93rd Annual Academy Awards Rapid Reactions
And with that generally somber affair, the 2021 awards season comes to an official close. In what became one of the first major awards shows to attempt to be held entirely in person, the 2021 Academy Awards took over Union Station in Los Angeles on Sunday evening. The ceremony included a consistent game of musical chairs between the indoors and outdoors venues, but not a single musical act in order to keep up the energy for the otherwise low-key affair. There were a few surprises, history-making moments, and even Glenn Close twerking at a table with Daniel Kaluuya. Below are some of my immediate reactions after the final statue:
1. Best Actor Shocker – the biggest surprise of the night came in the very last minute of the show. In what felt like a crescendo in the evening for the late Chadwick Boseman, who swept awards season for his portrayal of Levee Green in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, the ceremony switched up Best Actor to be the last award of the night. Only to then reveal that Anthony Hopkins pulled off the upset for his role in The Father. And with Sir Hopkins not present and completely unavailable for the telecast, the ceremony ended with little more than a quick thank you and good night as the credits rolled. What could have been one of the last & best moments to really celebrate Boseman’s career and work ended with a dull goodbye, which did kind of matched the rest of the evening’s energy if I’m being honest.
2. Nomadland’s Major Moment – the favorite going into the evening, Chloé Zhao, Frances McDormand, and the rest of the production team certainly had a lot to celebrate by the end of the night. With wins for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress, Nomadland was the only film of the night to win more than 2 awards. I had other favorites in this year’s race (Sound of Metal was my personal favorite and Riz Ahmed was a tour de force) but seeing Chloé Zhao make history – more on that later - was certainly the highlight of the evening. Equally as exciting will be to see her come off a night of wins to going straight into promotion for what is sure to be the most beautiful Marvel Studios film ever, Eternals.
3. Academy Awards Across the Globe (and the 101) – for the first time, the Academy Awards took place in multiple locations, including its homebase at Union Station in downtown Los Angeles. Other locations included an auditorium in London for nominees and additional family, personal satellite locations for nominees outside those hubs, and Bryan Cranston holding court in the awards traditional home, The Dolby Theater in Hollywood. The venue was used to celebrate and award the Academy’s Humanitarian Award to the nation’s medical professionals. On hand to accept were about 70 nurses and doctors in the lobby of the theater. The award was definitely due, but doesn’t it feel a little bait & switch to say you’re inviting medical professionals to the Oscars, but make it a satellite location where they miss the pomp & circumstances of Hollywood’s biggest night and rubbing elbows with their favorite celebrities?
4. History Made Here – this year’s nominees were already the most diverse ever, and the winners continued to blaze those trails. Chloé Zhao became the first woman of color to win Best Director, and only the 2nd woman ever to win the award. Youn Yuh-jung was the first Korean woman to win (or even be nominated) for Best Supporting Actress. And Riz Ahmed was actually the first Islamic nominee for Best Actor – which came as surprise for me, but only until I realized that both of Mahershala Ali’s wins came in the Best Supporting Actor category.
5. Switched It Up – the evening’s events came in a mostly traditional & subdued manner with a few key changes. They continued the 3-year tradition of having no host for the Oscars, which felt more needed than ever in the new, more cavernous venue. Questlove was the closest thing to a host as he played DJ going in and out of commercial breaks – and honestly his bit with Lil Rel Howery was by far the most viral and exciting moment of the night. If you missed it, google “Glenn Close Twerking” – and after that google “Andra Day Purple Rain” because her reaction to confidently assuming Prince’s ‘Purple Rain’ was snubbed at the Oscars was equally hilarious. Nominees were rotated in and out as categories were announced in order to keep the inside audience as minimal as possible. And like previously stated, the oddest choice of the night was to end the evening with Best Actor instead of the more traditional Best Picture. While the Academy holds steadfast that the winners of each category are only known by PWC, someone on the production must have known that surprise win for Anthony Hopkins should not have been the moment to close the show.
What did you think of 93rd Annual Academy Awards? Did your favorites win? See the full list of winners here.
