Looking Past the Will Smith Slap: 2022 Oscars Recap

​ 2021 was a fantastic year for films, as the stark competition in this year’s Academy Awards proved. Hosted by Wanda Sykes, Regina Hall, and Amy Schumer, this prestigious awards show was certainly memorable.
The show began with Ariana DeBose winning her first Oscar for her role as Anita in West Side Story. This comes exactly sixty years after Rita Moreno won Best Supporting Actress for the same role in the original film. DeBose was the first openly queer woman of color to win an Oscar for acting. Another historic win came for Tony Kotsur, who won Best Supporting Actor. He played Frank Rossi in Apple TV’s CODA. Kotsur is the first deaf man and second deaf actor to receive an Academy Award for acting. 
Dune proved to be the most successful in terms of numbers, taking home six awards for cinematography, original score, sound, film editing, production design, and visual effects. This came as no surprise considering that Dune has been praised for these very accomplishments throughout the awards season. Cruella took home the award for Best Costume Design for work done by Jenny Beavan, while Best Makeup and Hairstyling went to The Eyes of Tammy Faye. 
After being pushed to popularity by its catchy soundtrack and emotional story, Disney’s Encanto won Best Animated Feature. Belfast won for original screenplay, while CODA took the award for adapted screenplay. There was much competition for original song, including songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Beyoncé, Van Morrison, and Diane Warren. However, the award went to Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell for No Time to Die, from the film of the same name. 
Drive My Car took International Film Feature, which is no surprise considering the film also got a nod for best picture. Best Documentary went to Summer of Soul (Or When the Revolution Could Not be Televised).
Best Actor went to Will Smith for his role in King Richard as the father of Venus and Serena Williams. His tearful acceptance came only minutes after he stormed the stage to slap Chris Rock. This year provided no shortage of strong candidates for Best Actress, including Kristen Stewart, Olivia Colman, Nicole Kidman, and Penelope Cruz. The competitive race came to an end with Jessica Chastain’s win for The Eyes of Tammy Faye. 
Best Director went to Jane Campion for The Power of the Dog, making this the second year in a row that a woman has won this category, and making Campion only the third woman to win a best directing Oscar. 
Finally, the most anticipated award of the night, Best Picture. The nominees were The Power of the Dog, Drive My Car, Dune, King Richard, Belfast, CODA, West Side Story, Don’t Look Up, Licorice Pizza, and Nightmare Alley. The award went to CODA, a film detailing the struggles of a child of deaf parents who wishes to pursue music, in a huge win for the deaf community, as well as families everywhere. It is a story about resilience and an ode to the art of music, a fitting choice for this year’s Academy Awards.

By: Julia ​Laszakovits