Oscars 2017: 10 things you need to know, from the epic mix-up to Viola Davis' speech
Before the most epic mix-up in Oscars history occurred in the closing moments of the 89th Academy Awards ... some other things happened, too! Here are the highlights of everything you need to know:
1) Faye Dunaway announced the wrong winner for best picture.
OK, you probably know that, right? The cast of “La La Land” got on stage. Then they were informed “Moonlight” really won. It was mortifying and riveting and totally confusing.
2) Viola Davis's speech.
Davis is famous for amazing speeches, and the Oscars was no exception. Davis, who won best supporting actress for “Fences,” earned plenty of cheers from the audience. “People ask me all the time - what kind of stories do you want to tell, Viola? And I say exhume those bodies. Exhume those stories - the stories of the people who dreamed big and never saw those dreams to fruition, people who fell in love and lost,” she said, adding, “I became an artist and thank God I did ... because we are the only profession that celebrates what it means to live a life.” (Afterward, Kimmel informed the crowd she “won an Emmy” for the speech.)
3) Jimmy Kimmel's monologue.
Kimmel jumped into the political commentary: “I don't have to tell anybody the country is divided right now. I've been getting a lot of advice of people telling me, 'You need to say something to unite us.' Let's just get something straight off the top - I can't do that,” he said. “There's only one 'Braveheart' in the room, and he's not going to unite us either, OK?” The camera, of course, cut to Mel Gibson.
4) “The Salesman” director didn't attend - but wrote a scathing statement.
Iran's “The Salesman” won for best foreign language film, though director Asghar Farhadi wasn't in attendance: he said he would not attend the ceremony after President Trump's executive order that blocked people from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Iran, from entering the United States. Instead, Anousheh Ansari (an Iranian-American and the first female private space traveler) delivered a speech on his behalf:
“My absence is out of respect for the people of my country and those of other six nations whom have been disrespected by the inhumane law that bans entry of immigrants to the U.S.,” the statement read in part. “Dividing the world into the 'us' and 'our enemies' categories creates fear. A deceitful justification for aggression and war. These wars prevent democracy and human rights in countries which have themselves been victims of aggression.”
5) Kimmel's many (many) digs at President Donald Trump.
Though Kimmel took multiple shots during his monologue (“Some of you will get to come up here on this stage tonight and give a speech that the president of the United States will tweet about in all caps during his 5 a.m. bowel movement tomorrow”) as well as throughout the show. Kimmel ordered that CNN, The New York Times and Los Angeles Times all be removed from the ceremony; he offered faux-concern to a Swedish cinematographer about the terrible thing that happened in Sweden; and even tried to goad Trump by tweeting directly at him on stage.
6) Mahershala Ali's win for best supporting actor.
Ali was a lock to win for best supporting actor for his role in “Moonlight,” as a drug dealer who mentors a young boy who is bullied for his sexuality. So while no one was necessarily surprised when his name was called, Ali's sweet speech charmed everyone; he started by joking that his grandmother would want him to button up his jacket, which had come undone. He thanked his teachers as well as his wife, who just gave birth to their daughter four days ago. “I just want to thank her for being such a soldier through this process ... and really carrying me through it all,” he said.
7) Kimmel and Matt Damon continued their feud.
Viewers not in on the yearslong “feud” between Kimmel and Damon were probably very confused - but the host antagonized the actor through the entire show, starting with the monologue: “I've known Matt for a long time. When I first met Matt, I was the fat one.” When Damon presented an award with Ben Affleck, the announcer declared them “Ben Affleck and guest,” and played Damon off with music even while he was just presenting.
8) Sound mixer Kevin O'Connell won his first Oscar after 21 nominations.
The longest losing streak in Oscar history? It was broken as he finally scored a trophy after 33 years of being nominated: O'Connell won for his work on “Hacksaw Ridge,” and dedicated the award to his mother.
9) Gary from Chicago.
In another Kimmel bit, he paraded “regular” people into the Dolby Theatre to gawk at the celebrities in the front row. One guy was Gary from Chicago, and he immediately became a meme.
10) Celebrity dance moves.
Justin Timberlake opened the show with a performance of “Can't Stop the Feeling!,” his high-energy tune from “Trolls” that was nominated for best original song. From Nicole Kidman to Octavia Spencer, stars in the audience couldn't help but dance along - Taraji P. Henson was especially feeling in the music.