The glamour! The glitz! The shame… 

For nearly 100 years, one of the most renowned award shows has been the annual Academy Awards Oscars ceremony. Actors, actresses, writers, producers, and directors alike all have the chance to be honored at the glamorous event, with time-honored traditions such as a host and presenters for each award, and the highly photographed red carpet walk.

This year’s show being the 96th addition, expectations were quite high. They evidently were met with success, considering roughly 19.5 million people watched the show live; The biggest number drawn by the telecast in four years. 

Jimmy Kimmel hosted the award show this year, his presence seeming professional and focused through the duration of the event. As always, scripted jokes and commentary followed, but at least he didn’t manage to offend half of the population like we saw in the recent unfortunate events of the 2023 Golden Globes. 

It has increasingly become a trend in the literature and cinematic world to push boundaries and test any limits on normalized standards; We are seeing more and more outlandish and intriguing projects everyday. This could simply be because it causes people to think about meanings or ideas deeper than ones they’re already familiar with. Some may love these colorful and bold contortions of reality, and others might label them controversial blasphemy. But in reality, what greater risk is there to take than one that seems controversial? 

These encouragements to make unique, inspired, and creative choices were evident in this year’s nominations, with films such as Poor Things and Barbie being two of the most nominated movies of the year. 

Poor Things, which received 11 Oscar nominations, was a prime example of this successful controversy. The film itself began in grayscale, only exploding in vibrant color once the protagonist: Bella Baxter, played by Emma Stone, left the world she was trapped in to discover an unpredictable and unforgiving one outside. 

Bella’s naivety and inexperience with the real world truly conveys how skewed humanity has become, as when she is faced with difficult choices, she responds in ways that society has not deemed acceptable. Because she has not yet been conformed into society’s standards, she sticks out like a sore thumb in any situation she encounters. One of the presenters of the night- Sally Field- describes Bella as “Unhinged, and completely original. She awkwardly steps into the world awakening into her body and the sensations of being alive without boundaries.” 

Although the two films are very different, Barbie possesses some of these characteristics as well. Barbie, played by Margot Robbie, is at peace in a world she is comfortable with until a realization prompts her to become increasingly unsettled by conformity. Alternatively to Poor Things, the visuals become more devoid of color after leaving Barbie Land and setting into the real world, whereas Bella Baxter’s world gained color once she ventured past her home. 

These contrasting differences could be because Barbie attempts to show the viewer that the world has stereotypes, prejudices, and societal norms that aren’t recognizable to an individual who has simply become desensitized to them; Matriarchy in Barbie Land being reversed to patriarchy in the real world. 

Whereas in Poor Things, the color is gained back in the attempt to convey the light and wonder that Bella Baxter brings to dull and redundant mindsets. 

Regardless, both films became original prodigies, with Barbie being the highest-grossing box office movie of the year, and Poor Things taking home four Oscar awards throughout the night. 

Emma Stone stunned as Bella Baxter, and much to everyone’s surprise, she took home the Oscar for “Best Actress” for her portrayal. Stone appeared completely shell shocked as she made her way onto the stage, expressing intense gratitude as she stated that she shares this award with her fellow nominees. “It’s not about me, it’s about a team that came together to make something greater than the sum of its parts.” 

However, some parts of another film were not honored as they should have been, and those parts would be the visionaries that director Greta Gerwig and actress Margot Robbie are. 

Although some were disappointed that Barbie turned a magical fairytale-like symbol into another message of problems within society, none can deny that it was a difficult task. 

Margot Robbie had to find a way to play an inanimate doll, and then properly display signs of character development as she gained emotions that contradicted her doll’s entire purpose of being. It seemed a daunting task from the beginning, and Robbie did an incredible job bringing a deeper meaning that resonated to every viewer. To people who played with barbies growing up, they could feel like they grew up with the toy, and henceforth learned deeper meanings along with Barbie herself. 

The other part of Barbie, Ryan Gosling’s character, Ken, landed him an Oscar nomination for “Best Supporting Actor.” Gosling was well deserving of his nomination, and poured his spirit into what is known as “Kenergy,” but most were confused as to why Margot Robbie didn’t receive a nomination for her category in return. 

The making of Barbie was a daunting task itself as well, as reports came out that a Barbie movie had been in the works for years, all with different visions as to how the story should play out. Director Greta Gerwig picking up the project and bringing it to the magnitude of life and success it is today was an incredible achievement, and should have been recognized with an Oscar nomination. 

Opposingly, another one of the most critically acclaimed movies of the year was none other than Oppenheimer. With 7 wins out of 13 Oscar nominations, Oppenheimer was the highest decorated movie of the night. 

Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, and Robert Downey Jr. starred in the film that depicted an epic story of formulating the World War II atomic bomb. Being over three hours long, the movie is a lengthy interpretation of what might be one of the most important moments in history. 

Like the United States nation came together during WWII to defeat the Axis Powers, the huge cast and crew of Oppenheimer came together to create a movie that excelled in cinematography, casting, costuming, special effects, and passion, and resulted in Cillian Murphy’s win for “Best Actor,” Robert Downey Jr.’s win for “Best Supporting Actor,” and Oppenheimer itself winning “Picture of the Year.” 

During Downey’s acceptance speech, he profusely thanked his castmates, claiming he wouldn’t be where he is without them. “I stand before you a better man because of it [fellow cast members]. You know what we do is meaningful, and the stuff that we decide to make is important.” 

Whether it be a controversial take on sexism, an outlandish performance about flaws in society, or a historical reimagination on the risks required for success, most, if not all of the movies recognized had one thing in common: Nothing conventional ever accomplished anything.