GEN-X INFLUENCE CLEAR IN OSCAR NIGHT TALENT ROSTER

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences suggested a changing of the guard as the 92^nd annual Academy Awards unfolded tonight in Los Angeles. From the bestowing upon a foreign-language film its ultimate accolade for the first time to letting an ageing rapper finally belt out his Oscar-winning tune from 17 years ago, the ceremony provided further evidence of a strengthening of Generation X powerbrokers within the AMPAS membership.

The headline story of the evening was the trophy haul won by writer/director Bong Joon-ho’s darkly funny, contemporary South Korean thriller Parasite, which managed to hide away four awards by evening’s end – Best Film, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best International Feature.

The year’s most acclaimed film, Parasite now holds the honour of being the first foreign-language production in Academy Award history to win Best Film. Twelve foreign-language classics have been nominated for the top honour previously, including such masterpieces as Le Grande Illusion (1938), Z (1969), Cries and Whispers (1973) and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (2000).

Elsewhere, hot young stars from the 1990s were the key recipients of the four major acting gongs, signifying their transition into more stately industry standing. Lead actor and actress awards went to Joaquin Phoenix (Joker) and Renee Zellwegger (Judy) respectively (Phoenix emotionally quoted a passage written by his late brother, '90s icon River); supporting honours went to Laura Dern (Marriage Story) and Brad Pitt (Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood). The ageing ‘movie brat’ might of Martin Scorsese and his ensemble couldn’t secure The Irishman a trophy, while millennial poster-children Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson had to sit and watch with Marriage Story director Noah Baumbach as, Dern aside, others aced that film’s chances.

Perhaps the ultimate nod to the 40-55 year age bracket that held sway over the 2020 ceremony was the appearance of rap star Eminem. Unable to perform his hit song ‘Lose Yourself’ from Curtis Hanson’s 8 Mile when it won the Best Song gong in 2003, the singer, belted out the tune with power and energy before an enraptured audience who nodded heads in tempo and approval. Adding to the air of Gen-X authority was a movie-song montage that played like a love letter to '80s cinema.

The night’s supremely awkward attempts at being relevant to the under 25 demo were also typically Gen-X. Having Janelle Monae cold-open as 'Mr Rogers' then pound out a song-and-dance number featuring dancers in outfits from cooler films that weren’t nominated (Midsommar; Us) was a mistake that veered close to Rob Lowe/Snow White tackiness. A rapping-recap at the half way point from one of the young stars of the upcoming urban musical In The Heights left most bewildered.   

One generation’s love for the adventures of Woody and Buzz no doubt bolstered Toy Story 4 in the Best Animated Feature award, with Pixar’s mega-successful franchise entry beating out the more deserving Klaus and I Lost My Body. Also reflecting a more open-minded attitude than we’ve come to expect from the Academy was Taiki Waititi’s Best Adapted Screenplay win for the Nazi-themed satire, Jojo Rabbit. The love for brilliant international filmmaking did not extend to the Best Documentary Feature category, with American Factory beating the heartbreaking masterwork For Sama.

Technical categories skewed towards the industry’s older craftsmen, with 1917 (Visual Effects; Cinematography; Sound Mixing), Ford vs Ferrari (Editing; Sound Editing), Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (Production Design) and Little Women (Costume Design) sharing the below-the-line honours. Steven Spielberg introduced the In Memoriam montage, which included his mentor, Sid Sheinberg. The late Kobe Bryant was the first image, while Hollywood great Kirk Douglas was the last, the long list of those who have left us accompanied by a soulful Billie Eilish singing The Beatles’ Yesterday.