The 88th Academy Awards
Sunday, February 28, 2016 at 9:10PM Chris Rock's opening monologue will take some time to parse. We'll have time to parse tomorrow, okay? Like most Oscar opening monologues it had a combination of lame expected jokes and great curveball laughs but this time a super uncomfortable crowd, no one knowing when it was okay to laugh surely fearing the camera would be on them. Some of it was really inspired though, and an artful deflection and condemnation simultaneously.
To continue the racial themes he introduces Emily Blunt and "someone even whiter" Charlize Theron, who happens to actually be African. So funny. But in a thinky/smile about it later way if you realize. Both stars of that awful looking Snow White sequel look sensationally gorgeous. Charlize Theron's neckline dives deeper than the whole Best Actor field combined.
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY Spotlight
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY The Big Short
Adam McKay's says his movie is about "financial esoterica" which is surely a first for an Oscar ceremony.
Another first (and last) for Oscar -- a Stacey Dash appearance. I actually do not get this joke unless... Or, rather, I get it (Stacey Dash being an awful person who wants black history month and the like abolished) but it's super unfunny.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl.
lots more after the jump
This is insane."
Why yes it is Alicia Leading Actress Vikander! She seems overwhelmed and happy and she is such a good actor so we shan't complain too much.
Cate Blanchett introduces the category she has so often been a part of for the men and women she has so often played muse to. Good choice.
BEST COSTUME DESIGN Jenny Beavan, Mad Max: Fury Road
She warns us that Fury Road won't be totally science fiction if we aren't kinder to each other and if we don't stop polluting the environment. Jenny Beavan is a great interview btw and I was horrified when they started playing her off. Stop it, stick man!
Tina Fey cracks everyone up with her drunk act. The Monimees are...
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN Colin Gibson, Mad Max: Fury Road
Margot Robbie & Jared Leto introducing Makeup and Hair. Leto makes a joke about merkins. Well done.
BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING Lesley Vanderwalt, Elka Wardega, and Damian Martin Mad Max Fury Road
Pop the corks at home we're bringing gold.
Three Oscars already for Mad Max Fury Road. Remember when this moment seemed like an impossible dream that critics and journalists and pundits would really have to push and push for. We did it! This is a huge win for taking genre films seriously.
Benicio Del Toro and Jennifer Garner introduce clips for The Revenant and Mad Max Fury Road.
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY Emmanuel Lubezki The Revenant
This is his third consecutive win which has never happened before in Cinematography. John Toll won two back to back with Legends of the Fall (1994) and Braveheart (1995)
BEST FILM EDITING Margaret Sixel, Mad Max Fury Road
If she wins and George Miller doesn't this will be a bit like Catherine Martin taking Oscars for Baz Luhrmann pictures without Baz ever winning one! But damn the editing is great in that movie. GREAT SPEECH about forging a picture with minds, hands, and hearts.
Angela Basset with the "Oscar's Black History Minute" Hilarious But in a conceptual way again. Hmmm. Is this going well at Oscar parties?
Chris Evans and Chadwick Boseman arrive to introduce the Sound categories. Strangely they are welcomed by Disco music... "Staying Alive" to be precise.
What Glenn said:
I am offended that Chris Evans and Chadwick Boseman are presenting together and they're not naked. How rude.
— Glenn Dunks (@glenndunks) February 29, 2016
SOUND EDITING Mad Max Fury Road
SOUND MIXING Mad Max Fury Road
I'll let another Team Experience member take this one...
GEORGE MILLER HAS EATEN THE OSCARS YASSSS
— Jason Adams (@JAMNPP) February 29, 2016
Andy Serkis is introduced via film clips of his performance capture work. He's here to talk Visual FX
VISUAL EFFECTS Ex-Machina
WOW. This was my choice but i never in a million years thought it would win. This prize was followed by a really strange unfunny Star Wars bit. Those weren't the droids I was looking for. Not after an Ex Machina win! But at least Jacob Tremblay liked it. He jumped up from his seat to see them better.
ANIMATED SHORT Bear Story
ANIMATED FEATURE Inside Out
I predicted Bear Story and it's a good short and the Chilean team behind it were so handsome/happy. But... I weep for We Can't Live Without Cosmos and World of Tomorrow which were both so brillant, funny, and also hard to shake emotionally.
