{"id":11794,"date":"2020-02-10T12:21:56","date_gmt":"2020-02-10T20:21:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/?p=11794"},"modified":"2020-02-14T12:58:14","modified_gmt":"2020-02-14T20:58:14","slug":"heres-why-these-movies-won-big-at-the-2020-oscars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/why-these-movies-won-at-the-2020-oscars\/","title":{"rendered":"Here&#8217;s Why These Movies Won Big At The 2020 Oscars"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s been mere hours since this year\u2019s astonishing Oscars conclusion and I\u2019m still processing <a href=\"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/oscars-2020-winners\/\">last night\u2019s historic outcome<\/a>. Shock, awe, elation, and countless other emotions have been swirling since Jane Fonda announced Bong Joon-ho\u2019s\u00a0<i>Parasite<\/i>\u00a0won the coveted Best Motion Picture crown. As I type these words, part of me still thinks we\u2019re living some Matrix glitch reality where the Academy doesn\u2019t conform to its own traditions. Quentin Tarantino\u2019s\u00a0<i>Once Upon A Time In Hollywood<\/i>\u00a0was right there, a nostalgic ensemble darling that takes a \u201cgood ol\u2019 days\u201d approach to lovingly reminiscing on cinema\u2019s past, yet #BongHive loudness proved too formidable. A Monday morning hangover well earned, according to the writer and director\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/oscars-2020-best-moments\/\">multiple booze-happy acceptance speeches<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>It Was All About &#8216;Parasite&#8217; Last Night<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1080\" height=\"608\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/-ByMojN5fEU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>As the dominoes fell one by one, I watched with incredulous curiosity. Bong Joon-ho\u2019s Best Original Screenplay win wasn\u2019t all that unfathomable and I thought it signaled a possible lack of attention later. Winning Best International Feature Film next led me to believe that Bong would further score Best Director at most and that\u2019d be that. The Academy wouldn\u2019t double-award\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.atomtickets.com\/movies\/parasite\/291495\"><i>Parasite<\/i><\/a>, would they? When Best Director added a third trophy to Bong\u2019s total, every fiber of my being assumed\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.atomtickets.com\/movies\/1917\/285242\"><i>1917<\/i><\/a>\u00a0would take home Best Picture. (<em>Editor&#8217;s note: I would like to interject here that I texted him that Parasite had the feel of destiny last night and he didn&#8217;t believe me.<\/em>)\u00a0\u00a0<i>Parasite<\/i>\u00a0had already made its mark, but then &#8211; for the first time in a long time &#8211; the Academy voted in a seeming underdog upset that, as fans and critics immediately began exclaiming, \u201cgot it right\u201d for once.\u00a0<i>Once Upon A Time In Hollywood<\/i>\u00a0and\u00a0<i>1917<\/i>\u00a0no longer the Best Motion Picture favorites previously heralded. A statement maker, frankly.<\/p>\n<p>Oscar night 2020 belonged to\u00a0<i>Parasite<\/i>, from Bong\u2019s visible appreciation on stage to literal history in the making.\u00a0<i>Parasite<\/i>\u00a0is the first\u00a0non-English film and first South Korean film to win Best Picture at the\u00a0Academy Awards. In a year where there were snubs aplenty depending on your informational source (no nominations for\u00a0<i>The Farewell, Uncut Gems <\/i>and <i>Honey Boy<\/i>\u00a0is a punishable crime), the Academy\u2019s adoration towards\u00a0<i>Parasite<\/i>\u00a0felt like momentary vindication. There\u2019s work to be done as far as gender and race disparity across nominees, but this unprecedented recognition of foreign cinema instills some hope that the Oscars landscape is shifting. Subtitles are no longer viewed as the enemy.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/images.atomtickets.com\/image\/upload\/h_960,q_auto\/v1565979349\/ingestion-images-archive-prod\/archive\/1565979348817_291495_cops_1.jpg\" width=\"1440\" height=\"960\" \/><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s fitting, at least, to have a Korean genre thriller lauded so enthusiastically after\u00a0Janelle Mon\u00e1e opened 2020\u2019s Oscars ceremony with an anthem for the outcasts (e.g.\u00a0<i>Midsommar<\/i>\u00a0and\u00a0<i>Dolemite Is My Name\u00a0<\/i>despite zero nominations). For an Academy that <a href=\"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/2019-Oscars-winners-list\/\">anointed\u00a0<i>Green Book<\/i>\u00a0Best Picture just last year<\/a>,\u00a0<i>Parasite<\/i>\u2019s victory surge felt like reflexive justice that teased a different kind of awards season future. One where it\u2019s not about the names in your movie or careers on display, or the recognizable narrative template your film follows, but maybe, just maybe, it\u2019s about the best film winning what it deserves. The Oscars made a bold and momentous choice last night, one that suppressed usual post-awards snark from film critics who couldn\u2019t believe Bong Joon Ho was the man of all three (plus) hours.