On Sunday, February 9th, the 92nd Academy Awards were held in Los Angeles, California. Similarly to the Golden Globes, the Oscars also celebrate achievements in films, and that is their sole purpose.
Let’s start with the red carpet, as usual. Some looks were underwhelming. However, actress Natalie Portman had an outfit that reminded me of a lot of the 2018 Met Gala, which had a Catholicism theme, and I thought it was stunning. It was a black cape that had the names of female directors who she believed should have been nominated this year, as well as a black dress with gold accents, giving the look a touch of color. The next look that stood out to me was Sandra Oh, who was wearing a long, golden dress with beautiful shoulder designs. The train and the shoulder accents were made of the same material, and the two make the outfit pop. Lastly, it wouldn’t be a red carpet review without talking about Billy Porter. He rocked massive golden boots, and the look itself had a gorgeous golden top and a huge, hot air balloon looking bottom. In my opinion, Porter stole the red carpet yet again.
Now, onto the ceremony itself. It started with a performance by Janelle Monáe and Billy Porter. Then, Chris Rock and Steve Martin did their “non-host” monologue, which criticized the lack of female and person of color nominees.
Actor Brad Pitt won his first Oscar for Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, which was also the first award of the night. Toy Story 4 won Best Animated Film, which I was not at all surprised by. It wasn’t my favorite film, but after understanding how “iconic” it is to pop culture, it made sense. There was a performance from Idina Menzel of “Into the Unknown” from Frozen II, which also showcased a plethora of other singers from different countries who voiced Elsa in their language. It was amazing to see that kind of performance on the American stage, and it brings to light talented singers that are famous in their respective countries. Parasite made Academy Awards history by winning Best International Film, as well as three other awards.
Best Original Song went to Elton John, and Bernie Taupin’s “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” from Rocketman, which I was ecstatic about. At the end of the night, the most exciting awards were announced. The Best Actor award went to Joaquin Phoenix from Joker. I have not seen the movie, but I know that so many people love it, and it’s understandable as to why he won the award. He gave a very inspirational acceptance speech about current global issues. Best Actress was Renée Zellweger for her role as Judy Garland in Judy.
So, that was the Academy Awards. This show marks the end of awards season, which is an incredibly sad moment for me. However, this only means that it’s time to see all the new movies that 2020 has to offer!