With the events of this year’s Oscars in the rearview mirror, I am happy to say that no one got slapped.
While I would not consider myself a regular viewer of the award show, I tuned in this year solely because I wanted to—figuratively—gamble on who would win. Predicting who would be hailed as the victor proved to be a friendly competition that my parents and I were happy to take part in. While watching, we presented our claim, cited our evidence, and justified our reasoning, pumping our fists in the air if our hypothesis proved to be accurate.
Most of our time, however, was spent analyzing the various speeches of the evening, all of different calibers. Looking back, the 2025 Oscars brought a night filled with unforgettable moments, from historic wins to questionable speeches that left audiences divided. While some winners delivered heartfelt and inspiring words, others missed the mark with tone-deaf statements or unpolished cordiality.
Sean Baker: Anora
Among the most winningest films of the competition was Anora, which took home a total of five awards that evening: Best Editing, Best Original Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Actress—going to the film’s lead Mikey Madison, who has since claimed her name among the youngest Oscar winners of all time. The film was also able to clinch the most revered award of the night, Best Picture. Although produced on a considerably lower budget than the other nominees and competing in an extremely tight race against nine other outstanding films like Conclave, The Substance, and Wicked, Anora swept its competitors in broad categories, winning the utmost praise of the Academy.
Anora director Sean Baker took to the podium a total of four times that evening. It was in his third speech, for Best Director, when he broadcast a call-to-arms to the audience, explaining to everyone watching that the culture of the cinema was in dire circumstances, saying, “It’s a communal experience you simply don’t get at home.” While, at face-value, this is certainly an admirable cause to advocate for that has considerable truth to it, there was a glaring issue that I feel this speech neglects entirely: accessibility.
Movie-watching in the cinema has now become a luxury that only the wealthy can afford. For families, a singular trip to the movie theater can cost upwards of 100 dollars; and that’s excluding the excess 30 bucks worth of stale popcorn and soda pop. While Baker, who has a combined net worth of close to 10 million dollars, may see this investment as extraneous, I feel as though this speech failed to grasp the extent to which movie-watching can be such a considerable financial burden for those not in the upper class.
Despite this, the acclaim that Anora has been able to harness should not be minimized, nor should Baker’s directive prowess. It is significantly rare that an independent indie film would be able to upstage such fierce contenders, especially in a year of such star-studded films all around the board. Despite the clouded intentions of Baker’s speech, Anora’s well-deserved success was a refreshing circumstance in the movie industry that will hopefully give a more potent voice to smaller films going forwards.
Adrien Brody: The Brutalist
While I originally did not pick up on the illicit issues in this instance, the content of Adrien Brody’s speech itself—while abhorrently long in comparison to the other winner’s speeches—was not the main issue; rather, it was his etiquette.
While walking up the stairs to accept his award, Brody promptly took his gum out of his mouth and threw it a good 10 yards through the air into the hands of his frantic and surprised girlfriend, Georgina Chapman. Why didn’t he simply swallow the gum? I am not sure. However, when winning such a prominent award, it seems a little abrasive to casually hurl a piece of chewed food into the crowd.
In terms of the speech itself, Brody exceeded the 45-second time limit by over four minutes. When the orchestra began playing halfway through his speech to signal him off the stage, he waved them off, saying, “Please turn the music off. I’ve done this before, thank you.” This behavior on Brody’s part seemed to be an act of unwarranted inconsiderateness, as other crew and cast members awarded were kept to the strict time boundaries. While I greatly appreciated his performance in The Brutalist and much of his past filmography, his ego outshined his credibility in this instance.
Paul Tazewell: Wicked
My favorite speech of the night undoubtedly goes to Paul Tazewell, who won the Oscar for Best Costume Design for his work on Wicked. And for those who have had the privilege of seeing the gentle delicacy of Glinda’s gown, the swooping bravery of Elphaba’s ensemble, and the meticulous detail in the surrounding cast’s costumes, this victory is most definitely deserved.
Tazewell set a historic feat as he became the first Black male to win this specific award. In my opinion, his speech was the most genuine and authentic one of the whole event; rather than fluffing up his dialogue with hollow appreciation and nonchalance, Tazewell’s grace and unwavering gratitude served as a pillar of what all actors and actresses should embody when accepting an award of such prestigious honor.
Camille, Jacques Audiard, and Clément Ducol: Emilia Pérez
All of the nuanced issues regarding this film aside, these three winners gave possibly the most uncanny speech of the night. Winning the award for Best Original Song with their track “El Mal,” Camille seemed to believe that her acceptance speech was the perfect time to sing a long, drawn-out, and—although I hate to say it—quite unfortunate rendition of one of the songs from the musical. My reaction to this cringe-worthy moment was akin to those in the audience, who sat stoic and confused as she continued her unwarranted singing.
While there was nothing blatantly offensive about this speech—although, I cannot say the same about the movie itself—I felt as though it was a bit sloppy and, to say the least, odd.
In the end, the night honored cinematic excellence, but it also highlighted that not every winner excels at giving a memorable and well-received speech. The night celebrated talent and artistry, but it also served as a reminder that not all winners are equally skilled at delivering an acceptance speech as they are with creating masterful movies. At the end of the day, the Oscars remain a spectacle—both for the films they honor and the unpredictable moments that come with live television.