<\/p>\n<h2>But Other Movies Won Big, Too<\/h2>\n<p>Elsewhere, the Academy proved much more predictable when it came to performance categories and other filmmaking merits. While\u00a0<i>1917<\/i>\u00a0was my pick to win the top prize of the night,\u00a0Sam Mendes\u2019 World War I epic still brought home Best Cinematography, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Visual Effects. None of these are particularly groundbreaking, especially legendary cinematographer\u00a0Roger Deakins winning his second golden statue and workman-like fifteenth nomination, but they&#8217;re nevertheless extremely deserved. Deakins\u2019 \u201cone-shot\u201d photography without question <a href=\"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/how-did-they-film-1917-to-appear-as-one-continuous-shot-with-insane-planning\/\">presented the year\u2019s most stunning cinematic views<\/a>. Anyone else stealing Deakins\u2019 Oscar would have been a monumental upset.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_11315\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-11315\" class=\"size-large wp-image-11315\" src=\"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/1917-2-1024x639.jpg\" alt=\"George McKay in '1917' (Courtesy: Universal)\" width=\"1024\" height=\"639\" srcset=\"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/1917-2-1024x639.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/1917-2-300x187.jpg 300w, https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/1917-2-768x479.jpg 768w, https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/1917-2-500x312.jpg 500w, https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/1917-2-400x250.jpg 400w, https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/1917-2.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-11315\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">George McKay in &#8216;1917&#8217; (Courtesy: Universal)<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Some awards season pundits teased a wacky world where\u00a0Todd Phillips\u2019\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.atomtickets.com\/movies\/joker\/276125\"><i>Joker<\/i><\/a>\u00a0might have the last laugh, but much like\u00a0<i>1917<\/i>, Warner Bros.\u2019 Clown Prince of Crime only mustered the Oscars glory we all predicted it would take home. Joaquin Phoenix cleaned up in the Best Leading Actor category from one awards show to the next, be it critics voting, his peers, or Hollywood industry folks, so his name being called one last time was always in the cards. Same for the unstoppable\u00a0Hildur Gu\u00f0nad\u00f3ttir, in her category of Best Original Score.\u00a0<i>Joker<\/i>\u00a0wanted to be the year\u2019s anarchist pick, but as\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/kalyncorrigan\/status\/1226656850977771521?s=20\">smarter minds than mine<\/a>\u00a0tweeted, \u201cIf you didn\u2019t give it to\u00a0<i>Taxi Driver<\/i>, you\u2019re not allowed to give it to\u00a0<i>Joker<\/i>.\u201d No disruptions from Gotham\u2019s deranged jester this year.<\/p>\n<p>Quentin Tarantino might not have taken home any writing or directing statues, but he did earn a shout-out from Bong Joon Ho during one of four acceptance speeches &#8211; along with\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.atomtickets.com\/movies\/once-upon-a-time-in-hollywood\/267807\"><i>Once Upon A Time In Hollywood<\/i><\/a>\u2019s two Oscar victories. Brad Pitt was almost as locked-in a pick for Best Supporting Actor as Phoenix for Best Leading Actor. Cliff Booth was the stuntman of our dreams, and exuded nothing but cool-hand Hollywood charisma whether he may or may not have killed his wife. He\u2019s a perfect Tarantino character in another developed Tarantino world &#8211; a world production designer Barbara Ling and set decorator Nancy Haigh brought vividly to life. Their win for Best Production Design plays right into the Academy\u2019s hand of recognizing Hollywood nostalgia, down to <em>OUATIH<\/em>&#8216;s neon strip signs that turned back the generational clock. This was their \u201conce upon a time,\u201d but I\u2019m still a bit taken by how Tarantino himself didn\u2019t squeak out either a writing or directing win. (<em>Second editor&#8217;s note: Me again! We&#8217;ve also had this argument: I maintain the Academy is intentionally holding off on that for Tarantino&#8217;s next and ostensibly final film.