By Marisa Rodriguez
The night that film buffs and moviegoers alike had been waiting for finally arrived Sunday, and the 2016 Oscars did not disappoint. From red carpet moments to the end of the evening, here’s a brief list of some of the best and worst moments from the 88th Academy Awards.
Best: Chris Rock addressing the diversity controversy
Chris Rock did not waste any time addressing the #OscarsSoWhite controversy by starting with the topic in his opening monologue. For the most part, Rock was able to balance the seriousness of the topic with some much-needed comedy. His pre-recorded segment interviewing moviegoers in Compton was funny and authentic. The diversity controversy remained a steady theme throughout the night and Rock closed the show with invitations to attend the BET Awards.
Worst: “Spotlight” as Best Picture
While this wasn’t necessarily something that can be defined as the worst thing to happen, “Spotlight” winning Best Picture was a huge upset. There has been a pretty strong correlation in the past that shows Best Director and Best Picture go hand in hand. When Alejandro Iñárritu took Best Director for “The Revenant,” people likely assumed the film would also win Best Picture. However, “Spotlight” joins the very few films that break this correlation. According to The Wall Street Journal, “Spotlight” is the first film since 1952 to win Best Picture and only one other category.
Best: Leonardo DiCaprio winning Best Actor
No surprise here, one of the absolute best moments of the Oscars was Leonardo DiCaprio winning Best Actor for his role in “The Revenant.” DiCaprio had been nominated six times and waited 22 years for this moment. He took time during his acceptance speech to discuss the reality of climate change. In addition to his win, DiCaprio and Kate Winslet stole everybody’s hearts on the red carpet with a “Titanic” reunion.
Worst: Lowest ratings in years
The 88th Academy Awards hit a seven year low in the overnights, according to The New York Times. Nielsen’s 56-city overnight sample showed the Oscars averaged a 23.4 household rating from 8:30 p.m. to midnight EST. While this is still a big household rating, it is down six percent from last year’s show. There are many speculations about what caused the decline in ratings. Some suspect the diversity controversy is the main reason people did not tune in, but others explain the ratings based on the fact that the majority of the nominated films were indie films that weren’t seen by mainstream audiences.
