The 2023 Oscars – or 95th Academy Awards – was one you didn’t want to miss and, while Everything Everywhere All at Once stole the show, it was the ‘In Memoriam’ tribute that left everyone speechless and emotional. The segment, which lasted about four minutes, was introduced by actor John Travolta, 69.
During the introduction, Travolta paid tribute to one of his close friends Olivia Newton-John, who passed away on August 8, 2022 after a long battle with breast cancer. The powerful duo starred in the 1978 film adaptation of the musical Grease and teamed up for a charity Christmas album, This Christmas in 2012.
“Since tonight is a celebration of the work and the accomplishments of our community and this past year, it is only fitting then that we celebrate those we’ve lost who’ve dedicated their lives to their craft, both in front of and behind the camera,” Travolta said before a video was played, honoring those we have lost.
John Travolta’s emotional introduction was followed by a chilling ‘In Memoriam’ performance by Lenny Kravitz, who delivered a beautiful, elegant, and heartfelt rendition of his ‘Calling All Angels’ – a song that was released in 2004 as part of his Baptism album. His performance helped set the tone for the segment.
Olivia Newton-John was the first star shown on the big screen, followed by dozens of others – including Angela Lansbury (October 11, 2022), Ray Liotta (May 26, 2022), Raquel Welch (February 15, 2023), Burt Bacharach (February 8, 2023), Robbie Coltrane (October 14, 2022), and Kirstie Alley (December 5, 2022).
While the ‘In Memoriam’ segment honored dozens of stars that have fallen in the past year, there were several stars who were questionably left out of the segment. One of the biggest names was Anne Heche, who died of a car crash on August 11, 2022 – just three days after the passing of Olivia Newton-John.
Others that were mysteriously missing from the segment included Tom Sizemore (March 3, 2023), Paul Sorvino (July 25, 2022), Charlbi Dean (August 29, 2022), Marsha Hunt (September 7, 2022), and Leslie Jordan (October 24, 2022). Many people took to social media to voice their displeasure.
Who Stole the Show at the 2023 Oscars?
Of all the awards that were handed out during the 2023 Oscars, one film stole the show and it was Everything Everywhere All at Once – which was released on March 25, 2022. The film ended up winning a total of seven Oscars last night, which was more than any other film at the 95th Academy Awards.
The film won Best Picture, Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Jamie Lee Curtis), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Ke Huy Quan), Best Original Screenplay, Best Actress in a Leading Role (Michelle Yeoh), Best Director (Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan), and Best Film Editing. That’s a lot of awards!
All Quiet on the Western Front took home five awards – including Best International Feature Film, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Production Design, Best Cinematography, and Best Original Score. It was also nominated for Best Visual Effects, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, and Best Achievement in Sound.
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Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio won Best Animated Feature Film, Brendan Fraser won Best Actor in a Leading Role for his role in The Whale, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever won Best Costume. It was a night to remember for a variety of reasons, but we already can’t wait until next year’s awards ceremony!
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