The 96th Academy Awards were held on Sunday, March 10, 2024, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The ceremony, hosted by comedian Jimmy Kimmel, celebrated the best films of 2023 and honored the achievements of the film industry. Here are some of the highlights and winners of the night:
Oppenheimer dominates with seven awards
The historical thriller Oppenheimer, directed by Christopher Nolan, was the big winner of the night, taking home seven Oscars out of its 13 nominations. The film, which tells the story of the physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer and his role in developing the atomic bomb, won the coveted awards for best picture and best director. It also won best actor for Cillian Murphy, who portrayed Oppenheimer, and best supporting actor for Robert Downey Jr., who played General Leslie Groves. The film also received Oscars for cinematography, film editing, and original score.
Emma Stone surprises with best actress win
One of the most unexpected wins of the night was Emma Stone for her performance in the dark comedy Poor Things. Stone, who played a young woman who fakes her death and joins a gang of female criminals, beat out the frontrunner Lily Gladstone, who became the first Native American to be nominated for best actress for her role in Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon. Stone, who previously won an Oscar for La La Land in 2017, thanked her co-stars, director Yorgos Lanthimos, and producer Margot Robbie in her acceptance speech. She also quoted Taylor Swift, saying “I’m feeling 22”.
Killers of the Flower Moon wins best adapted screenplay
Martin Scorsese’s epic Western crime drama Killers of the Flower Moon, based on the book by David Grann, won the Oscar for best adapted screenplay. The film, which stars Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Lily Gladstone, tells the true story of the Osage murders, a series of killings of Native Americans in Oklahoma in the 1920s. The screenplay was written by Eric Roth, who previously won an Oscar for Forrest Gump in 1995. Roth dedicated his award to the Osage Nation and the victims of the murders.
Poor Things wins four technical awards
The other film that received multiple Oscars was Poor Things, which won four awards in the technical categories. The film, which is based on the novel by Alasdair Gray, won Oscars for makeup and hairstyling, production design, costume design, and sound. The film, which is set in Victorian Scotland, features a colorful and eccentric cast of characters, such as a mad scientist, a resurrected corpse, and a circus performer. The film was praised for its inventive and whimsical design and its immersive sound.
Keep Reading
Other notable winners and moments
Some of the other winners of the night were:
– Best supporting actress: Da’Vine Joy Randolph for The Holdovers, a comedy about a group of misfit teachers who stay at a failing school.
– Best original screenplay: Justine Triet and Arthur Harari for Anatomy of a Fall, a drama about a woman who suffers a brain injury and loses her memory.
– Best international feature film: The Zone of Interest, a British film directed by Jonathan Glazer, based on the novel by Martin Amis, about a Nazi officer who falls in love with a Jewish woman in Auschwitz.
– Best animated feature film: The Boy and the Heron, a French film about a friendship between a boy and a heron in a war-torn country.
– Best original song: “Barbie Girl” by Aqua, from Barbie, a musical comedy starring Margot Robbie as the iconic doll.
Some of the memorable moments of the night were:
– Jimmy Kimmel’s opening monologue, which roasted Robert Downey Jr., Ryan Gosling, and other celebrities.
– Tim Robbins’ blunder, when he accidentally proclaimed Robert De Niro’s performance in Killers of the Flower Moon as “Oscar-winning”, before Robert Downey Jr. claimed the award for Oppenheimer.
– The tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman, who died in 2023, featuring clips from his films and speeches from his co-stars and friends.
– The performance of “Barbie Girl” by Aqua, featuring Margot Robbie, America Ferrera, and other cast members of Barbie, dressed in colorful costumes and dancing on stage.
The Oscars 2024 were a night of surprises, emotions, and entertainment. The winners and nominees showcased the diversity and creativity of the film industry, and the ceremony honored the art and magic of cinema.
