrating with fireworks, Zakharov (Mark Eydelshteyn) and Ani (Mikey Madison) embrace under the lights. (photo from British GQ)
An unexpected win
An independent comedy/romance film about a young woman who marries the son of a Russian oligarch, and is then threatened by his parents to get annulled, took home five out of the six awards that it was nominated for. The film’s most shocking win was when Mikey Madison (Anora) took home the Oscar for Best Actress, when the majority of people were betting on Demi Moore to win for her role in The Substance . Along with Best Actress, the film also took home Best Picture, Best Director (Sean Baker), Original Screenplay, and Editing. Anora is only one of few independent or indie films to win the prestigious title of Best Picture.
The Brutalist
In their home, László Tóth (Adrien Brody) and his wife, Erzsébet Tóth (Felicity Jones) scan paperwork as they comfort each other. (photo from Vulture)
A debatable speech
After winning three awards, including Original Score, Achievement in Cinematography, and Best Actor for Adrien Brody, The Brutalist became very talked about as a result of Brody’s acceptance speech. Brody, who had also won Best Actor for The Pianist when he was just 29 years old, had a speech that was over five minutes long. On average, the winners are asked to give a speech that is around a modest 1-2 minutes or less. Not only did he exceed the time limit, but when the music to wrap up began to play, Brody demanded it be turned off, saying that “[he’d] done this before,” which left a sour taste in the mouths of many. Timotheé Chalamet was the favorite pick to win the award, and many found it ironic that Brody, who had previously been the youngest to ever win the title of Best Actor, had taken the chance away from another young actor to win, despite The Brutalist using AI in the film.
Emilia Pérez
While having dinner, Rita Mora Castro (Zoe Saldaña) and Emilia Pérez / Juan “Manitas” Del Monte (Karla Sofía Gascón) discuss during the event. (photo from IMDB)
An expected disappointment
While many fans were pleased with it not winning Best Picture, Emilia Pérez still took home two awards: Best Supporting Actress and Best Original Song. Zoe Saldaña, a popular actress known for her roles in the Avatar and Marvel franchises, won Best Supporting Actress for her role in Emilia Pérez . Most fans speculated that she would win for her role, not because of the film itself. Despite this, people are not too enthusiastic about Saldaña winning for Emilia Pérez . The film also won Best Original Song for the song “El Mal,” a song sung by Saldaña’s character about the hypocrisy of the rich and their responsibility for the mass murders of Mexicans during the drug wars. Once again, fans were not pleased with the speech the creators gave, as the clip of them singing about Emilia Pérez has quickly spread across the internet.
Wicked
Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande) watch as the Wizard of Oz gives his presentation during their visit to the Emerald City. (photo from the Los AngelesTimes)
A historical moment
Wicked went home with the awards of Best Costume Design and Production Design. While the film only acquired two awards out of the ten that they were nominated for, Wicked still had a big impact on the Oscars. Wicked ’s costume designer, Paul Tazewell, made history as the first Black man to win the award for costume design. Tazewell also designed costumes for other popular movie/musicals such as West Side Story (2021), and he also has a Tony award for his work on Hamilton . Ariana Grande (Galinda) and Cynthia Erivo (Elphaba) opened the Oscars, singing a medley of songs including “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” “Home” from The Wiz , and “Defying Gravity.”
A Real Pain
While traveling by train to Poland, brothers David and Benji Kaplan (Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin) sink into their seats. (photo from ABC)
A happy happening
Kieran Culkin, best known for his roles when he was a child as the youngest brother in the McAllister family in the Home Alone franchise, was awarded on Sunday for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his portrayal of Benji Kaplan in A Real Pain . The film was also nominated for Best Writing for an Original Screenplay. Culkin has won a total of eight awards for his role in A Real Pain , including awards through BAFTA, the Screen Actors Guild, the National Society of Film Critics, the Golden Globes, the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards, the New York Film Critics’ Circle, the Independent Spirit Awards, and of course, the Academy. A beloved actor, many fans agreed that Culkin’s win was well deserved.
For more coverage on the Oscars, click here for a story on the nominations.
