With breathtaking performances, entertaining hosts, heated drama and unexpected wins, the 94th Academy Awards has become one for the books!
The performance of the title track from the latest Bond movie “No Time To Die” shocked the audience to the core and made it clear Billie Eilish would not be leaving the venue empty handed. And indeed she did not. She managed to score the award Best Original Song and thereby became the first person born in the 2000s to be awarded an Oscar, as well as also claiming half of her EGOT status (an acronym for Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Awards). As of 2022, only sixteen people have collected this status.
The biggest category, Best Picture, was awarded to the film Coda. Coda is a remake of the French film La Famille Bélier and directed by Sian Heder, who is also known for her work with the series Orange Is The New Black. The film follows a young girl, who is torn between her passion for singing and aiding her deaf family’s business. Coda was heavily praised for its representation of deaf actors even before its Oscar win, but something even more remarkable was how the audience applauded in sign language as the creators got up to receive the award.
When talking about this year’s Oscars, you cannot avoid mentioning the collision that occurred between Will Smith and Chris Rock. The comedian, Chris Rock, made a snarky remark about Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair loss by comparing her to “G.I. Jane” before presenting the Best Documentary award, and in response to this, Will Smith unscripted joined the comedian on stage and slapped him. Despite these altercations, Smith was able to follow through with the award show, where he later won the award for Best Actor in a Leading Role.
It is safe to say that the 94th Academy Awards was all about give and take!
By Emmie