By Jordyn Damato
The most anticipated film event of the year has officially come and gone: the Oscars. Any caring cinephile or avid movie buff knows the importance of awards season, but the most highly regarded award ceremony for directors, actors and the like is the Academy Awards. The results of the 97th Academy Awards have many fans celebrating and just as many wondering if the Academy members voted with their eyes closed.
The biggest awards given out each year are always best actor, best actress, best supporting actor, best supporting actress, best original screenplay and, of course, the ultimate achievement, best picture. Movie fans are scattered across the board with the results—so who won what? It’s important to know.
Considering Timothée Chalamet was the lead of two best picture nominees, A Complete Unknown and Dune: Part Two, many considered him a probable choice for best actor, which would have made him the youngest actor to ever win the award. However, Adrien Brody won for his role in The Brutalist—his second Oscar win—maintaining his own throne as the youngest best actor winner in history.
Unfortunately for Chalamet, considering he recently gave an acceptance speech at the SAG Awards, saying he’s determined to become one of “the greats.” Many fans online feel he was robbed, while others argue that he doesn’t need the actual award to still be one of the greats—his mentality and filmography already put him there.
The race for best actress was a tight one this year, with many show-stopping moments from female leads. There was suspected winner Demi Moore for her role in The Substance, "Defying Gravity" legend Cynthia Erivo in Wicked, worldwide star Fernanda Torres in I'm Still Here, and Karla Sofía Gascón for her role in Emilia Pérez. However, one female lead at just 25 years old took home the award—Mikey Madison for her role as Ani in Anora.
The best supporting actor and best supporting actress categories were also highly competitive, but there was arguably no surprise that Kieran Culkin won for his role in A Real Pain, considering he had won the award at every major ceremony thus far, including the Golden Globes, SAG Awards and BAFTA. The board was more split on best supporting actress, but the award ultimately went to Zoe Saldaña (sorry, Ariana Grande fans!). She gave a heartfelt speech, getting emotional on stage while celebrating her culture and the rest of the cast of Emilia Pérez.
The best original screenplay category had some overlap with best picture nominees, though it ultimately went to Sean Baker (who also won best director) for his film, Anora. In fact, Anora took home the most prestigious award of the night—best picture, beating notable films like The Substance, Conclave, I'm Still Here, Dune: Part Two and more.
Anora, a film following the life of a sex worker, dominated the Academy Awards with five total wins. It provided a major opportunity to shed light on experiences that are often overlooked in the film industry—viewed as a victory for some and a head-scratcher for others.
The beautiful thing about film as an art form is that every movie, in its own unique way, starts a conversation. We connect with others through the medium, whether we agree with the results or not. The Academy Awards serve as a celebration of cinema, honoring those who dedicate themselves to crafting stories that allow us to escape reality and step into new worlds, even if only for a short time.
