It's important to recognize that all in all, the Oscars hold no real significance. Yes, they look nice, and they are nice validations of the hard work of many creators, but this does not mean that films that don't win the Oscars are not worthy of attention. Dozens of beautiful, artful, incredibly creative films are released year after year, and most of them don't get nominated for anything. So the Oscars are far from gospel.
That being said, Oscar night is incredibly fun for me, because it's the day I get to play my game of predictions and see how well I know the movies of this year. It's also great to see your favorite creators receive what is generally considered the highest-caliber award in the industry. So this is a reflection on this year's Academy Awards, as in my favorite moments, as well as some of my regrets regarding the ceremony.
Favorite Moments:
1. Guillermo Del Toro won big. As many qualms as you might have about a movie about amphibian-love winning the top prize, "The Shape of Water" is a technically sprawling and beautifully told story. The visual details are softly poetic and wonderfully expressive. Do you remember the last time you smiled ear-to-ear when watching a movie? Not because the movie was funny, but because it was immeasurably beautiful? Because I know I did in the middle of watching "The Shape of Water."
Guillermo is a born storyteller, and if you liked "The Shape of Water," (or even if you didn't) I can't recommend his 2006 masterpiece "Pan's Labyrinth" enough. It's simultaneously more grounded and far more expansive and abstract than "The Shape of Water."
2. Jordan Peele picked up an Oscar for his original screenplay to "Get Out."When I scrolled through the Golden Globe nominations, I did a double take, because I didn't see Jordan Peele nominated for anything. How could this be? He spearheaded one of the most visionary, genre-expanding films in recent history.
"Get Out" juxtaposes the emotional immediacy of the horror genre with a complex social satire in a totally effective, totally creepy, and totally unique creation. Even getting its nomination for the Oscar, I was unsure about its chances, but Jordan Peele eventually prevailed (in case there was any doubt that he was brilliant).
3. Roger Deakins, the infamous cinematographer, finally gets a win. Good golly, he's been through 14 nominations to get one Oscar. I guess it doesn't matter though, because he definitely seemed to be over it, especially having amassed a now legendary career as one of the best cinematographers of all time, if not the greatest. His revolutionary take on color design and his ability to craftily build sweeping cinematic worlds will undoubtedly go down in film history.
Regrets:
1. As much as I enjoyed Jordan Peele's original screenplay win, I was frustrated by how unbelievably loaded that category was. "The Big Sick," written by Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon, illuminates the cultural conflicts of Muslim-Americans in an incredibly human and blisteringly funny fashion. "Lady Bird" shows off Greta Gerwig's insane ability to turn textured humor into stark psychological portraits in a beautiful coming-of-age story. "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing," "Missouri" may not feature Martin McDonagh at his sharpest, but Martin McDonagh at 50% of his power (which is a hyperbolic lowball for this movie) is still way, way above the pack when it comes to his black comedy.
Hell, even Del Toro's treatment for "The Shape of Water" flaunts his magical story-telling power—every single character is a fully-fleshed out person; it's a movie where I'm legitimately considering buying the novelization. It's not like there was anything that anybody could do about this, but pretty much all of these films were deserving of the big prize.
2. As always, moments are wasted, taking away from the time for acceptance speeches. I guess it was nice to see an unsuspecting theater meet some of the biggest stars in Hollywood—except, no it didn't. The whole time it was happening, I just wondered why this was more important than letting creators who have worked their whole lives for this moment finish saying what they've always wanted to say.
3. "Lady Bird" got totally shut out, in one of the unfortunate snubs of this year. Easily one of the best films of the year, Greta Gerwig's beautiful coming-of-age story deserved more than it was recognized for. That's just how the cards fall sometimes, but it doesn't have to inhibit the film's legacy. "The Shawshank Redemption" did not win any Academy Awards and today it's regarded by many as the best film of all time. "Lady Bird" hopefully has that kind of legacy before it, because never before have I seen a movie evoking my reality so clearly, even though my life is nothing like the film. But I can relate, as have so, so many.
Ultimately, the Oscars shouldn't bear that much weight, but it’s a good reminder that we had a fantastic year for movies. The best year in recent memory. Here’s looking forward to another good year.
