Some Surprises but overall very predictable Oscar Night

by Kathia Woods

The 97th Oscars ceremony began with a musical tribute to "The Wizard of Oz," "The Wiz," and "Wicked," performed by Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo.

Following a tribute to Los Angeles, Grande started the show with "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," followed by Erivo's performance of "Home" from "The Wiz." The duo concluded with a joint performance of "Defying Gravity" from "Wicked."

The movie "Wicked," starring the incredibly talented Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo as Glinda and Elphaba, respectively, delves into the backstory of the popular Broadway musical. This film adaptation has garnered both critical acclaim and commercial success, earning 10 Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actress for Erivo, and Best Supporting Actress for Grande.

Conan O'Brien, the host for the evening, acknowledged the LA fires and the challenging circumstances surrounding Karla Sofía Gascó, the star of Emilia Perez, in his opening monologue. 

Doja Cat, Lisa, and Raye joined forces to honor 60 years of James Bond at the Academy Awards. This tribute followed the startling announcement that Amazon MGM is taking creative control of the James Bond franchise.

The performance commenced with Margaret Qualley dancing to the Bond theme, as Lisa descended from the ceiling singing "Live and Let Live," the theme from the 1973 film of the same name. Lisa, arms outstretched towards the sky, then passed the baton to Doja Cat, who gave a glittery rendition of Shirley Bassey's "Diamonds Are Forever" from the 1971 Bond film, while women in red dresses danced with men in tuxes. Raye, dressed in a black-and-white dress and accompanied by an orchestra, rounded out the medley with a cover of Adele's "Skyfall."

Zoe Saldaña received the Oscar for supporting actress for her portrayal of a cartel leader's attorney in Jacques Audiard's "Emilia Pérez." Despite the film's challenging season, Saldaña delivered a moving speech, expressing gratitude to the cast and her family.

During her Oscar acceptance speech, Saldaña expressed gratitude to the Academy for acknowledging the "quiet heroism and power" of women like Rita, the character she portrayed. She thanked Jacques, the director, for his interest and curiosity in telling the story of these women. Saldaña also shared her award with the cast and crew of "Emilia Pérez," acknowledging their contributions to the film's success.

Tonight, Brazil has double the reasons to celebrate! In addition to Carnival, the country is also celebrating the timely and important film "Ainda estou Aqui" (I'm Still Here), which marks director Walter Salles' first Oscar win. This is Brazil’s first Oscar. 

As the night continued, the awards continued predictably with Adrian Brody winning for best actor for The Brutalist, but the shocker of the night was Mickey Madison winning best actress in Anora, beating heavy favorite Demi Moore. In many ways, Anora gained momentum as Emilia Perez ran out of steam. 

Director Sean Baker won for best director and won four Oscars as the film won for best picture.

All in the night, it turned out pretty much how the pundits thought it would, and it will be interesting to see how it shapes up in the years to come with diversity, equity, and inclusion being removed at most major studios.

For a full list of winner go to 

https://www.oscars.org/

below pictures are via the Academy.