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« A Dozen Takeaways from Oscar Night | Main | Nathaniel's Assorted Wonders (Top Ten Preamble) »
Monday
Mar112024

Oscar Night Winners: "Oppenheimer" and "Poor Things" Reigned

by Nathaniel R

Emma Thomas (Oppenheimer producer) hugs Emily Blunt after winning Best Picture. Screenshot from ABC

Another Oscar season has come and gone and we'll dig into the ceremony in a bit which for the first time in known history came in under its alloted air time.  Moving it an hour earlier was a good move! But for now the winners list. Oppenheimer emerged as the night's champ as everyone on the planet predicted but it proved less than a giant sweeper. Sweeps just aren't popular at the 21st century where spreading the wealth is the semi-norm for wins, if not nomination tallies. Still, since the first year of the "Expanded Era" (2009) when we saw an expansion of the Best Picture field and new voting rules, its seven wins place it in a tie for most Oscars with 2013's Gravity (which did not win Best Picture) and 2022's Everything Everywhere All At Once

The only other films to win multiple Oscars last night were Poor Things with 4 statues includly a tough race in Best Actress and The Zone of Interest with 2 statues including a not totally surprising (on account of how often the work was discussed) but still highly unusual win in the Best Sound category. More to come!

COMPLETE LIST OF WINNERS IN ALL 23 CATEGORIES

Picture Oppenheimer
Director Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer
Actress Emma Stone, Poor Things
Actor Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer
Supporting Actress, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers
Supporting Actor Robert Downey Jr, Oppenheimer
Original Screenplay Anatomy of a Fall
Adapted Screenplay American Fiction
Cinematography Oppenheimer
Costume Design Poor Things
Production Design Poor Things
Film Editing Oppenheimer
Visual Effects Godzilla Minus One
Makeup and Hair Poor Things
Original Score Oppenheimer
Sound The Zone of Interest
Original Song "What Was I Made For?" Barbie
International Feature The Zone of Interest 
Live Action Short The Wonderful World of Henry Sugar
Animated Feature The Boy and the Heron
Animated Short War is Over!
Documentary Feature 20 Days in Mariupol
Documentary Short The Last Repair Shop

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Reader Comments (25)

Annette Benning has now lost Best Actress *twice* to a woman who won their 2nd Best Actress Oscar.

1st Hillary Swank, now Emma Stone.

March 11, 2024 | Registered CommenterDAVID S

Where the fuck was Michelle Pfeiffer?

March 11, 2024 | Registered CommenterPeggy Sue

I wanted Gladstone and Giamatti to win, but I'm happy for Stone and Murphy.

If the AMPAS truly preferred Stone to Gladstone (I didn't) I'm glad the narrative politicking didn't determine the outcome. I'm not always going to agree with the Oscars but the best they can do is vote for their favorites and let the chips fall. People loved Poor Things (I did and didn't) and it was a close race, Stone was a formidable contender this year. I feel like this is a good sign for the integrity of the acting categories after some dodgy cases in recent years.

It's also exciting to see someone with the kind of Oscar heat Fonda, Field, Foster had in their day. Stone is a worthy Millennial to break this path for us!

March 11, 2024 | Registered CommenterDK

Michelle, you lazy bitch

March 11, 2024 | Registered CommenterPeggy Sue

I know that we were all bored with the same winners at every ceremony but I think that at the end of the day we had the best best picture winner since I don't know when.

And in general is one of the best years. Look at the movies that won something: Poor Creatures, The Zone of interest, Anatomy of a fall, The Boy and the heron. Monotonous season, but excellent outcomes

March 11, 2024 | Registered CommenterGallavich

"My eyes see Oppenheimer"

March 11, 2024 | Registered CommenterPeggy Sue

I'm hoping Gladstone gets another good part that gets her nominated again, but I'm not overly optimistic. I'm personally not a fan of either Stone winning performance, although I get what she was trying to do in both cases, but I also know that she has given and will continue to give great performances because she's getting such good opportunities that Gladstone likely won't get. And for Barbie's only win to be to be for the O'Connells to get their second wins for the end credits song just feels off to me as well.

