Oscars 2022: ‘CODA,’ Will Smith look to continue winning ways
USA TODAY film critic Brian Truitt offers his predictions for the 94th Academy Awards, airing live Sunday evening on ABC from Los Angeles.
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“That was the greatest night in the history of television.”
Chris Rock and Will Smith exchanged words – and a memorable slap – on a wild Oscar night that also handed out some awards to the best films of last year.
The heartwarming Apple TV+ dramedy “CODA” won best picture at the 94th Academy Awards while Smith and Jessica Chastain took home the top acting prizes.
Led by Ukrainian American actress Mila Kunis, the Oscars also paid tribute to those affected by the events in Ukraine. “We’d like to have a moment of silence to show our support for the people of Ukraine currently facing invasion, conflict and prejudice within their own borders,” read a card presented on screen.
Oscars ceremony: Mila Kunis honors Ukrainians ‘who find strength to keep fighting’
Oscar winners 2022: Who won at the Academy Awards? See the list
Here are all the highlights and winners from Sunday’s Oscar ceremony:
‘Was that real?’: Social media is stunned about Will Smith appearing to smack Chris Rock
‘Brave enough to be out in Hollywood’: What Ariana DeBose, Kristen Stewart’s Oscar nods means
Oscar voters went for the feel-good choice, with the night’s top prize going to the dramedy about a deaf fishing family and their hearing daughter.
Chastain’s third nomination is the charm, winning best actress for playing televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker in “The Eyes of Tammy Faye.” “We’re faced with discriminatory legislation, there is violence and hate crime perpetrated on civilians,” Chastain says, but adds we can find inspiration in Bakker’s mind-set and her “radical acts of love.”
“Art imitates life. I look like the crazy father,” a tearful Smith says in his acceptance speech taking his award and after the incident with Rock. “Richard Williams was a fierce defender of his family. In this time in my life, in this moment, I am overwhelmed by what God is calling me to do and be in this world. Making the film, I’m being called on in my life to love people and to protect people and to be a river to my people. I know to do what we do, you’ve got to be able to take abuse, you’ve got to be able to take people talking crazy about you, people disrespecting you, and you got to smile and pretend that’s OK.” He also apologized to “the Academy and all my fellow nominees for the Rock moment. “This is a beautiful moment and I’m not crying for winning an award. It’s not about winning an award for me. It’s about shining a light. … Love will make you do crazy things.”
Jane Campion is victorious in the best directing category
Campion wins her second Oscar – and first best director trophy – for “The Power of the Dog.” “That was very dramatic,” she says of presenter, and Western fan, Kevin Costner’s stirring words about filmmaking. “Thank you, Academy, it’s a lifetime honor.”
Best original song goes to Billie Eilish and brother Finneas for the title track to the 007 action “No Time to Die.” “You guys, my gosh. This is unbelievable,” a giggly Eilish says with her new trophy. Adds Finneas: “We promise not to lose these.”
After Rock and Smith went at it, the Sundance favorite about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival took home the Oscar for top doc. “This is such a stunning moment for me right now,” says an overwhelmed Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, who made his directorial debut with the film.
‘Belfast,’ ‘CODA’ takes screenplay honors
Kenneth Branagh wins his first Oscar for original screenplay for “Belfast.” This is an an enormous honor for my family,” Branagh says, and a tribute to his “amazing” Irish hometown. Then Sian Heder took adapted screenplay for “CODA,” its second Oscar of the night. “I’m so glad I dressed as a disco ball,” she quips.
Stephanie Beatriz, Diane Guerrero and other stars perform an all-star rendition of their No. 1 hit from “Encanto,” “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” but for some extra spice, Megan joins the team-up for an Oscar-inspired rap in the middle of it.
‘Cruella’ rules the costume design category
Jenny Beavan wins her third Oscar for costume design for “Cruella,” following previous wins for “Room with a View” and “Mad Max: Fury Road.” She’s wearing a two-toned, Cruella-inspired outfit. “It’s a little sad putting this with my hair,” Beavan says. “I think Emma Stone hyperventilating over some of her fittings with such joy was one of the highlights of my career.”
