Los Angeles – “Moonlight” always looked like an Oscars longshot.
The coming-of-age drama about an African American boy growing up gay in a poor neighbourhood in Miami was made for just 1.5 million dollars. Its director and co-writer, Barry Jenkins, hadn’t made a film in years. And it was up for the best picture prize against “La La Land,” the smash hit musical that tied the record for Oscar nominations this year.
Indeed, when Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway opened the envelope to read the winner of the Oscars’ top prize, the name they read out was “La La Land.”
But as that film’s producers were accepting the award, they were interrupted for a highly unusual correction – “La La Land” was not the winner – “Moonlight” was.
A chagrined Beatty blamed the flub on the envelope, which he said had contained a duplicate of the card for the best actress trophy.
“I opened the envelope and it said Emma Stone, ‘La La Land,'” he said. “I wasn’t trying to be funny.”
Actress Ruth Negga arrives for the red carpet of the 89th Academy Awards at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, the United States, on Feb. 26, 2017. gj) (Credit Image: © Yang Lei/Xinhua via ZUMA Wire)
The award was the third Oscar for “Moonlight,” one of the most acclaimed films of the awards season.
The film also won best supporting actor for Mahershala Ali – the first Muslim actor ever to win the Oscar – and best adapted screenplay for director Barry Jenkins and Tarell Alvin McCraney.
The underdog drama beat out not only “La La Land,” but other big-budget Hollywood productions for the win: “Hidden Figures;” “Manchester by the Sea;” “Hacksaw Ridge;” “Arrival;” “Fences;” “Lion;” and “Hell or High Water.”
Despite the reversal, “La La Land” still emerged the night’s top winner, with six Oscars including best actress for Emma Stone and best director for Damien Chazelle – at 32 the youngest director ever to win that prize.
The old-style movie musical about artists in love in Los Angeles also picked up prizes for cinematography and production design, original score and song for composer Justin Hurwitz.
Stone’s co-star Ryan Gosling was defeated for best actor by Casey Affleck, who won for a dark, nuanced portrayal of a janitor haunted by the past in “Manchester by the Sea.” Director Kenneth Lonergan also won best original screenplay for the tearjerker drama.
Model Karlie Kloss arrives at 89th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, on February 26, 2017. (Photo credit: Ian West/PA Wire)
Viola Davis won the trophy for best supporting actress for “Fences,” the adaptation of the August Wilson play directed for the screen by co-star Denzel Washington. It was her third nomination for the Oscar and her first win.
Television comic Jimmy Kimmel hosted a low-key live telecast of Hollywood’s top awards ceremony, which mixed corny gags – movie candy parachuting from the ceiling, a busload of tourists joining the show – with political jibes aimed at US President Donald Trump.
“I want to say thank you to President Trump,” Kimmel said on stage. “Remember last year when it seemed like the Oscars were racist? It’s gone, thanks to him.”
Actor Mahershala Ali, winner of Best Supporting Actor for ”Moonlight,” Emma Stone, winner of Best Actress for ”La La Land,” Viola Davis, winner of Best Supporting Actress for ”Fences,” and Casey Affleck, winner of Best Actor for ”Manchester by the Sea” pose for group photos at press room of the 89th Academy Awards at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, the United States, on Feb. 26, 2017. (Credit Image: © Yang Lei/Xinhua via ZUMA Wire) Photo: Yang Lei/dpa
Kimmel led a round of applause for Meryl Streep, nominated for a record-setting 20th time this year, with a jab at Trump’s disparaging comments about her after she famously criticized him in an acceptance speech at the Golden Globes in January.
“The ‘highly overrated’ Meryl Streep, everyone,” he said, to cheers from the audience of Hollywood stars.
In a politically charged win for Iran, “The Salesman” claimed the best foreign-language film trophy – with director Asghar Farhadi absent in protest of Trump’s now-suspended travel ban on seven Muslim-majority countries including Iran.
In a statement read on stage, Farhadi said his absence was “out of respect for the people of my country and those of the other six nations who have been disrespected by the inhumane law that bans entry of immigrants to the US.”
“Dividing the world into ‘us’ and ‘our enemies’ categories creates fear, a deceitful justification for aggression and war,” the statement continued.
The 89th Academy Awards are presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, whose approximately 13,000 voting members choose Oscar winners in 24 categories.
– dpa
