In an upset, ‘Green Book’ wins best picture
Olivia Colman, above, accepts the award for best performance by an actress in a leading role for “The Favourite” at the Oscars on Sunday in Los Angeles. The segregationera drama “Green Book” was crowned best picture at the Academy Awards. The film is seen as a feel-good throwback by some, but has also been ridiculed as an outdated inversion of “Driving Miss Daisy” by others.
“Green Book,” about a white chauffeur and his black client in segregationera America, won best picture at the Academy Awards Sunday night, overcoming mixed critical notices and a series of awards-season setbacks.
The first hostless Academy Awards in 30 years took its lead from the Grammys, opening with a rowdy rendition of “We Will Rock You” by Queen, the supergroup chronicled in the blockbuster bestpicture nominee “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
Tina Fey, Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph then took the stage and — while explaining they were not the hosts — gave a mini-performance that drew relaxed laughter from the audience and seemed to make the case that the three women should be hired to co-host next year, pronto.
Spike Lee’s first-ever competitive Oscar award turned a mostly staid Academy Awards ceremony into a joyful, passionate, and briefly profane one.
Lee, who captured the best adapted screenplay trophy for “Blackkklansman,” jumped into the arms of presenter, longtime collaborator and friend Samuel L. Jackson when he took the stage to accept his award with Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz and Kevin Willmott. The audience gave him a standing ovation.
The biggest surprise of the night, was in the best actress category. Olivia Colman won for her Queen Anne in the royal romp “The Favourite,” denying Glenn Close her first Oscar. Close remains the most-nominated living actor never to win, with seven nominations.
The lush, big-budget craft of “Black Panther” won for Ruth Carter’s costume design, Hannah Beachler and Jay Hart’s production design, and Ludwig Goransson’s score. Beachler had been the first African-american to ever be nominated in the category. Beachler and Carter became just the second and third black women to win non-acting Oscars.
The inclusivity of the winners Sunday stood in stark contrast to the #Oscarssowhite backlash that marked the 2016 and 2015 Oscars. Since then, the academy has worked to diversity its largely white and male membership, adding several thousand new members and opening the academy up internationally.
The final list of the winners at the 91st Academy Awards:
Best picture: “Green Book” Best actress: Olivia Colman, “The Favourite”
Best actor: Rami Malek, “Bohemian Rhapsody”
Best director: Alfonso Cuaron, “Roma”
Best supporting actress: Regina King, “If Beale Street Could Talk”
Best supporting actor: Mahershala Ali, “Green Book” Foreign language film: Mexico’s “Roma”
Original screenplay: “Green Book,” Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie and Peter Farrelly Adapted screenplay: “Blackkklansman,” Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott and Spike Lee
Original Song: “Shallow” from “A Star Is Born,” music and lyrics by Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando and Andrew Wyatt. Best animated film: “Spiderman: Into the Spider-verse” Original Score: “Black Panther,” Ludwig Goransson Costume design: Ruth Carter, “Black Panther”