The Best Picture snafu at this year’s Academy Awards shook the film industry to its core. When ‘La La Land‘ was unintentionally awarded best picture when ‘Moonlight‘ had actually won, it caused a shitload of confusion and provoked many a shocked facial expression.
put this in the Moma pic.twitter.com/Q1bLpnSTu0
— Fariha Róisín (@fariharoisin) February 28, 2017
The internet went into full-blown detective mode – how the hell did that happen? Had Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty (who presented the award) simply had way too many champers so they couldn’t read? Was it all a conspiracy to boost ratings, or was it totally Leonardo DiCaprio‘s fault?
While it’s been confirmed that it went down because accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (who are the only people who know who won what pre-ceremony) accidentally handed out the wrong one to Beatty, some more insight has been shed today as President of The Academy, Cheryl Boone Isaacs, spoke out about the shmozzle to the public for the first time.
At the South by Southwest film festival, Isaacs spoke in conversation with ‘Hidden Figures‘ writer Allison Shroeder in her first public appearance since the major mishap. She reflected on the moment as “a beautiful ending” that demonstrated “respect and graciousness from the ‘La La Land’ filmmakers and the ‘Moonlight’ filmmakers in a way I thought was very special” – probably referring most explicitly to Jordan Horowitz, a producer on ‘La La Land’ who was the first to acknowledge that ‘Moonlight’ had actually won.
The La La Land producer who had to announce that Moonlight won best Picture is Jordan Horowitz. What a gentleman.
— Mark Harris (@MarkHarrisNYC) February 27, 2017
Isaacs reckoned that the moment demonstrated the “humanity” of Hollywood, and that it was a “brilliant, wonderful show”. This kinda perpetuates the conspiracy theory for me because, as an average punter, Hollywood (and especially the Oscars) seems as legitimate to me as its ‘Bojack Horseman‘ incarnation.
The fact that Isaacs chose to reflect so positively on the debacle was surely intentional. It’s served as her method ever since she first addressed the matter in a note to the Academy four days after the ceremony, which praised the overall “spirit and enthusiasm” of the proceedings (although noted that “changes will be implemented to ensure this never happens again”, AKA cya PwC representatives who were holding the briefcases; you won’t be working there again).
All in all, you’ve gotta give it to Isaacs for maintaining a totally chill outlook when one of the biggest awards ceremonies of the year (that she’s responsible for, mind you) looked like it was set to implode into awkward oblivion. But hey, what are movies if not unpredictable? That’s a joke M. Night Shyamalan totally cashed in on.
I wrote the ending of the academy awards 2017. @jimmykimmel we really got them!
— M. Night Shyamalan (@MNightShyamalan) February 27, 2017
Source: The Hollywood Reporter.
Photo: Getty / Robert A Tobiansky.
