Each year thousands gather in the Dolby Theatre, with millions more watching around the world, to witness the dramatic announcements of this year’s highly coveted and widely predicted Oscar statuette.
The 2023 ceremony was no different. With multiple categories running tight races for the last 9 months or so, this year’s race for the gold man was one of intriguing twists, turns and, most nostalgic of all, dreams.
With a renaissance of 90s stars and long-standing industry legends all competing for highly sought acting prizes – and a unique Best Picture frontrunner dominating the contest for much of the last year – last month’s show seemed to offer a nostalgic simplicity many watchers and participants had been yearning for.
Because – even after months of festival front runners, promising predictions, ballsy bets, and a plethora of guild and televised awards- it never got old watching the nominees’ dreams coming true.
The 95th Academy Awards brought back the core message of what awards shows are for, as every category supplied a noble and worthy winner and those millions of viewers in the room and around the world nodded their heads in agreement.
The lucky dreamers of the evening’s biggest awards are known entities, gallantly advocating for their success throughout various SAG, Golden Globes and Bafta contests, accompanied by charming speeches and humble streams of tears. And yet, for each actor the race was never truly won until that final envelope was opened and their name read aloud.
“And the Oscar goes too…”
Key Hu Quan – Jamie Lee Curtis
Michelle Yeoh – Brendan Fraser
Time and time again these wholesome dreamers lept in shock, stumbling to the stage through hoards of hugs and standing ovations, offering humble excuses for their success, and often powerful evidence for their return to the industry. With many first time nominees, the 95th Academy Award nominations reignited the dreams of many long-standing icons and then better yet, actually fulfilled them.
Key Hu Quan’s childhood comeback has been much watched throughout the awards cycle. His story is now infamous across the awards show circuit. Quitting acting a few years after his Indiana Jones/Goonies fame failed to materialise into an adult career, Hollywood let down the Vietnamese-American actor, who subsequently transitioned into stunt coordination and Directing. That is until last May, when Everything Everywhere All At Once raised him back into the spotlight as sweet and loveable husband Waymond. Throughout every much deserved win this awards season (and there’s been a lot of them), Quan’s speeches have reflected why the ever grateful returner deserves to win. With unending messages of kindness and never giving up, Key’s awards show campaign culminates in one simple joy-ridden statement; “Mum, I won an Oscar.” Plus, who didn’t enjoy the star-filled selfies that graced his Instagram as he paraded through various awards shows?
The sweep of the season, Key Hu Quan’s journey to the Oscar is not only one of superb acting and well written speeches – it’s a tale of hope, overcoming racism and finding your way back to childhood dreams, no matter how long ago they seemingly left you.
Key Hu Quan wasn’t the only Everything Everywhere All At Once winner- as costar Jamie Lee Curtis also leapt up early to win Best Support Actress. A loaded category where any nervous newbie or long-waiting legend could have taken home the prize, Curtis was praised by her colleagues for almost 50 years of acting, and a continually positive attitude. The so-called “Cheerleader” of the awards season, Curtis’ win for Best Supporting Actor with a comedy role is groundbreaking and a testament to her beloved industry status. With most of the early awards going to Angela Bassett for a powerful performance in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Curtis gained steam in February when presented the SAG award by her fellow actors. While either would have been a worthy win, it was Curtis who overcame the genre bias (maybe next time Marvel). Jamie’s own ‘maybe next time’ finally became now; as she pranced on stage to represent the hundreds of thousands of people who have helped her in her career with a tearfilled: “WE JUST WON AN OSCAR – TOGETHER.”
