Why the chanting for "Parasite" was my favourite Oscar moment
Friday, February 14, 2020 at 8:20AM by Ginny O'Keefe
I was rooting hard for Parasite all throughout Oscar night. When Jane Fonda proudly said Parasite I let out a “F**K YEAH!” that woke up my cat. The cast and crew all make it to the stage to give their speeches. I didn’t expect Bong Joon Ho to give another speech because he already seemed so adorably overwhelmed from giving three others. Producer Kwak Sin Ae spoke instead. She had her translator (who has become a staple of this awards season) speak to the audience.
We never imagined this would happen, we are so happy. I feel like a very opportune moment in history is happening right now. I express my deepest gratitude and respect for all the members of the Academy for making this decision.”
Then it happens. The lights dim down and the audience groaned in protest at the speech being cut short...
The camera then shakily cuts to Jane Fonda, who seems just as shocked. The message was clear, the show needed to end and this speech will be the sacrifice to make that happen. This is the biggest award of the night and now the Academy wants to save time? Just when I thought the night would end on a sour note, the audience came to the rescue. “Up! Up! Up! Up!” with a camera cutting to the the front row where Charlize Theron, Tom Hanks, Margot Robbie and Rita Wilson (just to name a few) were demanding the lights come back and give this movie the time it deserves for its craft and accomplishments. When they came back up there was even more thunderous applause. The speech continues on with media mogul Miky Lee giving her thanks to the Academy and South Korea.
This moment of support from fellow artists demanding the respect for this historic Best Picture winner was incredibly poignant and made me tear up. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a louder roar from an Oscar audience when a Best Picture was announced and I’ve been watching the Oscars since I was 11 years old. What also made the chanting so special is that not only did it give the speech more time, and reflect yet again the groundswell of love for the movie, but it also introduced millions to movie mogul Miky Lee. I had never heard of Miky Lee before, bu after a bit of research after the Oscars, I couldn’t think of a better person (besides the director) to cap off the awards and earn the last word on this film’s success. She has built a four-billion-dollar entertainment empire in South Korea and helped launch the success of Parasite and the K-Pop band BTS. She has also produced a number of South Korean hit films such as The Handmaiden, Snowpiercer and The Host (the latter two also being Bong Joon Ho films). To see a woman (and a very small one at that) with such power and success have the last word at the Oscars put a wide grin on my face. And the extra bit of love and time that this film got on Sunday night never would’ve happened without the audience’s help.
I had already cried once that night when Bong Joon Ho won for Best Director and thanked Martin Scorsese for inspiring him as a film student and now this ceremony has made me crying twice in one night. The only thing more deserved than Parasite's historic Best Picture win, were surely the numerous drinks Bong Joon Ho mainlined at the after party.
Reader Comments (22)
I love this entry!
Yes. Much like Moonlight's win I get giddy thinking about it
This is the film that unites people. I havnt seen people of all colors celebrating the success of this kind of films in a long time.
"1917" was robbed.
And it's kinda ridiculous that American award went to a Korean movie.
I mean: it's like giving a Golden Horse award to a French movie or a Cesar award to Argentinian one or whatever. It's like claiming that American industry can judge the whole cinematic art of the world and that Oscar for best picture is really for best picture of the whole world which is laughable. I'd even say that it's a new kind of neocolonialism: it shows that the USA thinks that it has the right to judge what is good and what is not outside the USA what is outrageous and offensive. You don't have such rights so don't give it to yourself.
It was a great moment indeed. I just bet that Miles Dale and Charlie Wessler, to name the last two examples, wish they had that support. (I mean, just because you might have been rooting for this movie more than the previous winners doesn't change the fact that they also worked hard to have their moment, only to have the spotlight turned off on them when they were given the chance to talk. Miles Dale especially, cut off so that we could have one more jet ski gag - that still stings.)
By your logic, “someone”, it would be ridiculous to give an American award to a British film like 1917...or, my gosh, the many British films that have won in the past. Biased much? The award is best picture. No further qualifiers.
