The 2023 Oscars came and went last night. After an eventful year of film in 2022, which may go down as one of the best years in recent memory eventually, the Oscars awards ceremony capped it off with flair.
Naturally, this ceremony was going to be interesting. Given what transpired last year between presenter Chris Rock and Best Actor winner Will Smith, this was certainly a ceremony viewers were tuned in to.
It also featured a few really good battles for awards. There were also plenty of worthy actors and crew members present. Here are a few of the most notable events from the Oscars in 2023.
Everything, Everywhere All At Once continues its historic run at 2023 Oscars
Going into the Oscars, it would have been an absolute surprise to see Everything, Everywhere All At Once not continue to dominate the awards conversation. It had already become the most awarded movie in film history (supplanting The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King) before the ceremony even began.
That didn't change with the latest ceremony. As expected, it won Best Picture, but the most historic award it received was not for the movie itself. Michelle Yeoh won Best Actress for her role as Evelyn and she became the first Asian Best Actress winner in Oscars' history.
Yeoh was at her peak during the movie, carrying it through the brevity and comedy it mixed so well. She received a lot of help from supporting actors and actresses (the movie had three nominations for those). Still, her performance was more than deserving and now, it's historic.
“For all the little boys and girls who look like me watching tonight, this is a beacon of hope and possibilities. This is proof that dreams — dream big, and dreams do come true.”
Michelle Yeoh via The New York Times
Ke Huy Quan's heartwarming acceptance
The simple fact that Ke Huy Quan was even nominated at all was a triumph that made him emotional. He hasn't had the strongest career since he was seen on-screen with Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones, but he's back now.
He gave an emotional shoutout to his mother, but it was a delight for viewers to see him win. Perhaps Hollywood made a mistake not casting him in everything before Everything, Everywhere All At Once.
Jamie Lee Curtis' surprising win
Jamie Lee Curtis was up against some powerful performances in the Best Supporting Actress category, including her EEAAO counterpart, Stephanie Hsu. Still, she defeated the likes of Kerry Condon (Banshees of Inisherin) and Angela Bassett (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) to take home her first-ever Oscar.
It might not have been the most deserving award. However, the sheer joy and emotion she felt over finally being awarded after a career that spanned over 45 years made it one of the best 2023 Oscars moments of the night.
Brendan Fraser's comeback is complete
After a run as a heartthrob actor in the 1990's, Brendan Fraser was effectively ousted from Hollywood. After he was allegedly sexually assaulted by a former president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, he was out of a career.
However, the resurgence is on. Fraser anchored Darren Aronofsky's The Whale and was in the cancelled Batgirl film. He's also in an upcoming Martin Scorcese film.
His Oscar win, which was well-deserved and emotional for him, completed the comeback. Fraser is officially back and it's like he never left.
Austin Butler's performance as Elvis in the Baz Luhrmann biopic was unbelievable. Nevertheless, it's hard to say Fraser's win didn't mean more than it might have for Butler.
The Little Mermaid's strange promotion
The Little Mermaid is Disney's latest live action remake. It's a big project for them for many reasons. Still, the fact that Disney-owned ABC aired the debut of the trailer live instead of as a commercial is odd.
There is probably a good reason for this. Perhaps the studio wants to make sure the movie does well and prove that a non-white actress can play Ariel, the mermaid. Perhaps Disney really wants to make sure that this remake doesn't flop like many others have.
Either way, they clearly want the movie to do well. Nevertheless, a trailer in the middle of the 2023 Oscars is a very strange way to promote it. Everyone's watching, so why waste the run time with the trailer? Make it a commercial during a break and everyone will still see it.
Having Halle Bailey, the Ariel actress, and Melissa McCarthy go up to present it felt strange, too. This was a rather unprecedented situation. It's not likely to happen again after this.
The Banshees of Inisherin's Jenny showed up at 2023 Oscars
The Banshees of Inisherin, Martin McDonogh's fourth film, was nominated for quite a bit this year. It unfortunately came up short in most major categories. However, the movie wasn't to be denied a bit of screen time at the Oscars.
Jenny the donkey was a fan favorite character from the film, which starred Colin Farrell and Brendon Gleeson. Jenny sadly (SPOILERS) passed away in the movie, but the donkey (or at least a stand-in animal) was at the Oscars.
Jimmy Kimmel, the host, joked about it.
“Not only is Jenny an actor, she’s a certified emotional support donkey — or at least that’s what we told the airline to get her on the plane from Ireland.”
Jimmy Kimmel via the New York Times
The 2023 Oscars were full of incredible moments. It might not go down as a ceremony to remember like last year, but it was still a memorable night. That's even more true for first-time winners like Curtis, Fraser and others.