TV Talk: Energetic, joyful Oscars telecast crowns ‘Oppenheimer’ best picture

The outcome of the 96th Oscars telecast was never really in doubt – “Oppenheimer” won best picture, director and lead actor among its seven awards – but thanks to host Jimmy Kimmel, who’s cemented his status as a new generation’s Billy Crystal or Bob Hope, and some strong, funny writing for the presenters (including John Mulaney’s explication of “Field of Dreams”), the ceremony entertained throughout, beginning almost an hour earlier than in years past (just after 7 p.m., five minutes later than planned due to protestors delaying stars’ access to the event) and managed to end early before 10:30 p.m.

The biggest surprise was the numerous awards (costumes, makeup, production design) for “Poor Things,” an arthouse movie that bested expected winners “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” in multiple categories. Those wins foreshadowed “Poor Things” star Emma Stone winning over presumptive favorite Lily Gladstone (“Killers of the Flower Moon”).

The Oscars followed in the footsteps of January’s Emmys and February’s Screen Actors Guild Awards by reuniting casts, a welcome, crowd-pleasing awards show trend.

Pittsburgh native Michael Keaton proved an entertaining, self-deprecating presence alongside his “Beetlejuice” co-star Catherine O’Hara as the pair joked about actors’ vanity and the importance of those who help beautify movie casts.

Later in the telecast, Keaton had another memorable appearance after “Twins” co-stars Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito said they were there because they both tried to kill Batman as villains in the first set of “Batman” films, commiserating about how they were defeated before DeVito pointed out Keaton sitting in the audience. Keaton stared at them with his best Batman, steely-eyed glare.

“You have the nerve to show your face around here,” one nemesis said, before the camera cut to Keaton who made the “come here” gesture with his fingers.

This is why Michael Keaton will forever be THE BATMAN pic.twitter.com/e0j4HdPM7h

— DC Film News (@DCFilmNews) March 11, 2024

Another Pittsburgh native got a shout-out when Kate McKinnon and America Ferrera presented awards for documentaries and McKinnon pretended to think the “Jurassic Park” movies were in that genre. Ferrera explained the dinosaurs in the “Jurassic” films are CGI.

“But Jeff Goldblum is real right?” McKinnon asked. Ferrera responded, “No.”

“Then to whom have I been sending my tasteful nudes?” McKinnon said as the camera cut to Steven Spielberg pointing at himself. McKinnon, responded, “You’re welcome.”

Although former President Donald Trump offered a negative review on social media – Kimmel read it out loud at the end of the telecast before quipping, “Isn’t it past your jail time?” — the crowd in Hollywood’s Dolby Theater was with Kimmel from the start – some even gave him a standing ovation — and their trust in him was rewarded with an entertaining opening monologue that was the right mix of insider gags and gentle mockery of the celebrities in attendance.

Jimmy Kimmel just read this post by Trump and then asked “isn’t it past your jail time?” pic.twitter.com/y7DUt2I6nE

— Yashar Ali ???? (@yashar) March 11, 2024

Kimmel pointed out the lack of an Oscar nomination for “Barbie” director Greta Gerwig, which the audience applauded before Kimmel shot back, “I know you’re clapping but you’re the ones who didn’t vote for her, by the way. Don’t act like you had nothing to do with this!”

Kimmel noted Robert DeNiro and Jodie Foster were both present at the Oscars in 2024 just as they were in 1976 “when Jodie Foster was young enough to be his daughter and now she’s 20 years too old to be his girlfriend.”

“It’s true,” Foster mouthed.

Kimmel thanked those who work behind the scenes, including Teamsters and members of IATSE (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees), for their support during the writers’ and actors’ strikes and he vowed he and his colleagues will support them in their upcoming contract negotiations.

“Now that the strike is over, now that Fran Drescher has returned to her volunteer work reading to the hearing impaired, we can be proud of the fact that this long and difficult strike taught us that this very strange town of ours, for as pretentious and superficial as it can be, at its heart is a union town and it’s not just a bunch of heavily-botoxed, Hailey Bieber smoothie-drinking, diabetes prescription-abusing, gluten-sensitive nepo-babies with perpetually shivering chihuahuas,” Kimmel said. “This is a collection of strong, hard-working, mentally tough American laborers, women and men who would 100 percent for sure die if we even had to touch the handle of a shovel.”

First-time Oscar winner Da’Vine Joy Randolph had the most emotional reaction to winning an Oscar for her supporting role in “The Holdovers,” crying and thanking her mother and others who “stepped in my path, who ushered me and guided me for so long. I always wanted to be different and now I realize I just need to be myself. Thank you for seeing me.”

