The Oscars bring this year’s awards season to a close. One thing always guaranteed about awards seasons is that they spark debates, whether online or in person, about what you or your peers believe should win in the main categories, including “Best Actor,” “Best Actress,” and, most importantly, “Best Picture.”

Opening Monologue

To kick off the night, viewers saw a monologue by host Conan O’Brien. However, the monologue started not in the most conventional of ways, with O’Brien crawling out of Demi Moore’s back like in her recent movie, “The Substance.” After some well-done shenanigans regarding the substance, O’Brien walked out on stage and began his actual monologue.

He began by discussing how grateful he was to be there and then announced the event by title. O’Brien then made a dig at Netflix for their numerous price increases.

“Netflix leads all studios with an impressive 18—count them, 18—price increases, and I think they can beat that next year,” O’Brien exclaimed enthusiastically.

O’Brien then went on to make other creative comments and jokes about the main films that had been nominated, including “The Brutalist,” “A Complete Unknown,” and “Wicked Conclave,” along with many other films that were up for bigger awards this season.
“Anora uses the f word 479 times, which is three more than the record set by Karla Sofia Gascon’s publicist,” stated O’Brien, with many internet users being amused. The dig specifically targeted resurfaced tweets that “Emelia Perez” star Karla Sofia Gascon made. Although the joke wasn’t necessarily followed by laughs but more concerned sounds from the audience, he continues to drive the joke home with confidence. Eventually, the rest of the audience laughed at the joke.

His remarks about Timothée Chalamet’s yellow suit were also memorable: “I love that suit—you will not get hit on your bike tonight!”

Award Highlights

By a landslide, one of the most debated and discussed wins of the night was Zoe Saldana winning Best Supporting Actress for her role as Rita Mora Castro. Internet users continue to debate her win considering the circumstances. The controversy stemmed from multiple issues: the movie’s poor portrayal of Mexico and members of the LGBTQ community, with many online critics stating the movie had significant flaws.

Adrien Brody’s Best Actor speech has made his reputation take a hit, as he now holds the record for the longest acceptance speech. His arrogance caused him to be rather disrespectful to the band trying to get him off stage. The speech ran for a total of 6 minutes from his arrival to departure from the stage. Many have decided to call him out on social media platforms, calling him self-absorbed.

In stark contrast to Adrien Brody’s overzealous speech, Mikey Madison gave nothing short of an emotional and inspiring acceptance speech for Best Actress in a Motion Picture for her work in “Anora.”

“I grew up in Los Angeles, but Hollywood always felt so far away from me, so to be here standing in this room today, is really incredible,” Madison stated during her acceptance speech.

Mikey Madison is the first Gen Z actress to win the award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture. Many actresses and aspiring actresses took to online forums to discuss her win. They view it as a light at the end of the tunnel, proving that if you truly dedicate time and energy to something you love, it will pay off.

Kieran Culkin won Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture for his role in “A Real Pain,” a film that explores grief and learning how to live with it. Despite the rather depressing topics and themes in “A Real Pain,” Kieran’s speech was far from depressing.

“I love you, Jazz. I have to thank my wife, Jazz, for absolutely everything. For giving me my favorite people in the world. Please don’t play the music,” Culkin expressed.

Animation Achievement

For the third year in a row, independent films (or films not produced by Disney or Pixar) have won the category for Best Animated Motion Picture. This year’s award winner was “Flow,” the tale of a cat who has been displaced due to a flood.

Art can be created under any circumstance. “Flow” was born out of a free program called Blender and a lot of commitment. The director said in an interview that he didn’t go to school for art and learned how to use Blender through YouTube tutorials, proving that art can be made by anybody.

The most anticipated award was the Best Picture award of the night. Best Picture could have been anyone’s guess this year, considering how many good films have come out this year and the nominees being all exceptional films in their own ways. However, one thing not many people saw coming was Anora sweeping the Oscars, including getting the win for Best Picture.