The Best And Worst Moments Of The 2019 Academy Awards

Not only was this an emotionless and bland speech, but it was all in acceptance of a moment that didn't feel earned at all. When you look at the faces on that stage, you'll notice a handful of black people among a sea of white men and women. That's not surprising for a movie that ham-fistedly celebrates the fact that a racist white guy suddenly realizes he doesn't have to be a bigoted a**hole because he went on a road trip with a black guy who paid him to be there. How noble. The entire thing feels like a defense against people who already don't think the movie deserves Best Picture. No one even mentioned Don Shirley, the black main character of the film, or Victor Hugo Green, the man who created the original Negro Travelers' Green Book from which the film derives its title. Shameful. (Ethan Anderton)

The Oscars may have been a mixed bag this year, but at least no one was enjoying it more than Richard E. Grant. The Best Supporting Actor nominee for Can You Ever Forgive Me? was an unstoppable source of joy whenever the camera cut to him — whether he was celebrating the win for best documentary short, or tearing up at the sight of his hero Barbra Streisand. Cutaways to the audience are always a toss-up since the celebrities rarely know when they're on camera, but you could always count on Grant to be positively beaming every time he was onscreen. (Hoai-Tran Bui)

Like with every Oscars ceremony, there were great moments and horrible moments this year. There were awards that were well-deserved and awards that time will treat like a radioactive garbage fire. And yet, none of this can be placed at the feet of the show's producers, because this was the briskest Academy Awards ceremony in a long time. With no host to slow things down with lengthy monologues and wasteful skits, the broadcast was able to fly from award to award, offering amusing banter to the presenters without ever pressing pause for an unnecessary montage or a dumb "viral" moment. It became a show about the awards and the winners. This is the way it should be. The Oscars do not need a host. In fact, it's now clear that a host drags the show down. Hopefully, the producers take note and keep this template moving forward. (Jacob Hall)

It's bad enough that Rami Malek won an Oscar for his hokey portrayal of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody. Even the performance clip played during the nominations said enough, with the Mr. Robot actor badly lip-syncing to Mercury's un-imitable voice. But that would have been forgiven (Eddie Redmayne-style), if he had taken the stage and given an acceptance speech loaded with grace, wit, and humility. But he didn't. His self-aggrandizing acceptance spiel reeked of "I deserve this," the kind of pomposity that makes an entire ceremony (or an entire industry) look like its head is buried up its own ass. And his half-hearted shout-out to the LGBTQ community? Earlier in the day, Richard E. Grant proved how a straight man playing a gay man can be gracious and warm to the community he represented in an onscreen character when he won the Film Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Actor. Malek should be forced to watch that speech nonstop until he learns a thing or two. (Jacob Hall)

Everyone gets a little tongue-tied on stage, but the team from Vice took it to another level when accepting their award for best Hair and Makeup. Greg Cannom, Kate Biscoe, Patricia Dehaney-Le May attempted to share speech duties by taking turns reading off a sheet of paper, but had apparently not discussed the pivotal decision of who would go first. Fumbled remarks, garbled strings of names, and long awkward pauses ensued. (Hoai-Tran Bui)

A star is born... 🌟 #Oscars pic.twitter.com/lh0HZ53XrD

— Channel9 (@Channel9) February 25, 2019

A few months ago, Incredibles 2 was the favorite to win Best Animated Feature and it wasn't even close. The Pixar juggernaut had grossed over a billion dollars worldwide. Everyone had seen it. Everyone seemed to like it, even if not everyone loved it. It had that Disney firepower. It had that Pixar spark. It was unstoppable. Then, late in the game, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse arrived and quickly proved itself to be not just the best animated movie of 2018, but one of the best films of 2018 period. The whirlwind cocktail of pop art, big heart, and thrilling superhero adventure (all wrapped in a compelling tale of racial identity) feels like a milestone for both animation and comic book adaptations, even though it only made a fraction of what Incredibles 2 did at the box office. And yet, it went home with Oscar gold. Sometimes, the Academy does get it right. (Jacob Hall)

Although Black Panther missed out on Best Picture, the gorgeous and smart Marvel movie did pick up a handful of technical trophies, resulting in a few speeches that will linger for some time. Veteran costume designer Ruth Carter took the stage with a pride that radiated through the television screen and into my living room – a pride that can also be seen in every stitch of her afro-futuristic designs. When Jay Hart and Hannah Beachler won for Production Design, Hart graciously let Beachler take the microphone and her tearful speech, one filled with overwhelming joy, shook the room. And while Ludwig Goransson won a well-deserved Oscar for his score, it was these two black women who reminded us that Hollywood is more than a bunch of white men. And everyone else is finally getting their moment to shine. About time. (Jacob Hall)

Without a host to kick off the ceremony with one of those pre-recorded sketches that include cameos from a bunch of stars and filmmakers from the year's movies, the show began with a little rock concert. Adam Lambert took the place of the late Freddie Mercury to perform with the surviving members of Queen. They've toured together around the world, but their work during the Oscars ceremony left something to be desired. Maybe it's just that Adam Lambert's skills can't measure up to Freddie Mercury despite having an outstanding voice, or maybe it just felt weird because Queen is so old now. But either way, it was a bit of a clumsy start to the show. (Ethan Anderton)

We've already written about the embarrassment that is Green Book winning any kind of award, but this one (outside of Best Picture, at least) feels especially egregious. Green Book, a trite, formulaic, idiotic whitewash of a black story, beats out Roma, A Star is Born, First Reformed, Vice, and The Favourite? It's honestly flabbgergasting, especially when you compare the actual writing on the page. (Jacob Hall)

"I'm not crying because I'm on my period, or anything," director Rayka Zehtabchi said while accepting the award for Best Documentary Short, Period. End of Sentence. "I can't believe a film about menstruation just won an Oscar." It truly was a momentous occasion in a ceremony that felt so backwards in its biggest wins. But at least female empowerment and menstruation got the rare moment of spotlight in this inspiring acceptance speech from the excited group of female producers and filmmakers behind the 26-minute short about menstrual equality in rural India. (Hoai-Tran Bui)