Recapping the 2019 Oscars

https://us.hola.com/celebrities/oscars/gallery/2019022521531/oscars-2019-winners/8/

Natalie Mosso, Arts & Entertainment Editor

Sunday, February 29, was Hollywood’s biggest night, the 91st annual Academy Awards. The night was a reflection of the films that were released in 2018 as well as a new format for the ceremony. This year, the Academy, in an attempt to increase the show’s number of viewers, made slight changes to the ceremony. After Kevin Hart’s hosting announcement was followed by a backlash from the media, the Academy made the executive decision to not have a host for this year’s show. This idea was favored by a majority of viewers who noted that the show ran smoother without a host.

The 2019 Oscars ceremony awarded a number of films that showcased diversity; however, there were also a few setbacks, ultimately offering a mixed bag of an event.

Queen and Adam Lambert opened the show with a rendition of “We Will Rock You” in the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, leaving the audience excited for the ceremony to follow.

The performance that stole the show, however, was not Queen, but rather Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, who performed “Shallow” from their film A Star is Born. With Gaga on the piano, she delivered a powerhouse performance that left the audience stricken by love. Gaga even took home the award for Best Music (Original Song), and, through tears, she encouraged viewers that, “If you have a dream, fight for it. There’s a discipline for passion: it’s not about how many times you get rejected or you fall down and get beaten up, but how many times you stand up, and are brave and you keep on going.”

Kevin Winter
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 24: (L-R) Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper perform onstage during the 91st Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on February 24, 2019 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Despite the Mexican film Roma and the historical dramedy The Favourite leading with 10 nominations each, the film that took home the most awards was Bohemian Rhapsody, the musical biopic that delved into the life of Queen’s lead singer, Freddie Mercury. The film won four awards: Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Editing, and Best Actor.

With Black Panther nabbing three Oscars – Best Costume Design, Best Production Design, Best Music (Original Score) – Regina King (If Beale Street Could Talk) and Mahershala Ali (Green Book) winning Best Supporting Actress and Best Supporting Actor, director Spike Lee winning Best Adapted Screenplay for BlacKkKlansman, and Mexican film director Alfonso Cuarón winning three awards for Roma, including Best Director, the night showcased vast representation in the film industry.

Possibly the night’s most heartwarming win was Best Animated Feature Film for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which was a film that captured the hearts of many and redefined Spider-Man as a superhero.

https://www.philly.com/entertainment/movies/oscars-betting-green-book-academy-awards-20190225.html

The most puzzling win of the entire ceremony was Best Picture. Many thought Mexican drama Roma would take home the biggest award, but in a turn of events, Driving-Miss-Daisy-esque Green Book snatched the prize. This raised speculation among viewers, who believed that the film misrepresented the African American community and preached fake activism in order to woo Academy voters. One filmmaker was also vocal about his opinions toward the subject. Director Spike Lee was visibly angry as he sat in the audience during Green Book’s win.

The ceremony was relatively smooth, with no colossal disasters and no switched envelopes (All eyes are on you, 2017 Oscars). ABC’s Oscars telecast audience had 29.6 million viewers, showing an 11.5 percent increase from the 2018 telecast. While the increase is not sublime, it demonstrates a step in the right direction for future Academy Awards ceremonies.

Listed below are the night’s winners in their respective categories:

BEST PICTURE

Black Panther
BlakkKlansman
Bohemian Rhapsody
The Favourite
WINNER: Green Book
Roma
A Star is Born
Vice

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Christian Bale, Vice
Bradley Cooper, A Star is Born
Willem Dafoe, At Eternity’s Gate
WINNER: Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody
Viggo Mortensen, Green Book

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Yalitza Aparicio, Roma
Glenn Close, The Wife
WINNER: Olivia Colman, The Favourite
Lady Gaga, A Star is Born
Melissa McCarthy, Can You Ever Forgive Me

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

WINNER: Mahershala Ali, Green Book
Adam Driver, BlacKkKlansman
Sam Elliott, A Star is Born
Richard E. Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me
Sam Rockwell, Vice

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Amy Adams, Vice
WINNER: Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk
Marina De Tervira, Roma
Emma Stone, The Favourite
Rachel Weisz, The Favourite

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

Incredibles 2
Isle of Dogs
Mirai
Ralph Breaks the Internet
WINNER: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

CINEMATOGRAPHY

Cold War
The Favourite
Never Look Away
WINNER: Roma
A Star is Born

COSTUME DESIGN

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
WINNER: Black Panther
The Favourite
Mary Poppins Returns
Mary Queen of Scots

DIRECTING

WINNER: Alfonso Cuarón, Roma
Yorgos Lanthimos, The Favourite
Spike Lee, BlacKkKlansman
Adam McKay, Vice
Pawel Pawlikowski, Cold War

DOCUMENTARY (FEATURE)

WINNER: Free Solo
Hale Country This Morning, This Evening
Minding the Gap
Of Fathers and Sons
RBG

DOCUMENTARY (SHORT SUBJECT)

Black Sheep
End Game
Lifeboat
A Night at the Garden
WINNER: Period. End of Sentence

FILM EDITING

BlacKkKlansman
WINNER: Bohemian Rhapsody
The Favourite
Green Book
Vice

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

Capernaum
Cold War
Never Look Away
WINNER: Roma
Shoplifters

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

Border
Mary Queen of Scots
WINNER: Vice

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)

WINNER: Black Panther
BlacKkKlansman
If Beale Street Could Talk
Isle of Dogs
Mary Poppins Returns

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)

All the Stars, Black Panther
I’ll Fight, RBG
The Place Where Lost Things Go, Mary Poppins Returns
WINNER: Shallow, A Star is Born
When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

PRODUCTION DESIGN

WINNER: Black Panther
The Favourite
First Man
Mary Poppins Returns
Roma

SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)

Animal Behaviour
WINNER: Bao
Late Afternoon
One Small Step
Weekends

SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION)

Detainment
Fauve
Margueritte
Mother
WINNER: Skin

SOUND EDITING

Black Panther
WINNER: Bohemian Rhapsody
First Man
A Quiet Place
Roma

SOUND MIXING

Black Panther
WINNER: Bohemian Rhapsody
First Man
Roma
A Star is Born

VISUAL EFFECTS

Avengers: Infinity War
Christopher Robin
WINNER: First Man
Ready Player One
Solo: A Star Wars Story

WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
WINNER: BlacKkKlansman
Can You Ever Forgive Me
If Beale Street Could Talk
A Star is Born

WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)

The Favourite
First Reformed
WINNER: Green Book
Roma
Vice