Los Angeles: Coming-of-age drama “Moonlight” won the best picture Oscar defeating strong favourite “La La Land” after a shocking mix-up in the announcement of the top award.
“La La Land” which won six trophies including best director and actress, was incorrectly declared the winner by Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway.
However, midway through their victory speech, the producers of the musical realised the error and John Horowitz announced that the award actually belonged to “Moonlight”.
Many thought he was just making a statement but then he cleared that he was not joking and showed the audience the card which read “Moonlight”.
“I want to tell you what happened. I opened the envelope and it said Emma Stone, La La Land. That’s why I took such a long look at Faye and at you. I wasn’t trying to be funny,” a flustered Beatty later clarified.
“Well I don’t know what happened. I blame myself for this,” host Jimmy Kimmel joked after the moment.
“Let’s remember, it’s just an awards show. I mean, we hate to see people disappointed, but the good news is we got to see some extra speeches. We have some great movies. I knew I would screw this show up, I really did. Thank you for watching. I’m back to work tomorrow night on my regular show. I promise I’ll never come back. Good night!,” he said.
Adapted by Jenkins from Tarell Alvin McCraney’s autobiographical play ‘In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue’, the “Moonlight” has been hailed by critics for its humanity in portraying this struggle.
A tender story of a young black man coming to terms with his sexuality while growing in a rough Miami neighbourhood, the film also won Jenkins and McCraney best adapted screenplay and Mahershala Ali best supporting actor trophy.
The small budget film, Jenkins’ second outing after a gap of eight years, entered the competition with eight nominations.
While critics predicted Ali as the sure-shot winner in the best supporting actor category, not many believed that “Moonlight” will manage to ride over the popularity of “La La Land”, director Damien Chazelle’s stunning LA-set ode to jazz and romance that mesmerised Hollywood.
“Moonlight” won a Golden Globe for best picture, and Jenkins made history as the first black person ever nominated for Academy Awards for best director, best screenplay and best picture in the same year.
McCraney wrote the play in 2003 after losing his mother to AIDS-related complications and Jenkins said in interviews that he could relate a lot to story which resonated his own upbringing during the crack epidemic of the 1980s and ’90s.
Apart from “La La Land”, it also beat seven other nominees including Kenneth Lonergan’s “Manchester by the Sea”, “Hidden Figures” and “Lion”.
Emma Stone wins best actress Oscar for ‘La La Land’
Emma Stone danced her way to victory as she took home the best actress Oscar for her portrayal of Mia in Damien Chazelle’s soaring musical “La La Land”.
The 28-year-old triumphed for the first time at Oscars defeating strong contenders like Isabelle Huppert (Elle), Ruth Negga (Loving), Natalie Portman (Jackie) and veteran actress Meryl Streep (Florence Foster Jenkins).
Stone’s performance, as an aspiring actress working as a barista in a cafe, in the film was praised for being superbly smart, witty and vulnerable. Her half-spoken, half-sung monologue – “Audition (The Fools Who Dream)”- was one of the most poignant moments from the movie.
An emotional Stone thanked fellow nominees Meryl Streep and Ruth Negga and her family.
“Moments like this is a huge confluence of luck and opportunity. I want to thank Damien Chazelle for giving me the opportunity to be part of the project that was so special and once in a life time. I am so grateful to be involved in this film and thank you for your patience.
Ryan Gosling thank you for making me laugh and for being the greatest partner in this crazy adventure… I still have a lot of growing and working to do and this guy (Oscar) is a symbol to continue on that journey and I am so grateful for that,” she said.
This year, the actress had won almost all the trophies– Golden Globe, Bafta and Screen Actors Guild Award, in the run up to the Oscars.
“La La Land,” the joyous musical about a pair of star- crossed creatives (Stone, Ryan Gosling) struggling to connect with each other and their respective careers in the entertainment industry, had received a historic 14 Oscar nominations.
Stone was previously nominated for best supporting actress for the role of a recovering drug addict and the daughter of Michael Keaton’s title character in 2014’s “Birdman.”
Born in in Scottsdale, Arizona, Stone began acting as a child as a member of the Valley Youth Theatre in Phoenix.
She had her TV breakthrough after winning the part of Laurie Partridge in the VH1 talent/reality show “In Search of the Partridge Family”.
Stone made her feature film debut as Jules in “Superbad” (2007) and, after a string of successful performances, her leading role in 2010 film “Olive in Easy A” established her as one of the most sought after young talents.
Other than her Oscar nominated characters, Stone has earned praises for her performance in films like “The House Bunny,” “Magic in the Moonlight,” independent comedy-drama “Paper Man”, “The Help” and “Crazy Stupid Love”.
Casey Affleck wins best actor
He has been long considered the quitessintial Hollywood underdog but Casey Affleck shrugged away that title as he took home the best actor Oscar for his sublime turn as a troubled loner in “Manchester by the Sea”.
It is the first Academy award win for Afleck, who is better known as the young brother of Oscar winner Ben Affleck. He was earlier nominated for his supporting work in 2007 film “The Assassination of Jesse James”.
An emotional Affleck acknowledged fellow nominee Denzel Washington, saying he was the first person to teach him how to act.
“I’m here because of the goodwill of so many people but most importantly Kenneth Lonergan who made this part without which I would not be here. I wish I had something more meaningful to say but I am just happy to be part of this fraternity,” Affleck said while also paying tribute to his brother and producer Matt Damon.
For the win, Affleck saw off competiton from Joel Edgerton for “Loving”, Ryan Gosling for “La La Land”, Andrew Garfield for “Hacksaw Ridge”, Viggo Mortensen for “Captain Fantastic” and Washington for “Fences”.
Except Gosling, this year’s Oscar race for best actor featured performers, who have played troubled protagonists in dramas with heavy themes.
Damien Chazelle wins best director Oscar for “La La Land”
Damien Chazelle, the Hollywood wunderkind behind this year’s most loved movie “La La Land”, became the youngest filmmaker to win best director trophy at the 89th Academy Awards today.
Six years in the making, it was a dream project for 32-year-old Chazelle who wanted to pay tribute to old Hollywood musicals with his LA-set story of ambition and romance.
In his speech, Chazelle recognised his fellow nominees and his stars — Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. He also paid tribute to his girlfriend Olivia Hamilton.
“I want to thank my family, my sister and Olivia, my love. The movie is about love and I was lucky enough to fall in love while making it,” he said.
Chazelle has said in interviews that movies were always his passion and though he briefly trained as a jazz drummer in school, which inspired “Whiplash”, he always knew that filmmaking was his true calling.
In “La La Land”, Chazelle has skillfully married his two passions to create a musical that is pulsating with love, life and longing.
— PTI