“Anora,” a gritty strip club Cinderella story without a fairy-tale ending, claimed the Best Picture award at the 97th Academy Awards on Sunday, marking a victory for Sean Baker’s Brooklyn-based screwball farce, reports AP.
Despite a tumultuous Oscar season, “Anora” – the Palme d’Or winner at Cannes – emerged as the surprising frontrunner.
The $6 million film, which tells the story of an erotic dancer who runs away with the son of a Russian oligarch, stood out for its explicit nature, atypical for a Best Picture winner.
Oscar voters overlooked blockbuster contenders like “Wicked” and “Dune: Part Two,” instead adding “Anora” to a recent list of indie Best Picture winners, including “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” “CODA,” and “Nomadland.” Baker and “Anora” represented a return to cinematic purity for a film industry transformed by streaming and economic uncertainty. On the campaign trail, Baker advocated for a return to the 90-day exclusive theatrical release. “Where did we fall in love with the movies? At the movie theater,” he remarked.
Baker’s four Oscar wins on Sunday tied a record held by Walt Disney, who achieved the same feat in 1954. It’s an ironic connection, as Baker’s previous film, “The Florida Project,” was set in a budget motel near Disney World. “Long live independent film!” Baker shouted from the stage.
Of the 10 films nominated for Best Picture, eight walked away with at least one award. Acting awards went to Madison, Adrien Brody, Kieran Culkin, and Zoe Saldaña. Brody won Best Actor for portraying a Holocaust survivor in “The Brutalist,” a performance that earned him his second Oscar, 22 years after his first for “The Pianist.” “I pray for a healthier and happier and more inclusive world,” Brody said in his acceptance speech.
Madison triumphed in the Best Actress category for her breakthrough performance in “Anora,” defeating Demi Moore, the frontrunner for “The Substance.” Like at Cannes, both she and Baker honoured the lives of sex workers in their speeches.
Netflix’s “Emilia Pérez,” despite a controversy involving star Karla Sofía Gascón’s offensive tweets, won Best Song and Best Supporting Actress for Saldaña. “I am the first American of Dominican origin to accept an Academy Award,” Saldaña proudly said.
Kieran Culkin won Best Supporting Actor early in the evening for “A Real Pain.” In his speech, he joked about a promise made by his wife, Jazz Charton, to have a fourth child if he won an Oscar.
One of the night’s surprises was the Best Animated Feature win for the Latvian film “Flow,” which defeated DreamWorks’ “The Wild Robot.” The win marked the first-ever Oscar for a Latvian film.
“Wicked,” the biggest box-office hit among the Best Picture nominees, won awards for production design and costume design. Costume designer Paul Tazewell became the first Black man to win the prize, earning a standing ovation.
“Dune: Part Two” claimed wins for visual effects and sound, with its iconic sandworm making several appearances during the evening. “The Brutalist” took home Oscars for cinematography and score.
Politics were mostly absent from the ceremony, although “Slava Ukraini” (“Glory to Ukraine!”) was briefly mentioned. The Best Documentary award went to “No Other Land,” a film about Israeli-Palestinian conflict, while “I’m Still Here,” a portrayal of resistance in Brazil during the military dictatorship, won Best International Film.
Host Conan O’Brien opened the ceremony with self-deprecating humour and avoided politics, focusing instead on celebrating Los Angeles’ resilience following wildfires. His monologue was well-received, and his musical routine was a highlight.
This year’s unpredictable Oscars took place amid a challenging year for the film industry, with ticket sales down and production disruptions caused by strikes. While smaller independent films dominated the awards, the Academy will face the challenge of maintaining high viewership.
The ceremony also paid tribute to Gene Hackman, the legendary two-time Oscar winner, who passed away earlier in the week. Morgan Freeman honoured Hackman, calling him a “giant” in the industry and a dear friend.
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