If you’ve been to the AMC movie theater recently, you’ve heard Nicole Kidman’s advertisement encouraging moviegoers with the words, “we come to this place for magic… somehow, heartbreak feels good in a place like this.” This year, movies certainly created magic for people of all walks of life, with phenomena like Barbenheimer drawing people who never watch movies to the theaters.
On March 10, the 96th annual Oscars took place in the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles to honor the magical films and filmmakers from 2023. If you missed the show, here are our thoughts on the most memorable moments of the night.
Best dressed: Zendaya
Zendaya, a presenter for best cinematography, wore a black and pink Armani dress. She lit up the red carpet in this look, also sporting her new bob hairstyle.
Best speech: Da’Vine Joy Randolph
Following her best supporting actress win, Randolph gave a heartwarming speech which paid tribute to the mentors that paved the way for her. She touched millions of people worldwide with her humble speech and made us wish for more success in her future.
Best performance: Billie Eilish
The 22-year-old singer performed her multi-award winning song “What Was I Made For?” alongside her brother and collaborator, Finneas. With wins for this song along with her 2020 track “No Time to Die,” Eilish is the youngest person to win two Oscars.
Weirdest Moment: John Cena’s “Costume”
To allude to Robert Opel’s naked protest at the 1974 Oscars, John Cena presented “Best Costume Design” completely naked, holding the Oscars envelope to cover himself for TV. Audience members and watchers at home alike were shocked at the unique presentation.
Best Presenters: Emily Blunt and Ryan Gosling
The best presenters of the night presented a tribute instead of an award. Blunt and Gosling did a tribute to stunt performers and the duo joked about the rivalry between their respective blockbusters of last summer, “Oppenheimer” and “Barbie.”
Every award was important to the ceremony, but the following were the big six awards of the night.
Supporting actress: Da’Vine Joy Randolph as Mary Lamb in “The Holdovers”
Supporting actor: Robert Downey Jr. as Lewis Strauss in “Oppenheimer”
Best actress: Emma Stone as Bella Baxter in “Poor Things”
Best actor: Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer in “Oppenheimer”
Best Director: Christopher Nolan for “Oppenheimer”
Best Picture: “Oppenheimer”
The 2024 Oscars was packed with excitement, upsets, and celebrity photos. The lineup for 2024 movies is already shaping up, having us anticipating next year’s ceremony.
