Oscars ’21: A shoutout to wonder women and a Hopkins’ euology to the marvel of a Panther
4 min read
It wasn’t music to their ears. Instead, the ending of the Oscar ceremony on Sunday left Chadwick Boseman fans in a pall of silence and hurt. A legion of his worshipers went about raving mad on the academy of motion pictures choosing Anthony Hopkins over the deceased star for the best actor.
At 83 years of age, I did not expect to get this award. I really didn’t. Very grateful to the Academy and thank you. I want to pay my tribute to Chadwick Boseman who was taken from us far too early
– Anthony Hopkins in an online post
But the world’s greatest platform for motion picture gave a rare shoutout to the women in cinema in its 93rd edition. Dressed up in the well-deserved laurels and the claps that rolled in a thundering delight, thereafter, was a jubilant acknowledgement of women powering their way through an industrious climb in cinema making ostentatiously dominated by males.
In a gathering of the best and the brightest movie stars at Los Angles, Chloe Zhao became the second women ever in the history of the Academy Awards to win the title of best director. She won the prestige for her brilliant storytelling of an ageing woman’s journey through the American West in her mobile home in the film Nomadland. Kathryn Bigelow was the first to be accorded the prestige in the history of Oscars for her slow burn Hurt Locker in 2010. With this win, Zhao, who is of Chinese origin, becomes the first woman of colour to take home an Oscar for best director.
Ironically, her rare feat wasn’t received with as much fanfare back in her homeland where information pertaining to her titular win was reportedly culled and prevented from circulation. The virtual blackout in China is being linked to remarks she had made in past on the country’s oppressive regime and penchant for hiding of truth. She had in a 2013 interview referred to China as a place “where there are lies everywhere.”
Like Zhao, Youn Yuh-Jung became the first Korean to win an Oscar for her winning performance in the film Minari. She lit up the Academy awards with her charming repartee with the presenter and last year’s winner Brad Pitt. “Mr Brad Pitt, finally,” she said addressing him from the stage, “Where were you when we were filming? Nice to meet you.” Others on the Oscar list, who made it to the haloed shrine of adulated gods of silver screen, included Daniel Kaluuya who won the best actor in supporting role in the film Judas and the Black Messiah.
If Chloe made history with her directorial win, the talented Frances McDormand joined her in the league of extraordinary woman in the cinematic verse by winning her third Oscar as an actress for her brilliant portrayal of a widow who having lost everything to the great recession embarks on a journey of a lifetime and self-discovery in the movie directed by Chloé Zhao. Her win places her second only to Katharine Hepburn in number of Academy for best actor in female lead. She also lifted the best picture award for the same film, which she had co produced.
This year’s Oscar surprise was Welsh actor Sir Anthony Hopkins. Hopkins lifted his second academy award for best actor in a lead role for his stunning portrayal of an ailing elderly trying to connect with the places and persons, including his daughter, in the movie Father. At 83, he became the oldest recipient of the Oscar after Christopher Plummer who won the award for in 2018 for his role in Beginners. He was 82 then.
The ceremony in a shocking departure from the tradition of bringing down the curtains on the event with the best motion picture award announcement proceeded to call it a day with with the declaration of the best actor award, a move that drew as much criticism as it ended in disappointment. Hopkins, the best actor winner didn’t appear in person or online to accept the award that many were hoping would go posthumously to Chadwick Boseman for his stellar performance in the film Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. Hopkins later came online thanking the Academy for the gesture at this ripe age, while offering tribute to Chadwick Boseman. “At 83 years of age, I did not expect to get this award. I really didn’t. Very grateful to the Academy and thank you. I want to pay my tribute to Chadwick Boseman who was taken from us far too early.”