Kevin Hart congratulates Chris Rock on a great hosting job, gets bleeped by worried censors -- but it didn't look like he was swearing so not sure what's going on there -- and complains that he hasn't had enough camera time. And ends with a great quip "I have a suit with shiny stuff on it so I still made a statement." Hee. Then The Weeknd performs "Earned It" from 50 Shades of Grey.
Chris Rock does his going to the movie theater shtick wherein people haven't even heard of movies that were hits! Bridge of Spies did pretty well!
Patricia Arquette, woke from her nap, introduces the next category. You know what it is.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies
Why do they always show Mark Ruffalo's worst season in the movie. Way OTT for that movie, sorry. And i love the Ruff but tone it down man. Happy for Mark Rylance. He was just outside of my nominees in the category but he's such a brilliant actor. And now he's halfway to an EGOT. (Sly Stallone was not pleased obviously.)
DOCUMENTARY SHORT Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE Amy
My short predictions have been spot on. Not so much elsewhere!
Whoopi Goldberg introduces the Honorary Oscar clips. Insane that we don't get to see more than a split second of these legends on Hollywood's High Holy Night. Boo.
Cheryl Boone-Isaacs appears to talk about diversity and Louis Gossett Jr comes on to the tune of "Love Lifts Us Up (Where We Belong)" which I think is the first time someone has been introduced by music from a movie they were actually in. He's here to introduce Dave Grohl singing during "Blackbird" to In Memoriam. Maureen O'Hara forever (my heart)
LIVE ACTION SHORT Stutterer
FOREIGN FILM Son of Saul
ORIGINAL SCORE Ennio Morricone, The Hateful Eight
ORIGINAL SONG Sam Smith, The Writing's On the Wall from Spectre
BEST DIRECTOR Alejandro G. Iñárritu, The Revenant
Disappointing after all the Mad Max wins but what can you do? When they love someone they love them hard (and then they move on). And now Eddie Redmayne to hand out Best Actress
BEST ACTRESS Brie Larson, Room
She thanks festivals and fans for the platform and the moviegoing. There's my girl. Thanking moviegoers is too rare. YOU'RE WELCOME.
BEST ACTOR Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant
Great speech.
BEST PICTURE Spotlight
Fun surprise to end the night. I noticed that the (false) word was quickly spread that this is the least wins for a Best Picture. This is not true. Other Best Picture winners that only won 1 other Oscar are: ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT (1930), REBECCA (1940), THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH (1952); and famously GRAND HOTEL (1932) won only Best Picture with no other nominations. (There were fewer categories back then but still...)
THE END
Obviously we'll celebrate the highs and lows of sideways moments over the next couple of days and then we're off to a whole new film year. Please stick around daily!
Reader Comments (106)
I don't care for Sam Smith personally, and I think the song is rubbish, but I'm glad that his win and speech (regardless of the inaccuracy) reminded everyone that diversity is more than skin color.
@3rtful - "AGI's nasty response to the costume designer..." what was his response?
@Sawyer - true, like Nat was saying when they dropped two of the Original Song nominees. But it's also more than just black people. I was shocked that Chris Rock, who can usually see the big picture, didn't once mention how Asians, Hispanics, and other minorities were also locked out of the acting races for the 2nd year in a row.
If people complain that "The Artist" is middling, typical Oscar bait, how come we've never seen a movie like it before or since? It was a huge stylistic risk and very easily could've been ignored until Weinstein got his hands on it, which, come to think of it, is maybe why now it's memory is tainted, because people assume if Weinstein got it to win then it's win is a sham.
Also, for anyone who complains (as I sometimes do) that "Best Acting" ends up being "Most Acting," then Rylance's win is a refreshing surprise. He's not a Hollywood insider, no "overdue" momentum, no flashy monologues or big moments in the movie - just a talented character actor doing great, subtle work. Considering what their other respective films won, it very easily could've been Ruffalo or Hardy swept up in their films' momentum and buzz (Ruffalo I would've been fine with, Hardy not so much).
People are comparing Rylance's win to Tilda's but I thing the more apt comparison is Jim Broadbent's.
Nathaniel, thank you for all of the work that you do!!! Let's get you on that Honorary Oscar list for next year!
"Spotlight" is a movie which is really about something.
Sean C., I am still thinking about your question regarding married couples who work behind the scenes and have won Oscars! T-Bone Burnett and Callie Khouri.