March 11, 2024 | Registered CommenterNathanielB

So glad they chose the better performance to win in Best Actress. It also highlights how annoying it is when they (and the rest of the industry) insist on throwing awards at younger actresses that haven’t earned it yet. La La Land is not a winning performance at all. They should have waited until now when she earned it. What if (and it’s a big IF) Alicia Vikander ever gives a great, undeniable performance? We’re really going to have to live in a “Two Time Oscar Winner Alicia Vikander” world when hardly anybody wanted to give her an Oscar for The Danish Girl to begin win?

March 11, 2024 | Registered Commentercharlea

@charlea: Vikander sailed to the nomination and win that year...who's this "hardly anybody" of which you speak?

Wes Anderson finally wins an Oscar and he wasn't even there to accept it.

March 11, 2024 | Registered Commenterwhunk (he/him)

@whunk Well, she lost the Golden Globe and she lost the BAFTA, so opposite of sailing to a win. Going into Oscar night, she only really had the Critics Choice & SAG wins, and considering she won regional critics prizes but not always for that performance. And “hardly anybody” I was more thinking about everybody watching, all the fans, etc. Sort of like how hardly anybody wanted Roberto Benigni to win other than Harvey Weinstein shoving that film down the voters throats. Instant buyers remorse after he won, and I felt the same as Vikander was winning.

March 11, 2024 | Registered Commentercharlea

I was over the moon when American Fiction won for Adapted Screenplay. It's a fantastic film at every level, but I think the quality of writing and plotting really stands out.

Godzilla Minus One and The Zone of Interest taking home Special Effects and Sound made my night. My top two films of the year winning two of my favorite categories.

March 11, 2024 | Registered CommenterRobert G

I knew Poor Things would win all 3 of makeup, production design and costume design though I think both Maestro and Society of Snow would have been a better winner in makeup.

I loved how it was Sally Field who introduced Emma Stone as she was another actress who got her two lead wins in a short period of time.

March 11, 2024 | Registered CommenterElazul

Poor form by Wes Anderson for not showing up. Put down the dioramas and get on a plane for pete's sake.

Totally agree with the comment above re: Stone/Vikander. The non-nominated Amy Adams should've won for Arrival in 2016 -- Stone definitely didn't need/deserve it then. Ditto, for that matter, Jennifer Lawrence. She'll probably give a better performance down the line (she gave one right before) and she'll be a two-time winner too.

March 11, 2024 | Registered CommenterParanoid Android

@charlea Gladstone won the Golden Globe.

Identical split last year, actually. Blanchett (previous winner) had Globe, BFCA and BAFTA. Yeoh had Globe and SAG. But in the middle of the season everyone decided to back off the Blanchett train and Yeoh became almost inevitable after SAG. I think that's what everyone assumed was happening with Gladstone this year.

Just saying I'm glad a different dynamic was allowed to play out. People should like what they like and vote for what they think was best. No "this person doesn't need another Oscar [yet]" or "we can make history with this person."

March 11, 2024 | Registered CommenterDK

@DK I know, I was talking about Alicia Vikander.

March 11, 2024 | Registered Commentercharlea

Overall a v good, brisk n entertaining show, w fantasic winners!! (w exception to Animated Shorts n Org Song, the latter shld've gone to the amazingly Kenergized 'I'm Ken")

March 11, 2024 | Registered CommenterClaran912

No surpises in acting Best Actor went for someone I admired but didn't love and my Top 2 Yoo and Scott were snubbed.

Jessica Langes visage left me floored.

Annette Bening in Emanuelle Riva drag,is she the unluckiest ever.

Lame jokes,the RDJ drug rehab segment was poor,it's been done to death and done best by Gervais.

