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.