The Oscars Were Still Too White, but There’s Hope for Next Year

5 minute read

Change is in the air already.

But for now, the 88th Academy Awards have been put to bed, and the show — in addition to being one of the most well-tuned and least boring in years — may have opened the door to a somewhat brighter future. Host Chris Rock spun out a brilliant gag about the racism of Hollywood, explaining that it isn’t “burning-cross racist” but “sorority racist,” as in: “We like you, Rhonda, but you’re not a Kappa.” But he also spoke astutely to the idea of boycotting — as in, how is not showing up going to help anything? His opening monologue and all the interstitial riffs that followed — including the moment he brought out a troop of Girl Scouts, all of them young women of color, who fanned out into the audience to sell their Tagalongs and Trefoils — opened a valve on the steaming-hot diversity issue. Within minutes of taking the stage, he’d let us all know that it was O.K. to enjoy the show — but also that we should all be ashamed if nothing has changed in the industry by the time next year’s nominations roll around.

While it’s probably unduly optimistic to call 2015 the last hurrah of superwhite Hollywood, it’s certainly possible to envision something different next year, and an even more changed landscape the year after that — by that time, maybe we’ll see more evidence of casting directors’ and filmmakers’ thinking more broadly about who belongs in that sorority. As it stands now, though, the 2016 Academy Awards was a fairly typical jumble of expected winners and pleasant upsets. The night’s biggest surprise was that Spotlight, a beautifully crafted movie built on a bedrock of terrific performances, took Best Picture over the more showboating front-runner The Revenant. Alejandro González Iñárritu took home so many Oscars last year for Birdman, the audience may as well have just stayed in their seats to watch him take yet more for The Revenant, which also won for Emanuel Lubezski’s cinematography and, of course, Leonardo DiCaprio’s lead performance, as a trappers’ guide left for dead in the western wilderness of the 1820s. No one was surprised about that win, either, but you also got the sense that everyone was happy for him. (DiCaprio has been nominated six times, but this was his first win.)

Earlier in the evening, though, it looked as if The Revenant might be nosed out by George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road, which took a whopping six awards (including editing, sound editing and costume design). Alicia Vikander’s Best Supporting Actress win (for The Danish Girl) and Brie Larson’s Best Actress award (for Room) seem to follow the Jennifer Lawrence mode of young actresses who break out very quickly — not that there’s anything wrong with that.

Mark Rylance was terrific in Steven Spielberg’s solid and rather underappreciated Bridge of Spies, and he gave a lovely, gracious speech as well — he praised his fellow nominees, in a straightforward way, and asserted, “It’s a wonderful time to be an actor.” Still, count me among the millions who were disappointed not to see Sylvester Stallone get the award for his role in Creed. What might that speech have been like? And what’s it like, anyway, to go from being a mumbling Expendable wearing too much oversize silver jewelry to becoming an Oscar front-runner? Maybe Stallone’s almost-win is as good as the real thing. It’s the kind of comeback few of us would have predicted for him.

But for me, the best and most gratifying award of the evening was Ennio Morricone’s win for the galloping, mischievously sinister-sounding score he wrote for Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight. The picture is problematic in all sorts of ways, but Morricone’s score is just about perfect. Astonishingly, this is the first Academy Award Morricone, 87, has received for a specific score. (He was given an honorary award, for his body of work, in 2007.) To watch him take the stage, clearly ready to cry as he prepared to give his speech, is to be reminded why we watch this awards show year in, year out, putting up will all manner of frustration, boredom and outright disgust. Sometimes, among the winners, there are tears that make you roll your eyes — melodramatic actresses who jabber on about how they can’t believe they won, and the like. And other times there are tears from people who have poured their whole lives into work that has given the world great joy, movie after movie, year after year. Sometimes one thing goes right in the universe, and it just happens to be at the Oscars.

Next year, if all goes well, maybe we’ll see a different kind of right thing.

