We made it you guys! Awards season has finally reached its long-awaited conclusion with the Academy’s Oscars.
While 2018 was a great year for movies, with groundbreaking hits like “Black Panther,” “Eighth Grade,” “Crazy Rich Asians,” and so many other stunners, awards-season 2019 has left audiences dissatisfied with who’s pulling recognition, and the Oscars has just cast the sentiment in its signature gold.
To be fair, the night started out strong despite the catastrophe it could have turned out to be. The show powered through the lack of a host and the confusion of new rules and protocol, a situation addressed within the first ten minutes.
Comediennes Amy Poehler, Tina Fey and Maya Rudolph presented a wonderful opening monologue, followed by a win for women of color and recognition of a stunning performance by Regina King for her supporting role in “If Beale Street Could Talk.” A few categories later Ruth E. Carter won for her costume design on “Black Panther.”
Other amazing talent got what it deserved in other categories too. “Roma” won for Cinematography, Foreign Language and Best Director. “Bao” championed Best Animated Short while “Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse” took best Animated Feature. Mahershala Ali once again took home a Supporting Actor award, and Olivia Coleman so gracefully received her first Oscar for her role in “The Favourite.” “BlacKkKlansmen” received recognition for its incredible writing with its win for Best Adapted Screenplay. Plus… Lady Gaga’s performance! She owned that stage!
Perhaps the night wasn’t a total loss, but from the beginning it was clear that it would deliver several disappointments just based on the nominations and previous awards shows. Ever since the Golden Globes kicked off awards season, handing major titles to movies such as “Vice,” “Green Book” and “Bohemian Rhapsody,” I knew we were in for a long haul.
The Oscars did not fail to disappoint, with those same major titles being handed off to those exact movies. Particularly poignant let-downs included both Film and Sound Editing for “Bohemian Rhapsody,” Best Original Screenplay and Best Picture for “Green Book,” and Rami Malek’s win for Best Actor.
And while it’s certainly a joyous occasion that Best Actress wasn’t also thrown to the wolves, I know I’m still left begging the question: “When will Glenn Close finally receive the Oscar we all know she deserves?!”
These results left a sour taste in peoples mouths not just because of the talent overlooked amongst the categories, but because of the talent manifested by the voters in the Academy. Most of the movies and people who won this year were not “outstanding” or “unforgettable” or “groundbreaking” – they were just “okay” or “good” or “enjoyable,” while their fellow nominees lived up to higher standards of what people expect of the Oscars. The Academy voted blindly and for fans of cinema, irresponsibly as well.
This isn’t the first year the Academy has disappointed and most likely won’t be the last. At this point, you’re probably better off only tuning in to the less-dazzling and spectacular Guild awards for the satisfaction of seeing true talents receive the recognition they deserve. That’s unlikely though, because after all, what makes for a better show than an utter trainwreck? Whether it’s cheating people of their chance in the spotlight, tripping over your outfit, or mistaking the results of a major award… somehow, the Oscars never fail to fail.