<\/em>)<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/images.atomtickets.com\/image\/upload\/h_960,q_auto\/v1562782934\/ingestion-images-archive-prod\/archive\/1562782934093_267807_cops_15.jpg\" width=\"1440\" height=\"960\" \/><\/p>\n<p>How could we forget one of your dad\u2019s or uncle\u2019s or grandfather\u2019s favorite movies of 2019,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.atomtickets.com\/movies\/ford-v-ferrari\/291168\"><i>Ford v Ferrari<\/i><\/a>? At two victories,\u00a0James Mangold\u2019s automotive drama was built for more tech-specific categories. Many predicted\u00a0<i>1917<\/i>\u00a0would sweep the audio categories due to its chilling sounds of war, I picked\u00a0<i>Ford v Ferrari<\/i>\u00a0and\u00a0Donald Sylvester to win Best Sound Editing for my only Oscar betting pool. The punch of a gear switch, vroom of speeding racers &#8211; it all cuts together so magnificently, an opus made of the burn of rubber and rhythmic clang of mechanic&#8217;s tools. The bigger surprise came when Andrew Buckland and Michael McCusker won for Best Film Editing, edging out the indomitable Thelma Schoonmaker for her work on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.atomtickets.com\/movies\/the-irishman\/297993\"><i>The Irishman<\/i><\/a>\u00a0(a lot of times in the Academy, \u201cbest\u201d equals \u201cmost\u201d and\u00a0<i>The Irishman<\/i>\u00a0has <em>plenty<\/em> of excellent editing with such a long runtime).<\/p>\n<h2>Could The Academy Finally Be Moving In The Right Direction?<\/h2>\n<p>The 2020 Oscars were a night of dapper suits and dazzling gowns and plenty of expectations met, but for the first time in a long time, we\u2019re having conversations about how the Academy took a big swing in the best way possible. As\u00a0<i>Parasite<\/i>\u00a0gained more and more momentum through awards season while its competition slowed, I\u2019ll again admit to not immediately buying into the film\u2019s dominant Oscar potential. Best International Feature? Sure. Best Director? A second win at the most. Oh, how spectacularly and wonderfully wrong I was, to now reflect on how\u00a0<i>Parasite<\/i>\u00a0&#8211; a flippin\u2019 Fantastic Fest favorite! &#8211; snuck into the Oscars\u2019 basement and refused to leave without first swiping its most prestigious award.<\/p>\n<p>I yearn for a day where presenters can stop joking about the lack of female inclusion as Steve Martin and Chris Rock noted, or the continued reminders of \u201cOscars So White\u201d (dropped by Oscar Isaac this year), but there\u2019s so much to be said about a Korean-language film taking the Academy\u2019s highest honors. Maybe, just maybe, Bong Joon Ho\u2019s wicked dark comedy-turned-Shakespearean tragedy dissection of classism is the renegade catalyst this industry needed to ignite broader change &#8211; or maybe this is just \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AlishaGrauso\/status\/1226741343591919616\">Big Bong Energy<\/a>\u201d at its best. In any case, allow me to end with the most eloquence and grace I can gather after last night\u2019s proceedings: ahem, \u201cHOLY S%T, REALLY?! AMAZING!\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/how-to-watch-the-2020-best-picture-nominees\/\">Here&#8217;s how to watch the Best Picture nominees<\/a> if you still need to catch up. <a href=\"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/\">Click here<\/a> for our Oscars coverage.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s been mere hours since this year\u2019s astonishing Oscars conclusion and I\u2019m still processing last night\u2019s historic outcome. Shock, awe, elation, and countless other emotions have been swirling since Jane Fonda announced Bong Joon-ho\u2019s\u00a0Parasite\u00a0won the coveted Best Motion Picture crown. As I type these words, part of me still thinks we\u2019re living some Matrix glitch [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":11799,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[50,1,55],"tags":[40,37],"class_list":["post-11794","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-editorial","category-movies","category-oscars","tag-featuredpage","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11794","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11794"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11794\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11801,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11794\/revisions\/11801"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11799"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11794"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11794"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atomtickets.com\/movie-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11794"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}