Oscars 2016: Celebrities on the Red Carpet

Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet attend the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.
Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet attend the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.Steve Granitz—Getty Images
Cate Blanchett attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.
Cate Blanchett attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.Valerie Macon—Getty Images
Lady Gaga attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.
Lady Gaga attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.Jeff Kravitz—Getty Images
Alicia Vikander attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.
Alicia Vikander attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.Todd Williamson—Getty Images
Brie Larson attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.
Brie Larson attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.Jason Merritt—Getty Images
Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis attend the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.
Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis attend the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.Jason Merritt—Getty Images
Sylvester Stallone and Jennifer Flavin attend the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.
Sylvester Stallone and Jennifer Flavin attend the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.Todd Williamson—Getty Images
Rooney Mara attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.
Rooney Mara attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.Todd Williamson—Getty Images
Matt Damon and Luciana Barroso attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.
Matt Damon and Luciana Barroso attend the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.Jeff Kravitz—Getty Images
Saoirse Ronan attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.
Saoirse Ronan attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.Jason Merritt—Getty Images
Chrissy Teigen and John Legend attend the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.
Chrissy Teigen and John Legend attend the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.Todd Williamson—Getty Images
Rachel McAdams attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.
Rachel McAdams attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.Jason Merritt—Getty Images
Michael Keaton attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.
Michael Keaton attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.Jeff Kravitz—Getty Images
Bryan Cranston and Robin Dearden attend the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.
Bryan Cranston and Robin Dearden attend the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif. Todd Williamson—Getty Images
Jennifer Garner attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.
Jennifer Garner attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.Todd Williamson—Getty Images
Eniko Parrish and Kevin Hart attend the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.
Eniko Parrish and Kevin Hart attend the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.Jason Merritt—Getty Images
attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on February 28, 2016 in Hollywood, California.
Margot Robbie attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.Todd Williamson—Getty Images
Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher attend the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.
Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher attend the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.Jason Merritt—Getty Images
Mindy Kaling attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.
Mindy Kaling attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.George Pimentel—Getty Images
Michael Fassbender attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.
Michael Fassbender attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif. Valerie Macon—Getty Images
Hannah Redmayne and Eddie Redmayne attend the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.
Hannah Redmayne and Eddie Redmayne attend the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.Steve Granitz—Getty Images
Abraham Attah attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.
Abraham Attah attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.Steve Granitz—Getty Images
Jordyn Blum and Dave Grohl attend the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.
Jordyn Blum and Dave Grohl attend the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.Jeff Kravitz—Getty Images
Jared Leto attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.
Jared Leto attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.Jason Merritt—Getty Images
Jennifer Jason Leigh attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.
Jennifer Jason Leigh attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.Steve Granitz—Getty Images
Sophie Turner attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.
Sophie Turner attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.Steve Granitz—Getty Images
Jimmy Napes and Sam Smith attend the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.
Jimmy Napes and Sam Smith attend the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.Todd Williamson—Getty Images
Priyanka Chopra attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.
Priyanka Chopra attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.Kevin Mazur—Getty Images
Charlotte Riley and Tom Hardy attend the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.
Charlotte Riley and Tom Hardy attend the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.George Pimentel—Getty Images
Sofia Vergara attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.
Sofia Vergara attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.Steve Granitz—Getty Images
Charlotte Rampling attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.
Charlotte Rampling attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.Steve Granitz—Getty Images
Charlize Theron attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.
Charlize Theron attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.Lester Cohen—Getty Images
Juliet Rylance attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.
Juliet Rylance attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif. Ethan Miller—Getty Images
Benicio Del Toro attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.
Benicio Del Toro attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.Steve Granitz—Getty Images
Daisy Ridley attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.
Daisy Ridley attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.Jeff Kravitz—Getty Images
Naomi Watts and Liev Schreiber attend the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.
Naomi Watts and Liev Schreiber attend the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.Valerie Macon—Getty Images
Jacob Tremblay attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.
Jacob Tremblay attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.Steve Granitz—Getty Images
Whoopi Goldberg attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.
Whoopi Goldberg attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.Jason Merritt—Getty Images
Dorith Mous attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.
Dorith Mous attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.George Pimentel—Getty Images
Tina Fey attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.
Tina Fey attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.Todd Williamson—Getty Images
Kerry Washington attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.
Kerry Washington attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.Jason Merritt—Getty Images
The Weeknd attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.
The Weeknd attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.Todd Williamson—Getty Images
Alejandro Inarritu and Maria Eladia Hagerman attend the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.
Alejandro Iñárritu and Maria Eladia Hagerman attend the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.Todd Williamson—Getty Images
Olivia Munn attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.
Olivia Munn attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.Valerie Macon—Getty Images
Christian Bale and Sibi Blazic attend the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.
Christian Bale and Sibi Blazic attend the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.Steve Granitz—Getty Images
Sarah Silverman attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.
Sarah Silverman attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.Jeff Kravitz—Getty Images
Kate Capshaw and Steven Spielberg attend the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.
Kate Capshaw and Steven Spielberg attend the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif. Jeff Kravitz—Getty Images
Amy Poehler attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.
Amy Poehler attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif. Jeff Kravitz—Getty Images
Heidi Klum attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.
Heidi Klum attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif. Kevin Mazur—Getty Images
Nancy Carell and Steve Carell attend the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.
Nancy Carell and Steve Carell attend the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif. Ethan Miller—Getty Images
Pharrell Williams and Helen Lasichanh attend the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.
Pharrell Williams and Helen Lasichanh attend the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif. Kevin Mazur—Getty Images
Patricia Arquette attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.
Patricia Arquette attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif. Todd Williamson—Getty Images
Emily Blunt attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.
Emily Blunt attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif. Jeff Kravitz—Getty Images
Jason Segel and Alexis Mixter attend the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.
Jason Segel and Alexis Mixter attend the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif. Steve Granitz—Getty Images
Sandy Powell attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.
Sandy Powell attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 28, 2016 in Hollywood, Calif.Valerie Macon—Getty Images

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