The Oscars are an exciting time of year to acknowledge the brilliance of motion picture films. This year’s Oscars was full of surprises and humorous play throughout the night, with the comical host Conan O’Brien taking the stage to entertain millions of viewers.
The show kicked off with a breathtaking performance from Cynthia Revero and Ariana Grande, singing the famous song from Wicked: “Defying Gravity.” Poking fun at the fact that hosts tend to take up a lot of time during the beginning of the show, there was a hilarious performance from Conan O’Brien singing “I will not waste your time,” with background dancing from Deadpool and the Sandworm from Dune. O’Brien finished his beginning segment by speaking about the wildfires that devastated Los Angeles and the lives of many. He then moved into the beginning of the award ceremony.
Kieran Culkin started the award show off as the first person to win an award that night for Best Supporting Actor in A Real Pain, setting the tone for the rest of the ceremony. Celebrities like Elle Fanning, Bowen Yang, Connie Nielsen, Lily-Rose Depp and John Lithgow took a moment to appreciate clothing designers for their films, which led to the next winner being Paul Tazewell. Tazewell was the first black man to win an oscar for costume design, creating a groundbreaking achievement for the unforgettable outfits in ‘Wicked.’ As the night continued, Zoe Saldana won the award for Best Supporting Actress and shared a powerful speech stating, “And I am the first American of Dominican Origin to accept an Academy Award and I know I will not be the last.”
The show took a brief pause to pay tribute to those who have recently passed. This tribute is called a memoriam drawing attention to these talented souls, celebrities like Teri Garr, Cheng Pai Pai, Lisa Wabscott, Joan Plowright, Donald Sutherland, Art Evans, Shelley Duvall and many more were given a moment of silence played with a heartfelt orchestra performance.
With the spirit of the contribution alive, the ceremony returned back to nominations. The nomination Best Screenplay was won by Anora and followed by Best Adapted Screenplay, which was won by the film Conclave, directed by Edward Berger. As nominations continue through the night, it is clear by the end that Anora by Sean Baker cleared the night with the most awards. The film won the nominations Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Original Screenplay, and lastly Editing.
The award ceremony took a pause to pay tribute to 007 where singers Lisa, Doja Cat and Raye sang iconic James Bond Songs with a dance segment from Margaret Qualley. The elegance and intensity brought everyone in the audience to awe. It added a final touch of glamour and a feeling of nostalgia to the stage, perfectly capturing the beauty of the Bond movies.
At the end of the night, O’Brien paid tribute to first responders by bringing them on stage. Members of the California Fire Department gathered on stage while getting a standing ovation by the audience. The group made jokes and roasts about the celebrities in the audience, in which Conan added, “You have to laugh, they are heroes,” bringing in a sweet tribute to the end of the night.
The Oscars, as the host Conan O’brien describes it, is “Hollywood’s most important night.” It’s a night not just about wins, but a night to celebrate cinema and the art that is created and told through screens. It is a night to celebrate and congratulate the journey of film and the magic cinema has to reunite such talent in one room. These nights leave a lasting impact that is forever remembered.
