The 94th Academy Awards took place last Sunday (27), at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood. The highlights of the night were historic awards, and a clash on the stage. Vanessa Hudgens hosted the red carpet show, and we were graced with a grandiose performance by queen Beyonce. The broadcast of the ceremony lasted more than 3 and half hours, and the event hosts were Wanda Sykes, Amy Schumer and Regina Hall.
Historical changes
Faced with the pandemic, the film industry found itself without prospects and had to reinvent itself. Most films premiered in theaters and on parallel streams. The big winner of the night was CODA. It was the first movie from a major streaming service to win an Oscar for best picture. It shows how changes are taking place in Hollywood, and changing the way how movies are produced and distributed. In addition, the CODA victory shows how the search for new and more representative stories are increasing. The film shows the story of a deaf family, a topic rarely discussed in Hollywood. Who took the most prizes was the movie Dune. The sci-fi novel had a leading six wins, most in technical categories.
Bad joke
While presenting the award for best documentary, comedian Chris Rock made a bad joke related to Will Smith’s wife: Jada. The joke compared her to a bald character. She lost her hair due to a degenerative disease, alopecia. After that Will invaded the stage and slapped Chris, who had no reaction. The public was shocked by the situation, Smith’s friends calmed him down and Rock didn’t want to press charges to the police. The Academy issued a note at the end of the night declaring that it is against violence.
Best actor and actress
Shortly after the incident, Will Smith won the best actor award for the film “King Richard”, which tells the story of the Williams sisters. In his speech Will apologized to the public and to The Academy for his act. “Love will make you do crazy things”, he said.
For the best actress award, Jessica Chastain won for the film “The eyes of Tammy Faye”. The actress cited her character’s trajetory in protecting gay men and AIDS patients. “Suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States”, she declared. Jessica was unrecognizable in Tammy Faye’s characterization.
See the full list of winners here:
Best Sound
“Dune,” Mac Ruth, Mark Mangini, Theo Green, Doug Hemphill and Ron Bartlett
Best Documentary Short Subject
“The Queen of Basketball,” Ben Proudfoot
Best Animated Short Film
“The Windshield Wiper,” Alberto Mielgo and Leo Sanchez
Best Live Action Short Film
“The Long Goodbye,” Aneil Karia and Riz Ahmed
Best Original Score
“Dune,” Hans Zimmer
Best Film Editing
“Dune,” Joe Walker
Best Production Design
“Dune,” production design: Patrice Vermette; set decoration: Zsuzsanna Sipos
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
“The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” Linda Dowds, Stephanie Ingram and Justin Raleigh
Best Supporting Actress
Ariana DeBose (“West Side Story”)
Best Cinematography
“Dune,” Greig Fraser
Best Visual Effects
“Dune,” Paul Lambert, Tristan Myles, Brian Connor and Gerd Nefzer
Best Animated Feature Film
“Encanto,” Jared Bush, Byron Howard, Yvett Merino and Clark Spencer
Best Supporting Actor
Troy Kotsur (“CODA”)
Best International Feature Film
“Drive My Car” (Japan)
Best Costume Design
“Cruella,” Jenny Beavan
Best Original Screenplay
“Belfast,” written by Kenneth Branagh
Best Adapted Screenplay
“CODA,” screenplay by Sian Heder
Best Documentary Feature
“Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised),” Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, Joseph Patel, Robert Fyvolent and David Dinerstein
Best Original Song
“No Time To Die” from “No Time to Die,” music and lyric by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell
Best Director
Jane Campion (“The Power of the Dog”)
Best Lead Actor
Will Smith (“King Richard”)
Best Lead Actress
Jessica Chastain (“The Eyes of Tammy Faye”)
Best Picture
“CODA,” Philippe Rousselet, Fabrice Gianfermi and Patrick Wachsberger, producers
