You could hear a pin drop in Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre on Sunday night as Harrison Ford announced the Oscar winner for the best picture. With a slight pause, Mr. Ford enthusiastically announced “Everything, Everywhere All at Once” as the 2023, 95th Oscars winner.
“Everything, Everywhere All at Once,” the most nominated production at the award ceremony, took home five Oscars in total. Most notably, the directors and screenwriters of the movie, Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheiner, took home the award for best directing and best original screenplay.
Additionally, the lead and supporting actresses of the movie, Michelle Yeoh and Jamie Lee Curtis, took home awards for the movie. These were the first ever Oscars wins for the pair, both after being in the industry for many years.
“Everything, Everywhere All at Once” also took home the Oscar for best supporting actor, with Ke Huy Quan as the winner. As he received his award, he kissed the trophy repeatedly and was overcome with emotion.
While many people enjoyed the show in the comfort of their homes, in Santa Barbara many residents and fans of the award show gathered at the Arlington theater for a screening of the show.
The award for best lead actor went home with Brendan Fraser for his performance as “Charlie” in “The Whale”. This drama production pulled on many heartstrings, largely due to Mr. Fraser’s performance. “The Whale” also won for best makeup and hairstyling.
Other Oscar winners included: best original song for “Naatu Naatu” in “RRR”; best adapted screenplay for “Women Talking”; best costume design for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”; best animated feature for “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio”; best sound design for “Top Gun: Maverick”; and best visual effects for “Avatar: The Way of Water”.
“All Quiet on the Western Front” took home quite a few awards as well. The production was nominated for nine different awards and took home the Oscar for best score, best cinematography, best international feature film and best production design.
Although this year’ Oscars ceremony featured nothing as dramatic as the slapping of Chris Rock by Will Smith, host Jimmy Kimmel still had some jokes to give about the situation. His opening monologue was full of subtle disses, and at the end of the show, he turned the number from zero to one on a sign that said “number of Oscars without an incident.”
The “In Memoriam” section of the awards ceremony was presented by John Travolta. Olivia Newton-John, a previous Santa Ynez resident, was presented first in honor of her passing on Aug. 8. Mr. Travolta co-starred with Ms. Newton-John in “Grease.” In his presentation, he referenced one of her songs, saying how “hopelessly devoted” he was to her.
There was also some Montecito representation at the awards ceremony this year. Julia Louis-Dreyfus, an actress and comedian well known for her roles in “VEEP” and “Seinfeld,” presented the award for best costume design. Ms. Louis Dreyfus is a resident of Montecito and a well-known figure in the community.
email: abahnsen@newspress.com