Japanese filmmaker – and best director nominee – Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s three-hour emotional drama became a word-of-mouth hit and expectedly wins its category. “Oh, this is Oscar,” a wide-eyed Hamaguchi says, clutching his new hardware.
With fellow celebrities such as co-star Marlee Matlin clapping in American Sign Language, Kotsur took the stage to accept his Oscar – the first for a deaf male actor. “It’s amazing to be here on this journey. I can’t believe I’m here,” Kotsur says through an interpreter. He paid special thanks to his dad, “the best signer” in his family who was no longer able to after a car accident paralyzed him from the neck down. “Dad, I learned so much from you. I’ll always love you. You’re my hero.” Kotsur also dedicated his Oscar win to the Deaf and disabled communities: “This is our moment.”
It’s got a ton of great Lin-Manuel Miranda songs and now an Oscar to its credit: “Encanto” takes the trophy for best animated feature. “I’m so proud to be a part of a film that puts beautiful, diverse characters at its center,” says producer Yvett Merino.
Sorry, “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” you’re going home with no Oscars. Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi spectacle nabs the honor for best visual effects.
The sci-fi film snags another technical achievement: best cinematography for Greig Fraser. “I’m so happy this is early because I can get to the bar,” he quips, thanking his family for letting “a middle-aged man go out and play in the sand dunes for six months.”
Another Anita, another Oscar: Sixty years after Rita Moreno won the same category for her role in the original “West Side Story,” DeBose follows suit. “Yikes! What is this?” she says. “Now you see why Anita wants to be in America because even in this weary world we live in, dreams come true.” The first Afro-Latina and first openly queer woman of color to win an acting Oscar, DeBose also paid tribute to Moreno: “Your Anita paved the way for tons of Anitas like me.”
With her fellow hosts, Schumer’s bringing the jokes in the opening monologue. She quips that the Golden Globes should be in the “In Memoriam” segment (“They didn’t have any Black members!”) and also pointed out the threesome was hired because together “it’s cheaper than hiring one man.” Adds Sykes: “We’re going to have a great night. And for those in Florida, we’re going to have a gay night.”
This is how you start an epic awards show: Introduced by Venus and Serena Williams, Beyoncé opens the ceremony performing her nominated song “Be Alive” in a lavish production in Compton where the Williams sisters grew up.
The sci-fi epic garnered honors for best original score, film editing, production design and sound in a ceremony before the main event. “The Eyes of Tammy Faye” nabbed the Oscar for makeup and hairstyling, “The Long Goodbye” starring Riz Ahmed won best live-action short, “The Windshield Wiper” won best animated short and “The Queen of Basketball” was named best documentary short subject.
Jane Campion poised for first directing win for ‘The Power of the Dog’
The “Power of the Dog” filmmaker took home her first Oscar in 1994 for original screenplay (“The Piano”), and after winning the top Directors Guild prize, she’s likely to nab best director on Sunday. (She’s the only woman in Oscar history to receive multiple Oscar nominations for directing.) Her competitors are Kenneth Branagh (“Belfast”), Ryusuke Hamaguchi (“Drive My Car”), Paul Thomas Anderson (“Licorice Pizza”) and Steven Spielberg (“West Side Story”).
Oscar host Amy Schumer made headlines this past week expressing her hope that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy could beam in via satellite during the Oscars to highlight the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Penn took it a step further Saturday in a CNN interview, threatening to “smelt” his Oscars (for “Milk” and “Mystic River”) “in public” if the Ukraine leader doesn’t appear. All eyes will be on the Academy ceremony to see if it happens, but in an interview with USA TODAY, Schumer’s fellow host Wanda Sykes expressed doubt: “He’s pretty busy, I don’t know if he has time for our little movie show.”
