Beginning an hour earlier than usual, at 7 p.m. ET, the 96th Academy Awards kicked off with an opening monologue from four-time host Jimmy Kimmel that set the tone for the evening ahead: celebratory, politely humorous, and glam as usual. The show took off from there, with The Holdovers‘ Da’Vine Joy Randolph securing the first win of the night for Best Supporting Actress.
[time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]With 13 nominations, Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer went into the night with the potential to break the record of 11 wins by a single film held by 1959’s Ben Hur, 1997’s Titanic, and 2003’s The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. But after losing out on Best Supporting Actress and Best Adapted Screenplay (which went to American Fiction) early on, its chances of even tying the record dropped significantly.
The night was filled with feel-good moments, from an appearance by Anatomy of a Fall‘s canine star Messi to Randolph’s emotional acceptance speech (accompanied by a cutaway to her co-star Paul Giamatti weeping with joy).
Here were the best and worst moments of the 2024 Oscars.
Most Acceptable Opening Monologue
After acknowledging that the show was already running five minutes behind, Kimmel wasted no time diving into his lineup of prepared jokes. He began by calling out the controversy surrounding Greta Gerwig’s perceived Best Director snub. “Thanks to Greta Gerwig, who many believe deserved to be nominated for Best Director tonight,” he said as many in the room applauded. “Hold on a second. I know you’re clapping, but you’re the ones who didn’t vote for her, by the way.”
He then launched into roasting a number of the night’s biggest attendees, including Robert Downey Jr., Bradley Cooper, and Christopher Nolan. On X, the general buzz surrounding Kimmel’s monologue was that it was somewhat “annoying.”
But he struck a chord by praising the IATSE members who refused to cross the picket lines during last year’s SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes. “We were able to make the deals because of the people who rallied beside us,” he said.
Best Music Supervision for an Award
When Anatomy of a Fall secured an early win for Best Original Screenplay, director and co-writer Justine Triet’s walk to the stage to accept the award was accompanied by Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band’s now-infamous cover of 50 Cent’s P.I.M.P, which plays a major role in the movie. Talk about a needle drop.
Best Tradition Revived
For the first time since 2009, five past acting winners presented the award in their respective categories for Best Supporting Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Actress, and Best Actor. The revival brought luminaries like Jamie Lee Curtis, Lupita N’yongo, Christoph Waltz, and Mahershala Ali to the stage, and added a sentimental and personal touch to the night’s proceedings.
Most Passionate Plea
While accepting the Oscar for Best International Film, Zone of Interest filmmaker Jonathan Glazer drew connections between his movie—which centers on the family of a German commandant living in luxury right next door to the atrocities he’s overseeing at the Auschwitz concentration camp—to Israel’s ongoing bombardment of Gaza.
“Our film shows where dehumanization leads at its worst,” he said. “Right now we stand here as men who refute their Jewishness and the Holocaust being hijacked by an occupation which has led to conflict for so many innocent people.”
