It’s over. The lights were dimmed, the speeches were given and the comments were political. Oddly enough, most of the actual speeches avoided political comments. Host Jimmy Kimmel made the most political comments, with lines like, “Doctor Strange is nominated tonight for ‘Outstanding Visual Effects and secretary of Urban Housing and Development.’”
The night’s most memorable moments came from some great surprises, from Kimmel bringing his feud with Matt Damon to the Oscars, and the real-life Kathrine Johnson, portrayed by Taraji P. Henson in the film, “Hidden Figures,” briefly stepping on stage to say “thank you” to the audience.
In terms of winners, there were some surprises and snubs. We now have the Academy Award winning feature film “Suicide Squad,” while movies like “Moana” and “Hidden Figures” went home empty-handed. “La La Land” was the biggest winner of the night, with six Academy Awards, including Best Original Score, Song, Actress and Director.
Some charming moments helped punctuate the night. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Cheryl Boone took to the stage to give a short speech about the art of the movies; shortly after, small bags of candy floated down to the audience on parachutes. Auli'i Cravalho also sang, “How Far I’ll Go” from “Moana” to a simple backdrop of cloth dancers. It was a night of simpler pleasures, the opposite of the typical bombastic and showstopping Oscar set pieces.
It was a big night for most. Kevin O'Connell won his first Academy Award after 21 nominations for Achievement in Sound Mixing for “Hacksaw Ridge.” Viola Davis also took home her first Oscar for “Fences.” A tour bus of people was surprised as well as they were shuttled through the front row of the Dolby Theatre during the Oscars. Don’t worry it was planned.
What wasn’t planned was a huge misstep by Best Picture award presenter Warren Beatty, who read the wrong film. Apparently, he was handed the envelope for Best Actress by mistake, which prompted his long pause and stare before reading, “La La Land.” In the middle of one of the producer’s speeches, “La, La Land” producer Josh Horowitz took to the stage to announce the mistake. “Moonlight” is the real winner.
Though the ceremony was lengthy, one quote stood out from the whole night. The inspiring words were uttered during Viola Davis’s acceptance speech for Best Supporting Actress for “Fences.”
“There is one place that all the people with the greatest potential are gathered … and that’s the graveyard. People ask me all the time, what kind of stories do you want to tell, Viola? The stories of those people who dreamed, big, and never saw those dreams to fruition,” she said. “I became an artist, and thank god I did, because we are the only profession that celebrates what it means to live a life.”
Well said, Viola. Well said.
"La, La Land" was mistakenly announced as Best Picture. Ultimately, "Moonlight" won the category.
