The Oscar Narrative: The End

Joy. That is how I would describe Sunday night's Oscars. It was pure joy. Sure, it went too long. Not all of the jokes landed. They missed some key people in the In Memoriam. The Oscars are never going to be perfect. They are a 3.5 hour long live television event that doesn't doesn't have a sports ball to distract you. People who want perfection out of the Oscars are always going to be disappointed. They probably need to wake up and realize that you are not going to get what you want. But every once in awhile, you do really get what you need. I needed a normal Oscars. I totally felt the Jimmy Kimmel bit at the end where he noted we have gone a total of 1 Academy Awards without an incident. That is a sad streak. But it is nice to know that maybe, just maybe, we are getting back on track. 

So back to Joy. It was joy to see hard working veterans like Michelle Yeoh, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ke Huy Quan, and Brendan Fraser finally get recognition for their talent. All of them had trouble getting to this point. The guys both left Hollywood. The girls were relegated to genre films, and probably neither or any of them, ever thought that their name would come after "The Oscar goes to...". Joy was seeing a young, talented directing team, with so much creativity, win their first Oscars, and the fact that it could lead to more in what is sure to be a long career for this dynamic duo. Joy was seeing Ruth Carter become the first black artist to win two Academy Awards. I hope she is not the first for to much longer. Joy was seeing the Naatu Naatu writers win for their unexpected uplifting hit. Joy was celebrating the Academy Museum and legendary studios who are marking their first century in filmmaking. Joy was seeing a stripped-down Lady Gaga knock it out of the park. Joy was seeing big blockbusters, small indies, and films from all over the world, win Oscars celebrating the global impact of this industry. Joy was seeing Asian and Asian American artists finally get their time in the spotlight in a huge way. Joy was seeing my favorite film of the year win the Best Picture Oscar. Joy was seeing Harrison Ford being able to embrace his long-time colleague and friend Ke Huy Quan in celebration of his, and his film's, amazing triumph. Joy was recognizing that the Oscars are what they needed to be: a celebration. Celebrating something we love is not easy, when that thing is constantly under a microscope, constantly having to defend itself, constantly changing, and yet never seeming to change fast enough. Does the Academy still have a long way to go? Yes. Will is probably always be such a massive organization that it is destined to always be one step behind? Yes. So what do I love it? Because it is still the highlight and gold standard for rewarding the medium of film. Because it celebrates artists on a global stage. Because its supports filmmakers and their goals. Because, when it is done right, when deserving artists and films win and get nominated, and when it sticks to celebrating them and their successes, it is pure Joy.

Everything Everywhere All at Once winning is a watershed moment for the Academy. It represents genres that are often ignored, it represents a millennial and Gen-Z generation that the Academy needs to court to continue to stay relevant. It represents diversity in its most effective form. Finally, it represents quality, and does so in an organic way. I hope that voters realize that sometimes the films that we think we are not going to like, or seem to weird, or aren't the usual genre of choice, can sometimes surprise us, and prove us wrong. This film proves that we can bridge our divides by finding our common humanity in art. I have always preached that going to the movies, sharing that dark space with community, turning off our phones and experiencing something miraculous on screen, is a cathartic, joyous, and bonding experience that we desperately need in our dark and divided times. Let's continue to explore these spaces and these stories together and never forget the power of film.

This year marks Year 14 for The Awards Psychic. What a journey this has been, and its not ending anytime soon. We will, in the next weeks start to tackle the Tonys, the Daytime Emmys, start thinking about the Primetime Emmys. Cannes will hit in May, then the summer blockbusters, then the Fall festivals, then the critics awards, then the guilds, and then the Oscars. It is a cycle that I never get tired of, despite every reason to do so. There is a moment in Everything Everywhere All At Once where Michelle Yeoh's Evelyn is talking to her daughter, and she says: "Maybe there is something out there, some new discovery that will make us feel like even smaller pieces of shit. Something that explains why you still went looking for me through all of this noise. And why, no matter what, I still want to be here with you. I will always, always, want to be here with you." As long as I can, as long as there are Oscars to cover, narratives and stories to tell, and joy to be had, I will be here with all of you, the fans of The Awards Psychic, the few and far between, to continue our never-ending quest to find the best. Thank you for another year at this blog. Cheers to year 14.