Oscars 2019 – Reflections on winners, memorable moments

On By ruthIn Awards Chatter

Quick confession: I’m copying this post from 2015. Well whaddayaknow, four years later, I am still loyal to tradition of watching the Oscars in my PJs live tweetin’ with my laptop!!

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Well, first things first…

How did I do on my predictions?

  1. Best picture: ROMA Green Book
  2. Best director: Spike Lee Alfonso Cuarón
  3. Best lead actor: Cristian Bale Rami Malek
  4. Best lead actress: Olivia Colman
  5. Best supporting actor: Sam Elliot – Mahershala Ali 
  6. Best supporting actress: Regina King –If Beale Street Could Talk
  7. Best animated feature: Spiderman: Into The Spider-Verse
  8. Best adapted screenplay: Can You Ever Forgive Me? BlackKklansman
  9. Best original screenplay: The Favourite Green Book
  10. Best original score: Black Panther
  11. Best cinematography: A Star Is Born ROMA (Alfonso Cuarón)
  12. Best Foreign Language Film: Shoplifters ROMA
  13. Best original song: Shallow (A Star Is Born)
  14. Best Film Editing: BlackkKlansman Bohemian Rhapsody
  15. Best Make Up and Hair Styling: VICE
  16. Best Production Design: Black Panther
  17. Best Costume Design: Black Panther
  18. Best Sound Editing: First Man Bohemian Rhapsody
  19. Best Mixing: First Man  First Man Bohemian Rhapsody
  20. Best Visual Effects: Avengers: Infinity War First Man

Well, I did a pretty awful job this year, ahah. I only got 7 right out of the 20 categories I predicted.

The one I’m surprised by the most is Mahershala Ali as his first Best Supporting Actor win was just a few years ago, but hey I’m by no means disappointed.

 

Red Carpet Stuff

I didn’t actually watch this LIVE on TV, just following Twitter for the Oscars red carpet coverage, as I do year after year.

These are some of my favorite dresses of the night:

I LOVE seeing colors on the red carpet. There might be some I missed but of the ones I saw in my timeline, these are the ones that I think are the prettiest.


I feel like Cate Blanchett often wear sea-foam green color on the red carpet and she looks absolutely gorgeous in this floral number. Amy Adams looks like a mermaid in that pearl gown and it highlights her figure nicely. Michelle Yeoh & Angela Bassett both proof you can look perfectly glamorous at any age!

Dapper men on the red carpet!

Well, let’s just get to the main event shall we?

Favorite Speeches:

Olivia’s reaction when she heard her name was priceless… then came her speech. Endearing. Adorable. Humble. Hilarious. Moving. If there’s a Best Speech award, this Queen wins it hands down!

“God is Good ALL the time… and ALL the time, GOD IS GOOD!” – AMEN Regina King!!

I so wanted Ruth Carter to win because I adore every single one of those Black Panther costumes!!!

This is the one category I want A Star Is Born to win… Shallow is a beautiful, emotional song and boy… that Oscar performance was something else!

Fave Moments

Woo wee!! Captain America is my fave hero of the MCU… and Chris Evans is the absolute embodiment of him. Not to mention he’s looking dapper af!! 😉

I literally just watched BlackKlansman last night, just in the nick of time before the Oscars telecast. Thrilled to see it won Best Adapted Screenplay! But that great moment is topped by Spike Lee jumping Samuel L. Jackson on stage before he received his award. Yeah!!!

Confession: It’s only my second Spike Lee movie (yes I gotta rectify that soon, starting with Do The Right Thing!)

Is there a more iconic musical performance duo??

Final Thoughts

I know lots of people are upset with two of the categories… Best Actor (Rami Malek) and Best Picture (Green Book).

Haven’t seen BohemianRhapsody yet but can’t help but really astounded/baffled/ bewildered by Malek’s win. Was hoping anyone but him in this category, especially Bale.

As for Best Picture… well I actually enjoyed Green Book and didn’t learn about the controversies until later. I still stand by that it’s a good movie (it’s on my Top 10 of the year) though after having seen BlacKkKlansman last night, I think that Spike Lee film should’ve won over Green Book!!

