After a yr of being caught up within the magic of Depraved and the splendidly disturbing feeling that comes after watching The Substance, the 97th Academy Awards was some of the anticipated moments of 2025 up to now. I attended the ceremony, and listed here are a few of my largest takeaways from this yr’s Oscars:
Depraved’s Costumes Are, in reality, Depraved.
Paul Tazewell, Paul Tazewell, Paul Tazewell. There usually are not sufficient good issues to say. His work has immersed Broadway audiences for years, and it merely felt good to see him win. The primary Black man and second Black particular person ever to win within the Greatest Costume Design class, I’m positive Tazewell’s work was simple to vote for by itself.
From adorning Ariana Grande in that pink robe as she floated down in her bubble through the opening scene of Depraved, to the hat and ‘froat’ combo whose texture and layers could possibly be felt by viewers from their theater seats, all the best way to the Shiz College uniforms, the costume design in Depraved really introduced the story collectively. The dancers’ costumes throughout Queen Latifah’s tribute to Quincy Jones had been a nod to Tazewell’s sensible work. And talking of Jones…
Quincy Jones’s Influence on Movie is Immeasurable.
With out Quincy Jones, there could be no The Shade Purple. With out The Shade Purple, there could be no Whoopi Goldberg, no Oprah Winfrey and no Cyntha Erivo. With out Quincy Jones, there could be no The Wiz. With out The Wiz, there doubtless would have been no Depraved. The proof isn’t just within the jaw-dropping efficiency by Queen Latifah but additionally within the throughline from Cynthia Erivo’s rendition of “Residence” on the high of the present.
The previous Musical Director for the Academy Awards, 28-time GRAMMY Award winner, 7-time Oscar nominee and winner of the Academy’s Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, legend and icon set off domino results not like some other. Seeing his legacy stepped out and honored was great—a legacy seeded in Black pleasure that has championed our tales for many years.
The Folks Yearn for Genuine Tales to be Informed.
From the overwhelming buzz about Emilia Pérez to the sunshine sweep by Anora, it’s abundantly clear that most of the people and Academy voters take pleasure in tales that discover life totally different from what’s extensively acceptable. Sean Baker’s 4 wins needs to be an indication for writers, producers and administrators to make that film.
It also needs to be an indication for members of the Academy to hunt out the genuine tales being instructed and for studio executives to put money into the script emailed by the author with out an MFA in screenwriting. Whereas we congratulate Zoe Saldaña, Sean Baker, Mikey Madison, and so forth., we can’t assist however marvel what tales from our neighborhood are on the market ready for the sunshine to shine on them. If we’re rewarding tales about marginalized peoples on the Oscars, let’s proceed to take action—with motion pictures made by our folks being depicted.
This 12 months’s Oscars was all Concerning the Girls.
Whereas there was loads of buzz about The Brutalist, A Full Unknown, and Colman Domingo being the dwelling legend that he’s, the main focus of the Academy Awards viewers was tunneled to the ladies. As they introduced the nominees for Greatest Actress, you possibly can really feel the strain build up: would Demi Moore lastly get her Oscar? Would Cynthia Erivo take it for Depraved?
As they introduced Mikey Madison for Anora, you possibly can really feel the assume items being written. No matter your opinion is on who ought to have received Actress in a Main Position, there was no feeling like a complete theater full of individuals excited to have fun girls. I’m glad to be part of a technology that bought to see Zoe Saldaña get her Oscar for Greatest Actress in a Supporting function, the primary particular person of Dominican descent to ever obtain an Oscar. As for Ms. Cynthia? We’ll see after Depraved: For Good premieres this yr!
All in all, do the Academy voters have some catching as much as do? Certain. However the tales which are being rewarded are an indication that not solely is there room to develop, however that the expansion is occurring in actual time.
