Random Thoughts: What I loved about the 2025 Oscars
Plus, Best Picture flashbacks from the 1930s, 1940s... because one Academy Awards ceremony isn't enough
Another Oscar season has come to a close. Truth be told, as much as I enjoy the awards hoopla, I'm relieved that it's over. It's fun trying to watch as many of the nominated films as possible before the big night. However, it can also be a lot of work in a short period of time. Don't think it's a love-hate relationship because it's not — far from it. Think of it as a labor of love, which is how I believe a lot of cinephiles view it.
You bet I watched this year's ceremony. I'm mostly happy with the winners and enjoyed the show as a whole — particularly first-time host Conan O'Brien. I have a collection of personal highlights from the 97th Academy Awards that aired March 2 on ABC that we’ll get to in a moment.
Speaking of the Oscars, I appeared on the Feb. 24 episode of The Oscar Project Podcast hosted by Jonathan Ytreberg. We discussed this year's nominees in the technical categories, including cinematography, production design, and hair/makeup. It was the first time I participated in any podcast ever. I had a good time (I love talking about movies, go figure); as a fellow film geek, Jonathan made the experience easy and fun. I think the episode came out rather well. Download it wherever you get your podcasts or check it out here.
Now, on with the show!
And the winners are...
At almost four hours, the 97th Academy Awards moved right along as Hollywood's biggest night unfolded at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles. While not every segment worked and the In Memoriam portion was again negligent in leaving out notable names (not to mention the presentation itself left something to be desired), it was a relatively painless affair.
Unless you were rooting for Demi Moore (and who wasn't?) or Timothée Chalamet or The Brutalist and director Brady Corbet. Or belong to the contingent of horror fans upset over Nosferatu getting shut out. I've been there. Believe me when I say, I understand your pain.
That said, I've cobbled together a collection of highlights from the night that gave me joy.
Anora wins big with five Oscars
I am a huge fan of Sean Baker's emotionally devastating, romantic screwball comedy; it made my Best Films of 2024 list. Mikey Madison and Baker absolutely deserved their wins (and yes, the irony of Madison triumphing over The Substance's Demi Moore is not lost on me). The film won Best Picture, Best Actress (Madison), Best Director (Baker), Best Editing (Baker again), and Best Original Screenplay (yep, Baker). If you want to see more from Madison, I can’t recommend enough the brilliant series Better Things, where she played Pamela Adlon’s eldest daughter.
Kieran Culkin's Best Supporting Actor acceptance speech
The newly minted Oscar winner, who won for A Real Pain, gave a charming, appropriately rambling speech. At one point, he reminded his wife Jazz Charlton of her promise after the Emmys to expand their family again should he win an Oscar. (She had previously vowed to give him a third child should he win an Emmy, which he did last year for Succession.) Charlton agreed it was all true from her seat in the audience, but when Culkin suggested they put that plan into action, she laughed and mouthed, "NO!"
First-time host Conan O'Brien scores
Comedian and former late night host O'Brien proved to be the host with the most this year. Funny and on point without being smug or condescending, he brought a buoyancy to the telecast that had been missing with previous emcee Jimmy Kimmel, who was the punchline of a joke directed at embattled nominee Karla Sofía Gascón regarding her racist tweets. Whether having Los Angeles firefighters delivering jokes that O'Brien claimed were too risky (the one aimed at Joker: Folie a Deux I found particularly satisfying) or performing in a filmed sketch about getting audiences back to cinemas, the ginger funny man nailed the high-profile gig.
A Wicked opening act
Best Supporting Actress nominee Ariana Grande and Best Actress nominee Cynthia Erivo brought a bit of the yellow brick road to the Dolby Theater when they opened the show with a magical medley featuring "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" from The Wizard of Oz (sung by Grande), "Home" from The Wiz (sung by Erivo), and the showstopping "Defying Gravity" (sung by Erivo and featuring Grande). This is why the producers ditched the Best Original Song performances — and considering how weak the field was this year, I can’t say I blame them.
Oscars Roundup
Kudos to whoever suggested Nick Offerman as the official announcer for this year's ceremony. He’s what Empire magazine would refer to as a 27-percenter — as in he makes everything he appears in 27 percent better. Bonus: thanks to Amy Poehler on hand as a presenter, we got a Parks and Recreation reunion! … Sometimes when the camera cuts to the audience it reveals something cool, like Isabella Rossellini, a Best Supporting Actress nominee for Conclave, sitting next to Laura Dern. Why was this so special? Because the women were both frequent collaborators of David Lynch, who died in January. Bonus: Not only did Rossellini ask Dern to be her plus one, but as a subtle tribute to Lynch, she wore a custom Dolce & Gabbana gown made of blue velvet. (Rossellini and Dern co-starred in that 1985 cult classic, written and directed by Lynch.) … Sebastian Stan, a Best Actor nominee for The Apprentice, brought his mom as his date. As he revealed on the red carpet, prior to moving to the U.S., the pair took a bus tour of Los Angeles and visited the Dolby Theater. Such a sweet full circle moment. … The video montage celebrating James Bond sealed the deal by including Mads Mikkelsen's asthmatic villain Le Chiffre from Casino Royale. What can I say? I was saving the best for last.
BLAST FROM OSCARS' PAST
My coverage of this year's Academy Awards ceremony was just the beginning. I thought it would be fun to look back on the Best Picture winners and nominees from the 1930s and 1940s, focusing on those films I've seen and spotlighting my favorites.
