The Oscars were held on Sunday, February 9th, 2020 and to a lot of people’s surprise, the Best Picture trophy went to Parasite. The South Korean thriller focusing on class divide and the desperation to claw one’s way to success had been winning honours all over the world since it debuted at Cannes and took home the Palme D’or. At the Academy Awards it not only took home Best Foreign Film, but Best Picture, Best Director (for Bong Joon-ho) and Best Original Screenplay.
Many thought the Best Picture trophy would go to Sam Mendes’ one take World War I drama, 1917. The film had won the best film trophies at the Golden Globes, and the BAFTAs. However, for those that pay attention to film award ceremonies year by year, it’s often the case that the Oscar winners for Best Picture are different.
As for acting honours, they were consistent with most other award ceremonies. Joaquin Phoenix won for his much celebrated and controversial role as Arthur Fleck, the Joker. Renee Zellweger won for her performance as the venerable Judy Garland. Laura Dern won for her role as a divorce lawyer in Marriage Story, and Brad Pitt won for his role as stuntman Cliff Booth in Once Upon A Time in Hollywood.
Other notable winners included Roger Deakins, taking his second Oscar for Best Cinematography for 1917, and Bombshell taking home Best Makeup and Hairstyling for turning Charlize Theron into a doppelganger of former Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly.
A surprise performance of “Lose Yourself” by Eminem was the standout moment of the night. This was apparently a rectification for not showing up to receive his Oscar for Best Original song, for the same song, 17 years ago.
What was most notable about the 2020 Oscars was the audience viewership. Compared to last year’s ceremony which brought in 29.6 million viewers, this year only 23.6 million sat glued to their screens. This only goes to show how little faith people continue to put in award ceremonies. This is not only a result of the disconnect between huge blockbusters and the films nominated for the Oscars, but between filmmakers and audiences.
Still, the Oscars are in some sense the most respected and most vilified awards ceremony in the world. Hence, they are held in high regard. That aside. Did you watch any of the films nominated for Best Picture? What were your favourite Hollywood films of the year?
Oscar winners
Best picture
Parasite
Best actress
Renée Zellweger, Judy
Best actor
Joaquin Phoenix, Joker
Best director
Bong Joon-ho, Parasite
Music (original song)
“(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” from Rocketman
Music (original score)
Joker
International feature film
South Korea, Parasite
Makeup and hairstyling
Bombshell
Visual effects
1917
Best film editing
Ford v Ferrari
Best cinematography
Roger Deakins, 1917
Best sound mixing
1917
Best sound editing
Ford v Ferrari
Best supporting actress
Laura Dern, Marriage Story
Documentary short feature
Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl)
Documentary feature
American Factory
Best costume design
Jacqueline Durran, Little Women
Best production design
Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
Live-action short film
The Neighbors’ Window
Best adapted screenplay
Taika Waititi, Jojo Rabbit
Best original screenplay
Bong Joon-ho, Parasite
Animated short film
Hair Love
Animated feature film
Toy Story 4
Best supporting actor
Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood
