Following up on last year’s Oscars was going to be a very tough task for show producers Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan. Not only was there a critical, box-office smash hit winning the top prize going into the night (“Oppenheimer”) but there were fun reunions of former co-stars as presenters (“Twins” stars Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito), emotional speeches (Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Cillian Murphy to name a few), and musical performances from Billie Eilish and Ryan Gosling for their hit “Barbie” songs that made us cry and rocked the house down. It was a big night that resulted in a ratings boost for the show, the largest in four years. The ceremony also moved up an hour earlier, and while starting a couple of minutes late, it could run as smoothly as a ceremony could run. Needless to say, the bar had been set high.
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Beyond last year, the 97th Academy Awards might not have been stacked with some of the most popular films of the year; it has been one of the most unpredictable years in Oscar history, and multiple categories were wide open going into the ceremony. After the show had been in the steady hands of three-time host Jimmy Kimmel last year, the telecast had a new host this year, comedian, late-night legend Conan O’Brien (more on him below). There were also some big changes for the telecast, as the show announced that the Best Original Song nominees would not be performing their songs on the telecast, the first time that has happened since the 82nd Academy Awards, fifteen years ago. The Academy also announced that the show would not use the “Fab 5,” a presenting model featuring five previous winners praising one nominee each, in the acting categories. Instead, the format was going to expand to other categories for the first time since its inception in 2008 at the 80th Academy Awards ceremony.
But the biggest thing this year’s Oscar would have to highlight and address is the aftermath of the devastating fires in Los Angeles early this year. The producers and O’Brien have made it clear that they wanted the night to celebrate not just the nominated films but of the spirit of Los Angeles. While other award shows and television events have happened since the tragic natural disaster event, the Oscars are the biggest annual event in Los Angeles, and a fitting tribute is expected and needed to help heal a community still trying to get back on its feet. A joyous escape is what the Oscars have always been, and it looks like that again tonight.
With all of this in mind, here are some Best and Worst (mostly Best) regarding the 97th Academy Awards telecast:
BEST: A “Wicked” Way to Start the ShowThe Oscar producers promised “Wicked,” we got it and then some. The show began with the iconic shot from “The Wizard of Oz” Dorothy’s ruby slippers tapping together, as a montage of LA-based films played as we saw the stars on the screen behind the orchestra on stage at the Dolby Theater light up with “We Love LA.” From there, we saw Ariana Grande walk onto the stage and sing the iconic song “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” giving a pitch-perfect performance in an all-red dress with matching ruby slippers. Then it was Cynthia Erivo’s turn, as she came out and sang a rendition of “Home” from “The Wiz.” Before the audience could finish applauding her, she was reunited with Grande on the stage to bring the world of Oz full circle as they sang their version of “Defying Gravity.” Whether you liked the film or not, there was no denying theco-stars’ chemistryd in the film and on stage, as Grande looked on proudly as Erivo nailed the high note at the end of the famous song. It was a perfect way to kick off the show.
BEST: Conan O’Brien Shows Why He Was the Right HostWith the “Wicked” performance being a hard bar to climb, Conan O’Brien came out the only way he could, with a pre-taped bit coming out of Demi Moore via “The Substance,” losing his shoe inside the actress and having to fish it out. It might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you are a lifelong Conan fan, you knew you were in good hands with the veteran comedian being this year’s Oscar host. From there, he came out and gave out a traditional monologue that highlighted each film, made fun of how the Oscars are obsessed with the length of the show via a music number called “I Won’t Waste Time,” showed old headshots of nominees and used a very “disappointed” looking John Lithgow to threaten them for their long speeches, and landed a perfect jab at “Emilia Pérez” Karla Sofía Gascón and her controversial tweets. It was traditional yet felt fresh and original, just like most ofConan’s worke throughout his career.
BEST: Zoe Saldana Acceptance SpeechRegardless of what you think of the controversial “Emilia Pérez,” there is no arguing that Zoe Saldana is the performance that shines the brightest in the film. All season long, as she has swept through the Oscar season, she has given emotional speeches, as this is her moment to be celebrated for a role that took her out of her comfort zone (as well as out of franchise filmmaking) and allowed her to play a fascinating character in one of the most talked about films of the year. She sings, dances, raps, and, in many ways, is the lead character for “Emilia Pérez,” her speech was another moment to see how grateful she was for this experience. An emotional Saldana thanked everyone involved with the film, including her husband’s hair, and tearfully shouted out at her mother as she got on stage. It was a genuine moment to cap on an incredible season for the Dominican actress.
BEST: “No Other Land” Acceptance SpeechThe Oscars have always been a platform for artists to be able to make a statement with their acceptance speeches. If you don’t like that,you watchg the wrong award show. Sure, sometimes it can feel a bit heavy-handed coming from people in Hollywood, but when it comes from the heart and is focused on something important, it can be really effective (look at Jonathan Glazer’s speech last year). That moment would clearly present itself if the Academy awarded “No Other Land” the Best Documentary prize, and when it did, the speech didn’t disappoint. In a vital statement from co-directors Basel Adra and Yuval Abraham, they spoke about the need for “the world to take serious actions to stop the injustice and stop the ethnic cleansing of Palestinian people.” They also called the United States foreign polic, and askedford compassion in finding a solution to end the ongoing conflict. It was an essential reminder that change needs to happen for the betterment of humanity.
WORST: In MemoriamThis was such a weird part of the show, as we saw Morgan Freeman come out to honor the late Gene Hackman before going into the annual montage of artists who passed away over the past year. To only single out the late actor seemed less personal for everyone else who has left us, but that wasn’t even the strangest part. The score choice used for the In Memoriam was baffling as the orchestra played “Lacrimosa” from “Requiem From a Dream,” which seemed a rather haunting choice for a moment like this. Sometimes, it’s just best to play simple music and not single one person out, as 2024 was a year of losing so many legends like James Earl Jones, Maggie Smith, Donald Sutherland, and so many more.
BEST: Adrien Brody’s Acceptance SpeechThe year’s best performance was celebrated at the Oscars on Sunday when Adrien Brody took home the Oscar for Best Actor. In a down-to-the-wire race between him and the other four nominees, Brody was able to win his second Best Actor Oscar for his work in “The Brutalist.” His harrowing, monumental performance ranks as the best work of his career, and his long speech was a reminder of the journey the actor has taken to get back to this stage, honor the team and artists to help him make his work as László Tóth come to life, but also a nod to his parents. His parents were a massive inspiration for both of his Oscar-winning roles, “The Pianist” and “The Brutalist.” Hopefully, this win will springboard the actor to a second run at doing stellar work in the coming years, and it won’t take him this long to be celebrated again.
WORST: The Quincy Jones TributeThere is no doubting the legendary career of the late great Quincy Jones and his impact across every form of artistry he touched. When the Oscars brought out “The Color Purple” co-stars Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah to speak on the legendary work of the fallen iconic, you would think that the tribute for him would be one that reached his legendary status. Yet the performance by Queen Latifah of “Ease on Down the Road” from “The Wiz” just felt fla, and seemed to be more about giving the audience more “Wicked” coverage without putting a lot of thought into what the musical tribute could be.