A Reel Opinion: The 93rd Oscars - The Good, The Bad, & The Glorious

The 93^rd Academy Awards Ceremony, the final word on the wrecked cinematic year that was 2020, were held last night in an event that can be described as non-traditional at best. It provided plenty of moments ranging from Good, Bad, and Glorious. Here is how it all landed: 

 

THE GOOD

 

-The year in film 2020 was decimated thanks to a pandemic left to run free, and the ceremony reflected that. The ceremony was relocated to the Los Angeles Union Station and taken out of the traditional Dolby Theatre. The setting was something different and fresh to see, and the smaller crowd made it feel like an intimate dinner event. 

 

-For the third consecutive year, the ceremony ran without a host and it worked just fine. The show also cut to the Dolby Theatre for an extended bit with Bryan Cranston honoring healthcare workers and first responders in a very nice touch. 

 

-This year the show dove into the backstories of the nominees, with everyone having their love for film explained and how they were inspired to become filmmakers. There was a notable shift from honoring the movies to the individuals. Again; different, new, and fresh. 

 

-Not necessarily Good, Bad or Glorious but worth noting: With most theatres shuttered last year, streaming services became the home to movie releases. With that said, 16 of the 23 Oscars went to films that at the very least simultaneously premiered on the small screen. 

 

THE BAD

 

-While it was neat to hear the nominees speak about the first movies they saw in the theatre (which in a roundabout way, provided some film history), the shift away from the nominated films meant very few clips were shown. Categories such as visual effects needed to be seen, and not seeing acting clips was also a noticeable omission. 

 

-Due to pandemic restrictions, the traditional musical performances were pre-taped and run before the ceremony. While this made for a tighter show, there was no opportunity for another glorious Shallow moment or a Queen-like rock-the-house number. 

 

-Anthony Hopkins winning Best Actor. Hopkins became the oldest winner ever at the age of 83; 30 years after his previous win for THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS. While Hopkins was deserving for his towering performance in THE FATHER, his win is somewhat tainted by the absolute bizarre and stupid gamble that the producers took in shifting the Best Actor category to the final award of the night. This was a gamble seemingly done in anticipation of the late great Chadwick Boseman to have a posthumous win and an emotional powerhouse ending to the show. It backfired and it backfired badly, with Hopkins not even in attendance and an abrupt end to the show. So much for the long-running theory that the producers know the winners in advance. 

 

-The In Memoriam segment, which honors filmmakers and actors who have passed on since the last Oscars, was a complete mess…with parts of it flying by way too fast and barely enough time to read the titles. 

 

THE GLORIOUS

 

-There were two recipients of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award; Tyler Perry for his efforts to combat homelessness, and the Motion Picture & Television Fund which offers relief services to members of the entertainment industry. Both recipients were highlighted nicely and were eye-openers. 

 

-It was a night of history. Daniel Kaluuya’s win for Best Supporting Actor made him only the 6^th black actor to win in that category. Chloe Zhao’s became the first woman of color, and the second woman in history to win Best Director. Frances McDormand’s win for Best Actress makes her the seventh person to win a third acting Oscar. Youn Yuh-jung’s win for Best Supporting Actress makes her the first Korean to win in that category. 

 

-NOMADLAND winning Best Picture. Directed by Chloe Zhao and produced by Frances McDormand, the intimate look at real-life nomads eking out a living in America was the expected winner, and win it did. It had been there from the very beginning of Awards Season, and it was there at the end. It was a non-traditional film winning in a non-traditional year; a year that ended as messed up as it started. 

 

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The 94^th Academy Awards will be held on February 27^th, 2022.