We can debate endlessly about who should or more deserving to win, etc., but y’know what, it makes me glad to see the diversity of the winners. Here are four of the acting category winners…

Rami Malek, Olivia Colman, Regina King, Mahershala Ali – Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage

Let’s hope the diversity and inclusion extends to FEMALE FILMMAKERS in the future!! Come on The Academy, there are a plethora of great work by female filmmakers worth to be in the Best Picture category, especially Leave No Trace.

Lastly, about the host-less Oscars… I don’t really miss it, but hey if we have to have a host again, we should have these three funny ladies host next year!

So what’s your thoughts on the 2019 Oscar winners and what’s your pick of best/worst moments?

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17 thoughts on “Oscars 2019 – Reflections on winners, memorable moments”

  1. I didn’t watch all of it. I ended up watching some of it and… it was… meh…

    I’m happy for Olivia Colman, Regina King, Roma, Black Panther, and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse for getting some deserving awards. I enjoyed that Lady Gaga/Bradley Cooper performance (as did my mom who LOVES Lady Gaga).

    It was mainly just… eh… I might end up hate-watching Bohemian Rhapsody though against Rami Malek who I do like. It just sickens me that Bryan Singer was still involved and they changed a lot of facts to make it more dramatic where some say it’s Walk Hard but without the humor. Plus, I did hear Queen’s performance in the next room and ugh…. Adam Lamebert fucking sucks. All he really does is wail like a banshee. Freddie Mercury didn’t do any of that.

    Green Book winning, I was like AW FUCK YOU!!!! The look in Samuel L. Jackson’s face when it won Best Original Screenplay was funny while I sympathize with Spike Lee (though I’m happy he won Best Adapted Screenplay) over that film’s win for Best Picture.

    Chris Evans is the embodiment of chivalry and I love that little fist pump for Black Panther he gave. He treats his fellow peers of the MCU!!!!! with total respect and love.

    Reply

    1. Hey Steven! Yeah I’m truly happy for Olivia Colman too, though The Favourite isn’t the kind of movie I’m keen on watching again. I enjoyed that Lady Gaga/Bradley Cooper performance too, despite generally not a huge fan of Gaga but man, what chemistry those two have!

      Ahah, I too might end up like you said ‘hate-watching’ Bohemian Rhapsody, I like Malek in Mr. Robot but was astonished as to how far he’s gotten this award season! As for ‘Adam Lamebert fucking sucks’ yep, I can’t for the life of me figure out why he’s part of Queen as his voice is terrible!! THIS is the guy who should’ve performed with Queen last night as they used part of his voice in the movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkCxE2Lh458

      Now, I don’t think Green Book was THAT good to win Best Picture, but I feel that all the hate seems to be unfair. But I suppose people will always have something to complain about, I mean I was livid when they announced La La Land won initially before they corrected that it was for Moonlight.

      But hey, we’ll always have that video of Chris Evans being all chivalrous and just simply adorable!!! I’m team #WakandaForever 😀

      Reply

      1. OK, I just saw that video and…. why couldn’t they got this guy? He can sing! He’s got some Freddie’s vibrato and anguish dead on. Thank you for sending me this.

        Reply

  2. I think your choices make more sense than the Academy’s because you were evaluating each picture’s chances based on these films’ merits rather than their political connotation. The Oscars have become political. Those that represent or make statements against Trump policies, especially walls with Mexico, deal with race issues or promote diverse voices have an advantage in award-giving ceremonies such as this. This is a pity because this film festival is turned into a political rally rather than an objective ceremony to honour best films cinematography-wise.

    Reply

    1. Yeah you’re so right about the Oscars (and so many awards these days) have become so politicized!! Can we just focus on the art please?! I mean I understand how some people might use it to tout about issues they care about during these events, but now it almost become customary that it TAKES OVER the art celebration itself :\

      Reply

    1. Yes indeed!! I actually rewatched Olivia’s speech that was just posted when Green Book won. I mean I wasn’t hating it like many people do, but that collective speech by a whole bunch of old white people on stage just didn’t inspire me at all.

