By Mark Gray
9:59am PST, Feb 11, 2020
Remember last year's Academy Awards — the whole Kevin Hart hosting drop-out fiasco? Well, the biggest drama surrounding the 2020 Oscars might have been… the weather. Yes, contrary to popular belief, it does actually rain in Los Angeles from time to time. Thankfully, the red carpet was covered, giving fans a full (and dry) view of their favorite celebrities. Like 2019, the awards are going host-less in 2020, but it seemed to work well last time so we'll see how it goes this year as we take a look at all the things that had Oscars viewers talking — from red carpet news and fashion trends to the most memorable, thrilling and uncomfortable moments on stage and off. Join Wonderwall.com as we recap all the buzz from the 92nd Annual Academy Awards in Hollywood on Feb. 9, starting with Brad Pitt's big win… He got it! Brad Pitt has won an Oscar for acting. The "Once Upon a Time In Hollywood" star previously took home an Academy Award for producing "12 Years a Slave," but this was his first win for his work in front of the camera. During his speech, he thanked his co-stars like Leonardo DiCaprio, director Quentin Tarantino and the filmmakers who gave him his start in Hollywood as well as his parents for taking him to the movies when he was a child. He also took a shot at the the Senate for acquitting President Trump earlier in the week, saying Quentin should do a film about it but change the ending (ala "OUATIH"). "In the end, the adults do the right thing," Brad said. As he wrapped up his speech, Brad dedicated his golden statue to his six children, whom he rarely speaks about publicly. "This is for my kids, who color everything I do. I adore you," he said.
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A couple's major Hollywood awards show debut
Best actor nominee Leonardo DiCaprio and his girlfriend of more than two years, model-actress Camila Morrone, made their big awards show debut at the Oscars. Though they walked the red carpet separately, they were seated side by side in the front row during the telecast and the camera often panned to them. Leo last made a public splash with a girlfriend at the Academy Awards 15 years ago back in 2005, though that time, he walked the red carpet with his love, model Gisele Bundchen.
RELATED: See all the couples and duos at the 2020 Oscars
A family affair
Laura Dern had twice left the Academy Awards empty handed. Not this year. On Feb. 9, Laura took home the best supporting actress statue for her work in "Marriage Story." While accepting her award, she thanked her children and former stepchildren. But the best moment came later in the speech. "Some say you never meet your heroes, but I say if you're really blessed you get them as your parents: Diane Ladd and Bruce Dern." The camera immediately cut to her mother — the acting veteran was crying tears of joy in the audience. Talk about being a proud parent! Laura, who turns 54 the day after the Academy Awards, wrapped up her speech by calling her Oscar "the best birthday gift ever."
Surprise! A blast from the past
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the night? Eminem was there! The rapper performed his hit song "Lose Yourself," for which he won an Oscar in 2003 (it was in his film "8 Mile"). Why was he there now though, and why was he performing that particular song? No one seems to know. The rapper didn't show up back in 2003 when Barbra Streisand announced "Lose Yourself" as the winner. Em took to Instagram on Sunday after the performance. "Look, if you had another shot, another opportunity… Thanks for having me @theacademy. Sorry it took me 18 years to get here," he wrote.
Me-ow! "Cats" makes it to the Oscars
Rebel Wilson and James Corden are trying to claw their way out of the epic bomb that was "Cats" with a little humor. The co-stars dressed in their "Cats" costumes to present the award for best visual effects, which went to "1917." "Nobody more than us knows the importance of good visual effects," James said, and the crowd roared. After the nominees package for the category, the duo pawed at the microphone, as if it was a toy. Paw away, but they can't escape the horrific box office numbers or worse reviews.
Inspired by his late brother
No upset here. Joaquin Phoenix was expected to win best actor, and he did. It was basically a clean sweep of awards season. The "Joker" star used his time to not touch on the film but to speak about "injustices" in the world. Joaquin discussed racial and gender issues and spoke about animal rights at length. The devoted vegan also said he's been "selfish" and "cruel at times" and thanked Hollywood for giving him a second chance. He ended his speech by quoting a lyric written by his late brother, River Phoenix, who died in 1993. "Run to the rescue with love, and peace will follow," he said.
