The 2026 Academy Awards: ‘One Battle After Another’ Earns More Than a Few Small Oscars

21:26Sean Fennessey:I think we have more. I think we only had four wrong and five wrong because we have 24 awards now because of casting. Okay. I'm just reading what you wrote in the spreadsheet. Yeah, I wrote something down that was incorrect. Yeah, okay. So I have 19 and you have 20, I think. and if anyone in the booth wants to flash things up let's do some producing out there you want to do some like Morse code I'm on it right now and so even though it felt very predictable all season that ineffable feeling of anything could happen was exciting for a change and I'll tell you one of the reasons why I think that was the case I like a lot of these movies and we like a lot of these movies and so the absence of a real villain being in contention for a lot of the awards made this just feel like a different vibe There are people at home who are like, I hated One Battle or I hated Sinners and that's fine.

22:16Sean Fennessey:But I think in general to the sort of like award system at large this year, a lot of enthusiasm for all these awards. You know, a lot of like Rose Byrne never really had a chance to win Best Actress. But there was a lot of enthusiasm for her and for her performance. And if I had legs, I'd kick you. It felt different than in certain years past where maybe there was some campaign shenanigans with movies getting in or not getting in or not getting the prizes they should have. or there were people who were just so obviously there because they were due as opposed to they had done great work. Just felt a little bit more balanced all the way around.

22:48Sean Fennessey:Do you agree with that? Absolutely. And that's why I was like, I think that this was really a show for us. And I don't just mean you and me, though I appreciate anyone who wants to program for me. But for people who are listening to this show, who are watching all of the movies, who are reading all this stuff, who are nerds, who are too much online talking about, you know, vote tallies, it did feel like the awards were sprinkled out enough that, and again, for films we mostly like, and even the films that didn't win any awards were nominated and represented, that it was just fun. It kind of felt like a nice elementary school ceremony of being like, oh yeah, and so-and-so did great work, and so-and-so, and I don't mean that in a participation way just in the sense of it was a successful year and that was represented on stage let me ask you about something else that you've been circling for the last few months it did the steamroller thing did turn out to be true you know the six months ago we decided that one battle will be coronated this year and we were not letting our foot off the gas until that happens and that was the case for anora that was the case for oppenheimer that was the case for everything everywhere all at once.

24:00Sean Fennessey:We're on a streak here of very dominant films that get multiple above and below the line nominations and wins and feel like they have a three-month glide path into Best Picture. Now, you could say, oh, there was like a hot moment where The Brutalist seemed like it had a chance with Enora, but not really. So this is four times in a row that that's happened. Though a week ago, you were not saying this, and many people online were not saying this, that it was a real race. And so I do think that this, even if One Battle was anointed back when, it didn't feel like that in the same way. But that's the thing is, we're still talking about vibes and the vibe conversation is over.

24:42Sean Fennessey:The wins happened. Like we got picture director screenplay and acting and editing and the first casting, even though that One Battle didn't hit that Gandhi quintet of awards, which is very, very rare. It kind of started a new trend by getting that casting Oscar. So now when we talk about packages in Oscars history, this is a very, very strong package. I mean, this is an incredibly elite historical package that this movie has. So now we'll look back on it as like a major triumph. It'll be one of the kind of big full chested Oscar titans. Yeah. And that's kind of fascinating. It was fun for the show and for the race.

25:23Sinners, I think this is, how to say this in a way that is understood.

25:29Sean Fennessey:It's probably better for its legacy that it didn't win. It gets to be, because Kugler's going to get his. He's going to be 52, and it's going to be annoying, but he's going to get his. Also, he did win an Oscar tonight. He did win. And again, and gave a beautiful speech. And that was, you know, I said to you, I think I was at 5.30 Pacific time. So about an hour and a half into the show and they grouped original screenplay and adapted screenplay. Adapted screenplay went first. And so you had this really nice balance moment where the thing that I think many people watching wanted to have happen in Best Picture actually did have happen in screenplays where PTA got an award, gave his first Oscar.

26:10Sean Fennessey:His first Oscar. Same as Ryan Coogler and like gave a really beautiful speech and dedicated it to his children and, you know, the hope of a better world. And then Ryan Coogler won his first Oscar like five minutes later. Also very moved. Both men very nervous, by the way, which we have been watching them all season. And they still had great presence. But at every other awards show, they've, you know, had a ready remark and they have been like wise and, you know, the the leaders of cinema that we want them to be and seemingly like unbothered by all the eyes on them. And and you could see that they were very nervous.

26:51And Ryan Coogler was really so nervous that he he acknowledged as much and then just talked about how much he loved his kids. It was it was wonderful. But I said to you, I was like...

27:02Sean Fennessey:Who can relate on a show where when we don't have anything to say, we fall back on talking about how much we love our kids. But it was still really emotional. It was also both men getting their first Oscar within five minutes of each other. And I was kind of like, this is interesting that this is... We're an hour and a half in the show and we definitely have two more hours and a lot more awards to give. But that was the heart of the show. Yeah, which is so interesting because there was no doubt that that was going to happen in either category. There was no confusion. But you're right. It did kind of feel like the emotional fulcrum of the evening.