Another first-timer, veteran TV writer Cord Jefferson (“The Good Place,” “Master of None,” “Watchmen”), made an impassioned, practical plea for studio executives to forego so many expensive blockbusters in favor of mid-budget films from new voices.

“I understand this is a risk-averse industry – I get it – but $200 million movies are also a risk and it doesn’t always work out but you take the risk anyway,” Jefferson said. “Instead of making one $200 million movie, try making 20 $10 million movies.”

In an endearing moment of celebration, the special effects team behind “Godzilla Minus One” brought Godzilla action figures to the stage, including a gold Godzilla, when they won the Oscar for special effects.

Kimmel brought on a nearly naked John Cena in a fantastic bit to mark the 50th anniversary of a streaker at the 1974 Oscars. Wrestler-turned-actor Cena, feigning second thoughts about the bit, clutched an oversize envelope over his groin as his sidestepped across the stage before declaring in a pitch-perfect, well-timed deadpan: “Costumes: They are so important. Maybe the most important thing there is.”

Perhaps the best presenters’ bit was “Oppenheimer” star Emily Blunt sniping with “Barbie” star Ryan Gosling while trying to end any “Barbenheimer” rivalry.

“The way this awards season has turned out, it wasn’t that much of a rivalry,” Blunt said.

“I figured out why it’s Barbenheimer and not OppenBarbie,” Gosling retorted. “I think you guys were there at the end because you were riding Barbie’s coattails all summer!”

Ryan Gosling and the cast of "Barbie" perform "I'm Just Ken" at the #Oscars. https://t.co/UNgGySGz3r pic.twitter.com/00hd0Jw8cy

— Variety (@Variety) March 11, 2024

“Thanks for Kensplaining that to me, Mr. I Need-to-Paint-My-Abs-On-To-Be-Nominated,” Blunt said. “You didn’t see Robert Downey doing that!”

While “Barbie” star Ryan Gosling went home without a trophy, he won the Oscars telecast with his rousing, confident live performance of “I’m Just Ken” from “Barbie.” From the opening, seated in the audience behind “Barbie” herself (Margot Robbie, who couldn’t stop laughing) to the presence of “Barbie” co-stars, including Simu Liu, onstage, the electric performance turned into a karaoke sing-along with the entire theater’s audience. It was a moment that embodied the joy entertainment brings us.

John Mulaney: "Without sound, we wouldn't have been able to hear such classic lines as 'You're gonna need a bigger boat,' 'I'll have what she's having' and 'He was in the Amazon with my mother when she was researching spiders just before she died.'" https://t.co/UNgGySGz3r pic.twitter.com/WLFpHIWU85

— Variety (@Variety) March 11, 2024

The full list of winners:

Best picture: “Oppenheimer.”

Best director: Christopher Nolan, “Oppenheimer.”

Best actor: Cillian Murphy, “Oppenheimer.”

Best actress: Emma Stone, “Poor Things’”

Best supporting actor: Robert Downey Jr., “Oppenheimer.”

Best supporting actress: Da’Vine Joy Randolph, “The Holdovers.”

Original screenplay: “Anatomy of a Fall.”

Adapted screenplay: “American Fiction.”

Animated feature: “The Boy and the Heron.”

Production design: “Poor Things.”

Costume design: “Poor Things.”

Cinematography: “Oppenheimer.”

Editing: “Oppenheimer.”

Makeup and hairstyling: “Poor Things.”

Sound: “The Zone of Interest.”

Visual effects: “Godzilla Minus One.”

Original score: “Oppenheimer.”

Original song: “What Was I Made For?” (“Barbie”).

Documentary feature: “20 Days in Mariupol.”

International feature: “The Zone of Interest,” United Kingdom.

Animated short: “War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John Yoko”

Documentary short: “The Last Repair Shop.”

Live-action short: “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar.”

Channel surfing

After hosting Pittsburgh-filmed episodes of Hearst’s Very Local series “Wait, What Happened?” in 2023, Western Pennsylvania native comic Frank Nicotero hosts 10 new episodes filmed in Cincinnati (streaming weekly starting March 13) and in New Orleans (streaming weekly starting April 24). … This week cable’s truTV shifted its programming from comedy/reality to sports programming, including simulcasts and “alterna-casts” of NBA, NHL and MLB games from TNT, while “Impractical Jokers” moves to TBS this summer. … Following Netflix, Hulu and Disney+, Max will begin a crackdown on password sharing in late 2024.

You can reach TV writer Rob Owen at rowen@triblive.com or 412-380-8559. Follow @RobOwenTV on Threads, Twitter, Instagram, Bluesky and Facebook. Ask TV questions by email or phone. Please include your first name and location.