Recap: the smoothest Oscar’s ceremony in the past five years

On March 12, the biggest Hollywood stars gathered for an evening of phenomenal performances and award recognition at The 95th Academy Awards. Photo collage by SIMRAH AHMAD, staff photographer

Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai found herself in more than one unexpected situation at the 95th annual Academy Awards. As if the appearance of the bear from "Cocaine Bear" by her side wasn't enough of a surprise, host Jimmy Kimmel went on to ask Malala her opinion on whether she thought Harry Styles spat on "Don't Worry Darling" costar Chris Pine or not during the Venice Film Festival. Not exactly Yousafzai’s area of expertise. 

“I only talk about peace,” Yousafzai said to Kimmel. 

Despite these bizarre moments, the event proved to be an unforgettable one, with emotional speeches, unexpected wins and memorable reunions.

On March 12, the Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, were streamed on Hulu+ LiveTV and Youtube TV, as well as broadcasted on ABC, attracting a global audience of 18.7 million viewers. The awards ceremony showcased outstanding musical performances from the Best Song nominees as well as achievements in the film industry, honoring the best actors, actresses, directors and films of the year.

To start the evening off with a bang, Ke Huy Quan received the award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role thanks to his performance in “Everything Everywhere All At Once." The former child star, known for his roles in "The Goonies" and "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom," gave a tear-jerking acceptance speech and spoke about his experiences growing up in the film industry as an Asian-American actor.

Brendan Fraser's moving speech upon winning Best Actor in a Leading Role for his portrayal of Charlie in “The Whale”  touched the hearts of many. He spoke passionately, barely able to catch his breath, thanking his family for their unwavering support. Although he probably could have gone a bit easier on the whale puns, he had the entire audience grabbing a tissue or two by the end.

Michelle Yeoh took home the award for Best Actress for her leading role in “Everything Everywhere All At Once.” In her speech, she acknowledged the importance of representation in the film industry and thanked her fellow actors and crew for their contributions to the film. 

Yeoh was the first Asian actress only the second woman of color to win the allocade. Halley Barry was the first for her role in "Monster's Ball” 21 years ago.

The award for Best Supporting Actress went to Jamie Lee Curtis from “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” who shared an emotional moment with Ke Huy Quan as they hugged and cried together backstage after both winning in their respective categories. Curtis took time during her speech to thank not only her parents, but let the audience know that this award isn’t just for her, but every single person.

The evening's most prestigious award, Best Picture, went to "Everything Everywhere All At Once." The film, which had been a critical and commercial success, proved that a Best Picture winner did not need to conform to the traditional "Oscar mold."

“I think that Best Picture, for me, is a crystallization of where the industry is,” said junior film studies major Antony Post. “It's a time capsule of what film truly represents in a year. And then I also think it's a chance to move forward. ('Everything Everywhere All At Once') was given this prestige, (the award has) given it a veneer of success. And now, when people want to make 'Oscar bait,' and when they think of what a successful movie look like, this movie will now be in the conversation.”

Post wasn’t the only person who told The Panther about what should be considered when crafting the perfect Best Picture nominee. Junior screenwriting major Ian Jicha said that those movies need to have some kind of “it” factor about them.

“I think it has to have something about it — it can't just be recycled,” Jicha said. “It has to have some kind of star power. You don't really see a lot of indie films getting nominated. But some might argue that 'Everything Everywhere All At Once' is an indie film.”

Along with the awards, the evening was filled with memorable moments, including Lady Gaga's transition from full glam to a no-makeup look with jeans for her performance of “Hold My Hand,” then back to full glam again in time to be seated in the audience.

Although the event itself had plenty of highlights, social media users were more interested in the Red Carpet interview between Ashley Graham and Hugh Grant. Their conversation consisted of Graham asking some rather non-personalized questions to Grant, who perhaps took this a little too personally and gave her curt answers, which spread like wildfire over the internet. In the end, people decided the situation would have been improved if they each handled the conversation differently. 

Towards the end of the ceremony, as well as right after winning his award, Quan was spotted hugging Harrison Ford, his co-star in "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom." The heartwarming moment highlighted the enduring impact of the film on not only audiences, but the actors as well and made it clear how deep rooted on-screen bonds can be. 

The Academy Awards proved to be a night to remember with unforgettable moments and deserving winners. The question of what makes a Best Picture worthy of nomination remains a subject of debate, but the diversity and depth of the films and performances showcased at the awards proved  that any kind of film could be up for nomination.

“I think it was really incredible to see the team from 'Everything Everywhere' just succeed with win after win,” Post said. “I think what that movie represents on so many levels somatically as far as representation goes, and what it could mean for the future of both film and the Oscars was really exciting to me.”