Someone...none of the A's in AMPAS stand for America.
Awesome entry Ginny.
Wholeheartedly agree, Ginny. Well said.
And props to Fonda for handling that moment with poise and class. What a pro.
ENOUGH. Have mercy.
Bong Joon Ho was so generous! He devoted 2/3 of his acceptance speech for Best Director to praising his fellow nominees.
@AB: So? What the name has anything to do with this case?
AMPAS has showed that there's no difference between them and Trump. The same kind of American conviction that you are superior, above all other nations. Giving award to a Korean movie NOW, after 92 years of Oscars, is the same as claiming that none of the foreign language movies of the past deserved this award so it's like claiming that American cinema is the only one truly valuable. So in fact, rewarding "Parasite" is like a slap in the face of foreign language movie industries. You have humiliated the whole world with this decision!
I think AMPAS just, ideally at least, consider the year of films released in America that year, regardless of origin. You may be confused Someone, or just disagree with the way they do things?
AMPAS is a bunch of people. They vote. It's not a committee. They don't make strategic decisions. They just vote. They voted for Parasite and it was the best movie of the year. We are celebrating the alignment of that popular vote with actual good taste which doesn't happen often. I'm ok with the discomfort that may cause some folks.
Nicely written.
@Someone. You have an interesting point of view.
I'm still happy for the win of Parasite and I think is nice that the Oscars could include foreign films in their nominations but doing that they left out another interesting productions from their own country and I have the perception that they are more worry about show to the world how cool they are instead of promoting their national gems.
In my mind what any association of movies around the world just should do it is work in the knowledge of cinema and do an investigation of the films that are doing in their countries before giving awards to their productions.
Most associations around the world are focused in reward exclusivelly productions from their countries in all the categories, many of them have a category appart to recognize foreign films. I'm not just OK with that but also seems the most "logical" to me because is impossible that only one association recognize the best of the best of the world.
The concern of pleasing others is visible in the Baftas in recent years, they reached the point where they have different categories for Best Film, Best British Film and Best Film not in English.... What?
That was one of the best moments of Oscars overall. The love that the film received from some of Hollywood's elite is incredible. Especially what Tom Hanks, Margot Robbie, and Charlize Theron wanting the lights to go up so that the crew of Parasite can have this moment just adds to the importance of this win.
I haven't felt this good about a victory since the Atlanta United won the MLS Cup in 2018 in their second year as a franchise.
Considering the Cesar actually nominates productions mainly in other countries even when these are "foreigners", because part of the money and crew is foreign. Just recently Mexico did that in the Ariel Awards awarding films mostly made in USA, I guess the final lesson, beyond the statement prior by someone (which again, AMPAS awarded fully British films before and even a French film in Best Picture), the lesson coming from the recent awards groups - cinema has become a global affair. More and more the line of coproductions and borrowing the international barriers.
@leon What mexican films was awarded in the Ariel awards made in USA?
My question is for authentic curiosity because i don't remember any. They've been nominated co-productions with Spain (Biutiful, El Laberinto del Fauno) even when are not filmed in México. But the co-productions with USA companies (like Roma past year) are filmed in México.
I was searching for information about the rules with co-productions but i couldn't find it
@Cesar Gaytán, I was considering "Desierto" and "Museo" (Both have American money and crew in their productions), but I though "Museo" won more (It was the year of "Roma"). Now, your example of Spanish productions is a good one (Those films actually won big at Ariels even when they were "little" Mexicans). And even then the Ariel nominated in the main categories a main Venezuelan production.
Related to the Cesar, we can't forget they awarded with the majority of prizes the Dolan's film (Even when the film is a Quebecois production in majority and was actually nominated in foreign film). For the rules of the split (Mostly recent), Dolan won Best Director (In the year of "Elle" no less). Now, with the recent reshuftle of the Cesar Awards, it may be new changements under that line to stop limitations.
I wonder how drunk director Bong got that night? What’s his drink of choice? Can I get drunk with him? I’ll even pay.
@John
Soju of cos!! 😂