The Oscars, also known as the Academy Awards, was held by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on March 12, 2023 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

The ceremony commemorates a year of spectacular films produced by hard-working and creative teams and awards them under several categories such as cinematography and acting. Since the first ever Oscars was held in 1929, the academy awards have aired on television for almost 94 years! That means 94 years of celebrating cinema and talented individuals in the film and animation industry.

This year’s 95th Academy Awards was very different from last year, given there were no shocking occurrences such as Chris Rock getting slapped by Will Smith on live television. Quite contrarily, this year’s Oscars was highlighted for its wholesome and heart-touching moments such as Key Huy Quan’s (Everything Everywhere All At Once) acceptance speech for Best Supporting Actor.

Prior to the commencement of the Oscars, celebrities walk the red carpet where they are swarmed by paparazzi and flashing lights. Shutter-click-shutter and the sound of voices overlapping are all that can be heard as the theater awaits their arrival. Influencers and news people interview celebrities for their before show thoughts and expectations. One awaited cameo interviewed on the red carpet was Pedro Pascal, who is currently starring in two widely-watched shows in America, The Mandalorian and The Last of Us. 

Jimmy Kimmel, this year’s host, did the most he could as a comedian by entertaining the audience and viewers with articulated jokes and out-of-pocket comments. Nothing said was too political or hurtful toward individuals as one can’t anticipate the toleration of them given the events that surfaced in past years.

Another highlight was Ke Huy Quan and Harrison Ford’s nostalgic reunion on stage after Everything Everywhere All At Once was announced Best Picture. Their tender embrace after 39 years since they both co-starred in Indiana Jones was one for the history books as it marks a key theme: the coming together of two actors that made it big and continue to aspire to the youth and talented individuals of this coming generation. “Dreams are something you have to believe in. I almost gave up on mine—to all of you out there, please keep your dreams alive.” Ke Huy Quan said. 

One also cannot forget Brendan Fraser’s emotional win in Best Actor for his gut-wrenching portrayal in The Whale. Given Frasier’s devastating past and how he was unfairly blacklisted by Hollywood for 10 years after his iconic role as Rick O’Connell from The Mummy, his return to the big screen was well-received by audiences and critics and tugged at the heart strings of many as the character he played was meant to evoke sympathy. Some even claim that he was revealing his true distraught emotions through his portrayal as Charlie from The Whale after the injustice he endured by the media and tribulations he faced in the past.

Although Austin Butler’s portrayal as Elvis was close to accurate and his sheer effort was evident (he did 3 years of method acting for the role), Brendan Fraser was deserving of the award and his gratitude and appreciation for it was an emotion most needed. Despite his victory, he showed immense respect “Gentlemen, you laid your whale-sized hearts bare so that we could see into your souls, like no one else could do. . . And it is my honor to be named alongside you in this category.” Fraser said.

Although there were heartfelt wins, there were also some actors whom audiences deemed were “snubbed” from winning an award, particularly that of Best Supporting Actress. The award went to Jamie Lee Curtis for her acting in Everything Everywhere All at Once, however, many did not support this decision by the Academy. Many argued that Angela Bassett deserved the award for her portrayal in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and many more argued that Lee’s co-star Stephanie Hsu was arguably the better candidate for Best Supporting Actress.

All in all, the Oscars this year could go down as one of the most memorable yet. With great presenters, heartfelt speeches given by victorious actors, and there seemingly no big scandal unlike last year, this years Oscars was one to never forget!