The 5 presenters though good for nostalgia freaks ruins it for those of us who live for clips.

I was promised Pfeiffer and all I got was a very odd Pacino.

In Memorium was ruined once again this time by someones idea of interpretive dance.

They need to cease with the playing people off.

The performance can top the politics,looking at you Emma who gave a nice speech,she's becoming a Streep like Oscar magnet.

I'm Just Ken was far better than it needed to be,so no cringe.

I am no fan of Billie E but I fully appreciated the performance,even the b/f looked up from his phone,she does deserve it this time.

I though for 2 secs Robbins was Ted Danson.

Well Done The Zone of Interest in Sound.

Margot in black wasn't her best look this season.

Cynthia Erivo and JLC were the best dressed

Lump in throat for De Vito and Arnie,more next year.

KOTFLM losing to Oppenheimer's most music score disappointed me.

March 11, 2024 | Registered CommenterMr Ripley79

Wow, you forgot the other film that won seven Oscars, LA LA LAND!

March 11, 2024 | Registered CommenterWae Mest

"It also highlights how annoying it is when they (and the rest of the industry) insist on throwing awards at younger actresses that haven’t earned it yet."

Yes unless they perceive the young actress to be one of the greats with a long career in front her - then they make them wait. See Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan, who's going through the same thing Winslet went through now.

Wes Anderson would have been there if he were accepting Best Original Screenplay, which he deserved. I support him not showing up after how Asteroid City was treated - just like I support Margot Robbie wearing black. They didn't deserve her best looks!

March 11, 2024 | Registered Commenterjules

Margot wore black—but there Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande were, wearing green and pink.

Make it stop! Margot Robbie cosplayed as Barbie about 8 months longer than she should have. Dressing in character for the red carpet is cringe.

Take a little pride in being a film actor, let your performance speak for itself, don't turn the entire marketing cycle into a piece of weird performance art. Strange to see grown women acting this way.

March 11, 2024 | Registered CommenterDK

I knew Sandra was not winning for Best Actress, but for me, she did the best acting of the 5 nominees.

I thought it was one of the best shows in a long while.

March 11, 2024 | Registered Commenterrdf

I'm just happy that we almost got a rematch between Batman, Penguin, & Mr. Freeze and that Godzilla FINALLY!!!! Wins an Oscar!

March 11, 2024 | Registered Commenterthevoid99

I was just surprised that the total awards breakdown by movie this year matched that of last year: the Best Picture winner taking seven, another film taking four, one winning twice, and the rest getting only one. They did show more love towards Best Picture nominees, as the only non-documentary, non-animated feature film without a Best Picture nomination to win was Godzilla Minus One. That left only three Best Picture nominees to go home empty-handed compared to five from last year. The most tragic is of course Killers of the Flower Moon, the third film directed by Scorsese to go 0 for 10, out of five overall (not included The Turning Point or A Color Purple which both went 0 for 11).

Anyways, disappointed at War is Over! capturing Best Animated Short, but I guess having The Boy and the Heron winning Best Animated Feature makes up for it.

March 11, 2024 | Registered Commenterajnrules

I'm so happy Emma won, best performance of the year. But I do feel very sad for Lily Gladstone. She was also great and wouldn't have minded if she won.

Especially since RDJ and DJR both won their underserving statues.

Had Gladstone been in supporting I think she would have won.

March 11, 2024 | Registered CommenterSad Man

After the narrative-heavy wins of last year, it's so refreshing that this time they decided to give Oscars based on merit.

I'm thrilled for Emma Stone. She gave the performance of the year bar none, so it's wonderful that she won a very deserving second Best Actress Oscar. And how lovely that Sally Field introduced her- you can definitely draw parallels between their career trajectories.
Poor Things triumphed in all the technical categories, as it should. Best film of the year.

The overall choices were quite sophisticated, the Oscars should copy the BAFTAs more.

March 12, 2024 | Registered CommenterAd_Mil
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