Los Angeles, March 28: Apple’s ‘CODA’ is the first film made by a streaming service to win Best Picture Oscar, and it came when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences hoped moviegoers would be riveted by surprises at the ceremony that saw “Dune” win the most awards, with six.
The poignant depiction on children of mute parents drew accolades even as the entire cast led by its director Sian Heder ensured sign language was used at the speech to make it an all inclusive affair for the close-knit cast. What the Academy did not bargain for was a quick rough moment acted out by none other than the recipient of the Best Actor award Will Smith. No one banked on a physical confrontation between two stars — Smith and Chris Rock, who as a presenter, offended the “King Richard” actor for cracking a joke on his wife Jada Pinkett Smith. The academy did fervently hope for an uptick in ratings for the 94th Academy Awards on Sunday.
There was even a surprise appearance by KPop boy band BTS who spoke about their love for animation movies. Halfway into the telecast, comedian Chris Rock told a joke about Jada Pinkett-Smith’s hair, which prompted her spouse Smith, to march up to the stage and smack Rock while he was about to present the best documentary award. ABC cut out the mics just as the two started shouting at each other, but uncensored international feeds picked up the two stars yelling profanities at each other, the Guardian reported. Moments later, Smith won the Oscar for Best Actor and apologised to the academy and his fellow nominees.
“Love will make you do crazy things,” he said as he highlighted the word “protector”. The confrontation was a highlight in an otherwise subdued show that featured historic results, with two women directors winning big on the day — Sian Heder for CODA and Jane Campion for The Power of the Dog. With the diversity in this year’s crop of Oscar nominees, audiences saw a number of milestones set. “CODA” was the first film produced by a streaming service to win Best Picture. It won three overall. Ariana DeBose became the first queer Black woman to win an acting award, taking home Best Supporting Actress for “West Side Story.”
Troy Kotsur of “CODA” became the first deaf man to win an Academy Award for acting. The trio of Regina Hall, Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes hosted the ceremony at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. For the last three years, the show missed a host over different controversies. Siblings Finneas and Billie Eilish win the original song Oscar for “No Time to Die”. There was a part dedicated to James Bond and to the horror of viewers it ended without naming a successor to Daniel Craig. Tributes were also paid to the Godfather franchise when Francis Ford Coppola, Al Pacino and Robert De Niro celebrate ‘The Godfather’s 50th Anniversary at the awards. Coppola made a wrong right finally by hailing Robert Evans, alongside writer Mario Puzo for the collaboration. The three were met with a long, standing ovation.
“I think I feel moments like this should be sincere and brief,” Coppola shared. He used his time on stage to highlight two men who made the Godfather films possible, and thanked them “from the bottom of my heart.” “One is a collaborator who I thank many times, every time you see The Godfather, his name is above the title. Mario Puzo,”he shared. “And another — and another I’ve never thanked, but the time is due that I do, because it was his participation and his decisions at the end that made it possible — is Robert Evans.” Coppola ended his brief time on stage with a powerful final message, “Thank you. Viva Ukraine!” as DeNiro touched his heart in a silent prayer.
Complete with COVID protocols for the in-person experience, the awards were held after the preshow announcement of eight categories, keeping the touch of controversy with the awards on. Overall, nominees were led this year by Netflix’s “The Power of the Dog” with 12 nominations, but it managed to bag only a single award. Its best picture competitors are “King Richard,” “CODA,” “Drive My Car,” “Nightmare Alley,” “West Side Story,” “Belfast,” “Don’t Look Up,” “Licorice Pizza” and “Dune.” The first eight awards were announced online, and Dune won four of those awards even before the live action started. The full list of winners is here: Best Picture: “CODA” Best Actress: Jessica Chastain, “The Eyes of Tammy Faye” Best Actor: Will Smith, “King Richard” Best Director: Jane Campion, “The Power of the Dog” Best Visual Effects: “Dune” Best Cinematography: “Dune” Best Film Editing: “Dune” Best Score: “Dune” Best Sound: “Dune” Best Production Design: “Dune” Best Original Song: “No Time to Die” Best Documentary Feature: “Summer of Soul” Best Adapted Screenplay: “CODA” Best Original Screenplay: “Belfast” Best Costume Design: “Cruella” Best International Feature: “Drive My Car” Best Supporting Actor: Troy Kotsur, “CODA” Best Animated Feature: “Encanto” Best Supporting Actress: Ariana DeBose, “West Side Story” Best Makeup and Hairstyling: “The Eyes of Tammy Faye” Best: Documentary (Short Subject): “The Queen of Basketball” Best Short (Animated): “The Windshield Wiper” Best Short Film (Live Action): “The Long Goodbye” UNI
