The Oscars are nothing short of surprising. Remember when the controversial “Green Book” won in favor of “Roma” for Best Picture in 2019? Or when “La La Land” was mistakenly called onstage instead of the actual winner “Moonlight” in 2017? Or was it back in 1997, when “Shakespeare in Love” took the greatest honor “Saving Private Ryan”? Usually it is all part of the fun.
But for casual film fans, Sunday night’s big troubles packed a particularly emotional wall: the late Chadwick Boseman lost the Best Actor Award to Anthony Hopkins.
The final award of the evening, which featured Hetofor Best Picture, was changed to Best Actor for a bizarre occasion. Therefore, viewers assumed that the move was to honor Bossman, who died in August of colon cancer at the age of 43. But she did not win her role in “Ma Rainey Black Black”. Hopkins went on to play the role of a man with dementia in “The Father”. Even more anticlamactic, the 83-year-old – the oldest Best Actor winner – was far away in Wales, and did not make a speech. It was a common practice heard around the world.
Some voters were surprised.
“My jaw dropped,” a polling member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences told the Post. “What the hell was that? I was completely unaware of any kind of movement within the academy towards Anthony Hopkins. I voted for Chadwick, even though I found the film a bit too dramatic in its own right, but I was really into it.” I wanted to get emotional. I felt that most people are doing the same, and if I heard of any other nominee voting, it was for Riz Ahmed. “
However, when a silent majority opted for Olivia Colman instead of Glenn Close or Lady Gaga in 2019, most people checked the Hopkins box this year.
Joyce Ing, senior editor of award-season punditry website GoldDerby, said that according to an old-fashioned Hollywood strategy, the win has declined – something has yet to be done on Netflix.
“On The Post, Chadwick Boseman appeared to be a favorite because he won most of the preceding awards and Anthony Hopkins only had a BAFTA,” Ang told The Post, adding that the actor from “Ma Rainey” won the SAG Award and the Golden Globe.
“But I think there was something in the game that ordinary fans didn’t know about, and the fact that ‘The Father’ was at the peak at exactly the right time [for the Oscars]. Sony Pictures Classics organized the film to be released in theaters for the final time. It opened on 26 February. “
“Ma Rainey Black Black Bottom”, on the other hand, dropped on Netflix in November, with substantial deflections during a difficult year.
“They just knew what they were doing,” Ing added to Sony.
Also, let’s clarify something: Like Bossman in “Ma Rainey,” Hopkins gives a winning performance and a very worthy performance in “The Father”. He is not some Oscar hog like Meryl Streep or, now, Francis MacDormand. He had won only once before for “The Silence of the Lambs” nearly 30 years ago.
The Welshman made a speech on Instagram the next day and paid tribute to Bosman.
“At the age of 83, I did not expect to get this award,” he said. “I really didn’t. I am grateful to the academy, and thank you.
“And I want to pay tribute to Chadwick Boseman, who was taken from us long ago,” he said.
Still, the rotten production option of having a category at the end of the evening when there was a solid chance for a winner – or even a pseudo – might not even be in attendance was a vertebrate. This of course proved to be one thing: the accountant-ballet count is indeed secret. Otherwise, they do not change the freakin ‘order of awards. Ultimately, this left a taste of dishonesty with everyone.
Oscar Voter said, “I love Anthony Hopkins and his performance.” “But it was really disappointing by evening.”
Leave a Reply