97th Oscars-A Recap

 

Anora was the big winner of the night with five Oscars (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Editing, Best Original Screenplay).   Those unfamiliar with the movie's writer-director Sean Baker became instantly familiar by the end of the show, which nearly four hours after it started.  Baker made four trips to the stage, becoming just the second person to win four Oscars in one night and the first to win four for the same film.  Walt Disney won four in one night, but not all for the same film. 

The show itself was a dull affair, not that this differentiates it from past telecasts.  The producers were hoping for a ratings boost last year by starting the show at 7pm Eastern instead of 8pm.  However, the producers also think this allows them extra time to cram the telecast with unfunny bits, banter between presenters which goes nowhere, and bloated musical performances.   We were treated to a James Bond montage and three Bond theme songs performed by singers like Lisa and Raye, neither of which I'd heard of before last night.   The five nominated original songs were not performed, but were inexplicably replaced by Queen Latifah performing "Ease on Down the Road," from The Wiz in honor of Quincy Jones, the aforementioned Bond themes, and Cynthia Erivo and Arianna Grande performing songs from Wicked.   Then, came Conan O'Brien's laugh-free monologue.  Conan tried mightily to make it work, but the jokes fell flat.  

Those wondering where Billy Crystal has been received a treat when he and Meg Ryan announced Best Picture, reuniting the When Harry Met Sally stars.  The presenters included Daryl Hannah and Goldie Hawn, both of which haven't been seen much in recent years, but it was good to see them.  I also enjoyed seeing Quentin Tarantino deliver the Best Director award with his usual offbeat flair.   There are critics of Adrien Brody's record-length speech, but while it's an easy mark for critics, I can't fault Brody for it.  However, throwing his chewed gum to his girlfriend Georgina Chapman before ascending the steps to receive his award is gross.   Just swallow the gum next time.  

I gave Anora a three-star review, mostly because the second half was more compelling than the first.  Of the movies I've seen, I would've given the Best Picture nod to A Complete Unknown, which was shut out at this year's awards.  Mikey Madison was a surprise Best Actress winner.  I picked Demi Moore, who was the favorite after her Golden Globe and SAG Award wins, but Madison went along for the ride with Anora's momentum.  Of the 23 categories, I got 13 predictions right.   This is my lowest number of correct predictions in many a long day.   And Anora is the first Oscar-winning film in which any of the Oscar recipients thanked "the sex worker community."  I never thought I'd hear that in one speech, let alone two.