This year, the film awards season kicked off with a bang. On the 13th of March, it was time for another hugely popular award show to take the lead — this round, The Oscars.
The 95th Academy Awards ceremony took place at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, where every year Hollywood’s biggest stars gather to celebrate the nominees in categories like Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best International Feature Film. Jimmy Kimmel, known for his famous talk-show Jimmy Kimmel Live!, hosted the ceremony for the third time. This year, the complete list of winners was taken over by one of the most well-known names in the industry.
No more red carpet
On Wednesday, a beige carpet welcomed celebrities as they arrived for the ceremony. To the surprise of many, the famous red carpet that is associated with events like The Oscars underwent a change. According to the Academy CEO, Bill Kramer, the change was meant to “turn this event from a day event into the night”, as the experts report in an THR interview, published on March 10th. However, the color change did not concern any of the stars, as they were spotted happily posing for photos and showing off a variety of stunning gowns and suits designed by haute couture brands.
Bredan Fraser is back!
Among the winners, Brendan Fraser’s recent comeback has undoubtedly worked in his favor. After long years of battling personal trauma resulting from his complicated past in Hollywood, the actor received an Oscar in the Best Actor category for his role in The Whale. In his speech, Fraser expressed his gratitude: “…and I started in this business 30 years ago, and things didn’t come easy to me, but there was a facility that I didn’t appreciate at the time until it stopped. And, I just want to say, thank you for this acknowledgement (…)”.
We could not leave out the one film that has gained immense popularity in recent months. Everything Everywhere All at Once, a new critically-acclaimed film on the scene, took home a statue for Best Film. In addition, the film’s main actress, Michelle Yeoh, won Best Actress, making her the first Asian woman to win an Academy Award for Best Actress. About time!
Ruth E. Carter breaking the record
The highly-rated film Wakanda Forever and its costume designer, Ruth E. Carter, appreciated by the Academy for their imaginative and marvellous costumes, won the award for Best Costume Design. Taking home the statue, Carter has made history in several ways. First, after being recognised by her Black Panther costumes in 2019, she became the first black woman to win two Oscars in any category. Moreover, she also broke the record by becoming the first black woman to win the Academy Award for Achievement in Costume Design.
The Little Mermaid stole the spotlight
The Oscars this year not only announced the winners for particular categories but also provided the audience with great entertainment, as they, for example, presented the first full trailer for the widely awaited remake of The Little Mermaid. Two of the film’s stars, Hailey Bailey and Melissa McCarthy, took the stage to present the first official insight into the undersea world in this Disney live-action film.
Despite all the racist backlash Bailey has received for playing the role of Ariel as a dark-skinned young woman, she proudly stood on the stage and said: “It has been such an honor stepping into the iconic role of Ariel (…) It was an extraordinary experience, a dream come true for me”. Interestingly enough, the audience in Poland will be able to hear the outstanding vocals of Sara James, who is dubbing Ariel’s voice in the Polish version of the movie. Swimming into the movie theaters on May 26, the new The Little Mermaid will surely fill up all the screening rooms!
And just like that, the 95th ceremony of the Academy Awards had passed. This time, all the cheeks were safe, no one was slapped, and no curse word came out of anyone’s mouth. Audiences all over the world and invited participants of the Oscars’ night could freely celebrate a night filled with surprises, joy, and tears for some. As patiently as possible, we are looking forward to the upcoming Oscar nominations for 2024 at the beginning of next year.
Written by Julia Zaborowska and Julia Kowalkowska.
[Photo: Getty]