Everyone’s talking about the Oscars, no one’s talking about the films
Scrambling for any sort of relevance or popularity the Oscars dumped several awards from their live broadcast and announced a slew of celebrity appearances.
There would be no Volodymyr Zelensky (sorry Sean Penn) nor would Prince Harry or Meghan Markle get involved in the ceremony.
Nonetheless in the wake of Sunday’s show Oscar chat has been inescapable — generating eyeballs and discussion that Academy members normally dream of (that is, after all, the fundamental point).
But, much like the La La Land/Moonlight fiasco in 2017, everyone is talking about it for the wrong reasons — namely Will Smith’s outrageous slap of Chris Rock for a poor-taste gibe about his wife’s hair.
No one is talking about Coda collecting Best Picture (after being nominated for just three awards), deaf actor Troy Catsur winning silverware or even, somewhat ironically, Will Smith’s Best Actor award thathe picked up just minutes after ‘slapping the shit’ out of Chris Rock on stage, leaving Hollywood aghast. (Smith has since apologised).
Smith, a Hollywood staple for more than 20 years, has been desperate for an award for years, coming close with the blistering Ali and tearjerker The Pursuit of Happyness.
Other roles in Oscar-bait contenders Seven Pounds and Concussion failed to gain significant awards traction.
His performance as Richard Williams in King Richard finally landed him the top prize but today no one is talking about his acting.
At least Moonlight’s shock mis-announcement got some discussion about which film actually deserved the statuette (La La Land had scooped Best Director).
Viewing figures for the Oscars have slumped almost every year with critics quick to point to the Academy’s eschewing of box office success.
When The Dark Knight failed to land a Best Picture nomination in 2007 the Academy ripped up the rules and allowed up to 10 nominees.
Marvel’s Black Panther landed a nomination in the aftermath and other ‘popular’ films were given a look in (lest we forget that the execrable Bohemian Rhapsody was nominated for Best Picture).
Overall, despite this, the Academy has leaned more into the niche and the arthouse (and this is no bad thing).
This year the combined box office gross of all 10 Best Picture nominees amounted to less than 25% of Spiderman: No Way Home which was given a single nomination for Best Visual Effects (it lost to Dune).
Granted box office figures, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, are perhaps not the best judge of actual eyeballs-on-screen time, but between Nomadland (last year’s winner) and Coda we’re looking at a total ticket haul of about $40m.
Even Best International Feature winner Drive My Car out-grossed Coda which became the first film by a streaming service to scoop the film industry’s highest award (technically Coda was just distributed by a Apple, whereas The Power of the Dog was entirely financed by Netflix).
It has taken ‘the slap’ to thrust the Oscars back into the limelight.
But despite all the column inches and outrage and social media chatter you may well have missed:
Riz Ahmed winning Best Live Action Short Film for The Long Goodbye and his touching acceptance speech: “There is no us and them, there is just us. And this is for everyone who feels like they don’t belong…. You’re not alone. We’ll meet you there. That’s where the future is.”
Coda-star Troy Catsur becoming the first deaf male actor to win a major acting award (Best Supporting Actor).
Will Smith being the first black actor for Best Actor since Forest Whitaker way back in 2006.
Ariana DeBose taking home Best Supporting Actress — the evening’s only silverware for West Side Story — the first queer woman of colour to do so.
British success story Jenny Beaven who won her THIRD Oscar for Best Costume Design in Cruella. She’s been nominated an astonishing 11 times.
Jane Campion scooping Best Director made it back-to-back female success with Chloe Zhou winning for Nomadland last year (after decades of the Academy overlooking women).
There were Academy misfires, the sort of misfires that should be generating debate and chatter (not an on-stage assault).
The shutting out of animated refugee documentary Flee, Disney picking up Best Animated Film for the 9th year of the last ten (The Mitchells vs the Machines should have won), two incredibly ordinary screenplays (Belfast and Coda) winning Best Original and Best Adapted Screenplay respectively.
But no one’s talking about that.
They’re talking about a slap.
And viewership will probably go up next year- it shot up as soon as word spread of Smith’s outrageous slap.
Maybe the Academy, for all the self-righteous condemnation, will be glad.
