PARASITE!!! Honestly, who even cares what else happened at the Oscars? Parasite. Won. Best. Picture. That’s really all that matters. I am so happy right now, it’s hard to even contain it.
As soon as I finished watching the first time, Parasite was my #1 movie of the year. And it never moved from that top spot, never even came close. I knew this movie was special. And not just in terms of movies, but special to me. There was just something different about it, the way it grabbed me and captivated me and spoke to me. And as the weeks and months went on, it quickly became apparent that this sentiment was spreading. It was spreading throughout the industry and “civilians” alike. The #BongHive movement was real.
And now it culminates here, as the first ever non-English speaking movie to win Best Picture. I came *this* close to crying when Jane Fonda made the announcement. Parasite, it turns out, meant (means) much more to me than I ever imagined. And for that, I will forever be grateful to Director Bong, Neon, and the entire Parasite team.
If you’re so inclined, you can read my review of Parasite here.
But there were other things that happened at the Oscars. Minus Parasite’s Best Picture win, and Director Bong’s Best Director win, most of the categories went pretty much as expected. It made for a pretty boring show overall, but there were highlights to be had.
Red Carpet
We’ll start with the pre-Oscars red carpet. There was a shockingly low number of terrible outfits this year. So we’ll spare them and just stick with with a handful of those who stood out in a good way.
Bong Joon-Ho
Because of course. This was getting the top spot here no matter what. But after the Best Director win and Best Picture wins (along with Original Screenplay and International Feature) there simply was no other choice.
Julia Butters
She’s been adorable all awards season and it continued here, even sneaking in a turkey sandwich.
Regina King
Last year’s Best Supporting Actress winner looked stunning as always.
Spike Lee
The acclaimed director paid tribute to the late Kobe Bryant with his purple and gold numbered jacket.
Laura Dern
Roman Griffin Davis and Archie Yates
The Jojo Rabbit stars are just as funny in real life as they are in the movie.
Kaitlyn Dever
The Booksmart star matches the carpet and looks dynamite while doing it.
George Mackay
1917’s leading man looking dapper in a classic black tux.
Dean-Charles Chapman
Mackay’s co-star is right there with him.
Mindy Kaling
Looking great, Kelly.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
The 59-year old actress could pass for 20 years younger.
Antonio Banderas
Really showing out for his first Oscars as nominee.
Taika Waititi
No words needed.
Saoirse Ronan
She can do no wrong.
Florence Pugh
MY. QUEEN. We are not worthy.
Brad Pitt
Um, duh.
Margot Robbie
Duh, again.
Greta Gerwig
The Little Women writer-director bringing the heat.
Leonardo DiCaprio
And no “Best Of” fashion segment would be complete without LDC himself.
The Winners
You can see a complete list of winners here.
Not only did Parasite take home the big win of the night, it also ended with the most wins of any movie, with four (Best Picture, Director, Original Screenplay, International Feature). Following with three was 1917 (Sound Mixing, Cinematography, Visual Effects), while Ford v. Ferrari (Sound Editing, Film Editing), Joker (Lead Actor, Score), and Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood (Supporting Actor, Production Design) finished with two apiece.
Brad Pitt and Laura Dern
In winning Best Supporting Actor, Brad Pitt took home his first acting Oscar (second overall; he won as a producer for 12 Years a Slave). While Pitt’s win was a sure thing (just like all the acting categories this year), it was still a great way to start off the night.
This was Laura Dern’s first career win, after two previous losses at the Oscars.
Taika Waititi’s War On Apple
I’m just going to leave this here and let it speak for itself.
The Music
“Into the Unknown”
Also going to take this time to note, as I’ve done several times before, that “Into the Unknown” is not the best song in Frozen 2. That honor belongs to “Lost in the Woods.”
But the *true* best Frozen 2 song didn’t even make it into the movie. That would be “I Seek the Truth.”
“I Won’t Let You Throw Yourself Away”
“Stand Up”
“(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again”
Eminem From the Clouds!
This moment was completely unexpected. The Academy managed to keep Eminem’s performance “Lose Yourself,” his 2003 Academy Award-winning song.
Olivia Colman
This woman is amazing. She needs to be involved in every single awards ceremony for everything. Oscars, Grammys, NFL Honors, I don’t care. She makes everything better.
Bong Joon-Ho
Original Screenplay
International Feature
Best Director
And then, of course:
The Moment
And that’s it. Really, outside of Bong and Parasite’s success, it was a pretty by-the-numbers ceremony. It wasn’t anything special, but it certainly wasn’t bad. The no host model worked; it really wasn’t even noticeable. I’d think the Academy will continue this way for the foreseeable future.
Okay, 2020, you’re officially up. Good luck trying to top this one next year.
