If, for example, you didn't have a double shot of espresso on the way out of the Governors Ball, or you didn't stop for a chicken salad sandwich with your tux at Ralphs on the way home, you may have taken the responsible route on Sunday and was delivered at a reasonable time. In which case the Times employees who did Those who stay out past bedtime will be happy to help you catch up on the 96th Academy Awards before you're left unprepared at the office water cooler.
Below are the top five takeaways from the 2024 Oscars, from those of us who were in the room.
1. The five-presenter format must be maintained for the performance categories. Forever. It's been since 2010 that the motion picture academy made its brief foray into the “Fab Five” format, but few Oscar hunters will forget Stanley Tucci professing his love for Meryl Streep or Shirley Maclaine giving Anne Hathaway the compliment of a lifetime. Sunday's revival proved a powerful reminder of why it was such a brilliant success then and why it deserves to become an Oscar tradition for the next 100 years — from Lupita Nyong'o making Da'Vine cry Joy Randolph even earlier to win for “The Holdovers.” ” For Jennifer Lawrence covering her mouth with her hands in shock when Emma Stone bested Lily Gladstone, the nostalgia, the adulation and, yes, the drama of sending an entire welcome car of peers to welcome the winners to the Oscar club turned out to be even irresistible. . —Matt Brennan
2. Ryan Gosling may not have won an Oscar. but he won the oscars. Gosling was the unofficial king of the night: although he lost to his “Barbie” rival, “What Was I Made For?” The nominated supporting actor's long-awaited performance of “I'm Just Ken” left the Dolby Theater lobbies (usually filled with people mingling during breaks) nearly empty, sparking an impromptu sing-along from Ken dancers in cowboy hats and attendants amazed, handing him their business card. “Dead,” “Barbie” writer-director Greta Gerwig said of his performance. “I was dying.” —Jessica Gelt
“20 Days in Mariupol” director Mstyslav Chernov (center) accepts the Oscar for Feature Documentary at the 96th Academy Awards.
(Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)
3. A powerful speech can make everyone listen. The audience at the theater was never so enthralled on Sunday night as when they heard “20 Days in Mariupol” director Msyslav Chernov accept the Oscar for documentary feature. “Cinema makes memories and memories make history,” said the AP journalist, whose film about the Russian siege of that Ukrainian city remains a timely and scathing record of the brutality committed against his homeland more than two years since it began. from the war. “It's been a privilege, but it's been a strange and painful experience, because I'm here,” Chernov added backstage. “My heart is in Ukraine.” —MEGABYTE
4. There is nothing as dramatic as a surprise. It may not be fair to call it a “disgust,” but even Stone seemed caught off guard by her “Poor Things” lead actress win over “Killers of the Flower Moon” pioneer Gladstone. When Stone's name was called, the audience fell almost silent, save for a few unexpected gasps, before finally breaking into applause. Stone walked to the podium and did his best to rise to the moment; Awards watchers had the race almost tied between the pair, and it was clear that Stone was ready for (and would have been okay with) Gladstone winning. “I think I fainted,” she explained in the backstage press room. “Yes, I was very surprised. I still feel like I'm spinning around a bit. So yes, it is a great honor and I am very surprised.” —jg
5. Let the award presenters get political. In addition to poking his nose into supporting actor Robert Downey Jr.'s past excesses, Oscar host Jimmy Kimmel woke up the live audience by concluding his monologue at the start of the ceremony with a lengthy tribute to the actors. and writers whose solidarity helped win great awards. studio concessions during last year's dual strikes. Compared to Jo Koy at the Golden Globes, Anthony Anderson at the Emmys, and the host-less Screen Actors Guild Awards, it was the most detailed and precise celebration of Hollywood as a “union city” all season. In fact, at the Governors Ball after the awards show on Sunday, Kimmel told the Times that his tribute to striking Hollywood workers was inspired, in part, by the openness left in him by other ceremonies. “I thought I was going to spend it when I got here,” he said.
Columnist Amy Kaufman and editorial assistant Malia Mendez contributed to this report.
