The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
2017 OSCARS: ‘LA LA LAND’ DOMINATES ON NIGHT OF POLITICS AND EMOTION
Musical captures most awards; irreverent tone includes jabs at Trump, standing ovation for Streep, emotional calls for inclusivity.
LOS ANGELES — The Jimmy Kimmel-hosted 89th Academy Awards seesawed between jabs at Donald Trump and passionate arguments for inclusivity, with awards going to “La La Land,” Mel Gibson’s “Hacksaw Ridge” and Viola Davis.
Damien Chazelle’s celebrated musical “La La Land,” up for a record-tying 14 nominations, took a while to start cleaning up. But as the night went on, its haul began piling up, winning for cinematography, production, score and the song “City of Stars.” Chazelle also won the Oscar for best director, while Emma Stone won best actress.
Casey Affleck was named best actor for”Manchester by the Sea.”
The show kicked off with Justin Timberlake dancing down the Dolby Theatre aisles, singing his ebullient song, “Can’t Stop the Feeling,” from the animated film “Trolls.” It was an early cue that the Oscars would steer, at least in part, toward festiveness rather than heavy-handedness. Protests, boycotts and rallies have swirled ahead of Sunday night’s Oscars. But host Kimmel, in his opening monologue, quickly acknowledged that he “was not that guy” to heal a divided America.
Kimmel instead struck an irreverent but sarcastic tone, singling out Meryl Streep, whom President Donald Trump derided as “overrated” after her fiery Golden Globes speech last month. Listing some of her credits, Kimmel said Streep has “phoned it in for over 50 films.” He led a standing ovation for the “overrated” actress before adding a pointed punchline: “Nice dress, by the way,” he said. “Is that an Ivanka?”
The host then predicted Trump was sure to tweet about the night’s awards at 5 a.m. “during his bowel movements.” Later, Kimmel tweeted directly to him on air, asking if he was “up” and that Meryl Streep “says hi.”
The wins for Davis, who co-starred in Denzel Washington’s August Wilson adaptation “Fences,” and Ali, the “Moonlight” co-star, were both widely expected. Their awards marked the first time in more than a decade that multiple Oscar acting honors went to black actors.
“I became an artist, and thank god I did, because we are the only profession to celebrate what it means to live a life,” said Davis, the best supporting actress winner. “So here’s to August Wilson, who exhumed and exalted the ordinary people.”
Ali won best supporting actor for “Moonlight.” He glowed on the stage as he informed the crowd that he and his wife, Amatus SamiKarim, welcomed a daughter four days earlier.