In an upset, ‘Spotlight’ wins best picture at Oscars

As predicted, ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ swept the board in the technical categories, picking up a leading six Oscars for Sound Editing and Sound Mixing, Editing, Costumes, Makeup and Hair, and Production Design. “The White People’s Choice Awards”, he called the Oscars, which were protested beforehand outside the Dolby Theatre by the Rev. Al Sharpton, and saw some viewers boycotting the broadcast.

In classic Hollywood fashion, the 2016 Oscars saved its biggest twist for the final reel.

In an award show traditionally known for song-and-dance routines and high doses of glamour, Rock gave the 88th Academy Awards a charged atmosphere, keeping with the outcry that followed a second straight year of all-white acting nominees.

“You realize, if they nominated hosts, I wouldn’t even have this job”, he cracked.

“We were too busy being raped and lynched to care about who won best cinematographer”, Rock added.

He said: “Everyone wants to know is Hollywood racist?” Her work for Poynter has earned her a Mirror Award nomination.

Yet voters in the Academy chose Open Road Films’ Spotlight, which traces the Boston Globe’s 2003 Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation of child sex abuse by Catholic priests, for best picture.

“The members recognised the importance of this film – that speaks volumes of this filmmaking community”, Blye Pagon Faust, one of the producers of “Spotlight”, said backstage afterward.

Swedish actress Alicia Vikander won the supporting actress Oscar for transgender movie “The Danish Girl” while documentary “Amy“, about the late and troubled British pop star Amy Winehouse was also a victor.

The environmental activist took a moment to thank family, friends and colleagues – but used his acceptance speech to send a message about climate change, too.

“Let us not take our planet for granted”, said DiCaprio. “But tonight he is out among the winners celebrating, and I have a feeling he’s going to be out partying with the rest of these folks for quite a long time this evening”. “Thank you so very much”. It also took the Oscar statue for original screenplay.

Rock ensured that the topic remained at the forefront throughout the proceedings, usually finding hearty laughs in the process.

Instead, “Spotlight” became the first Best Picture victor in 63 years to walk away with only two Oscars. Is it burning-cross racist?

What did we tell you about it being an unpredictable awards season?

The original screenplay win for “Spotlight” was not unexpected, nor was the Oscar for best adapted screenplay that went to “The Big Short”, based on Michael Lewis’s bestseller.

“It was jabbing at Hollywood yet at the same time evenhanded and kind of dealing with like a new era of sort of how we discuss diversity”, he said. “Really impressive and really amusing”. Brie Larson looked like an equally sure bet to win best actress for her role as a young mother escaping from a kidnapper in “Room”.

“This week, the Pakistani prime minister said he would change the law on honor killing of women”, said Obaid-Chinoy, who was also the only female director to win an award at Sunday’s ceremony.

Newspaper drama Spotlight was the surprise Oscar victor of the night as it was named best picture. Smith co-wrote the song with James Napier. “I love animation”, he said, “because in the world of animation, you can be anything you wanna be”. The film took three awards.

Best foreign film Oscar went to Hungarian Holocaust-set drama “Son of Saul”, which revolves around a Jewish prisoner working in the crematorium at Auschwitz. But the year’s biggest box-office behemoth, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”, nominated for five awards, came up empty-handed.

And that was before a weird little skit involving Asian kids – one that didn’t land at all – made all the talk of diversity seem weirdly hollow.

The website Total Beauty tweeted a picture of Whoopi Goldberg arriving at the Oscars – but mistakenly confused her with Oprah Winfrey.

“It’s not enough to just listen and agree: We must take action”, she said.

“While change is often hard, it is necessary”, Boone Isaacs said.