With the conclusion of the 96th annual Academy Awards on Sunday night, the 2023 Movie Season has come to an end and a new chapter has begun. The murmurs of snubs and victories shined as brightly as the stars. Let’s now explore some of the evening’s more fascinating highlights.
Oppenheimer Cleans House
With a remarkable seven Oscars, Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer emerged victorious and dominated the evening. Notably, it won awards in highly competitive categories such as Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Director, and it was eventually awarded the esteemed Best Picture title. Though most predicted a good night for the movie, very few imagined how big of a win it would be, with seven wins looking improbable before Sunday. Barbie was conspicuously absent from the much-discussed Barbenheimer showdown, which decisively went in Oppenheimer’s favor. Surprisingly, Oppenheimer’s Best Picture victory is a noteworthy achievement—it may be the first blockbuster to win the award since 12 Years a Slave in 2013. A decade later, a popular movie that has made a lot of money stays at the top, giving casual viewers a unique chance to experience the excitement of seeing ‘their’ movie win.
Poor Things Overperforms
A quirky and whimsical art-house gem named Poor Things stunned many by earning four Oscars, despite its small public reach, while the blockbuster phenomenon stole the show with an amazing seven Oscar triumphs. The movie directed by Yorgos Lanthimos surprised everyone by winning almost all of the categories in which it was nominated. The fact that each win it brought about was by no means assured before the voting began emphasizes how much the Academy valued Lanthimos’ distinct approach to filmmaking. Perhaps the most unexpected of its many achievements was Emma Stone‘s critically lauded performance, which won her the coveted Best Actress title.
Emma Stone Edges out Lilly Gladstone for Best Actress
Many were taken aback by Emma Stone’s shocking victory over front-runner Lilly Gladstone for the Best Actress Oscar. This is Stone’s second Best Actress award; her first came from the 2016 film La La Land. She accomplished these remarkable feats by the age of 35, and to top off her stellar résumé, she was nominated twice more for Best Supporting Actress in 2015 and 2019. With her career trajectory not showing any signs of slowing down, Stone’s trajectory puts her in the upper echelons of renowned actors like Meryl Streep and Glenn Close.
Regarding Lilly Gladstone, her fans watched in dismay as it appeared as though everything was coming together to get her the honor that many believed she deserved. No doubt Gladstone will bounce back with another exciting project despite the setback. Her performance had a particular something, and the expectation of an Oscar win added to the bittersweetness of its absence.
Barbie Disappoints
The good moments for Barbie, however, were scarce. With nearly $1.4 billion in global revenue, it was the largest movie of 2023, but it only took home one win out of eight nominations. The song ‘What Was I Made For?’ by Billie Eilish was the sole triumph. Notably, Eilish accomplished a truly amazing accomplishment by becoming the youngest individual to ever win two Oscars in her career at the age of just 22.
The main concern in the run-up to the Oscars was how the Academy would view this movie. Even though pop culture-focused awards programs gave it respect, more astute cinema critics seemed to think less of it. In contrast to the year’s best films, Sunday night’s results gave a clear indication of the Academy’s position on the picture.
Spider-Man can’t Repeat
There was a lot of conjecture when Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse first opened in theaters last summer regarding its chances of receiving a Best Picture nomination. Some people even dared to hope for a win in that category. Even though it didn’t quite live up to the high expectations, it was almost a lock to win Best Animated Feature until Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron emerged and won a ton of praise from critics. Abruptly, the contest became more competitive, with Spider-Man perceived as a possible underdog heading into the awards ceremony. Regretfully for Sony, the follow-up was unable to earn the coveted Oscar for Best Animated Feature and duplicate the popularity of its predecessor.
Killers of the Flower Moon, Maestro, and Past Lives go Home Empty-Handed
Killers of the Flower Moon didn’t exactly look like it would win a bunch of Oscars, however, it’s surprising that it didn’t leave Sunday night with any wins. Lilly Gladstone had been winning awards all season long, and the movie seemed like it might do well in other categories. It’s difficult not to think they ought to have received some sort of acknowledgment upon their departure. Regretfully, Maestro starring Bradley Cooper was not recognized for an Oscar beyond its nomination. Past Lives suffered from the same fate.
John Cena Bares All
On a brighter note, there were some humorous and delightful moments during the three-and-a-half-hour-long show, which offered much-needed relief. With a hilarious sketch that had the audience in stitches, John Cena seized the show and gave an unforgettable performance—in the nude. We never thought we’d write that sentence, but here we are. In promoting Ricky Stanicky, his most recent flick, Cena has once again demonstrated his comedic abilities, going above and beyond. Cena’s antics, whether they occur in public or on social media, are unquestionably entertaining to watch.
“I’m Just Ken“, Steals the Show
Despite John Cena essentially baring it all during his hilarious stint, Ryan Gosling stole the stage with the most unforgettable moment of the evening. Gosling gave a remarkable performance of the hit song “I’m Just Ken,” which got the entire theater up and dancing. The performance was greatly anticipated. The intricately choreographed musical performance, which featured Simu Liu and Kingsley Ben-Adir reprising their roles from the movie, gave the show a boost and saw it through to the end. Slash, a chorus of sixty-five Kens, America Ferrera, Margot Robbie, and Barbie director Greta Gerwig all contributed to this performance, which cemented its status as one of the most hilarious Oscar musical routines in recent memory.
In summary, the event was an excellent and suitable wrap-up for the 2023 film season. Now, we’re excited to see what 2024 has in store. Congratulations to all of the candidates and winners, and we hope that the upcoming year brings even more incredible film accomplishments.
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