The 93rd Annual Academy Awards

For the third year, Oscars embraced the no-host format.  But this year, while still dealing with the pandemic, Oscars embraced several other changes.  Over the years, the award ceremony moved to larger and larger theatres to hold more people while the red carpet grew longer and longer to accommodate more press and more guests.  This year, almost returned to a pre-televised Oscar experience.  Though there was a red carpet, it wasn’t a mile long – as commented on by stars like Glenn Close who added “I feel good, my shoes are comfortable.”  And the interviewers stood six feet away from the interviewees, the guest moved down the red carpet with lots of space and free from chaos.  There was still plenty of room for posing.  

Meanwhile, the ceremony was much more intimate.  The venue was Union Station in downtown Los Angeles. Guests sat in banquettes or pods.  The tables were adorned with little lamps like a cabaret club.  By the way, I want one of those little lamps if anyone has the insider take on one.  And the presenters (no-host) moved around the room so the guests were behind them and next to them in all of the camera shots.  This was a very different feel than the usual two-shot view of stage or view of audience.  I suspect this format will survive the pandemic next year.  There were no song and dance numbers, no comedy bits, and no orchestra playing off the winners’ speeches.  Those all seemed like good ideas.  The show took as long as it always does – over three hours – so that was the same.  

This year I was different for me as well – I saw fewer nominated films than ever before.  So I was neither pleased nor disappointed by any wins or losses.  I did love seeing how many winners embraced the work of the others in their categories.  More people seemed to have an appreciation that not only being nominated was a blessing, but being able to be healthy and present and able to work was a blessing.  A few years ago “Oscars so White” was a trending hashtag and theme of discontent.  Frances McDormand used the magic words “inclusion rider” in her acceptance speech that year.  Hollywood seems to have been listening to the cries for films to be as diverse as our country and our world in its casts, crews, and story-telling. 

After a year of zoom award shows and people accepting awards in their pajamas – not that I didn’t love that because I did – seeing the glamour return to the red carpet was a welcome return to normalcy.  Not everyone wore only elastic waist pants all year and were terrified to put on a form-fitting outfit without a skinny filter on their selfie mode.  The red carpet was filled with lots of glam dresses, bold color, and diamonds and jewelry for men and women.

One trend was lots of gold – gold dresses, gold suits, gold lapels, gold on gold.  Carry Mulligan, Leslie Odom Jr., Andra Day, Paulina Porizkova, and Martin Desmond Roe and Travon Free, the guys who won the live action short film award – which I did see and it’s a must see (“Two Distant Strangers” on Netflix – see it!).

 

Another trend color was red – luscious, bold, romantic, unapologetic red.  Amanda Seyfreid, Angela Basset, Reese Witherspoon and Yer-ri Han.  Reese looked good – like she does every year, but not terrible interesting.  Amanda Seyfried stood out in the crowd – every camera shot of the audience drew your eye to her in that red dress.  But for me, Angela Basset won the best red dress.  Her hair and makeup and those huge sleeves were a vision worthy of a best dressed honorable mention.  The men didn’t take on the bold red look – maybe next year.

There was also a splash of sapphire blue.  Glenn Close in Armani Prive tunic dress, silk pencil pants and blue leather gloves looked fabulous.  H.E.R. chose a lacey blue jumpsuit with a hooded sari inspired poncho (not sure what to call it, but I think it’s technically a poncho).  Tyler Perry embraced the blue silk shirt with his tuxedo.  Saving the best for last, Regina King.  Wow.  She literally looked like the butterfly she is.  Her dress was a work of art and like the star she is, she wore that dress, it did not wear her.  Complete with incredible diamond earrings and chic bobbed hair, she was the best dressed of the night.  

Tied for best dressed with Regina King, was Viola Davis.  She was a trend unto herself.  A vision in white, fitted to her body with complete perfection, sexy cutouts but no bear midriff.  Viola is a red carpet icon at every age, just as she is a brilliant actress at every age and in every role.  

Another trend was cut-out midriffs.  Not a fan.  Some were not as bad as others, but some completely lacked balance and proportion and looked like swimsuit tops.  Andra Day looked like she was wearing a couture swimsuit and cover up.  Carry Mulligan’s tiny frame was swallowed up in her tiny bandeau top paired with a voluminous ball gown skirt. 

There were some who obviously prefer the comfort of their living room and the red carpet is not for them.  Did you expect the cast and director of Nomadland to bring the red carpet fashion.  Of course not.  Should Frances McDormand at least comb her hair, yes please.  And Chloe Zhou wore an interesting dress even though it was the color of a paper bag, and she certainly sleeps in those braids, but that’s not where she disappointed.  The sneakers!  It’s not even that she wore sneakers, it’s that she wore geriatric white running shoes from 1980.  There are only a zillion choices of sneakers that she could have worn with that dress and been comfortable and looked good.  She literally chose the one pair she should not have worn.  For that reason, she’s my worst dressed of the night.

Of all the flashy men, classy men, and snazzy men, the best dressed man was not a man.  He was a 9 year old boy.  Alan Kim from Minari was dressed by Thom Browne and totally killed it.  He wore a tuxedo with short pants and knee socks with stripes on one sock.  I loved everything about this outfit.  I would not be surprised if we see some older boys – like Ferrell – embracing that look as well. 

Next year, the Oscars should be back to normal.  But what will be the new normal?