Film

THE OSCARS JUST PRESENTED BEST PICTURE TO THE WRONG MOVIE

Literally. This so painful to watch.

by Meg Watson  27 February 2017

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Um. Okay.

The 89th Academy Awards just finished up in the US and everything went about as you’d expect. Viola Davis got her first Oscar. Denzel Washington (and many women around they world) were upset to see Casey Affleck take out Best Actor. The whole ceremony rightfully revolved around Mahershala Ali. And La La Land won Best Picture.

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Oh wait, NO IT DIDN’T. The hot favourite was announced as the winner, all the cast and crew made their way up to the stage, people made some very passionate speeches about being “dreamers”, and then it was all taken away from them in a cruel instant as Warren Beatty ambled up to the stage and told them all just how badly he goofed.

“Oh, we lost by the way…”

“There’s a mistake. Moonlight: you guys won Best Picture. This is not a joke, I’m afraid they read they wrong thing.”

I am dead.

This moment is going down in Oscars history — for more than one reason. Not only is it a mind-blowing fuckup from the producers who handed Beatty the wrong envelope, it’s a historic win for Barry Jenkins and crew. For better or worse, the fight between La La Land and Moonlight came to represent much more than two films, but two types of films made by and for different types of people.

As the confused and elated Moonlight crew pointed out when they eventually made it to the stage, this was a film for “the little black boys and brown girls and other folks watching at home who feel marginalised.”

Moonlight director Barry Jenkins accepted the award stating “there was a time when I thought this movie was impossible”.

Audiences feel about the same, hey.

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Read our full liveblog of the Oscars here.