      Reply

  4. Thanks for the recap Ruth, I sorted of skimmed through my Twitter feed last night to see who won. Since I only saw two films that were nominated for best picture, Roma and Black Panther, wasn’t in love with either of them so I didn’t really care who won or lost.

    A few more of Spike Lee’s films that I recommend you check out: Jungle Fever, Malcolm X (probably his best film in my opinion), Clockers, Summer of Sam, 25th Hour and Inside Man.

    Reply

    1. Hey Ted, I actually still haven’t see ROMA yet! I have seen Inside Man, but the one I’m curious about is ‘Do The Right Thing’ as Lee actually mentioned that in his speech. Thanks for the recommendations!

      Reply

      1. DO THE RIGHT THING was definitely an impressive film considering how young Lee was when he made it. Not the kind of film I’d see it again, saw it way back when I was high school. Yeah you should check it out if you really want to see Lee’s true style of filmmaking. Inside Man was more of a traditional style that he needed to make because around that time, his career was in the dump and he needed a box office hit. Thankfully the film was a hit and he’s able to keep making more films.

        Reply

  5. Hey Ruth! Even though I wasn’t too excited about this year’s batch of nominees I did enjoy how unpredictable some of these categories were. For me “Roma” was head and shoulders above the other films but it simply isn’t the kind of movie that is going to win Best Picture. First it is a Netflix film and I’m convinced the Academy isn’t ready for that yet. Plus I think winning Best Foreign Language Film cut into its BP votes.

    I too liked Green Book and find some of the criticisms to be unfair. As for Spike Lee, I liked KkKlansman a little bit better than Green Book but it is far from a masterpiece. Still after his childish antics at the end of the show and after it, I’m kinda glad he lost.

    Reply

    1. Hello Keith! Yeah I think you’re right this year, if anything, is unpredictable! I really thought Glenn Close was gonna win but can’t say I’m complaining that Olivia Colman win as I adore her. Man, don’t hit me but I haven’t seen ROMA yet (sheepish smile), I actually almost did but my hubby fell asleep so we thought we’ll watch it later and we saw an action movie instead (Atomic Blonde, which was cool!) I’ll definitely watch it at some point.

      I think the criticism for Green Book is just out of hand. As a woman of color, I didn’t even think of it as a ‘white man narrative’ but the book it’s based on is from Tony Lip’s perspective, so obviously it’s gonna be more about Lip’s journey. I actually think it’s a balanced account as we also learn a lot about Don Shirley. In any case, I can’t stand the petulant behavior of filmmakers like what Spike Lee did, I mean lots of people put efforts into Green Book, including Octavia Spencer who’s the executive producer.

      Reply
  6. PrairieGirl

    Nice recap, Ruth!
    However, how in the world did Maya Rudolph get a hold of my grandmother’s ages-old bedspread and manage to get a dress out of it? (ha ha)!

    Reply

    1. Hi Becky! Mwahahaha!! Yeah her dress looks like a Spring drapery! But I thought those three ladies are funny, it’d be fun to see them host the event next year, though I didn’t miss the Oscars host this time around.

      Reply

  7. Enjoyed your round-up Ruth. I’m curious to see Green Book now that it has won the big prize. There are lots of opinion about that movie.

    Was nice of Colman to comfort Glenn Close, she must have been disappointed to lose yet again.

    Reply

    1. Hi Chris! Yeah I’m curious too about Green Book and how it’ll be seen years later. I personally think it doesn’t have a ‘white savior’ narrative as some people argue, but I think people dislike it as it should’ve been a story about Don Shirley. At the same time, the film is based on Tony Lip’s son memoir about his late dad, so naturally it’ll be more about Lip’s story.

      Reply

  8. I actually made a lot of the same predictions as you, but I did better in the acting categories I think. Bohemian Rhapsody’s surprising success really messed with my percentage. I also predicted Roma to win, and was disappointed to see it wasn’t so.

    Reply

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