A very, very long speech
Is Renee Zellweger still talking? That's what Twitter wondered. The "Judy" star took home the Oscar for best actress, and her speech was easily one of the longest of the night. Renee thanked her whole team and co-stars as well as the people she views as "heroes," naming Serena and Venus Williams, Selena, Bob Dylan and first responders. "When we celebrate our heroes, we're reminded of who we are, as one people, united," she said. Twitter, it seems, tuned her out based on the length of the speech and the substance. "Where is Renee Zellweger going with this speech? No idea," one person wrote. Another tweeted, "Me at the end of Renee Zellweger's Oscar speech" alongside a meme from "Titanic" that read, "It's been 84 years." As if that weren't strange enough, the music that played her off the stage was the theme from… "Pirates of the Caribbean"???
Bong Joon-ho and "Parasite" make history
What a night for filmmaker Bong Joon-ho and best picture winner "Parasite"! The up until now little-known director took home some serious hardware and made some history in the process! He thought his night was done after he took home the statue for best director, but it was far from it. "Parasite" also won best international feature film and best original screenplay. Joon-ho, who used an interpreter for his speeches, was one of the darlings of the evening. Several times, much to the delight of the crowd, he mentioned going out and drinking. As he accepted his best director statue, he gushed over his fellow nominees by name (heck, the crowd gave Martin Scorsese — whose work Joon-ho studied in school — a standing ovation, and he didn't win!). "I want to get a Texas chainsaw and split this award with all of you," Joon-ho said. During the last award of the night, the South Korean movie made history, becoming the first film to win best international feature film AND best picture — but their time to bask in the spotlight was cut short with the telcast having run over… at least until the rest of Hollywood came to the rescue. When the stage lights aimed at the "Parasite" filmmakers and cast were turned off, the stars in the Dolby Theatre — including Charlize Theron and Tom Hanks — started chanting "Up! Up! Up!" until they got what they wanted.
Some quirky comedic relief
Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph were "angry" and "ticked off"! OK, they weren't, but they pretended to be before presenting the award for best production design. The comedy stars (and former "Saturday Night Live" castmates) soon noted that their bit was all a joke, explaining that they were acting. "We know there are a lot of directors here tonight," Kristen said. The women feigned getting emotional about production design too. Kristen and Maya followed that up by presenting the award for best costume design. Instead of just presenting the award, though, they sang all about costumes in a musical medley (they even included Sisqo's "Thong Song" in their bit, because why not!), which the audience really loved (except for 18-year-old pop star Billie Eilish, who the camera caught making a face that's sure to become a meme, inset). A petition lobbying for Kristen and Maya to host the show every year should be on the Internet in moments.
Spike honors Kobe
The Kobe Bryant tragedy of Jan. 26 is still weighing on Spike Lee. The notorious sports fan attended the 2020 Academy Awards in an outfit honoring the late Los Angeles Lakers great, who died in a helicopter crash with his daughter, Gianna, and seven other people just hours before the Grammy Awards. Spike, perhaps the most famous New York Knicks fan, donned a custom royal purple Gucci suit trimmed in gold with "24" — Kobe's jersey number — on the back. His lapels also featured a "2" on one side and a "4" on the other. In an interview with Ryan Seacrest during E!'s red carpet pre-show, the filmmaker — who in 2019 took home a best adapted screenplay Academy Award for his "BlacKkKlansman" script — was asked about the outfit. Spike, who's rarely at a loss for words, couldn't answer. He shrugged, nodded and attempted to respond, but he still couldn't muster the words. Later on ABC's red carpet pre-show, co-host Billy Porter inquired again. "We've got to love each other, man," Spike said. "For [Kobe's wife] Vanessa, the family… peace and love, peace and love."
