After weeks of hype, interviews with first-time nominees and first-time host Conan O'Brien, the 97th Academy Awards Oscars extravaganza did not disappoint.
This year the Oscars were also a love letter to Los Angeles and the Hollywood community after the devastating wildfires that impacted thousands, including many of the stars in attendance.
The theme of resilience and recovery ran through the night. There were tributes to the firefighters and first responders. Ariana Grande opened the show with a haunting rendition of "Over the Rainbow" that set us weeping.
Often called the gay Super Bowl, the Oscars provided excitement, emotional speeches, incredible musical performances and a plethora of queer faces and voices from Queen Latifah to Bowen Yang (Lena Waithe sitting with Cynthia Erivo sure did make for a cute couple, maybe, although Erivo also has undeniable chemistry with "Wicked" co-star Ariana Grande).
There was a surprise appearance by Mick Jagger presenting Best Original Score. And history was made when out gay costume designer Paul Tazewell, who has won Tony awards for his designs, including for "Hamilton," became the first Black man to win for Best Costume Design.
Among the top nominees were the great Colman Domingo, out gay man and style icon, for Best Actor. Domingo was also nominated last year for his role as Bayard Rustin. Alas, this was not his year. He was bested by Adrien Brody in the epic Holocaust film "The Brutalist."
Also making LGBTQ history was Karla Sofía Gascón, the first out trans actress ever nominated, for her role as Emilia Pérez in the musical crime thriller dramedy. Jacques Audiard's outstanding and groundbreaking film about a trans woman crime boss also garnered awards at Cannes and the Golden Globes and led the Oscars with 13 nominations.
Tainting Gascon's nomination was controversy over past racist tweets about Muslims, George Floyd and diversity at the Oscars by her. She was also accused of attacks on a fellow Best Actress nominee, Fernanda Torres. Host Conan O'Brien even joked about it in his monologue. The film's director has said he has cut all ties with her.
While the controversy may have kept Gascon from a history-making win, it did not undermine the impact of the film overall, which won several awards.
One of those was Zoe Saldaña, who won Best Supporting Actress and gave one of the night's most emotional speeches. A tearful Saldaña told a cheering crowd she was the first person of Dominican descent to win an Oscar. She thanked her family and said she was the proud daughter of immigrants who came to the U.S. in 1961.
Saldaña's tour de force performance in "Emilia Pérez" was delivered in both Spanish and English and included her performance of the song which won for best original song. Saldana was a deeply impassioned speech which highlighted the importance of immigrants to American society.
Another passionate speech came from the Palestinian and Israeli collective who directed the best documentary feature "No Other Land." The two directors called out American foreign policy on the Palestinian conflict and urged a solution to the ongoing repression.
In his acceptance speech (possibly the longest ever at five minutes), Best Actor winner Adrien Brody highlighted the messaging of the Holocaust epic "The Brutalist," speaking to the rise in antisemitism and to the current atmosphere of hate and Othering in the U.S. It was a riveting commentary on the links between art and politics and the way film can situate history to remind us of the dangers inherent in revising that history.
These statements were a reminder of how powerful a platform the Oscars is and how many people hear these words globally. We were disappointed that Best Actress winner Mikey Madison didn't speak more declaratively about her role as a sex worker in Best Picture winner "Anora." We would have liked more than a passing lip-service comment that she will always be an ally' a missed opportunity in our opinion.
Gays and 'Grey's'
With awards season officially ended, March also signals the return of some fave queer-friendly series, among them season three of the wildly popular HBO dramedy "White Lotus."
This season of the killer franchise takes us to Thailand for eight episodes, with some recurring characters from the first two seasons as well as new ones.
The theme is wellness and the season stars Leslie Bibb, Carrie Coons, Jason Isaacs and Parker Posey among others. We will miss Jennifer Coolidge, whose character met an untimely end last season, but look forward to what creator Mike White has in store for us.
Shonda Rhimes's beloved medical drama "Grey's Anatomy" returns March 6 for its 21st season, making the ABC series the second-longest running show on TV after "Law & Order: SVU."
"Grey's" has always had queer characterizations, and this season will debut a new gay character to add to the lesbian and nonbinary characters currently on the series.
Shonda Rhimes is also debuting a new series, "The Residence," on Netflix. A thriller with a satirical edge that takes place in the White House after a murder will resonate with fans of Rhimes' previous political drama, "Scandal," of which we were a devotee.
Also this month, Tom Hanks debuts a ten-part docuseries on our amazing natural world in North and South America. NBC's "The Americas" is a lush look at the breadth of our extraordinary flora and fauna and incredible wildlife, with a score from Hans Zimmer.
Cut short
Finally, the tragic news February 28 that actress Michelle Trachtenberg was found dead in her apartment hit Millennials hard. Trachtenberg was a face we'd watched in film and on pivotal TV series for Nickelodeon since she was a child.
Trachtenberg shared the big screen with Rosie O'Donnell in "Harriet, the Spy." O'Donnell, like other actors who shared the screen with her, issued a statement mourning her untimely passing.
After a series of significant roles as a child actor, Trachtenberg transitioned to adult roles, and was known particularly for her portrayals of Buffy's younger sister, Dawn Summers in the cult classic TV series, "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer" and for her role as the beautiful vituperative style icon Georgina Sparks n the queer classic, "Gossip Girl."
Trachtenberg had been out of the acting scene since 2021 and early reports noted she'd recently had a liver transplant. We never know what challenges people are facing behind the scenes.
So, for the myriad of sadness as well as the undeniable euphoria of all TV has to offer, you know you really must stay tuned.
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande opened the Academy Awards with a "Wizard of Oz"/"Wicked" medley.
photo: ABC
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