The 90th Academy Awards had an unprecedentedly low bar when it came to outdoing last year’s show—as long as no one announced the wrong movie for Best Picture, it’d be a win. Those standards aside, the 2018 Oscars did have a few great moments worth remembering. And we’ve rounded up some of the best!
The Most Beautiful Geode in the World
The stage at Dolby Theatre didn’t just remind people of a geode, it was actually designed to look like one. According to The Los Angeles Times, set designer Derek McLane worked with Swarovski “on the 10-ton proscenium, decorating it with 45 million tiny crystals” which wowed viewers all night.
Guys, the #Oscars stage on Sunday is meant to look like the INSIDE OF A GEODE. But the production designer isn't into the "mystical" properties of crystals. He just thinks they're prets. https://t.co/MM51IG08yA pic.twitter.com/1tsoOSlD2X
— Amy Kaufman (@AmyKinLA) March 2, 2018
Jimmy Kimmel’s Jet Ski Giveaway
It’s always kind of sour seeing winners get played off mid-speech durig the greatest moment of their life. So we loved host Jimmy Kimmel incentivizing recipients to wrap things up quickly with the promise of a free jet ski for whomever gave the shortest speech of the night. It was a silly gag that actually worked (Helen Mirren was involved, so of course it worked), and it added a fun type of tension to the night.
Congratulations to #PhantomThread costume designer Mark Bridges on the shortest speech of the night! Enjoy your new jet ski! #Oscars #LakeHavasu pic.twitter.com/O3mnTxqcZp
— Jimmy Kimmel (@jimmykimmel) March 5, 2018
Lakeith Stanfield’s “Get Out!” Cameo
Just in case speeches still went too long, Kimmel had a perfect backup plan: Lakeith Stanfield in his Get Out costume, screaming “Get out!” at people.
There are rules if speeches go too long. #GetOut's @lakeithlakeith demonstrates what will happen… #Oscars pic.twitter.com/VWxwN4bTEo
— ABC (@ABCNetwork) March 5, 2018
First Oscar Wins for Our Faves
If you told us we could pick three of our favorite people in Hollywood to get the ultimate prize for the first time, Allison Janney, Sam Rockwell, and Guillermo del Toro would have been as good a list as any we could have come up with.
Mary J. Blige Performs “Mighty River” from Mudbound
The first hour of the show wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t exactly spectacular. That all changed, though, when Mary J. Blige, who was also nominate for Best Supporting Actress and Best Original Song, took to the stage to perform a gorgeous rendition of “Mighty River.”
We're in awe of @maryjblige's LIVE and powerful performance of "Mighty River" from Mudbound! #Oscars pic.twitter.com/F77NV2ltOj
— Channel9 (@Channel9) March 5, 2018
Rita Moreno’s Dress
Rita Moreno got the “O” in her career EGOT for Best Supporting Actress in West Side Story, and last night she wore the exact same dress that she wore to the 1962 Academy Awards. I can’t fit into pants from 2015, and here she was looking like a trillion bucks in a dress she wore over 50 years ago.
https://twitter.com/RachelHeine/status/970484016020209664
The Star Wars Gang Present Together
You had to know we were freaking out over seeing Mark Hamill, Oscar Isaac, Kelly Marie Tran, and BB-8 take the Oscar stage all at once. And in case we couldn’t love Oscar Isaac anymore than we already do, he did this to his little buddy.
https://twitter.com/daisysridIey/status/970491709627949062
Daniela Vega Makes Oscars History
Daniela Vega, star of the winner for Best Foreign Film A Fantastic Woman, became the first transgender person to ever present at the Academy Awards. What made the historic moment so poignant was that for as big a deal as it was, it wasn’t played as a big deal. Even a few years ago, both of those things would have felt impossible.
This is the moment Daniela Vega became the first openly transgender person to present at the #Oscars. https://t.co/iefhg9p4UL pic.twitter.com/O891Lm6773
— Good Morning America (@GMA) March 5, 2018
“We Interrupt This Broadcast of A Wrinkle in Time…”
Normally, Jimmy Kimmel interrupting a screening of a highly anticipated feature film would not end up on our “best” list. But if you’re going to ruin a movie for people, the only acceptable way to do it is to show up with Gal Gadot, Mark Hamill, Emily Blunt, Guillermo del Toro, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Armie Hammer, Lupita Nyong’o, and Ansel Elgort bearing snacks.
…Especially because it led to the following amazing moments: Mark Hamill introducing himself to Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer nearly murdering people with a hot dog cannon, and Guillermo del Toro and Lin-Manuel Miranda carrying a six-foot sub into a crowded movie theater.
Tiffany Haddish and Maya Rudolph Steal the Show
The funniest pairing of the night, who walked out carrying their high heels in their hands, led to a million tweets about how they need to be in a movie together immediately (STRONGLY AGREE). Haddish and Rudolph were hilarious, making fun of everyone and everything, including themselves.
And Speaking of Tiffany Haddish…
Tiffany Haddish is an actual, precious, hilarious gem and we do not deserve her, because she kept her promise and wore her very expensive $4000 dress dress (which she first wore at the Girls Trip premiere, and then again during her hosting gig on Saturday Night Live) yet again.
Rachel Shenton Signs Her Speech for The Silent Child
There were lots of touching moments during the show, like Sam Rockwell remembering the late, great Philip Seymour Hoffman, or Eva Saint Marie talking about how the crowd’s overwhelming response helped her deal with her husband not being there with her this year. But it was Rachel Senton signing her speech for the hearing-impaired young star of her short film that really got to us.
Ashley Judd, Annabella Sciorra, Salma Hayek, and New Voices
Three of the most prominent voices in the Time’s Up movement took to the stage to introduce a video on the importance of hearing from different voices in Hollywood. On a show with a lot of montages, this was the best.
James Ivory Breaks an Oscar Record!
89-year-old James Ivory took home the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for Call Me By Your Name, making him the oldest winner in Academy history.
Jordan Peele: Oscar Winner!
Jordan Peele’s debut film Get Out might not have won Best Picture or nabbed him Best Director, but it could very well end up being remembered as the definitive movie of 2017. That’s why we’re thrilled he at least won for Best Original Screenplay.
Roger Deakins Finally Gets One!
The Susan Lucci of Cinematography finally—FINALLY—won an Oscar on his 14th nomination for the gorgeous Blade Runner 2049. It was long overdue, and well deserved for the terrific work he did on Denis Villeneuve’s sprawling feature.
Frances McDormand Had Some Things to Say
Not only did Frances McDormand ask every fellow female nominee of the night to stand with her following her win for Best Actress, but she used her speech to spread the word on “inclusion riders.” Inclusion riders are stipulations that require studios to make sure they hire diverse crews to work on the film. While Hollywood has come a ways from “Oscars So White,” there’s still a long way to go.
Bonnie and Clyde Get Redemption!
Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway announced The Shape of Water as Best Picture and they got it 100% right!
Guillermo Del Toro checked for himself… #TheShapeofWater wins Best Picture! #Oscars pic.twitter.com/McXyRTzL8w
— ABC (@ABCNetwork) March 5, 2018
They did it! The 2018 Oscars topped last year!
But what did you think was the best moment of the night? What did we forget to include? Tell us in the comments below what your winning moments were.
Featured Image: ABC
More fun!
- Check out the complete winners list from the 2018 Oscars!
- Emily Blunt soars in Mary Poppins Returns trailer
- Charles Barkley has questions about Star Wars languages
