The 91st Academy Awards were held this past Sunday, going live without a host for the first time since 1989. With pressure from ABC to cut the runtime down from the four hours it was last year, the Academy did its best, as the awards finished in three hours and 15 minutes. Here are three talking points from Hollywood’s Biggest Night.
No Host Was A Good Thing?
The biggest talking point heading into the show was the position of the host, or lack thereof. After Kevin Hart withdrew his candidacy, the Academy never found a replacement. No one knew what to expect heading into the night, but by the end you could hardly tell the difference.
As opposed to a long monologue where the stars get roasted, the show opened up with a medley by Queen. Starting with music could be the way forward for an awards show that sometimes struggles to keep viewers and audience members engaged.
Not having a host also kept down on-time as unnecessary gags weren’t needed. All the viewers care about is who wins, not how there was a transition from one award to the next. The awards were presented in a timely manner that didn’t make it noticeable the shows was hostless.
With that being said, it would be risky for the Academy to continually go without a host. It would be best to not procrastinate at picking a host; it’s the Oscars, not a college ethics paper.
Best Picture From Critics and Moviegoers are Two Different Things
“Green Book” pulled off the upset winning best picture over “Roma,” but some could argue both movies failed to strike the same chord in the mainstream market such as “A Star Is Born” or “Black Panther.” “Roma,” a drama filmed in black and white, was streamed exclusively on Netflix. Meanwhile, “Green Book” made $150 million globally at the box office according to Forbes, which was less than what “Black Panther” made in its first weekend.
For years viewers have often complained about not ever seeing the best picture winner, and this year was no different.
“It doesn’t seem like they [The Academy] really listen to what we have to say,” said University of Rhode Island freshmen Dawson Miller. “I know Green Book won but not a lot of people saw that movie.”
New Orientation Leader Freshman Jackie Cerbone expressed similar feelings.
“The Oscar for best picture should go to a movie that many people can relate to,” she said. “It shouldn’t be based off of just the critics’ opinion.”
Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga Light Up the Stage
In the most anticipated performance of the night, the two stars from “A Star Is Born,” Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, hit up the stage during a rendition of “Shallow,” which won the Oscar for best original song. The chemistry the two have was ever-apparent, most notably when they stared into each other’s eyes at the end of the performance. People were left wondering if they should be Hollywood’s new power couple, but Cerbone disagreed with this claim.
“The two just have an excellent working relationship,” she said. “Gaga was the perfect choice for the role, and their professional chemistry allowed the movie to be so great.”
Gaga is now single after breaking up from longtime boyfriend Christian Carino, but Cooper is still dating supermodel Irina Shayk. Could we have a new Brangelina on our hands, a couple who forms after filming a movie together? Crazier things have happened.