The 97th Academy Awards AKA The Oscars 2025 as it unfolded, went at a decent pace, with no hosting highs, largely muted or no political vocalizing, some cry baby acceptance speeches, one uncomfortably long speech, decent artist tributes, and three genuine heartwarming moments.
The envelopes looked neatly folded for easy reading, the stage production design was superb and those who didn’t win, did well to hide their disappointment, especially actors. Gene Hackman, Quincy Jones and James Bond were among those prominently celebrated. Considering that the James Bond movie rights are now owned by Amazon, must we say, R.I.P. James Bond? Fingers crossed.
Oscars 2025 Winners
Anora triumphs: The romantic comedy drama, Anora, the championed Indie movie of this award season, won in five of its six nominated categories.
Anora writer, director, editor, Sean Baker won four Oscars for Original Screenplay, Film Editing, Best Director and Best Picture. Baker put his breezy humour and charm to good effect. Among other witty quips, he jokingly mentioned how he asked his dog for advice on editing.
Anora female lead, Mikey Madison won her first Actress in a Leading Role Oscar. Madison described the moment as surreal.
Sean Baker, “Anora” writer, director, editor won four Oscars
Adrien Brody’s circle of life: The Brutalist, the gritty historical drama, won Adrien Brody his second Actor in a Leading Role Oscar. Brody’s acceptance speech was elastically stretched to near awkwardness. The Brutalist also won Oscars for Daniel Blumberg’s Original Score and Lol Crawley’s Cinematography.
Wicked, the musical fantasy, won the Costume Design and Production Design Oscars.
Dune: Part Two won two Oscars, for Sound and Visual Effects.
I’m Still Here won the Oscar for International Feature Film.
Conclave, won for Peter Straughan‘s Adapted Screenplay of the Robert Harris political thriller novel.
The Substance won for Makeup and Hairstyling.
Emilia Perez won for Actress in a Supporting Role, Zoe Saldaña tearfully thanked her mom and her husband for his long hair, among other lovable things. A proud child of immigrant parents, Saldaña declared, and how her late grandmother would have been proud.
Mikey Madison reading out from her thank you list
Animation favourite, Flow made history as the first Latvian movie to win a Animated Feature Oscar. More significantly, Flow was made using Blender, the free, open source software. Will animation movies break free from big studio domination and go Indie, thanks to Flow? Time will tell.
In the Shadow of the Cypress, won the Animated Short Film. According to the makers, they made it to Los Angeles three hours before the event began, and got their visa only a day before. They were understandably over the moon.
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande
Oscars 2025 Moments
Singing high: Nothing could eventually beat the stunning opener, a soaring singing tribute by Oscar nominees, Wicked costars and singers Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande to Los Angeles.
First time host Conan O’Brien’s followed up with a neat set though, a spaced out rendition, familiar but smooth award show beats and charming self-mockery. The singing set. “I won’t waste time,” was the Conan O’Brien high of the evening.
For us 9PMMovies blokes, the edgy, uproarious Ricky Gervais hosting the 2020 Golden Globes is a gold standard we don’t see many award hosts coming close to, anytime soon. Jimmy Kimmel did do a smooth turn at Oscars 2024 though.
Oscars and kids: Kieran Culkin, won for Actor in a Supporting Role for A Real Pain. His acceptance speech seemed the most spontaneous of the evening, as he publicly reminded his wife Jazz Charton of her promise of having four children, and that they get going about it, from the present two kids they already have. Rare off-guard Oscar moment. For Trivia seekers, yes, former child star, Macaulay Culkin is Kieran’s elder brother.
Palestinians and Israeli documentary makers collaborated on the Oscar winning documentary feature “No Other Land”
Heartwarming moment: In these chaotic and intolerant times, to see an Israeli and Palestinian root for each other and call for peace after winning for Documentary Feature Film, No Other Land was heartwarming. “Together, our voices are stronger,” indeed. Also, the call out to USA’s foreign policy blocking the path to brokering peace between the two nations, was another rare outspoken Oscars moment of the evening.
The Ben Stiller act: Stiller seems to do great acts for Oscar award ceremonies. Remember the one he did while presenting for Visual Effects, dressed as a Avatar character, years ago? Stiller had great timing while handing out the Production Design award. His stage malfunction act was the best among the award presentation humour bits.
Lone clear political moment: Conan O’Brien’s Anora reference, that at least somebody stood up to a powerful Russian, was a refreshing point out to Donald Trump’s much-condemned support for Vladimir Putin. Touché?
Firefighters and one-liners: Honouring the Los Angeles Firefighters for their service in combating the devastating LA fires was nicely done, especially with some cheeky one-liner jokes delivered by select fire fighters on the producers of Joker 2 and on how bad a singer Bob Dylan is.
World cinema and independent cinema were prime winners at the Oscars 2025. Hollywood’s sun may not yet be fading, but their championing of cinema at the Oscars, remains important recognition for all artists and technicians involved in the whirlwind, unforgiving and gritty world of modern day movie making.
Also, good of Sean Baker to make the case for movie theatres. There, that’s our cue for an abrupt end.
Adrien Brody, Mikey Madison, Zoe Saldaña and Kieran Culkin
(image copyright belongs to respective photographers, websites and publications)