Kotsur has run the table on the way to Oscar night and is expected to snag the best supporting actor trophy, which would make him the second deaf actor (and first male) to win an Oscar. (The first was his “CODA” co-star Marlee Matlin for “Children of a Lesser God” in 1987.) The supporting actor field features Kotsur as well as Ciarán Hinds (“Belfast”), J.K. Simmons (“Being the Ricardos”) and “Power of the Dog” co-stars Jesse Plemons and Kodi Smit-McPhee.
‘It would be a historic moment’: ‘CODA’ star Troy Kotsur talks best picture Oscar chances
‘The Power of the Dog’: Oscar nominee Kodi Smit-McPhee deconstructs twist ending, sexuality
The “West Side Story” star has picked up every piece of hardware so far (SAG, Critics Choice, British Academy Film Awards) and is poised to take best supporting actress Sunday night. If it holds to form, DeBose will be the first Afro-Latina and first openly queer woman of color to win an acting Oscar. But first, she’ll need to be victorious in a category that includes Kirsten Dunst (“The Power of the Dog”), Jessie Buckley (“The Lost Daughter”), Judi Dench (“Belfast”) and Aunjanue Ellis (“King Richard”).
‘The Power of the Dog’: Kirsten Dunst on her ‘cathartic’ Oscar-nominated role
‘I did it in the dark’: Aunjanue Ellis gets candid about her career before Oscar
The wildest acting category this Oscar season has been best actress, with lots of contenders and just five slots. Stewart and Cruz were snubbed by SAG but earned Academy Award nominations alongside Colman and Kidman, and Chastain – an outside contender late last year – has late momentum going into Oscar night. This would be Chastain’s first Oscar win, after previously being nominated for “The Help” (2011) and “Zero Dark Thirty” (2012).
With his iconic “Training Day” performance, Denzel Washington upended “Ali” star Smith 20 years ago at the Academy Awards. They face each other again Sunday – Washington for “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” Smith for “King Richard” – but Smith is expected to come out on top this time. (Fun fact: He also picked up a Razzie this weekend, but a good Razzie.) Also up for best actor: Andrew Garfield (“tick, tick … BOOM!”), Javier Bardem (“Being the Ricardos”) and Benedict Cumberbatch (“The Power of the Dog”).
Jane Campion’s Western “The Power of the Dog” has gone from early front-runner for best picture to mere contender this awards season, being passed by “CODA” late in the game. The Sundance favorite about a deaf fishing family and their hearing daughter won best cast at SAG and an all-important Producers Guild Award (a bellwether since the PGA uses the same preferential ballot as the Oscars). Those two will be competing for the prized Academy Award against coming-of-age dramas “Belfast” and “Licorice Pizza,” Japanese film “Drive My Car,” sci-fi epic “Dune,” musical redo “West Side Story,” sports biopic “King Richard,” disaster satire “Don’t Look Up” and noir remake “Nightmare Alley.”
Sunday will add a 94th film to Oscar’s history of best picture winners. And in honor of tonight’s Academy Awards, we watched all the past 93 best pictures and ranked them, from worst to best, with many of them available on demand and streaming if you want to binge a few before the main event tonight. What’s No. 1? Here’s a hint: Leave the gun, take the cannoli.
Ranked: All 93 Oscar best picture winners (yes, all of them)
‘It’s crazy that she wasn’t invited’: ‘West Side Story’ star Rachel Zegler will attend Oscars
ABC will broadcast the Oscars live Sunday, and the show also is available for streaming on abc.com if you have your TV provider information. If you’re looking for red-carpet action/Oscar hype, ABC has two “On the Red Carpet Live! Countdown to the Oscars” pre-shows starting at 1 EDT/10 PDT on the network and 4:30 EDT/1:30 PDT on the streaming service ABC News Live, while E!’s “Brunch at the Oscars” pre-show starts at 2 EDT/11 PDT, with arrivals on “E! Live from the Red Carpet” at 5 EDT/2 PDT. ABC’s traditional “Oscars Red Carpet Show” airs at 6:30 EDT/3:30 PDT.
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