Academy Awards 2020 Reactions
Picks in bold were ones I guessed correctly.
Brad Pitt needs a haircut. credit: Michael Yada / ©A.M.P.A.S.
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From the start what was with showing clip packages and then reading out the list of the nominees? Do they think we’d suddenly forget who the nominees were? This is why this show never ends on time.
Actor in a Supporting Role |
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Animated Feature Film
TOY STORY 4, Josh Cooley, Mark Nielsen and Jonas Rivera Oh me of little faith. The other awards that give out Animation trophies were all over the place this year so I wasn’t sure if TS4 was going to be able to take this home. Happy for the team, Forky 4 Life. Animated Short HAIR LOVE, Matthew A. Cherry and Karen Rupert Toliver Pretty freaking cool to see someone I’ve known for a long time on the stage at the Oscars! Congrats Everett and the “Hair Love” team. Representation matters and at least they recognized that in one of the less “glamorous” categories. |
The “Hair Love” team – congrats Ev! credit: Terekah Najuwan / ©A.M.P.A.S.
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PARASITE, Bong Joon Ho, Han Jin Won
This win was my first sign of hope. As much as I loved “Knives Out,” “Parasite” haunts the crap out of me. Also the freaking joy on director Bong’s face when he giggles at his Oscar is just majestic.
Adapted Screenplay
JOJO RABBIT, Taika Waititi
Shocked but delighted to see this win. This also makes Taika the first Indigenous director to win an Oscar (also as a mixed Jewish person / person of color it’s always nice to see one of our own succeed).
How can you not be happy for director Bong?! ©A.M.P.A.S.
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Taika Waititi was one of my other favorite wins of the night – credit: Blaine Ohigashi / ©A.M.P.A.S.
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THE NEIGHBORS’ WINDOW, Marshall Curry
Production Design
ONCE UPON A TIME…IN HOLLYWOOD
Production Design: Barbara Ling, Set Decoration: Nancy Haigh
As previously mentioned there’s nothing Hollywood loves more than… the nostalgic version of themselves.
Costume Design
LITTLE WOMEN, Jacqueline Durran
Because we couldn’t ignore women and female led films altogether, right? So it was safe to give them costume design (sigh).
Documentary Feature
AMERICAN FACTORY, Steven Bognar, Julia Reichert and Jeff Reichert
Thank you Mark Ruffalo for pointing out ⅘ of these films are directed or co-directed by women. Now let’s get some of those nominees in more glam categories. Also fun fact: the Obama’s production company is behind the winner, is there anything they can’t do?
Documentary Short Subject
LEARNING TO SKATEBOARD IN A WARZONE (IF YOU’RE A GIRL), Carol Dysinger and Elena Andreicheva
Congrats to these boss bitches.
Laura Dern – credit: Phil McCarten / ©A.M.P.A.S.
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Actress in a Supporting Role
Laura Dern, MARRIAGE STORY She’s having a great few years, what can we say? Sound Editing |
1917, Roger Deakins
No surprises here, after 15 nominations he’s now on a streak with back to back wins.
Film Editing
Michael McCusker and Andrew Buckland, FORD V FERRARI
For a film about cars that go fast, this movie went awfully show… at this point in the show I was worried this could win Best Picture as this category is often an indicator of the top prize winner of the night.
Visual Effects
1917, Guillaume Rocheron, Greg Butler and Dominic Tuohy
The intro bit was better than the entirety of the “Cats” movie. Were the VFX in “1917” the most flashy? No, but I guess they were well executed.
BOMBSHELL, Kazu Hiro, Anne Morgan and Vivian Baker
They did indeed do a very good job with the makeup so no complaints here.
International Feature
PARASITE, (South Korea)
This was pretty much a guarantee so it wasn’t a surprise, but it did dampen my hopes for “Parasite” winning Best Picture.
Original Score
JOKER, Hildur Guðnadóttir
As someone on the internet pointed out, it would have been great if the only person to win an Oscar for “Joker” was a woman.
Original Song
“(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” from ROCKETMAN, Music by Elton John, Lyric by Bernie Taupin
First off, what I wouldn’t give for a film with presenters Gal Gadot, Brie Larson, and Sigourney Weaver. Second, no surprises here, although even with this included the songs this year did not feel amazingly strong.
Directing
PARASITE, Bong Joon Ho
Bong Joon-ho’s name has been said a kajillion times already, could Spike Lee not have learned how to say it properly? As for the actual win: Hell yes, and shout out to Sharon the translator.
Actor in a Leading Role
Joaquin Phoenix, JOKER
Gross gross gross, also you have a huge platform and acknowledged your privilege and choose to try to shame people about eating meat? Yes that can be an important issue to you but as a reminder there are HUMAN children in cages at the border, yo.
Actress in a Leading Role
Renée Zellweger, JUDY
Did anyone even see “Judy?” I can tell you they didn’t, cause if they did they wouldn’t have voted for this. Also what the hell was her speech about? It went on and on and made no sense. This is also the most moved I’ve seen director Bong at any awards show. Beautiful.
Best Picture
PARASITE, Kwak Sin Ae and Bong Joon Ho
Holy shit. I knew this deserved to win but I didn’t think it would actually do so. Between this and “The Farewell” (which was grossly overlooked but at least won the Independent Spirit Award for best film) I was so impressed by Asian films this year. I also love that this was a huge F-U to all the xenophobes who think that a film in another language isn’t worthy of “Best Picture.”
Shout out to “Roma” for working on paving the way recently for non-English language films to be taken seriously in this category (I think it still should have won). This is a huge moment in showing that film is global, and not just limited to one language’s constraints.
