The 95th Academy Awards took place on Sunday, with “Everything Everywhere All at Once” winning the coveted best picture prize, among others. Hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, the ceremony included a range of talking points, including Kimmel’s sharp and witty performance, which included political zingers about Fox News, Tucker Carlson, and Congressman George Santos.
Kimmel also attempted to draw Nobel peace laureate Malala Yousafzai into a discussion about Harry Styles, but this fell flat. The ceremony began with two US Navy fighter jets flying over Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre in tribute to the nominated film “Top Gun: Maverick.”
Elizabeth Banks, director of “Cocaine Bear,” presented an award alongside a person in a giant bear costume, while Kimmel appeared onstage with a donkey claiming it was Colin Farrell’s pet from “The Banshees of Inisherin.”
Indie arthouse distributor A24 was a surprise success, taking all four acting awards and sweeping the top prizes thanks to “Everything Everywhere All at Once” and “The Whale.”
Kimmel’s performance was widely praised for its sharp humor, with plenty of jokes about the film industry and politics. The flyover by the US Navy was a spectacular start to the ceremony, with the Academy thanking them for the “once-in-a-lifetime” opening.
Banks’ presentation of the award for best visual effects alongside a person in a giant bear costume added a surreal element to the night, as did Kimmel’s appearance with a donkey claiming it was Farrell’s pet.
However, the standout moment of the night was the success of indie arthouse distributor A24, which took home an astonishing sweep of the top prizes. “Everything Everywhere All at Once” won best picture, best director, best actress, and four other prizes, while “The Whale” won best actor and best makeup and hairstyling.
This was a surprise success, given that the awards season had seen large studios spend big on their Oscars hopefuls.
Overall, the 95th Academy Awards had a range of talking points, from Kimmel’s sharp humor to the surreal animal appearances and the surprise success of indie arthouse distributor A24.
