Finding Gratitude in an Oscars Ceremony
You know that feeling when you’re stuck behind a slow-moving vehicle with no real option to go around? How about when you’re walking, and you actually know where you want to go, but no matter what, either slow walkers or stoppers unknowingly manage to thwart your forward momentum.
That’s kinda how I felt with this year’s Oscar season. It went on forever.
Yeah, I know that’s been a common complaint each year, but this year it seemed like 6 months between the Oscar announcements (Jan. 22nd) and last night’s telecast. By the time mid-March rolls around, I’d really like to move on from last year’s movies. Let’s instead look at what’s around us and what’s in front of us.
That being said, I still like the Oscars and will always watch them. But, if last night’s telecast, once again excellently hosted by the incomparably fun and funny Conan O’Brien (after his debut last year), did anything for me, it reminded me what the show is about, and that is the expression of gratitude.
I know, I know, some of you can’t fathom this, because you think the event is just a fashion parade, or better yet, there’s the hilariously famous take of “it’s just Hollywood slapping themselves on the back”, both of which are derisive and yet somewhat true. This one day of the year, when the art of motion pictures of various forms, from various walks of life and perspectives, is celebrated, can be all of that and more.
As much as seeing celebrities and filmmakers making their way to their seats, in the same manner you and I would to a movie theater (one foot in front of the other), still conjures the excitement and curiosity I had as a boy watching the show, I’ve long realized that these are just people who strive to tell stories. If these people have gotten this far, it’s because they’ve worked hard, they’ve failed a lot and heard “No” often, maybe got lucky, but mostly it’s because their work has somehow stood out. I think we forget that that’s hard to do, considering there are still excellent films and performances that don’t get Oscar nominations each year.
Which is to confirm, yes, it is a huge thing to be nominated, and it’s not just a cliche to say, “It’s an honor to be nominated.” Gratitude. When it’s expressed, it resonates and connects us. We want to be entertained and possibly surprised, but ultimately we want to hear gratitude and thankfulness, whether it comes from acceptance speeches or an “In Memorium” presentation.
For the record, I believe it is possible to find gratitude during an awards ceremony. Such an emotional state and public acknowledgement can be found at any awards ceremony, but when it comes to movies, the Oscar telecast has been around for 98 years and is therefore the one most moviegoers and film enthusiasts tune in to watch.
I get that some have given up on the Oscars or awards in general, finding them quite superfluous. I have a hunch that Sean Penn, who won his 3rd Oscar last night (for his role as Lockjaw in “One Battle After Another”), agrees with you. One of my favorite moments was when last year’s Best Supporting Actor, Kieran Culkin (“A Real Pain”), presented this year’s award for that category. When it was obvious that Penn was not in attendance, something he had done at least twice during previous awards ceremonies this awards season, Culkin started with the usual “accepting on his behalf” and then added that Penn likely “didn’t want to” be there. It may seem like a jab, but such bluntness is appreciated, especially when it’s likely the truth.
The opposite experience came early, when Chicago native Amy Madigan won Best Supporting Actress for her creepy, albeit absorbing, role as Aunt Gladys in “Weapons“. While Conan kicked off the Aunt Gladys praise in hilarious fashion during the evening’s cold open, it was fun to see the lively and exuberant Madigan hop on stage with an enthusiastic cackle. Her last Oscar nomination was 40 years ago, for 1985’s “Twice in a Lifetime”, so this win was special for the 75-year-old veteran. She gave a genuinely grateful acceptance speech, and her locked-in connection with husband/actor Ed Harris, who watched her proudly from the audience, was sweet. Madigan became the second-oldest person to win an Oscar in an acting category, after Anthony Hopkins, who was 83 when he won Best Actor for “The Father” at the 2021 Oscars.
These are the moments I come to the Oscars for. I don’t care about the length. Does anyone complain about how long the Super Bowl is? It’s just kind of expected. I wish the producers of the Oscar telecast would realize why die-hard viewers return year after year. We want to see/hear all the acceptance speeches from ALL the categories during the telecast. That means no orchestral music cues exiting winners off the stage. It’s insulting to them and us.
The evening started off with some of those curt cues, but the winners just talked over the music, as they should. Unfortunately, one victim was the songwriters who won Best Song for “Golden”, from the Netflix animated feature, “KPOP Demon Hunters”, which had already won for Best Animated Feature. A couple of the winners spoke, then hard-cued to a commercial. Again – not what we’re here for. At least the winners got to express their gratitude offstage, post-ceremony.
But honestly, it shouldn’t come to that. There should be room for authenticity and spontaneity. Speaking of the latter, both Conan and presenter Kumail Nanji took an unexpected surprise in stride. That happened when there was a tie for Best Live-Action Short, something that has happened only 6 times in the Oscars’ 98 year history. Netflix’s “The Singers” and The New Yorker’s “Two People Exchanging Saliva” won in this category. The last time this happened was in 2013, when “Skyfall” and “Zero Dark Thirty” won.
