The 88th Academy Awards delivered a number of satisfying moments, from Chris Rock’s much-needed socially conscious dialogue and Lady Gaga’s “Til It Happens To You” performance to Leonardo Dicaprio’s two decades in the making win.
Rock did an impressive job of addressing the elephant in the room head-on at the very start of the show. The comedian’s commentary on the #OscarsSoWhite controversy was so blunt that you could see the mixed reactions among audience members, from discomfort to amusement. Bringing his daughter to the stage to sell Girl Scout cookies was hilariously endearing and a crowd-pleaser.
“Mad Max: Fury Road” fully deserved all of the awards it received. George Miller created a groundbreaking, visually beautiful film. Different, refreshing and one of my favorite movies of 2015 by far; “Mad Max” is an effective action movie that caters to the feminist movement.
Sam Smith’s rendition of “Writing’s on the Wall” was great, but his acceptance speech was somewhat flawed, not to mention he wasn’t the clear winner for the Best Original Song category. His intentions of dedicating the win to the LGBT community are honorable, but claiming that no openly gay man had ever won an Oscar was not fact-based or true. His comments stemmed from a recent article addressing lack of diversity by Ian McKellen, which stated that no openly gay man had ever won in the Best Actor category.
Joe Biden’s surprise appearance won me over and everyone in the audience clearly adores the cool Vice President as much as I do with their standing ovation. Who better to announce our queen Lady Gaga?
Lady Gaga absolutely slayed with her powerful performance of “The Hunting Ground’s” “Til It Happens To You,” which addressed the social stigma surrounding rape culture and sexual assault on college campuses. An emotional and necessary statement.
Jacob Tremblay was the heart and soul of the awards show, let’s be honest. He and Brie Larson’s relationship is perfect. All the love for her win.
I’m not surprised with Alajandro G. Iñárritu taking home the Oscar for Best Director, as much as I think George Miller should’ve won the category.
And finally: Dicaprio won. Honestly, he was the entire reason I even tuned into the Oscars this year. He was not played off the stage, and rightfully so. My faith in the Oscars’ credibility hinged on his win. Obviously, this is the shining moment of the show. His acceptance speech was well-spoken and eloquent, and the first-time Oscar winner kept it together, as much as I was dying for a shoutout to Kate Winslet.
I love how winners will use the live filming of the Oscars as a platform to bring attention to cultural and environmental issues. Last year, it was the gender wage gap. This year, it’s racial equality and climate change.
Although the Academy-nominated films are not the most well-known or biggest box-office hits, they all tell remarkable stories and speak to the true power of film. These are the movies that actors make for the sake of their craft, to create art with substance and meaning.
While the Academy addressed the need for further diversity in filmmaking, it still has a long way to go. There is always room for improvement, and progress is needed to ensure the future popularity and relevance of the show.