This year's Oscars ceremony, held on Sunday, March 10th, was filled with refreshing lightness, humor, and heartfelt gratitude. The evening's event was hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, who balanced humor and sarcasm, complemented by heartfelt moments and witty banter. While some of his remarks may have veered into controversial territory, such as a jab at Robert Downey Jr.'s drug history, his presence seemed warmly received throughout the evening. From hilarious interactions to emotional acceptance speeches, the event provided viewers with a much-needed escape and entertainment.
Highlights of the night included John Cena's unexpected naked stage entrance to announce Best Costume, Ryan Gosling's stunning “I'm Just Ken” performance, and Rita Moreno's Memorable moments included a tribute to America Ferrera and the dog Messi colliding with the mat. Damon's Walk of Fame star and Billie Eilish's moving rendition of “What Was I Made For.”
Notably, Oppenheimer won a total of seven awards, Emma Stone gave a tearful speech, and Davin Joy Randolph touched the hearts of the audience with her honesty and kindness. In his acceptance speech for Best Adapted Screenplay, filmmaker Cord Jefferson spoke of the risks involved in financing and reaping the rewards of small films, saying, “Even $200 million movies have risks…1 “Instead of making $200 for a book.” Try making 10 million dollar movies. Or 50 $4 million movies…the next Martin Scorsese. The next Greta is there…the next Christopher Nolan is there. ”
A highlight of the night was the return of five past winners in the acting categories, as well as this year's Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Actor, and Best Actor. It was a gesture to announce the award for the “Best Actress” nomination. This has led to exciting reunions and heartwarming moments on both stage and screen, bringing back memorable figures such as Lupita Nyong'o, Jamie Lee Curtis, Mahershala Ali and Jennifer Lawrence.
All in all, this year's Oscars was high on emotion, filled with mesmerizing performances and first-time awards. Lack of interest has led to low ratings, with a 2022 poll finding an estimated 70% of American adults are indifferent to the Academy Awards. But this year could be a turning point. According to the Washington Post, this year's Oscars ceremony had the largest audience since 2020. Although it was only a 4% increase from last year, it is still a significant improvement.
Although this year's ceremony has come to an end, the Academy is undoubtedly keen to maintain and exceed this year's success. After the 2024 Academy Awards ceremony, the audience was treated to a great moment and a sense of satisfaction.