Oscars 2021
This is how the most unusual edition of all time went
More than ever, the 93rd Academy Awards were all about diversity
© 2021 Getty Images
The 93rd edition of the Oscars is over. The award ceremony was structured like a film – but found a very inglorious finale due to Corona.
It was definitely the most unusual Oscars to date that took place in this country on the night of April 25th to 26th. Apart from this exception, however, the award saved with superlatives, which was not least due to the decision to do without a moderator, as in the years before. What did the 93rd Academy Awards exceptionally well, on the other hand, was the decision to focus on several locations and thereby avoid breakdown-prone Zoom acceptance speeches or the like as far as possible. In this way, the Oscars retained their glamor despite more than adverse circumstances – at least until the unworthy final.
Director Steven Soderbergh (58) acted as co-producer of the event in 2021 and tried to direct it like a film with regard to the arc of tension. That also meant moving away from some long-established processes. The orchestra was not instructed to discreetly point out to the winners that their acceptance speech should be drawing to a close. The biggest surprise, however, was certainly that the evening didn’t end with the Oscar for the best film, but with the two main actor categories.
And that’s exactly what ensured that the hopeful evening ended very unhappily. Because at first Frances McDormand (63) was extremely short in her acceptance speech for her leading role in “Nomadland”, the “Best Actor” alias Anthony Hopkins (83) even gave no speech at all. Because of Corona, the 83-year-old was unable to travel to the USA, so laudator Joaquin Phoenix (46) had no choice but to leave the stage without having done any deeds. And with that, in all seriousness, the award ceremony ended.
Another host goes off
It was also decided to hand over important categories such as the script awards, “Best Supporting Actor” and “Best Director” right from the start. An Oscar film with a rapid start. For this, this is inevitable with so many categories, the award ceremony had to allow itself a little break with the big decisions and therefore had a hangover, especially in the middle. As in the years before, there was simply no moderator here who could have provided the necessary trappings. And the disappointing finale, for which the corona pandemic was ultimately responsible, did the rest.
The bottom line
The 93rd Oscars were certainly not the most spectacular, but not least because of the intimate atmosphere they had more charm than they had for a long time. The gratitude for having regained a bit of normality was abundant in everyone present. The script of the evening was written almost by itself. In the center: the fight against Corona and for diversity – and the irrepressible joy of being back. Unfortunately, due to the absence of Anthony Hopkins and thus a final acceptance speech, the Oscars came to a highly disappointing and inglorious end. Here it would perhaps have made more sense, as usual, to award the “Best Film” last. Then at least someone would have been there to thank them with a speech – and the Oscars would not have ended so abruptly …