It was a victorious Sunday for Sian Heder as “CODA” clinched victory at the 2022 Oscars for Best Picture.
The audience cheered the Apple film loudly, but also gave a round of applause in honor of the film.
Lady Gaga and Liza Minnelli presented Heder with the award at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, where Hollywood’s elite dressed up to celebrate the joy of film at the ceremony, led by Amy Schumer, Wanda Sykes and Regina Hall.
Star Troy Kotsur made history with the Best Supporting Actor award earlier in the night.
“CODA” received a total of three nominations, but managed to edge out “Belfast”, “Don’t Look Up”, “Drive My Car”, “Dune”, “King Richard”, “Licorice Pizza”, “Nightmare Alley”. . “The Might of the Dog” and “West Side Story” for Oscar glory.
Jane Campion’s “Dog” was widely predicted to be the favorite of the night, ending Netflix’s losing streak at the Academy Awards – and perhaps making the film’s biggest, most vocal critic, Sam Elliott, eat his words. Though the critically acclaimed film – which memorably unleashed the power of the dong with male nudity on screen – garnered a slew of accolades ahead of the Oscars, it wasn’t nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Ensemble. This is usually a reliable indicator of winning the best picture.
Dog won best picture in the drama category at the controversial Golden Globes, which didn’t air after embarrassing public backlash, alongside West Side Story, which topped the musical category.
Though Steven Spielberg’s updated “West Side Story” received seven nods, it hardly shared the same success as the 1961 original, which took home more Oscars than any other musical. In 1962, at the 34th Annual Awards, it was nominated in 11 categories and won 10, including Best Picture and Best Director. It was Jerome Robbins’ first film to co-direct with Robert Wise, and it was the second time a director had received top honors for a film debut.
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The Japanese-language film Drive My Car, directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi, also gained momentum in the run-up to the Oscars, picking up a win for Best International Feature Film at the Independent Spirit Awards earlier this month and earning four Oscar nominations overall. It is also the first Japanese film to be nominated for Best Picture.
“I’m surprised my work was nominated for an Oscar,” Hamaguchi told the BBC last week. “And it’s beyond my imagination.”
Last year, “Nomadland” dominated the Oscars, winning Best Picture, Best Actress for Frances McDormand and Best Director for Chloé Zhao – the first Asian-American woman to win.