A little background: The first Oscars were handed out during a ceremony held May 16, 1929, at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles. Films released in 1927 and 1928 were honored. Each of the first three ceremonies featured nominated films over a two-year span: 1928/1929 for the second ceremony and 1929/1930 for the third. As I haven’t seen any of the films nominated for the first and second Academy Awards, I’ll be starting with the third ceremony.
Best Picture Winners: 1930s and 1940s
Key: Favorites are broken out with a photo and commentary.
1929/30 — All Quiet on the Western Front
1931/32 — Grand Hotel
1934 — IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT
The screwball romcom that swept the seventh Academy Awards remains a stone-cold classic 91 years later. Heiress Claudette Colbert meets unemployed reporter Clark Gable on the road after fleeing her father's yacht following her impetuous marriage to an aviator, which went against the old man’s wishes. Frank Capra's smart, sexy, hilarious film — nominated five times — scored Outstanding Production (aka Best Picture), Best Actor for Gable, Best Actress for Colbert, Best Director for Capra, and Best Adapted Screenplay for Robert Riskin. Fun fact: Colbert starred in two Oscar nominated films from 1934. However, she was not recognized for her starring role in Imitation of Life despite the film's three nominations (Outstanding Production, Assistant Director, and Sound Recording).
1935 — Mutiny on the Bounty
1938 — You Can't Take It with You
1939 — Gone With the Wind
1940 — REBECCA
Based on Daphne du Maurier's sensational novel, Best Director nominee Alfred Hitchcock sets the mood from the first frame and consistently ramps up the tension right through to the climax. Nominees Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine are the lovers stuck in the long shadow of the eponymous first Mrs. de Winter — thanks to her number one fan, hopelessly devoted head housekeeper Mrs. Danvers, played to diabolical perfection by nominee Judith Anderson. Fun fact: Olivier was a 10-time nominee throughout his career, winning three. His only competitive Oscar win was Best Actor for Hamlet; he was also a directing nominee for the film. He received two honorary statues: one in 1947 for bringing Henry V to the screen and the other for lifetime achievement in 1979.
1943 — CASABLANCA
"You must remember this.…" Best Director winner Michael Curtiz's iconic film is impossible to forget. A love triangle for the ages. An indelible song. Nazis in Morocco. The beginning of a beautiful friendship. An ideal cast: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, supporting actor nominee Claude Rains. It's one of those films that, like Mary Poppins herself, is practically perfect in every way. This indelible classic, written by Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein, and Howard Koch, also scored for Best Adapted Screenplay. Fun fact: Best Actor nominee Humphrey Bogart, a three-time Best Actor nominee in his lifetime, eventually won for 1951's The African Queen.
1944 — GOING MY WAY
The arrival of Bing Crosby's young priest shakes things up at St. Dominic's, which might be a good thing for the parish and the community. Helmed by Best Director winner Leo McCarey, the sincere comedy-drama is a fine showcase for Best Actor winner Crosby, who also performs five songs. His scenes with Best Supporting Actor winner Barry Fitzgerald as the parish's elder priest Father Fitzgibbon are a highlight as they play well off each other. The Bells of St. Mary's, the delightful sequel that pairs Crosby with Ingrid Bergman, was nominated for Best Picture in 1945. Fun fact: Supporting players Gene Lockhart and Porter Hall both appear in a future Best Picture nominee, 1947's Miracle on 34th Street.
1945 — The Lost Weekend
1946 — THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES
Helmed by Best Director winner William Wyler, the drama follows three men — wonderfully played by Dana Andrews, Best Actor Fredric March, and Best Supporting Actor Harold Russell, who lost his hands during a training accident in 1944 — readjusting to life at home after serving in the military during World War II. A thoughtful, compelling look at how war doesn't just affect those who fought, but how that trauma also reverberates through their loved ones. Myrna Loy, Teresa Wright, Virginia Mayo, and Hoagy Carmichael make up the stellar supporting cast. Fun fact: Teresa Wright was a three-time Oscar nominee between 1942 and 1943, winning in 1943 for her supporting turn in Best Picture winner Mrs. Miniver.
1948 — Hamlet
Favorite Best Picture Nominees: 1930s and 1940s
Key: Bold = Favorites of those I've seen
1932/33 — 42nd Street
Little Women
1934 — The Gay Divorcee
The Thin Man
1935 — Alice Adams
Captain Blood
Les Misérables
Top Hat
1936 — Libeled Lady
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
1937 — The Awful Truth
Lost Horizon
Stage Door
A Star Is Born
1938 — The Adventures of Robin Hood
Grand Illusion
Jezebel
Pygmalion
1939 — Dark Victory
Love Affair
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Ninotchka
Stagecoach
The Wizard of Oz (pictured)
Wuthering Heights
1940 — Foreign Correspondent
The Grapes of Wrath
The Great Dictator
Kitty Foyle
The Philadelphia Story
1941 — Citizen Kane
Here Comes Mr. Jordan
The Maltese Falcon
Suspicion
1942 — The Talk of the Town
Yankee Doodle Dandy
1943 — Heaven Can Wait
The More the Merrier
1944 — Double Indemnity
Gaslight
1945 — Anchors Aweigh
The Bells of St. Mary's
Mildred Pierce
Spellbound
1946 — It's a Wonderful Life
1947 — The Bishop's Wife
Great Expectations
Miracle on 34th Street
1948 — The Red Shoes
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
1949 — The Heiress
Love the Oscars? How about classic films? Share your favorite moments from this year’s ceremony as well as your favorite Best Picture winners and/or nominees from 1927-1949.
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We were both also fans of Kieran’s speech - in fact all of his speeches from awards season! Really interested what he’ll do next. Thanks for the classic Oscars roundup too, fun to scroll through them all.