Guys did something unusual happen at the Oscars today? Besides a streaming service getting its first win for a fairly under-seen, independent family drama?
Today’s 94th Annual Academy Awards started nicely enough, with hosts Wanda Sykes, Regina Hall, and Amy Schumer doing a good job of skewering the celebs in attendance whilst maintaining some shaky level of normalcy. We could almost forget that eight deserving categories were played out before the event properly commenced, including a promising four wins for Dune.
West Side Story‘s only win went to Ariana De Bose for Best Supporting Actress—the same award that Rita Morena got for the same role back in 1961.
It's been exactly 60 years since #RitaMoreno won Best Supporting Actress for Anita in West Side Story. Tonight, Ariana DeBose wins the #Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for the same role. ❤️
The two on their first nomination! #Oscars #Oscars2022 #ArianaDeBose pic.twitter.com/8wJoHYxgCg
— Marco Mendoza (Taylor's Version) (@marcomendozat_) March 28, 2022
Despite not being a nominee for Best Original Song, the Oscars still found time for a fairly chaotic rendition of the viral Disney tune “We Don’t Talk About Bruno”. But it couldn’t beat Billie Eilish and brother Finneas, who took home the Oscar for “No Time To Die”.
O elenco de Encanto, Becky G, Luis Fonsi e Megan Thee Stallion cantando ‘We Don’t Talk About Bruno’ no #Oscar! #Oscars
— Almanaque Disney (@almanaquedisney) March 28, 2022
Uplifting moments included Troy Kotsur’s win for Best Supporting Actor—the first of a few acceptance speeches told in ASL—and family fave Encanto‘s victory in the Best Animated Feature category. Drive My Car director and screenwriter Ryusuke Hamaguchi won Japan its fifth Best International Feature statue, but he was rudely cut off by the orchestra midway through his speech, butting back in to thank his actors.
MINARI Best Supporting Actress winner Youn Yuh-jung learning how to sign Troy Kotsur's name so she could announce his Best Supporting Actor win for CODA is incredibly sweet and classy. And watching the audience do the sign-language version of applause made me tear up. pic.twitter.com/xV7ujBhZvx
— Tasha Robinson (@TashaRobinson) March 28, 2022
The disrespect to Ryusuke Hamaguchi….Cutting him off twice and pushing him off the stage. Very annoyed #Oscars
— Matt Neglia (@NextBestPicture) March 28, 2022
Belfast director Kenneth Branagh scored a Best Original Screenplay Oscar and CODA picked up momentum with director Siân Heder’s Best Adapted Screenplay win. But no Hollywood screenwriter could plot out what was about to unfold next.
Presenter Chris Rock jokingly referred to Jada Pinkett-Smith as “G.I. Jane 2” for her buzzcut, perhaps not knowing that Pinkett-Smith suffers from alopecia. An earlier joke from Regina Hall about the Smith’s turbulent marriage didn’t get the couple that riled up…
Husband and Best Actor nominee Will Smith appeared to laugh at first, but then took to the stage and delivered a haymaker right to Rock’s jaw before yelling at the comedian to “keep [his] wife’s name out of your f**king mouth”. Viewers in Australia and Japan were lucky enough to get the uncensored version of the speech, seemingly proving that the incident was not in fact staged as a way to ramp up those dwindling viewer numbers.
It’s important to note the Jada Pinkett Smith is suffering from severe alopecia. It’s nothing to joke about. #Oscars https://t.co/4djAVzBYnF
— Chris Witherspoon (@WitherspoonC) March 28, 2022
From there a pall hung over the proceedings’ final hour, with a jubilant gospel choir memoriam segment and Jane Campion’s second win for Best Director (her frontrunning film’s only Oscar!) kinda drowned out in the furious tsunami of celeb gossip.
“I love directing because it’s a deep dive into story, yet the task of manifesting a world can be overwhelming. The sweet thing is I’m not alone.” —Jane Campion, #Oscars Best Director winner pic.twitter.com/V3fQumerdD
— TIFF (@TIFF_NET) March 28, 2022
Jessica Chastain piped up for queer rights in her Best Actress in a Leading Role acceptance speech for The Eyes of Tammy Faye. But of course Will Smith had to go and win Best Actor as Richard Williams in King Richard, and to then use the character’s fierce, protective qualities to tearfully apologize to the Academy and the Williams sisters for his earlier bout with Rock.
The Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role goes to WILL BLOODY SMITH for KING RICHARD. "Richard Williams was a fierce defender of his family…I've been called on in my life to love people, to protect people", he says tearfully. pic.twitter.com/nGHfhNSnIh
— Flicks.com.au (@FlicksAustralia) March 28, 2022
Virtually anything could’ve happened at this point. When Lady Gaga and Liza Minelli took to the stage to present the final award for Best Picture, we wouldn’t have been shocked if they broke into a whole House of Gucci/Cabaret tribute number, with all the remembered celebs from the in memoriam package springing to life as their can-can line.