Another former athlete follows in Kobe Bryant's footsteps at the Oscars
Matthew A. Cherry left the NFL in 2007, but he's still having memorable Sundays. Matthew won the Oscar for best animated short for "Hair Love." Interestingly, Matthew probably never envisioned this happening, having previously been a wide receiver for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Cincinnati Bengals, Carolina Panthers and Baltimore Ravens. Matthew won in the same category that the late Kobe Bryant won in in 2018. "This award is dedicated to Kobe, may we all have a second act as great as his," he said in his speech.
The Oscars say goodbye: In memoriam
Hollywood is still Kobe Bryant's town. As at the Grammys two weeks earlier, the late Los Angeles Lakers legend was honored at the Oscars (after all, he won an Academy Awards in 2018 for his autobiographical short "Dear Basketball"). This time, the basketball great was honored during the Oscars' In Memoriam segment — his was the first name that appeared on the screen — along with many other major stars we've lost this past year, including Kirk Douglas, Doris Day, Peter Fonda and John Singleton. Many fans took to Twitter to criticize that Luke Perry — who died of a stroke in March 2019 — was left out of the Oscars In Memoriam tribute, especially considering that his last movie role was in "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," which was up for several awards at the 2020 show. Steven Spielberg introduced the segment, which was set to the Beatles' "Yesterday" as performed by Billie Eilish and her brother, FINNEAS. So long, friends.
Who was that guy?
Who was that guy rapping a recap of the Oscars more than halfway through the show? His name is Utkarsh Ambudkar and you've seen him in "Brittany Runs a Marathon," "Pitch Perfect" and a few other things. On Sunday, Utkarsh freestyle rapped a recap of the show, mentioning specific winners and moments. Twitter seemed split over the rap. A lot of people really loved it, while a lot of people seemed bored by it. The question remains: Did he have a list of winners ahead of time? His rep swears he didn't. "He and Questlove figured out what the beat was going to be and certain things in that rhyme are evergreen and will work for the show no matter what," the rep told Vanity Fair.
An Oscars first!
Talk about giving the right answer! Real-life couple Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig are both up for best picture for their very different films — he made "Marriage Story," she made "Little Women." They're the first ever competing couple in Oscars history! While speaking to Ryan Seacrest on E!'s red carpet pre-show, Noah had the best reaction to the friendly competition. "We already share a baby, so the nominations, that's easy," he said. (Noah and Greta welcomed their first child, son Harold, last March.) Both filmmakers are also up for Oscars in the writing categories: He for best original screenplay, she for best adapted screenplay.
Another Oscars first
Typically, people don't talk about the best documentary feature award that much, but this year is different. With "American Factory" winning the statue, it meant that Barack Obama became the first former president to back an Oscar-winning movie: Barack Obama and wife Michelle Obama's production company is behind the documentary. The Obamas didn't technically win the Oscar, but they're now Oscar-adjacent. "Congrats to Julia and Steven, the filmmakers behind American Factory, for telling such a complex, moving story about the very human consequences of wrenching economic change. Glad to see two talented and downright good people take home the Oscar for Higher Ground's first release," Barack tweeted shortly after the big win. The former POTUS, by the way, won a Grammy in 2006.
Sartorial statement of support
Natalie Portman is standing with her fellow female filmmakers. Much was made this year of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' failure to nominate any women in the best director category despite multiple stellar movies from female directors. Natalie, and actress and director, made a sartorial statement that took on the issue, donning a Dior cape embroidered with the last names of all the women who were considered snubbed: "Hustlers" director Lorene Scafaria; "The Farewell" director Lulu Wang; "Portrait of a Lady on Fire" director Céline Sciamma; "Little Women" director Greta Gerwig and others.
The queen debuts a new 'do
2019 Academy Awards best actress winner Olivia Colman hit the 2020 Oscars red carpet in a gorgeous navy blue velvet gown by Stella McCartney. But that's not what had people talking. The British actress, who plays Queen Elizabeth II on "The Crown," debuted a brand new blonde hair color at the Academy Awards. She bleached her hair sometime in the last few days as just a week earlier at the BAFTAs, she was still sporting a brunette 'do.
