The 96th Oscars Ceremony did not hold back.
From Ryan Gosling showing that he is “Kenough,” performing in a pink diamond studded suit to John Cena presenting an award in his birthday suit, Jimmy Kimmel and the Academy held yet another successful ceremony, and luckily no one was slapped in the making of the production. With the Oscars starting at a new time, they surely brought entertainment and light to all films being honored.
Years of Firsts
This year, many actors and directors experienced their first Oscar win or nomination. Robert Downey Jr. won his first Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his character in “Oppenheimer” after being nominated three times in the past. During his acceptance speech he gave thanks to his “terrible childhood and the Academy, in that order.” Downey is an inspiration showing that your past does not define your future.
“20 Days in Mariupol” won the first Oscar in Ukrainian history. The documentary focuses on journalist’s during Russia’s invasion of Mariupol, a city in Ukraine. Mstyslav Chernov, a Ukrainian film director, accepted the award. In Chernov’s acceptance speech he touched on what an honor it is to win this award, but how the circumstances behind the win hurt him. The documentary opens the viewers’ eyes to the situation in Ukraine.
Old Traditions
To announce the big name categories, with the exception of Best Picture, notable winners from said categories were brought out to give individualized speeches and recognition to each nominee, calling out their hard work and craftsmanship to the role that nominees portray. This was the first time the Academy has done this since 2009.
One of the most heart-warming speeches was to Da’Vine Joy Randolph, winner of Best Supporting Actress for her role of Mary in “The Holdovers”. Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o acknowledged Randolph by saying, “your performance is tribute to those who have helped others heal in spite of their own pain.”
Most notable performances
Grammy Award winner Billie Eilish graced the stage with her Oscar winning song “What Was I Made For” from the nominated movie “Barbie”. Joined by a live orchestra Eilish, received a standing ovation and left audience members in tears. The now two-time Oscar winners Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell were welcomed back on stage to accept their award for Best Original Song.The
The live audience and viewers were all waiting for the highly anticipated performance from Ryan Gosling of the Oscar nominated song “I’m Just Ken.” Starting in the audience, Gosling sat behind Margot Robbie in a pink studded suit and black sunglasses and pranced his way to the stage leaving audience members laughing within the first 20 seconds. Performing just as he did in the movie, Gosling and the original cast of the movie entertains the audience with over-the-top theatrical dance moves. With a stage full of cardboard Barbie faces, Gosling is suddenly picked up and carried, playing homage to his other film “La La Land.” Gosling definitely proved to everyone that he is “Kenough.”
Is that his birthday suit?
At the 46th Oscars, a nude man ran across the stage while host David Niven was introducing one of the presenters. Kimmel and former wrestler turned actor John Cena performed a skit to pay tribute to the 50th anniversary of the event. Cena arrived on stage practically naked with nothing but a card reading “Best Costume Design” to cover himself. As Cena introduced the category, he noted how important costumes truly are. This was not something people had on their 2024 bingo card.
Jokes and Banter
The Oscars had many jokes that left the audience and viewers talking. Paying homage to the “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” debate, Gosling and Emily Blunt threw subtle shade and playful banter to each other during their introduction. Blunt subtly noted that “Oppenheimer” was beating “Barbie” in award winnings that night. Gosling then explained why it was called “Barbenheimer” by saying, “Oppenheimer” was “riding Barbies’ coattails all summer.” Blunt then thanked Gosling for “Kensplaining” that to her and threw a roast about his paint-on abs during the film.
When nominees were announced and Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig were not nominated for some of the notable categories, people around the country were shocked. This led Kimmel to create an Oscar ad that poked at the situation. During his opening speech Kimmel also took the chance to call out how they both deserved to be nominated for their respective categories, even though they had already won “the genetic lottery.”
In Memoriam
Andrea Bocelli and his son Matteo Bocelli sang “Time to Say Goodbye” accompanied by dancers while the screen showed those who were have passed away from actors to music composers. Two people they highlighted were Matthew Perry, known for his iconic role in “Friends,” and Tina Turner, an influential African-American singer and actress.
Top Categories:
There are five categories that filmmakers and actors alike dream to win each year: Best Picture, Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Actress in a Leading Role, Best Actor in a Supporting Role and Best Actress in a Supporting Role. This year “Oppenheimer” stole the show as the most nominated film of the year with 13 nominations, including four of the five main categories.
Here are the nominees and winners for the top five categories of the night:
Best Picture
- The Holdovers
- American Fiction
- The Zone of Interest
- Barbie
- Oppenheimer – WINNER
- Poor Things
- Past Lives
- Anatomy of a Fall
- Maestro
- Killers of the Flower Moon
Best Actor in a Leading Role:
- Bradley Cooper – Maestro
- Colman Domingo – Rustin
- Paul Giamatti – The Holdovers
- Cillian Murphy – Oppenheimer – WINNER
- Jeffrey Wright – American Fiction
Best Actress in a Leading Role:
- Annette Bening – Nyad
- Lily Gladstone – Killers of the Flower Moon
- Sandra Hüller – Anatomy of Fall
- Carey Mulligan – Maestro
- Emma Stone – Poor Things – WINNER
Best Actor in a Supporting Role:
- Sterling K. Brown – American Fiction
- Robert De Niro – Killers of the Flower Moon
- Robert Downey Jr. – Oppenheimer – WINNER
- Ryan Gosling – Barbie
- Mark Ruffalo – Poor Things
Best Actress in a Supporting Role:
- America Ferrera – Barbie
- Danielle Brooks – The Color Purple
- Da’Vine Joy Randolph – The Holdovers – WINNER
- Emily Blunt – Oppenheimer
- Jodie Foster – Nyad
Like all of the winners’ speeches noted, thank you to the Academy for holding yet another amazing celebration from short films to screenplays.