Rooney Mara pic.twitter.com/FKBFxf5RHB
— Jason Fraley (@JFrayWTOP) February 29, 2016
Charlize Theron pic.twitter.com/n1KaCFAzhx
— Jason Fraley (@JFrayWTOP) February 29, 2016
Chadwick Boseman pic.twitter.com/VbDsCqY9xD
— Jason Fraley (@JFrayWTOP) February 29, 2016
Whoopi Goldberg, who won for "Ghost." (1990) pic.twitter.com/eUdjh2c6BP
— Jason Fraley (@JFrayWTOP) February 29, 2016
Defending champ (supporting actor) JK Simmons pic.twitter.com/czYYQZrq4b
— Jason Fraley (@JFrayWTOP) February 29, 2016
LOS ANGELES — “I’m the king of the world!”
Eighteen years after Leonardo DiCaprio shouted those famous words in “Titanic” (1997), he can now finally say them at the Oscars, winning his elusive Best Actor at the 88th annual Academy Awards.
But when it came time to see whether Leo’s survival tale “The Revenant” would also win the top prize of Best Picture, an uncertainty hung over the stage as Morgan Freeman opened the final envelope of the night, marking the culmination of one of the tightest Best Picture races in recent memory.
While many pundits picked “The Revenant” for the top prize based on its wins at the DGA Awards, BAFTAs and Golden Globes, WTOP was a rare source that picked “Spotlight” for the worthy upset.
Turned out, we nailed it.
Not only did “Spotlight” win the top prize at the SAG Awards, Critics Choice Awards and Independent Spirit Awards, it more importantly had Oscar history working in its favor.
First, no one had ever directed back-to-back Best Pictures, which Alejandro G. Iñárritu was trying to do after last year’s “Birdman.” Second, only two movies had ever won Best Picture without a screenplay nomination — “Titanic” and “Sound of Music” — both understandable outliers considering their massive box office phenomenons, which “Revenant” lacked. Those two red flags, combined with the polarizing nature of “Revenant,” allowed “Spotlight” to slide in for a much deserved victory.
The film’s chronicle of the Boston Globe’s investigation into the Catholic Church’s child sex-abuse scandal was an “All the President’s Men” for our time, or “All the Pope’s Men” considering its subject matter. The riveting film boasted a sparkling script, deep cast and powerful subject matter.
The subject of abuse also fueled Brie Larson’s Best Actress win for “Room,” in which she played an abducted woman who must raise her son (Jacob Tremblay) in captivity. The power performance cemented Larson as among the best of her generation after the brilliant “Short Term 12.”
Picking up the most awards was George Miller’s “Mad Max: Fury Road,” which won a total of six in the technical categories: Editing, Costumes, Hair/Makeup, Production Design, Sound Mixing and Sound Editing. Name another action movie that has done that well at the Oscars.
In the supporting actor categories, Alicia Vikander took Best Supporting Actress for “The Danish Girl,” in which she played the conflicted spouse of Eddie Redmayne’s gender-bending husband. It was a dominant year for Vikander, whose “Ex Machina” earned Best Visual Effects.
On the supporting actor side, Mark Rylance (“Bridge of Spies”) upset the people’s champ Sylvester Stallone (“Creed”). For once, Rocky Balboa wasn’t the underdog; he was the favorite going in, and Rylance scored the surprise knockout with his “standing man” performance for Steven Spielberg.
Best Director went to Alejandro G. Inarritu for “The Revenant,” his second straight win after last year’s “Birdman,” while Best Cinematography went to Emmanuel Lubezki, his third straight win after “Gravity,” “Birdman” and “Revenant.” The Mexican filmmakers have truly taken the industry by storm, causing Inarritu to offer some choice words for the “Oscars So White” controversy.
While host Chris Rock hilariously lampooned the topic throughout the night — in light of a boycott by Spike Lee, Will Smith and others — Inarritu wished to expand the conversation beyond just “black and white.” Backstage, he asked, “Are the ‘Oscars So Brown’ now?” and called for a less polarized, more complex conversation, urging Hollywood — and society — to move beyond a “tribal” mindset.
See below for the entire list of winners from Sunday’s 88th annual Academy Awards:
List of winners at the 88th annual Academy Awards
Best Picture: “Spotlight.”
Director: Alejandro G. Inarritu, “The Revenant.”
Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio, “The Revenant.”
Actress: Brie Larson, “Room.”
Supporting Actor: Mark Rylance, “Bridge of Spies.”
Supporting Actress: Alicia Vikander, “The Danish Girl.”
Original Screenplay: “Spotlight.”
Adapted Screenplay: “The Big Short.”
Animated Feature Film: “Inside Out.”
Foreign Language Film: “Son of Saul.”
Production Design: “Mad Max: Fury Road.”
Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki. “The Revenant.”
Sound Mixing: “Mad Max: Fury Road.”
Sound Editing: “Mad Max: Fury Road.”
Original Score: “The Hateful Eight.”
Original Song: “Writing’s on the Wall” from “Spectre.”
Costume Design: “Mad Max: Fury Road.”
Documentary Feature: “Amy.”
Documentary (short subject): “A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness.”
Film Editing: “Mad Max: Fury Road.”
Makeup and Hairstyling: “Mad Max: Fury Road.”
Animated Short Film: “Bear Story.”
Live Action Short Film: “Stutterer.”
Visual Effects: “Ex Machina.”
Why listen to WTOP movie reviews throughout the year? Predictions often become premonitions:
