Lights, Camera, Action!
The Oscars is the biggest night for film. This year, the Oscars were held on Sunday, Mar. 15 at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood. The Oscars celebrate the community of filmmaking and all the legends in film. Winning an Oscar is considered the highest honor in the film industry, and can significantly boost box office revenue for the movie. For the actor or actress, winning gives them higher prestige and access to premier film roles.
“One Battle After Another” won the most Oscars at the 98th Academy Awards, taking home a total of six wins including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor and Best Film Editing. This movie, casted by Cassandra Kulukundis, was the first to win in the newest category added to the Oscars: Best Casting.
With 16 nominations, “Sinners” became the most-nominated movie in Academy Award History, beating the previous record set in 1950 with 14 nominations. “Sinners” won four of their 16 nominations for Best Actor, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography and Best Original Score.
Michael B. Jordan, who won Best Actor, delivered a heartwarming acceptance speech in which he named every Black actor or actress who had won Best Actor or Actress before him.
“I stand here because of the people that came before me: Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, Jamie Foxx, Forest Whitaker and Will Smith,” said Michael. B Jordan during his Best Actor acceptance speech.
“K-Pop Demon Hunters” was the most-watched film in Netflix history with 236 million views. This movie was awarded two Oscars for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song for “Golden”. “Golden” became the first K-Pop track to win a Best Original Song Oscar. Director Maggie Kang became the first filmmaker from South Korea to win in the Best Animated Feature category.
“Golden was a popular song for so long that I think they completely deserved their win for Best Original Song,” said Natalie Carlson, a freshman.
For the seventh time in Academy Awards history, there was a tie between Best Live-Action Short Film, “The Singers,” and “Two People Exchanging Saliva.”
This year’s Oscars included a performance from the “Sinners” cast of the song “I Lied to You,” along with a vibrant performance of “Golden.”
Best Actress was given to Jessie Buckley, who starred in Hamnet. Best Supporting Actress was given to Amy Madigan. Both delivered an emotional acceptance speech where they thanked family members and loved ones. Amy Madigan thanked her husband for always being there for her and Jessie Buckley dedicated her win to “the beautiful chaos of a mothers heart.”
Critics argued that Timothee Chalamet from Marty Supreme should have won Best Actor over Michael. B Jordan, and Rose Byrne from “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” should’ve been given the Best Actress award over Jessie Buckley from Hamnet. Despite this, other critics disagree and feel that the actors and actresses who won in their respective categories truly deserved it.
“I thought that Michael B. Jordan deserved his Oscar and I largely expected him to win”, said Jenna Seyller, Freshman.
The 98th Academy Awards were filled with performances, funny moments from host Conan O Brian, heartwarming acceptance speeches, silly skits and jokes. For many, the Oscars are more than just an awards show; it’s a night of entertainment, and a night where people in the film industry’s lives could be changed forever.