An opening number complete with a little shade
Welcome to the neighborhood, and welcome to the Oscars. Hollywood's biggest night kicked off with Janelle Monae singing the theme from "It's a Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood," which was made famous by Mister Rogers. The musical number shifted to honor other movies from the past year, and Billy Porter joined her. The opening number wasn't without a little shade, however, as Janelle noted that the night was a celebration of movies and that "We're here to celebrate all the women who directed phenomenal films" — a clear reference to the fact that no woman was nominated for best director.
Two former Oscar hosts deliver an opening monologue
Despite the 2020 Oscars having no host, there was an opening monologue after all. After the Janelle Monae-led opening number, Chris Rock and Steve Martin walked out and did a little roasting. Both comedians — who've previously hosted the Oscars — touched on Brad Pitt, Jeff Bezos, Martin Scorsese and Cynthia Erivo being in the audience. "Cynthia Erivo did such a good job hiding black people in 'Harriet,' the Academy got her to hide all the black nominees," Chris quipped in one of the better zingers. The men noted the lack of females in the best directing category as well. "We had an amazing time not hosting tonight," Steve later joked. The monologue was safe, but overall funny.
A very heavy look
Janelle Monae's Oscars red carpet look was major — and very, very heavy. The "Harriet" actress's stylist, Alexandra Mandelkorn, told People magazine that it took a team of four people to carry the skirt of the custom metallic tulle mesh A-line Ralph Lauren Collection gown — which featured more than 168,000 hand-embroidered Swarovski crystals and took 600 hours to make — down the hallway so Janelle could put it on.
She came prepared!
The Academy Awards are not exactly a quick show, so 10-year-old Julia Butters came prepared. The "Once Upon a Time In Hollywood" actress brought a turkey sandwich in her pink purse, revealing it on the red carpet to Los Angeles Times reporter Amy Kaufman. "I don't like some of the food here," Julia explained. There's a good chance that some A-listers will be trying to buy that sandwich at some point tonight.
Change of heart
Diane Warren is (again) up for an Oscar for her songwriting talents — this time for the track "I'm Standing With You" from the film "Breakthrough," which was performed by "This Is Us" star Chrissy Metz. Ironically, Diane didn't necessarily want the actress to sing to the song… but only because she didn't realize Chrissy could actually sing. "I was blown away. I didn't want her originally for the song, I wanted a more established artist, I didn't realize she could sing," Diane told E! during the network's red carpet pre-show. "She went in my studio, I said, 'Alright, I'll come back in a few hours.' And when I heard her on the song, [I was just] blown away. Just totally blown away. She was amazing." By the way, this was Diane's 11th Oscar nomination in 32 years — and she lost out again in 2020.
Why was Blac Chyna at the Oscars?!
Welcome to the Oscars… Blac Chyna? Yes, the proverbial pain-in-the-Kardashians'-side showed up early to the 2020 Academy Awards and left Twitter asking, "Why was she there?" Great question, and one that would not be answered for a few days. The former exotic dancer and model-turned-makeup brand and beauty salon owner, who also briefly starred on reality TV with ex-fiancé Rob Kardashian, arrived nearly three hours ahead of the Oscars show wearing a long-sleeved black velvet dress with blue embellishments. Two days after the show, Page Six magazine reported that Chyna attended as the plus-one of music producer Christopher Trujillo, who's worked with Ariana Grande, Fifth Harmony and others.
White night
It was a white-hot night for several Oscar attendees, who made white a fashion trend on the Academy Awards red carpet in 2020. Renee Zellweger stunned in a sleek custom Armani Privé one-shoulder column gown while Cynthia Erivo went big and bold in a white and silver custom Atelier Versace dress. Salma Hayek looked like a goddess in Gucci, and Billie Eilish was chic in a white Chanel suit.
Movie stars in metallics
Several stars took a cue from Oscar himself and wore shining metallic looks to the 2020 Academy Awards. Performer Janelle Monae arrived in a silver Ralph Lauren Collection gown, presenter Rebel Wilson chose a golden Jason Wu dress and double nominee Scarlett Johansson sparkled in a silver Oscar de la Renta corseted look.
