Monday, March 3, 2025
The 97th Academy Awards began an hour earlier than normal—at 7 p.m.—which was a welcome change for us exhausted East Coast cinephiles who were glad to have the show finish before 11 p.m. The earlier start time meant that the live show began at 4 p.m. Pacific Time, allowed celebrities to an extended night of dinner and afterparties. A win-win, I’d say.
Fashion
Red carpet arrivals saw some gorgeous fashion wins, like Elle Fanning’s white gown with a black sash. Fanning was the first person to wear designer Sarah Burton’s Givenchy creation, which had a bit of a retro vibe, perfect for Fanning’s nominated movie, “A Complete Unknown,” a Bob Dylan biopic.
Another best dressed star was multi-hyphenate Selena Gomez, who was said to be inspired by Sophia Loren. Gomez, who was attending as part of the nominated film “Emilia Perez,” chose an off-the-shoulder Ralph Lauren gown made with over 16,000 drops of glass and hand-sewn Rosemont crystals. She accessorized the outfit with a sparkling diamond necklace and earrings, and of course, her glittering engagement ring from music producer (and Reston’s own) Benny Blanco.
Some best dressed men included Colman Domingo, who was nominated for the movie “Sing Sing.” His custom Valentino shined with a statement bright red jacket that tied at the waist. Also looking sleek was Jeff Goldblum, who played the Wizard in “Wicked,” chose a colorful Prada tux to pay homage to the film.
Worst dressed were Ariana Grande, whose pink red carpet dress looked like a 1960s lampshade that swallowed her petite frame (don’t worry, she later redeemed herself with a gorgeous, sparkly red gown for her “Wicked” duet with Cynthia Erivo). Timothée Chalamet decided on a bright yellow number that host Conan O’Brien poked fun at.
Host
Speaking of hosts, Conan O’Brien was a welcome and refreshing choice for the show. His low-key approach included little politics and a funny bit with Adam Sandler during his opening monologue. One can only hope the Oscars brings him back next year!
The Awards
The big, surprising part of the awards was “Anora.” The indie movie starring Mikey Madison, 25, took home five awards, including a Best Actress steal from Demi Moore for Madison. Many thought that Moore had the win in the bag, as she had swept awards season for her role in the sci-fi movie “The Substance.”
Anora, dubbed a “Gen Z version of ‘Pretty Woman,’” is the story of a young sex worker from Brooklyn who meets and marries the son of an oligarch. Once her new husband’s family finds out in Russia, they race to New York to get the marriage annulled.
“Anora” director Sean Baker tied Walt Disney for the most Oscar wins in one night. Disney’s was for four separate films while Baker’s were all for “Anora.” Baker’s indie film won best picture, best director, best original screenplay, best editing and Madison of course took home best actress. During one of his acceptance speeches, Baker advocated for movie lovers to return to theaters and cherish the movie-going experience.
Also worth noting was “Wicked” costume designer Paul Tazewell, who made history as the first Black man to win the Oscar for best costume design. His vibrant designs made “Wicked” the blockbuster hit it has become.
Finally, the in-memoriam tribute began with Morgan Freeman, who eulogized his friend Gene Hackman, who died in late February at the age of 95. The duo starred in the movies “Unforgiven” and “Under Suspicion.”
The last show to close out awards season is The Tony Awards, which are coming up on June 8.