Live from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, we return once more for Hollywood’s annual back-patting ceremony. The 97th Academy Awards unfolded with a mostly predictable script of unsurprising beats, familiar faces, and the usual air of self-importance — punctuated by just enough unplanned improvisations to keep those of us watching from halfway across the world, from slipping into a coma, early Monday morning. The event’s protagonist was undoubtedly Anora, that, much like its titular character, clawed its way from the gritty indie underbelly of Brighton Beach, New York, to the glittering apex of Tinseltown’s Mount Olympus (only this time, Ani got her happily ever after).
If the Oscars proved anything this year, it’s that Hollywood has developed a steady appetite for the underdog. A tale spun from the threads of New York’s less-than-glamorous nightlife, Anora emerged as the belle of the ball, clutching five statuettes, including the coveted Best Picture. The evening’s Midas and director of the film, Sean Baker, transformed his modest $6 million budget into Oscar gold, securing accolades for Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Editing. That’s four wins in one night, putting him in the exclusive company of the late, great Walt Disney, which was not a bad night for an indie director whose claim to fame was once a film shot on an iPhone. His acceptance speech was a clarion call to indie filmmakers and the communal theatrical experience.
In the Best Actress category, Mikey Madison’s win for Anora was another history-maker: a rare Oscar triumph without the usual precursor wins (no BAFTA, no Golden Globe, no SAG). It was a Cinderella story of its own, fitting for the titular heroine — though one suspects Madison had a better ending than her character (and most certainly a better one to the ousted frontrunners Demi Moore and Fernanda Torres).
Adrien Brody, meanwhile, secured his second Best Actor win for The Brutalist, making him the only man to go two-for-two in the category without a loss. This win positions him just a statuette away from joining the hallowed ranks of triple winners. His victory over Timothée Chalamet also meant Brody’s own record as the youngest-ever Best Actor winner remains intact — something the Brutalist star no doubt relished as he delivered a wistful, cautionary (and awfully lengthy) speech about Hollywood’s cyclical nature. “It can all go away,” he mused, before clutching his second gold statue.
Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist cleaned up in the technical categories, winning Best Cinematography and Best Original Score, thanks to its ambitious use of VistaVision — a format last widely used in the 1960s. The meditation on the immigrant experience wrapped in stark architecture, seems to have won over Academy voters still salivating at the words “period epic.”
Meanwhile, Dune: Part Two continued its reign over the craft categories, securing Best Visual Effects and Sound — a predictable win, but one that further cements the franchise’s technical dominance after its successor picked up four Oscars three years ago. Paul Lambert, the film’s VFX supervisor, is now four-for-four at the Oscars, an undefeated streak that even the Lisan al-Gaib would envy.
And in a fitting nod to the Vatican intrigue it depicts, Conclave quietly secured Best Adapted Screenplay. Much like its outstanding ensemble of papal electives vying for the top spot, sometimes the very best drama happens behind closed, more deserving doors.
Eight of the ten Best Picture nominees didn’t walk away empty-handed, but Emilia Pérez, the most-nominated film of the night (13 nods), had the roughest landing. Jacques Audiard’s Spanish-language musical crime saga, which at one point seemed like a shoo-in for major wins, left with just two trophies — Best Supporting Actress for Zoe Saldaña and Best Original Song for Audiard, Camille and Clement Ducol. The film tied the record for most Oscar losses, putting it in the company of The Color Purple and The Turning Point. Not exactly the legacy its producers had envisioned.
The Emilia Pérez backlash, spurred by resurfaced offensive tweets from its lead Karla Sofía Gascón, cast a long shadow over what should have been a groundbreaking night for trans representation at the Oscars. Conan O’Brien, in his first Oscar hosting gig, took the moment to land a brutal (but, let’s be honest, funny) jab: “Little fact for you: Anora uses the F-word 479 times. That’s three more than the record set by Karla Sofía Gascón’s publicist.” Ouch.
Netflix once again failed to take home Best Picture, despite banking heavily on Emilia Pérez. This marks yet another awards season where the streaming giant saw its prestige contenders fumble at the final stretch. Apple, on the other hand, remains the only streamer to have claimed the industry’s top prize in 2022 for CODA.
Meanwhile, Flow became the first non-dialogue animated feature to win Best Animated Feature and also the first to be nominated for Best International Feature. It was a historic night for Latvia, which took home its first Oscar. The international stage also saw Brazil finally claim Best International Feature with I’m Still Here, prompting nationwide celebrations that spilt into Carnival festivities in Rio.
The night also saw a rare moment of unfiltered political speech when the team behind No Other Land, a documentary made by Palestinian and Israeli filmmakers, called for an end to violence in Gaza. Their speech, which directly addressed U.S. foreign policy, was met with both applause and visible indifference from certain corners of the room.
Hollywood loves breaking records almost as much as it loves patting itself on the back for breaking them. Paul Tazewell became the first Black person to win Best Costume Design for his work on Wicked, a moment the Academy was quick to spotlight as another step toward progress. Kieran Culkin, fresh off an Emmy win for Succession, snagged Best Supporting Actor for A Real Pain, making him the first to win Best Supporting Actor at the Oscars and Lead Actor at the Emmys — a distinction unlikely to be repeated soon.
As the dust settles on the Dolby Theatre, a few narratives emerge. The industry seems jittery still, from streaming upheavals and box office woes, but has also found solace in rewarding a fiercely independent film while doling out enough wins across the board to keep major players from storming out. The pre-Oscar debacles proved that controversy can still torpedo an Oscar campaign, and Brody’s win reminded everyone that longevity, not hype, will remain the real currency in Hollywood. Conan O’Brien’s barbed monologue and acerbic hosting duties might just have secured him another hosting gig — if, of course, the Academy has the stomach for another year of his brand of irreverence. Given how desperate the Oscars are to stay relevant, they might not have a choice.
Published – March 03, 2025 12:27 pm IST
