Photo Illustration Courtesy of senior Drew Vander Weele 

The hard work from hundreds of filmmakers, actors, and designers is over and the results are in. The Oscars is of the most anticipated awards shows of the year, and especially in the times of COVID-19 the strong return of this well loved event is just the beginning of a return to normalcy. Expressions has decided to recap the Oscars for those who missed it and provide some analysis of the outcomes of this year.

  “I didn’t watch because I literally saw none of the movies from last year.  Not even Soul.  I tried to watch Mank a couple times but it was just too boring.  I lost my annual Oscar pool by a lot.  I’m not sure what is wrong with me,” said AP English Literature teacher Craig Stewart.  

  The Oscars had some vast differences compared to the shows of the past, due to COVID-19 there not only a limited capacity but separate locations in Los Angeles. However this did not dim the glitz and glam from the classic awards, instead adding a much more personal and raw tone. 

  Audiences also didn’t miss out on the wonderful oddities that Oscars bring, from the unique  acceptance speech from Frances McDormand and Glenn close dancing to “Da Butt”. 

  Overall “Nomadland” was clearly the winner of the Oscars this year; winning best picture, its lead actress Frances McDormand winning best lead actress, and its director Cholé Zhao winning best director. As for supporting actors the winners were Daniel Kayuula in “Judas and the Black Messiah” and Yuh-jung Youn (who not so subtly flirted with Brad Pitt) for Minari. Best Cinematography went to Netflix’s “Mank”, clearly for its almost exact recreation of Orson-Wells-like shots. Best Animated Film went to Disney’s Soul,

and Best Documentary going to “My Teacher The Octopus”. Best Actor is something that is still debated over, with many claiming that winner Anthony Hopkins shouldn’t have won when pitted against well loved deceased actor Chadwick Boseman. 

  There is always a question of diversity when it comes to the Oscars and if the films that are recognized truly represent the world as it is. This year did focus more on untold stories that are long overdo like “Minari”, “Judas and the Black Messiah”, “Sound of Metal”, “Soul”, as well as “Nomadland”. Cholé Zhao’s win was also a first for the Oscar with her being the first Asian American woman to win the award. The Oscar may still continue to stray from films with diverse and unique messages and artists, but this year was a step forward.