WINNERS AND ZINGERS
‘Spotlight, ‘Big Short,’ ‘Mad Max’ shine in a ceremony complete with surprises
Host Chris Rock, who hit the #OscarsSoWhite debate hard right from the start, probably got some of the biggest applause of the evening. See our coverage including the red-carpet fashion and winners’ list IN LIFE and at life.usatoday.com.
The Oscars awarded a bunch of emotions Sunday night, though it was Mark Rylance who had all the feels for his Bridge of Spies director.
In an upset over favorite Sylvester Stallone at the 88th annual Academy Awards Sunday, the British actor won best supporting actor for his portrayal of Cold War Soviet spy Rudolf Abel in Steven Spielberg ’s period drama.
“I’ve always just adored stories — hearing them, seeing them, being in them,” Rylance said. “So for me to have the chance to work with one of the greatest storytellers of our time, Steven Spielberg, has been such an honor.”
Rylance wasn’t the only surprising winner at the ceremony hosted by Chris Rock: Mad Max:
Fury Road led the field with six technical awards, for best costume design, sound editing, sound mixing, film editing, makeup and hairstyling and produc-
tion design.
Inside Out, which look at the five colorful feelings inside a little girl’s head, won for best animated feature, becoming the eighth Pixar film to win in the category.
Swedish actress Alicia Vikander took supporting-actress honors for her star-making turn as a wife who supports her transgender artist spouse in The Dan
ish Girl.
Out of breath by the time she took the stage, Vikander called out her co-star Eddie Redmayne — “You raised my game” — and thanked her parents “for giving me the belief that anything can happen.”
The Spotlight newspaper reporters won a Pulitzer, so it’s fitting that the Spotlight movie writers snagged an Oscar. The journalism drama, which followed the award-winning Boston
Globe team that investigated sexual abuse by Catholic priests, was named best original screenplay.
“We made this film for all the journalists who have and continue to hold the powerful accountable, and for the survivors whose courage and will to overcome is really an inspiration,” said director and co-writer Tom McCarthy.
The Big Short, director Adam McKay’s comedy-drama about the collapse of the housing bubble and bank failure, took home the Oscar for adapted screenplay.
McKay, also a co-writer on the film, referenced the upcoming presidential election in his acceptance speech: “If you don’t want big money to control government, don’t vote for candidates who take money from big banks, oil or weirdo billionaires.”
The Hungarian Holocaust drama Son of Saul took best foreign film for director László Nemes.
Amy, which chronicled the life of Amy Winehouse, won best documentary feature. In the music categories, Writ
ing’s on the Wall of Spectre won original song, and The Hateful
Eight won for original score.