'Nomadland' Wins Best Picture, Anthony Hopkins and Frances McDormand Win Lead Acting Oscars

Well, there we have it. For once, the frontrunner went all the way this time, allowing Chloe Zhao to make history as the second woman to win Best Director. If only her film was allowed to have its moment as the climax of the show. I don’t know whose “brilliant” idea this was, but NEVER again present Best Picture as the third to last award of the night, people. Best Actor and Actress were ludicrously given out after Best Picture, which led to the unfortunate moment of Joaquin Phoenix having to announce that Anthony Hopkins had upset in Best Actor, and he wasn’t even there to accept, in person or via satellite, so the show just ends. Yup. This after Frances McDormand’s third Oscar win (putting her in an elite category ONLY occupied by Katharine Hepburn- seriously) saw her give a ten second speech before walking abruptly off the stage. So yeah- they will not do that again, believe me. I went just 17 for 23 this year. Not so good, but at least I called those Father wins. I hope people see it, because Hopkins’s winning performance (placing him on a list of just 10 2-time Oscar winners and the oldest Oscar winning actor ever) really is one for the ages.

2021 ACADEMY AWARD WINNERS

BEST PICTURE: Nomadland

BEST DIRECTOR: Chloe Zhao, Nomadland

BEST ACTOR: Anthony Hopkins, The Father 

BEST ACTRESS: Frances McDormand, Nomadland

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Youn Yuh-jung, Minari

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: The Father

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Promising Young Woman

BEST EDITING: Sound of Metal

BEST DOCUMENTARY: My Octopus Teacher

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE: Another Round

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE: Soul

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Mank

BEST COSTUMES: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

BEST MAKEUP & HAIRSTYLING: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN: Mank

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: Soul

BEST ORIGINAL SONG: “Fight for You,” Judas and the Black Messiah

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT: Colette

BEST ANIMATED SHORT: If Anything Happens, I Love You

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT: Two Distant Strangers

BEST SOUND: Sound of Metal

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS: Tenet

Some more notes on this COVID-Oscar show: I’m just going to be happy when things go back to normal, because this weird, lifeless, completely humorless slog was not fun to watch at all. If ever the Oscars needed a host, it was this year. Or, how about any kind of comedian presenting anything? The biggest joke was told by Harrison Ford, mildly dunking on Blade Runner’s editing. Otherwise it was a dull, structureless fail by producer Steven Soderbergh, who should maybe have his own directing Oscar revoked for this disaster. Whose idea was it to not show clips, or stills, or ANY kind of visuals for the awards you’re presenting? Why just focus in on the random people nominated for visual effects instead of, you know, showing the actual visual effects of the movies nominated? Ditto for production design, costumes, makeup, ACTING? Where were the acting clips of the performances? The things that might make someone curious to see these winners or at least know what the achievement is these people are winning for? The intimate feel of the ceremony was perhaps a throwback the very earliest Oscar ceremonies of the 1920’s and 30’s, where the crowd was in a smaller venue at dinner tables, but major elements of television entertainment were missing, at least in my opinion (those old ceremonies were on the radio, you know). I can’t wait to have things go back to the way they were, with the excitement of the live event and applauding crowd. And yeah, bring back the host please. We need one more than ever.

At least we got an in person ceremony, but the weirdness of it all has me wanting things back to normal as soon as possible