The drama about the Boston Globe’s coverage of sex abuse in the Catholic Church is nominated for each of the corresponding Oscars tomorrow.
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Leonardo DiCaprio finally has an Oscar after winning the best actor Academy Award for his performance in the survival epic “The Revenant”.
Rock certainly had people talking with his opening monologue taking a hit right at the Academy in light of the second year of #OscarsSoWhite, but apparently that was not enough to revive the show from its drab character.
“Is Hollywood racist? You’re damn right it’s racist but it’s sorority racist”.
And then it seemed he was angrier at the boycotters than the nominators, asking “How come it’s only unemployed people who tell you to quit” and saying that there weren’t boycotts in the ’50s and ’60s “because we had real things to protest”, like “getting raped or lynched”.
Rock had stayed quiet as the controversy raged over the second straight year of all-white acting nominees, leaving Hollywood and viewers eagerly awaiting his one-liners.
Mark Ruffalo reacts in the audience after “Spotlight” won the award for best picture at the Oscars on Sunday, Feb. 28, 2016, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. In Spielberg’s “Bridge of Spies”, Mark Rylance plays Rudolf Abel, a hapless Soviet spy apprehended by the American government after receiving a message from the Russian government.
Best original screenplay went to the newsroom drama “Spotlight”, an ode to hard-nose, methodical investigative journalism penned by Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer.
Also a big victor: Room, which was inexplicably excluded from the best feature category (as were all best picture Oscar nominees except Spotlight), but which claimed prizes for best female lead (Brie Larson) and best first screenplay (Emma Donoghue).
As usual, the year’s top grossers – “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”, “Jurassic World” and “Avengers: Age of Ultron” – did not win awards, but a few box office hits, including “Fury Road” and “Revenant” also were hits with Oscar voters.
“Even in the darkest hours of mankind, there might be a voice within us that allows us to remain human”, said Nemes.
Smith co-wrote the song Writing’s On The Wall with fellow Brit Jimmy Napes for the latest James Bond movie, Spectre. “This will be the last night of an all-white Oscars”, Sharpton vowed.
In the supporting actress category, the Swedish star of The Danish Girl Alicia Vikander won against the UK’s best chance, Kate Winslet for Steve Jobs.
This film was created by Pakistani journalist Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy and was released in October previous year. While the appeal of seeing Rock face Hollywood’s diversity crisis head on should help drive curious viewers, a long night of dutiful speeches on the issue could turn away others more interested in glamour and celebrity.
Most Deserved Standing Ovation: For the 87 year-old Hateful Eight composer Ennio Morricone as he went up to collect his first non-honorary Oscar.
Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs took to the stage to address the diversity issue and quoted Dr Martin Luther King. But, beware: the last two votes I heard from academy members were for “The Big Short” yesterday afternoon … after hearing some “Revenant” and “Spotlight” votes in the morning.
In between, two other films traded momentum, with both looking at times like they had what it took to go all the way.
“We’re just delighted”, said Robinson, who’s portrayed in the movie by Academy Award nominee Michael Keaton.
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Entertainment Weekly notes that “if the numbers hold up in the afternoon nationals, this will put Sunday’s Oscar telecast at a seven-year-low, at least”.
