Here is our Oscars Open Post, hosted by two of the last movie stars around, Julia Roberts and Clive Owen. I know Clive mostly works in television these days, but he’s still got the rizz of a movie star. And Julia, love her or hate her, also has an abundance of movie-star rizz. This weekend, Julia received an honorary Cesar Award for her decades of work. Clive Owen presented her with the award, because they’re good friends in real life and they’ve worked together a few times. This means we probably won’t see either of them at the Oscars!

Anyway, my big prediction for tonight’s Oscars is that we’re going to see some major shocks in the big categories. If the supporting categories go how everyone thinks they will – with Kieran Culkin and Zoe Saldana picking up their first Oscars – that will mean some “surprises” in the lead categories. I don’t even think there’s a consensus pick for director or Best Picture, so stay tuned. While this has been a wacky awards season, I also get the sense that people aren’t tuning in, and most people haven’t even seen most of the nominated films. It’s like that some years where there isn’t a populist favorite or a tentpole awards-darling.

CB & I will be updating this Open Post with the major-category winners and we’ll probably post anything interesting happening during the show. We’ll also be on social media. My Twitter (@KaiseratCB) is here and my BlueSky (@kaiseratcb.bsky.social) is here. You can follow CB on Twitter here, and on BlueSky here. We’ll post on both platforms tonight, as we have done throughout this year.

*Best Supporting Actor goes to Kieran Culkin! Not a surprise, but it’s lovely that everyone immediately recognized that Kieran’s beautiful, damaged, charismatic performance in A Real Pain. Kieran once again used a major awards speech to pressure his wife Jazz to have another child (they already have two kids). At the Emmys last year, he said he wanted a third. Afterwards, Jazz told him that they could have FOUR if he won an Oscar. They shook on it and now it’s looking like she’s going to have to get pregnant! Honestly, it’s more charming than I’m describing. I’m so happy Kieran won!

*Screenplay Oscars went to Anora (Original) and Conclave (Adapted). Great news, great scripts!

*From CB: Best Supporting Actress goes to Zoe Saldaña for her role as Rita Mora Castro in Emilia Perez. It would have been an upset if any other actress won as Zoe swept this awards season. This film was plagued by controversies but Zoe’s performance was definitely a standout and her win is well deserved. This is Zoe’s first nomination and first Oscar. Zoe thanked her mom and cried as she won. She thanked her director, cast and crew along with Netflix and her team. Everyone loved it when she thanked her husband Marco Perego “with that beautiful hair.” Zoe said “my grandmother came to this country in 1961, I am the proud child of immigrants” and that she is the first person of Dominican descent to win an acting Oscar. Congratulations to Zoe!

* From CB: Adrien Brody has won Best Actor for his role as László Tóth in The Brutalist. Adrien was considered the front runner after having won most of the major awards this season. This is Adrien’s second Oscar and second nomination. Adrien’s performance was heartbreaking and raw and this is well earned. Before going onstage Adrien threw his gum to his girlfriend, Georgina Chapman. He said “no matter what you’ve had in your career or what you’ve accomplished, it can all go away.” He also said the Oscar represented a chance to begin again and that in the next twenty years of his life he hopes to prove that he’s worthy. Adrien thanked his team, his directors and cast. He thanked his partner, Georgina Chapman, and her children. When the orchestra started to play him off he talked them down and said he would be brief “I’ve done this before.” He then thanked his parents and said “I’m here to represent the lingering traumas of.. antisemitism and racism” and that “if the past is to teach us anything, it’s a reminder not to let hate go unchecked.” Congratulations to Adrien!

*Best Director went to Sean Baker for Anora. This was Baker’s third Oscar of the night – he also won for Editing and Original Screenplay. Quentin Tarantino presented the Oscar and Baker gave him a shoutout, especially because Tarantino cast Mikey Madison in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. Baker was giddy and he spoke about his passion for bringing back cinemas, actual movie theaters, and how important it is for people to go to theaters to watch movies as they’re intended.

*Mikey Madison won the Oscar for Best Actress!!! OMG! I really thought Demi Moore would end up winning it, but it turned out to be a huge night for Anora. Mikey thanked the Academy, all of the producers and her family. She thanked the cast of Anora, Sean Baker and the whole crew, Brighton Beach, etc. Mikey, like Sean Baker, thanked and honored the sex-worker community. Lastly, she thanked her fellow nominees, and they cut to Demi, who looked happy-ish for Mikey.

*And the final Oscar to the night was for Best Picture, and it went to… Anora!!! Sean Baker is now the first writer/Director to win four Oscars in one night. It looks like the guild awards got it right – Anora and Baker picked up the PGA and DGA Awards too. What a night for Anora – I’m so pleased! It was honestly one of my favorite movies of 2024. Sad for Conclave, but it’s fine.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.