The 2020 Oscars telecast was a very mixed bag. On the one hand, thedominationofParasitein the Best Picture, Director, International Film, and Original Screenplays categories was a delight, and folks likeBong Joon-ho,Laura Dern, andJoaquin Phoenixgaveimpassioned, interesting speeches. On the other hand, you also had a completely random performance of “Lose Yourself” byEminem, a wholly unnecessary rapped recap midway through the show, and celebrities coming onstage to introduce a presenter to then introduce a winner.
So let’s review the telecast by digging into the best and worst moments of the show.
Best: Bong Joon-ho’s Best Director Speech
ParasitefilmmakerBong Joon-hoendeared himself to viewers the world over last night during his many acceptance speeches, clearly delighted and humbled to be winning so many Oscars. But his Best Director speech, in which he thankedQuentin Tarantinofor his support over the years and cited a saying byMartin Scorsese—“The most personal is the most creative”—which then spurred a standing ovation for The Master himself, was a truly touching moment.
Best: Parasite Wins Best Picture; Tom Hanks and Charlize Theron Keep the Lights On
Few thought it could actually happen, butParasiteshocked the world by taking Best Picture. The pure joy of theParasitecast and crew was palpable, but a hat tip goes to the crowd—specificallyTom HanksandCharlize Theron—for urging the telecast producers to turn the lights back on and let CJ Entertainment mogulMiky Leespeak at the podium.
Worst: No Host
Going hostless turned out to be a rather brilliant decision for last year’s telecast, but this year’s ceremony faltered.Steve MartinandChris Rockkind of stumbled over a subpar opening monologue, and the extra time was, uh, not spent wisely. Going hostless isn’t inherently a bad thing, but next year’s producers would do well to find more meaningful ways to fill that gap. Case in point…
Worst: The Rapped Recap
The second most baffling moment of the night came when the admittedly talentedUtkarsh Ambudkarcame on stage to recap what we’d seen so far with an original rap. Did the producers really think we, the viewers, had forgotten who had won so far? The Oscars are long but they’re notthatlong.
Best: Will Ferrell and Julia Louis-Dreyfus
One could sayWill FerrellandJulia Louis-Dreyfushave chemistry. The comedic duo absolutely nailed their introductory bits for Best Cinematography and Best Film Editing, making for probably the funniest moment of the night.
Best: The Acting Montages
Instead of choosing one cry-acting clip from each nominee in the acting categories, this year’s telecast showed off a montage for each category that offered a wider range of the performances that had been nominated. I liked it! Even if the following “and the nominees are” bit felt a bit redundant.
Worst: So. Many. Presenters.
Who thought it was a good idea to have celebrities take the stage only to introduce another celebrity who would then introduce a category or song? What was the point of this? It’s not as if the initial presenter got the moment to improv or say something genuine. It was all scripted fluff that only served to make the telecast longer without adding anything of substance.
Best: Maya Rudolph and Kristen Wiig
Second only to the Ferrell/JLD power duo wasMaya RudolphandKristen Wiigauditioning for all the filmmakers in the audience. Good bit!
Best: Maestra Eimear Noone Conducts Best Original Score Nominees
Usually when the telecast gets around to the Best Original Score category, they’re trying to cut time and you hearmaybethree seconds of each score. So I savored the opportunity to hear a solid snippet of each nominated piece of music, as conducted live byMaestra Eimear Noone.
Best: Cynthia Erivo Performs “Stand Up”
BoyCynthia Erivocan sing, huh? Although if you’ve seen the supremely underratedBad Times at the El Royale, you already knew that. I have to imagine, though, that some in the audience may have wanted to change their votes for Best Original Song after hearing this one live.