Titularly required to win EVERYTHING… EVERYWHERE… ALL AT ONCE (pun intended), the EEAAO sweep didn’t end at the supporting categories. After early nomination controversy and a down to the wire race between industry icons Cate Blanchett and Michelle Yeoh, it was Yeoh’s performance as the multiverse hopping mum Evelyn which landed her the statue. Considered the heart and soul of EEAAO, Yeoh’s leading role win seemed meant-to-be, despite concerns that genre bias or the abundance of Blanchett’s early sweep might get in her way. But after a last minute SAG win, where a relatable swear-word etched itself across viewer’s screens, Yeoh freaking did it! With this Oscar win, Yeoh becomes the second woman of colour and the first women of Asian descent to win Best Actress. The first WOC winner, Halle Berry returned to present the award (thanks to Will Smith and his Oscar ban), while oceans away Yeoh’s family and community gathered in Malaysia for their own viral and tear-filled celebration.
With Yeoh’s status as a legend of the industry, a much overdue winner and a widely celebrated contender all season, even Blanchett was thrilled, having hinted at a Yeoh win throughout her own speeches. The nostalgia renaissance strikes again and for the third time this evening the industry made a longstanding dream come true, a dream which Yeoh dedicated to “All the little boys and girls who look like me watching tonight, this is a beacon of hope and possibility. This is proof that dreams do come true. And ladies don’t let anyone ever tell you that you are past your prime… to all the moms in the world.”
The final dreamer of the ninety fifth’s foray into nostalgia-land was iconic 90s star and much adored actor Brendan Fraser. Although not an EEAAO alumn, Fraser’s first time win fits perfectly into the winners pool alongside previous 90s costars Quan and Yeoh. An icon on the internet and Hollywood for his various performances in the Mummy and Encino Man, Fraser too was outcast from Hollywood for daring to talk about being sexually assaulted by an executive. 15 years later, he kicks of his Brendan Renaissance with a highly coveted Oscar, awarded for his outing as obese teacher Charlie in The Whale. Despite some concerns over the possible fatphobia of the movie, Fraser’s portrayal of depressed, lonely, mentally ill Charlie is deeply heartfelt – as is one of his most emotive lines in the film “People are Amazing.”
And it is this wholesome, wissfil, and endlessly grateful spirit that Fraser has imbued each of his wins this season. Starting with an honest sentiment at the SAGs- “I’m smiling, I’m breathing, that’s half the job.”-, Fraser’s Oscars speech stepped further, exploring the depths behind his filmic journey with strikingly powerful, and relevant, metaphors of oceanic gratitude. From his first 6 minute long standing ovation at Venice to that fateful March 12th triumph, Fraser has embodied tearful and heartfelt thanks for those who have supported his underdog return. Not only does Fraser offer a stark contrast from last year’s violent and confusing Best Actor celebration, but he manifests a timely societal reminder of the power of film and the weight of Hollywood – and of how one heartfelt performance and a whole lot of goodwill and humility can do wonders for the rebirth of career dreams.
Of course dreams coming true is never limited to the most esteemed actors of the year. This year numerous first time winners took the stage in tears, pride and exstatic appreciation. From best director duo ‘The Daniels’ sweeping almost every nomination and yet continually enchanting us with wisdom and their whole lives bared, to the short film winners Irish Goodbye who took to the stage to sing happy birthday to a costar. Dreams were made true throughout each and every category of the night, as composers, actors, VFX artists, sound designers, editors, costumer designers, writers, short film directors, documentarians, and an industry of filmmakers recieved their long awaited congratulations.
And as everyone’s predicted favourite took home the evening’s biggest prize. No one was surprised, and I doubt anyone was disappointed when A24’s indie multiverse extravaganza was awarded Best Picture. An Asian-led film taking home Best Picture is nothing particularly new, after Parasite’s 2020 win. But one that sits securely within an Asian American family, various sci-fi and martial arts genres, and honours the legacy of so many Asian acting pioneers, such as supporting actor James Hong, not to mention continually breaking box office records across the world. Well that’s a different story.
It was celebratory, it was electric, it was an inspirational change of pace for an industry which used to say, and as James Hong noted at the SAG awards, “Asians aren’t blockbusters. Well now they are!”
And it was one final dream made true by the 95th Academy awards.
With another year of rewarding dreamers under its belt, the Oscars have seemingly resurrected their key purpose, one which I hope they continue to forge in future years, because in all honest sincerity: it never gets old watching dreams come true.