Hollywood’s biggest stars lined up in the shadow of the Hollywood sign at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California for the 88th annual Academy Awards February 28.
Mr. Chris Rock hosted the Oscars which aired on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) to more than 225 countries around the world. Mr. Rock opened the show with positive comedy on the controversy of #OscarsSoWhite.
“We want opportunity,” Mr. Rock said. “We want the black actors to get the same opportunities as white actors, that’s it.”
Spotlight, directed by Mr. Tom McCarthy, won “Original Screenplay” and “Best Picture,” beating seven other nominees including Mad Max: Fury Road, with ten total nominations, The Revenant with 12 nominations, and The Martian, with seven nominations.
Convent of the Sacred Heart senior Aggie Ryan attended the Oscars as a seat filler, immersing herself in celebrities and the overall experience of the Oscars.
“As a seat filler I moved around from different celebrities seats. I was very lucky and got to sit in the front row with Matt Damon and Rachel McAdams for a portion of the show,” Aggie said.
Six-time nominee Mr. Leonardo DiCaprio, won his first Oscar in the category of “Best Actor in a Leading Role,” for his performance in The Revenant. After the announcement of his win, Mr. DiCaprio received a standing ovation.
“When Leonardo finally won Best Actor for his character in The Revenant the atmosphere in the theater was triumphant. As he accepted his award the whole theater was brought to their feet,” Aggie said.
Actress Ms. Brie Larson also won her first Academy Award for “Best Actress in a Leading Role” for her performance in Room, directed by Mr. Lenny Abrahamson.
“I found it most interesting seeing the reactions of the celebrities as their co-workers were awarded Oscars,” Aggie said.
Mad Max: Fury Road, directed by Mr. George Miller, stole the show, winning six out of their ten nominated categories including “Production Design,” “Makeup and Hairstyling,” “Film Editing,” and “Costume Design.”
Others winners were Mr. Jonas Rivera and Mr. Pete Docter, in “Animated Feature Film” for their movie Inside Out, a story about a young girl named Riley who’s life is turned upside down after she has to move to a different state. Riley’s emotions, personified in the characters of Joy and Sadness, try to guide her through this pivotal moment in her life.
Highlights of the night were the performances by musical guests, The Weeknd, Lady Gaga, Dave Grohl, and Sam Smith.
Dave Grohl sang a cover of “Blackbird” by the Beatles, as employees projected a memoriam slideshow in honor of those who have died, including Alan Rickman and David Bowie.
Sam Smith and co-writer Jimmy Napes won their first Oscar in “Best Original Song” for “Writing’s on the Wall” which debuted as the theme song for the movie Spectre.
Aggie returned from the Oscars with a new appreciation for the people on the big screen.
“As an outsider, I could sense the deep connections these actors and actresses felt for each other,” Aggie said. “While being a part of the movie making industry may not be an easy job, it all seemed worth it after the Oscars.”