What did happen was CODA winning Best Picture, inspiring a blend of applause and ASL hands in the air to salute the unexpected Sundance-winning triumph.
For all the talk of “love” post-slap, THIS is what love really looks like. #coda #oscars pic.twitter.com/CeqxTCn0jN
— Damian Holbrook (@damianholbrook) March 28, 2022
It’s hard to be too mad about a sweet coming-of-age indie randomly winning Hollywood’s biggest prize, especially after the ceremony’s constant references to an ongoing pandemic/genocide/global climate crisis, and the on-stage meltdown we all just witnessed. See you next year, Oscar.
Totally normal post-show statement here. https://t.co/DwHunYj48O
— Mark Harris (@MarkHarrisNYC) March 28, 2022
I hope everyone has enjoyed the last Oscars ever
— Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) March 28, 2022
the only way to explain what happened is that an asteroid killed all of us 1 hour ago and this is the afterlife
— Justin Miller (@justinjm1) March 28, 2022
Full list of winners
Best supporting actress
Ariana DeBose (West Side Story) – WINNER
Jessie Buckley (The Lost Daughter)
Judi Dench (Belfast)
Kirsten Dunst (The Power of the Dog)
Aunjanue Ellis (King Richard)
Best costume design
Cruella – WINNER
Cyrano
Dune
Nightmare Alley
West Side Story
Best sound
Dune – WINNER
Belfast
No Time to Die
The Power of the Dog
West Side Story
Best original score
Dune – WINNER
Don’t Look Up
Encanto
Parallel Mothers
The Power of the Dog
Best adapted screenplay
Coda (Sian Heder) – WINNER
Drive My Car (Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Takamasa Oe)
Dune (Eric Roth, Jon Spaihts, Denis Villeneuve)
The Lost Daughter (Maggie Gyllenhaal)
The Power of the Dog (Jane Campion)
Best original screenplay
Belfast (Kenneth Branagh) – WINNER
Don’t Look Up (Adam McKay, David Sirota)
Licorice Pizza (Paul Thomas Anderson)
King Richard (Zach Baylin)
The Worst Person in the World (Eskil Vogt, Joachim Trier)
Best animated short
The Windshield Wiper – WINNER
Affairs of the Art
Bestia
Boxballet
Robin Robin
Best live action short
The Long Goodbye – WINNER
Ala Kachuu – Take and Run
The Dress
On My Mind
Please Hold
Best supporting actor
Troy Kotsur (Coda) – WINNER
Ciarán Hinds (Belfast)
Jesse Plemons (The Power of the Dog)
JK Simmons (Being the Ricardos)
Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Power of the Dog)
Best film editing
Dune – WINNER
Don’t Look Up
King Richard
The Power of the Dog
tick, tick… BOOM!
Best makeup & hairstyling
The Eyes of Tammy Faye – WINNER
Coming 2 America
Cruella
Dune
House of Gucci
Best animated feature
Encanto – WINNER
Flee
Luca
The Mitchells Vs the Machines
Raya and the Last Dragon
Best documentary feature
Summer of Soul – WINNER
Ascension
Attica
Flee
Writing With Fire
Best documentary short
The Queen of Basketball – WINNER
Audible
Lead Me Home
Three Songs for Benazir
When We Were Bullies
Best original song
No Time to Die (No Time to Die) – WINNER
Be Alive (King Richard)
Dos Oruguitas (Encanto)
Down to Joy (Belfast)
Somehow You Do (Four Good Days)
Best cinematography
Dune – WINNER
Nightmare Alley
The Power of the Dog
The Tragedy of Macbeth
West Side Story
Best international feature
Drive My Car – WINNER
Flee
The Hand of God
Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom
The Worst Person in the World
Best production design
Dune – WINNER
Nightmare Alley
The Power of the Dog
The Tragedy of Macbeth
West Side Story
Best visual effects
Dune – WINNER
Free Guy
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
No Time to Die
Spider-Man: No Way Home
Best actress
Jessica Chastain (The Eyes of Tammy Faye) – WINNER
Olivia Colman (The Lost Daughter)
Penélope Cruz (Parallel Mothers)
Nicole Kidman (Being the Ricardos)
Kristen Stewart (Spencer)
Best actor
Will Smith (King Richard) – WINNER
Javier Bardem (Being the Ricardos)
Benedict Cumberbatch (The Power of the Dog)
Andrew Garfield (tick, tick … BOOM!)
Denzel Washington (The Tragedy of Macbeth)
Best director
Jane Campion (The Power of the Dog) – WINNER
Kenneth Branagh (Belfast)
Drive My Car (Ryûsuke Hamaguchi)
Paul Thomas Anderson (Licorice Pizza)
Steven Spielberg (West Side Story)
Best picture
Coda – WINNER
Belfast
Don’t Look Up
Drive My Car
Dune
King Richard
Licorice Pizza
Nightmare Alley
The Power of the Dog
West Side Story