Gratitude can also come in a wave of emotional grief, like the kind I felt while watching this year’s “In Memorium” portion of the evening. We lost a lot of heavy hitters in 2025 (some even this year), but if we listed them all, it’d be a 4-hour show. That’s why the Academy posted a QR code link to a more in-depth memorial list, but there were still online complainers, probably because they didn’t see the pop-up or were too lazy to acknowledge it.
That being said, when Billy Crystal, arguably the GOAT of Oscar hosts, came out to pay tribute to his dear friends, Rob Reiner and Michelle Singer Reiner, I got teary-eyed. But when he invited an ensemble of 16 other actors from Reiner-directed movies, I was a blubbering mess. To see all of them onstage together was truly heartwarming: Michael McKean and Christopher Guest (“This is Spinal Tap”), Jerry O’Connell and Wil Wheaton (“Stand By Me”), Fred Savage, Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, and Carol Kane (“The Princess Bride”), Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan (“When Harry Met Sally”), Kiefer Sutherland, Demi Moore, and Kevin Pollak (“A Few Good Men”), Kathy Bates (“Misery”), Annette Bening (“An American President”), John Cusack and Daphne Zuniga (“A Sure Thing”). Their presence expressed their gratitude for the time they spent working with Reiner.
Following Crystal is a tough act, but two gracious women did so commendably. Rachel McAdams paid tribute to Diane Keaton, who played her mother in “The Family Stone”, and Barbara Streisand came out to honor her “The Way We Were” co-star, Robert Redford (much to Jane Fonda’s dismay). Both of these were heartfelt tributes to two individuals who made an impact on the world well beyond their profession.
Another great moment of gratitude came when Autumn Durald Arkapaw won Best Cinematography for her exquisite work on “Sinners”, becoming the first woman and first African American to win an Academy Award in this category. Her speech was wonderful, as she took in the moment with awe and asked all the women in attendance at the Dolby Theatre to stand up and share this historic moment with her. Such humility, grace, and yes, gratitude.
Other powerful moments of gratitude also came from other wins from “Sinners“. It won Best Score for composer Ludwig Göransson’s excellent music, which played such an integral part in the movie’s story. He has worked on all of director Ryan Coogler’s films, including 2013’s “Fruitvale Station”. And then later in the evening, Coogler won his very first Oscar for Best Original Screenplay (as expected), and then Michael B. Jordan won Best Actor, also his very first Oscar. Jordan has been in every single Coogler film to date, so imagine how happy they were for each other. Those are two people who know and love each other and are always supportive, so it’s great to see this happen for them.
SIDE NOTE: Timothée Chalamet hopefully took notes from last night and his entire award-season behavior. Don’t be so thirsty, Timmy. It’s off-putting. Your work will speak for itself, and if it’s your year, it’s your year.
“Sinners” may not have won Best Director or Best Picture, but each win meant something huge. The fact that a period piece, a musical, no less, about identical twin brothers who return to their hometown in the Jim Crow South, where they are confronted by a supernatural evil (vampires!), won any awards marks a huge shift in the history of the Oscars.
Sure, it set a historic record for the most Oscar nominations in a single year with 16, ultimately setting a new record for the most losses in a single night with 12, but it still created a major shift in voting, given that the horror genre is traditionally ignored. Between those 4 wins, one for “Weapons”, and 4 for Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein” epic, it was a good night for horror.
The Best Actress win wasn’t a surprise, but Jessie Buckley’s work in “Hamlet” deserved it. She’s always a standout in anything she does, yes, even “The Bride!” But her performance in Chloe Zhao’s film was raw, poignant, and full of strength and dignity. Her gratitude was evident in her acceptance speech, and she went on to make history as the first Irish Best Actress winner.
Taking home the two big awards of the evening were Paul Thomas Anderson and his 10th feature, “One Battle After Another”, winning Best Director and Best Picture, respectively. PTA has never made a bad film. This win had nothing to do with legacy, but rather what it’s about and how he went about doing it. While the film also won “Best Adapted Screenplay”, the debut category, “Best Casting”, went to “On Battle After Another”, which was an upset for many. That award went to veteran casting director Cassandra Kulukundis, who worked on all 10 of PTA’s films. That was a huge moment last night.
PTA definitely showed a sense of gratitude for his first win, as he accepted the Oscar for Best Director. He had previously been nominated three times in this category, but there’s something about the timing of this film and the subject matter that hit all the right notes – and votes.
As for the Best Picture category, it could’ve split and gone to “Sinners”, but that was unlikely. Just like PTA was bound to win an Oscar at some point, I believe Coogler will one day win one. Both “Sinners” and “One Battle After Another” came from Warner Bros., so it was indeed a great night for the studio.
Just as there will always be upsets with Oscar nominations, there will always be some when it comes to the winners as well. But bottom line: I found gratitude in several moments last night, and I was whelmed and moved. No matter how many times I watch the ceremony, I’m glad that it can still happen.
That being said, I’m glad it’s over.
FINAL NOTE: Here are 2 post-Oscar photos that prove that those who attended are just like us:
