What you missed from Hollywood’s biggest night: The Oscars

After a year that showcased some of Hollywood’s finest films, the Academy of Motion Pictures once again came together to present these films at the 97th Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars.

This year, the Oscars welcomed Conan O’Brien as the host with open arms, as he made his hosting debut. Notably, his monologue was a perfect mixture of tasteful comedy, which included self-deprecation and light jabs at the A-listers, while also introducing the best picture nominees.

However, the most talked-about moment had to be the number of Oscars “Anora” took home. For most of the ceremony, many films were tied for the most wins. However, by the end, “Anora” left with five awards in some of the biggest categories, including film editing, original screenplay, best directing, best actress and, most importantly, best picture.

Sean Baker, director, editor, writer and producer of “Anora,” had an especially great night. He received four awards as well as the status of Oscar winner. In fact, this was a monumental night for many winners. The majority of the recipients received their first Oscar, with only a handful being previous winners.

“Anora’s” leading lady, Mikey Madison, took home the award for best actress, beating out Demi Moore, who was predicted to win for her work in “The Substance.”

Some of these first-time winners include Kieran Culkin, Paul Tazewell and Zoe Saldana.

Culkin’s win for best supporting actor for his role in “A Real Pain” started the evening off strong.

Soon after the actor’s achievement, Tazewell won best costume design for his work in “Wicked.” This was an especially notable accomplishment as, with this award, Tazewell became the first Black man to win in this category. He was previously nominated for the award in 2022 for “West Side Story.”

Additionally, Saldana won the prize for best supporting actress for her portrayal of Rita in “Emilia Pérez.” In her acceptance speech, Saldana explained that she is the first Dominican-American woman to win this award and expressed her pride in being the daughter of immigrant parents.

Along with “Anora,” the historical drama “The Brutalist” took home three Oscars, making it the second biggest winner of the night. The most notable was the award for best actor, which was given to Adrien Brody. In his acceptance speech, the actor expressed his hopes for a better and happier future.

“I’m here again to represent the lingering traumas and the repercussions of war and systematic oppression and antisemitism and racism and of othering,” Brody said. “I believe, and I pray for a healthier, happier and a more inclusive world, and I believe if the past can teach us anything, it’s a reminder not to let hate go unchecked.”

“The Brutalist” also received Oscars for best score and best cinematography.

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The Oscars recognized these films, especially their cast and crew, for their fine work and spectacular performances. The show started out with an awe-inspiring tribute to Ozian history, which was performed by Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, who were nominated for best supporting actress and best actress for their roles in “Wicked,” respectively.

Grande started with her rendition of “Somewhere Over The Rainbow,” from the “Wizard of Oz” (1939), and Erivo followed her by singing “Home” from “The Wiz” (1978). To finish, the duo gave a powerful rendition of “Defying Gravity” from “Wicked.”

In addition, the Oscars presented two more dazzling shows to honor James Bond and Quincy Jones. The tribute to James Bond featured performances by Lisa from BLACKPINK, Doja Cat and Raye, with each act singing the original songs created for different Bond movies.

The last tribute and performance of the evening was by Queen Latifah, who came out to honor the memory of Quincy Jones, a composer remembered for his expansive journey through genres and sound. Jones was a 28-time Grammy winner, as well as the first Black man to be nominated for best original song and best original score in 1967. For the performance, Latifah sang Jones’ song “Ease On Down The Road,” which is another song featured in “The Wiz.”

The Palestinian-Israeli-made documentary “No Other Land” made history by winning best documentary feature film. The film itself shows Israeli forces demolishing Palestinian homes on the West Bank following the Oct. 7 attack.

The filmmakers, Yuval Abraham and Basal Adra, used their acceptance speech to bring awareness to the decades-long struggle, as well as promote the joining of forces between the two nations.

“We made this film, Palestinians and Israelis, because together our voices are stronger. We see each other,” Abraham said. “The atrocious destruction of Gaza and its people, which must end; the Israeli hostages brutally taken in the crime of Oct. 7, which must be freed.”

By the end of the night, a little over 19 million people had tuned in to watch the awards. The people working on all of the nominated films clearly put countless hours into making them into art pieces.

Now, the question is, what will the world see next?

pedenae@miamioh.edu