The 2022 Oscars: CODA, Dune, and More Shine
Graphic by Christina Hara
Troy Kotsur’s speech for Actor in a Supporting Role was the best acceptance speech I’ve seen in a long time.
All opinions stated in this article are my own.
The 2022 Oscars (click here for a full list of winners) premiered on Sunday, March 27th, and what was shaping up to be a typical Hollywood awards show turned out to be anything but. Going into this awards season, I eagerly awaited the Oscar nominations. Being a casual fan in the past, having seen maybe five of the dozens of films nominated, I decided that this was the year I would commit to expanding my knowledge of modern cinema — and it was worth it. Some of my predictions matched up to the winners (see: “CODA” and Ariana DeBose), but others genuinely surprised me. Most surprising of all, though, was not a nomination or a win, but rather a live scene of Will Smith and Chris Rock; which I’m sure you’ve already seen plenty of headlines about.
The initial story going into this year’s show about stories (or, as the hosts Amy Schumer, Wanda Sykes and Regina Hall put it, “the show about movies”) was biopics. Movies about real life people (living or dead) have always had a soft spot in Hollywood and the academy, but that fondness really shone through this year. Some notable biopics included “The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” starring Jessica Chastain and Andrew Garfield, “Spencer” the Princess Diana thriller starring Kristen Stewart, “Being the Ricardos” starring Javier Bardem and Nicole Kidman, “tick, tick… BOOM!” starring Andrew Garfield about the life of “Rent” creator Jonathan Larson and “King Richard” starring Will Smith and Aunjanue Ellis about the origin story and lives of Serena Williams and Venus Williams.
These films share more than being a biopic in common, though. A biopic, at its core, aims to tell the story of someone whose life is extraordinary. Not all biopics are biographical, though, and embellish, enhance or alter elements of the person’s life (see: Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana eating giant pearls in “Spencer”). But the thing all of these films have in common is that they successfully took a person’s life and brought it to the screen in a way that couldn’t help but move you. And isn’t that the joy of the movies, after all?
*= my prediction for winner
~ = what I personally want to win
Best Picture
Belfast
*~CODA - WINNER
CODA was the movie that I wanted to win, and hoped would win, but was worried that other films with bigger names and bigger budgets would entice the academy. But the underdog won, and I’m glad for it. If you haven’t seen CODA, it was one of my favorite films I’ve seen all year (and for good reason). Heartwarming yet emotional, CODA brings you into a life and a few communities you may or may not happen to be apart of, but will touch anyone who watches it.
Don’t Look Up
Drive My Car
Dune
King Richard
Licorice Pizza
Nightmare Alley
The Power of the Dog
West Side Story
Actress in a Leading Role
Jessica Chastain, “The Eyes of Tammy Faye”
Chastain’s performance as Tammy Faye drew me in from the first minute of the movie, and while I did not anticipate her to win, it was definitely well-deserved. Her performance showcased the real person in a new light.
Olivia Colman, “The Lost Daughter”
Penelope Cruz, “Parallel Mothers”
Nicole Kidman, “Being the Ricardos”
*~Kristen Stewart, “Spencer”
Kristen Stewart is one of those actors who I have a hard time forgetting that she’s Kristen Stewart; capital K and capital S. She’s a phenomenal actress and always hooks me into whatever role she’s playing, whether it’s broody Bella Swan or a Charlie’s Angel, but her as Princess Diana was the role that made me forget her celebrity. She was Princess Diana, in every conceivable way. Which is why I believed she would win. I personally wanted her to win because, as someone who dislikes horror films, she made me like the psychological thriller “Spencer.” I would absolutely watch that film again, if only to be enraptured by her performance once more.
Actor in a Leading Role
Javier Bardem, “Being the Ricardos”
*Benedict Cumberbatch, “The Power of the Dog”
~Andrew Garfield, “tick, tick… BOOM!”
Will Smith, “King Richard” - WINNER
Denzel Washington, “The Tragedy of Macbeth”
Actress in a Supporting Role
Jessie Buckley, “The Lost Daughter”
*~Ariana DeBose, “West Side Story” - WINNER
Rita Moreno won the same award for her original role so it was incredible to watch Ariana DeBose win it, too. It was very well deserved, and the detail in her acceptance speech of the make of the car was nice (shoutout to the white ford focus).
Judi Dench, “Belfast”
Kirsten Dunst, “The Power of the Dog”
Aunjanue Ellis, “King Richard”
Actor in a Supporting Role
Ciaran Hinds, “Belfast”
~Troy Kotsur, “CODA” - WINNER
Kotsur made you believe that that dad in CODA was completely a real person; you forgot he was an actor at all. His comedy was top notch, too, which is something the academy rarely recognizes but they should value more. When he won, everyone, instead of clapping, waved their hands, which moved me and everyone I watched with to tears. Highlight of his speech: “You are our bridge.”
Jesse Plummons, “The Power of the Dog”
J.K. Simmons, “Being the Ricardos”
*Kodi Smit-McPhee, “The Power of the Dog”
His performance was the best part of that movie for me, it was haunting and compelling and the standout, which is why I predicted Smit-McPhee would win.
I anticipated that “Dune” would walk away with the most awards, including sound, production design and film editing. I happened to be right on all of those. Though it didn’t receive as many accolades as I would’ve hoped, “West Side Story” is still a film worth spending your time on. Out of every movie on that best picture list, “West Side Story” was the one that pulled the most emotions out of me. I was laughing, crying, gasping and everything in between. It took a beautiful original and made it even better; something so rare in this current cinematic climate.
“The Power of the Dog” was the least powerful film nominated this year, in my opinion. It was not a step forward or backward, but a mere sidestep. A bystander, if you will. The antithesis, subsequently, to that ideal is Stephen Spielberg's “West Side Story.” While oppositely taking an existing body of work that provided a great deal of cultural and political insight into the fabric of America, he reshaped the edges to include new, relevant narratives while keeping its integrity and heart that’s so beloved. While I am partial to musicals, I believe that this iteration of “West Side Story”, thanks to talents like Rachel Zegler (snubbed for a best actress nomination in my opinion), Mike Faist and others, was phenomenal. Every part in this movie held its ground, from songs to acting to costume design to cinematography.
The 2022 Oscars were certainly memorable, but I personally hope that a main takeaway from this year is that storytelling can make an insurmountable impact, and stories like “CODA,” “West Side Story” and “The Eyes of Tammy Faye” got recognized for their ability to tell a unique story in a captivating and moving way.