The Shape of Water and Guillermo del Toro win the Best Picture and Best Director Oscar respectively at the 90th Annual Academy Awards.
The fantasy genre film The Shape of Water, a fairytale for modern times where the beast doesn’t have to transform himself, beat out the other eight nominees for the coveted prize – including the front-runner Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017).
Writer/director Guillermo del Toro, who also won in the Directing category, made sure to check the envelope actor Warren Beatty handed him so as not to have a repeat of last year’s monumental bungle.
Both Bonnie and Clyde (1967) stars returned to announce the winner for Best Picture and, in doing so, redeemed themselves.
Guillermo spoke of the importance of breaking down barriers in his heartfelt acceptance speech – “I think the greatest thing that art does, and that our industry does, is erase the lines in the sand when the world tells us to make them deeper.”
Of the film’s 13 nominations, the film also won Oscars in the Original Score and Production Design categories.
Jimmy Kimmel returned as Oscars host for the second year and set the tone of positivity and appreciation in his opening monologue.
A tone he maintained throughout the show except perhaps for a sly dig at Matt Damon after his performance in Saving Private Ryan (1998) appeared in a tribute to veterans.
Frances McDormand beat out Aussie hopeful Margot Robbie in the Best Actress category for her portrayal of a grieving mother seeking justice in Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri.
Putting her Oscar down on the floor to get “perspective”, she asked for all of the female nominees to stand in solidarity in what made for a genuine and unifying moment.
Host Jimmy Kimmel then returned to the stage and said, “I really hope Frances McDormand gets an Emmy for the speech she gave at the Oscars because that was absolutely unbelievable.”
It was the second Academy Award for McDormand, following her Best Actress win in 1997 for Joel and Ethan Coen’s crime drama Fargo – both of whom she thanked in her acceptance speech.
Alison Janney received the award for her supporting role in I, Tonya (2017).
“I did it all by myself,” Janney said without flinching in her acceptance speech before adding, “Nothing further from the truth.”
Gary Oldman and Sam Rockwell both left with gold statues for their respective performances.
The most exciting win was Original Screenplay for Get Out (2017), where Jordan Peele received a standing ovation from the audience.
Roger Deakins, for a long time considered as the greatest cinematographer to have never won an Oscar also deserves a special mention, for FINALLY winning for his efforts on Blade Runner 2049.
See below for a full list of Academy Awards winners:
Best Picture: The Shape Of Water
Directing: Guillermo del Toro, The Shape of Water
Actress in a Leading Role: Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Actor in a Leading Role: Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour
Actress in a Supporting Role: Allison Janney, I, Tonya
Actor in a Supporting Role: Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Original Screenplay: Jordan Peele, Get Out
Adapted Screenplay: James Ivory, Call Me By Your Name
Cinematography: Roger Deakins, Blade Runner 2049
Animated Feature Film: Coco
Foreign Language Film: A Fantastic Woman
Documentary Feature: Icarus
Documentary Short Subject: Heaven Is a Traffic Jam on the 405
Live Action Short Film: The Silent Child
Animated Short Film: Dear Basketball
Original Score: The Shape Of Water
Original Song: “Remember Me”, Coco
Makeup and Hairstyling: Darkest Hour
Costume Design: Phantom Thread
Sound Editing: Dunkirk
Sound Mixing: Dunkirk
Production Design: The Shape Of Water
Visual Effects: Blade Runner 2049
Film Editing: Dunkirk
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