27:31Sean Fennessey:It was just like, okay, that has happened. These were the important things in a way. I would argue that Best Actor also. It just felt like there was a big emotional weight and burden on that award. And it lived up to the moment in an interesting way. What was your favorite award that was not in that power trio that we're talking about here? Of the great moments? I mean, Cassandra Kulikundas for one battle and for the first best casting was like exuberant because she was so genuinely psyched. Yes. And they also, because it was the first time the best casting was given out, they had five actors, one from each of the nominated films come out.

28:10So you got Paul Meskel, you got my beloved Gwyneth Paltrow, Chase Infinity, Wagner Mora, Del Rey Lindo, like five awards show like beloveds. Yes. All on stage.

28:21Sean Fennessey:Very smart move by the Academy. Yeah, and they did the thing that they sometimes do during the acting categories, but they had each actor speak to their casting agent. So it was great. And then Cassandra Kulakunas was just, was hype. And, you know, like, was like, whoop in. And she was like, Paul, 10 movies, like, we've been doing this. She was also like, I can't believe I have an Oscar before you because it was handed out, which was funny. And they were charming. So that not only because of its significance in the, you know, the Oscar count for the night, but just because that was a fun moment.

28:54What else? What am I forgetting?

28:56Sean Fennessey:I mean, Autumn. Autumn Gerald-Archipal was probably my favorite win of the night, which is because I didn't think it was going to happen. I was fairly certain about it when we talked about it in our predictions. And even after some of the precursor awards that happened, which had all been going to Michael Bauman for one battle after another. And I hope people saw my interview with her on this show. She's obviously, you know, an incredibly thoughtful artist. And this is a historic victory. A woman has never won in cinematography in the history of the Academy Awards. Ninety-eight years it took. And everyone in the room knew that fact and stood up.

29:30Two amazing things happened. So we weren't in the room. I was doing my makeup and watching in a different room. So you didn't hear me yell like, hey, but I was just like screaming down the hall as soon as it happened. And then I went back to watch.

29:40Sean Fennessey:Jack Lucas and I were very excited. Um, and two important things. Ryan Coogler ran back into the upper reaches of the Dolby Theater to find her son and bring him down to her seat so that she could see it, which is when Ryan Coogler cemented his, like, his audience, you know, number one. But just, like, amazing TV. And then, um, she was, like, you know, clearly moved but also ready. and she knew the historical significance and knew, you know, the names to shout out. And then she had every woman in the room stand up. And it was, but not in an annoying girl bossy way. It was just really lovely and felt and also deserved and a surprise.

30:26So it was great.

30:27Sean Fennessey:It was the trifecta. Yeah. A very serious and cool artist working at the top of their craft, winning in a very cool below the line category making Oscar history. Yeah. You kind of can't ask for more. This is a really, really good moment. And that was kind of like, that was ultimately the balance between these two movies tonight. And one battle emerged in the big, big race. But I think it was like not, there was no like, when casting happened, I was like, oh, I'm a little nervous. We're going to like eight for one battle and two for sinners. And this is going to seem a little icky. It's not going to feel right for it to be so unbalanced.

31:05Sean Fennessey:and that didn't turn out to be the case. You know, a few films did not do all that great. You know, Marty Supreme, winless, The Secret Agent, winless. Yeah. And we did see your beloved Frankenstein won three awards below the line. You know what? Another person who gets an honorary Meryl Streep great in the audience award, Guillermo del Toro. I thought you were going to say a lordy. Well, no, come on. In a different way. We're going to do mustaches later. Mustache watch. but no he it was very sweet and he was he was seated up close because he was shouted out in every thank you from his film he was looking up he was like doing the spielberg stare up at the stage the whole time it was it was great he's a good audience member good you know a good filmmaker a good leader let's talk a little bit about the other acting awards so supporting actress which was the first prize of the night went to amy madigan that's right who became the favorite after the Actor Awards, I would not say was existing as the favorite, but whose narrative, so to speak, always made a lot of sense.

32:10Sean Fennessey:And she went up and gave a daffy old nice speech from a person who hadn't been up there in 40 years or hadn't been nominated in that long. Yeah, it was daffy, but also heartfelt. And it didn't get away from her. No. You know, it was just charming. And ultimately, just shout it out, Ed Harris sitting in the front row looking amazing. It was really lovely. So I asked you this while we were sitting together. Ed Harris, of course, does not have an Academy Award. His wife, Amy Madigan, does. Well, deserved for weapons, by the way, which fucking rocks, and I love Aunt Gladys. Ed Harris is four Oscar nominations.

32:45Sean Fennessey:Yes. I got to two. You got two. What were the two? Apollo 13. He was wearing a white tux today, just like the white flight vest that he wears in Apollo 13. A perfect film that will never be rewatchable. And I don't know what Bill has against it. It's okay. They just, they saved three men from space, but whatever. And then Truman Show. Truman Show, yeah. That's one of them. Yeah, but I didn't get the rest of them. Well, one of them is a film he directed. Okay. It did get an Academy Award win. You don't know it. No, I don't know it. It's called Pollock about Jackson Pollock. He directed Pollock?

33:22Sean Fennessey:Yes, he's the star and the director of the film Pollock. Marcia Gay Harden won. Okay. for playing Jackson Pollock's wife, Lee Krasner. Is that her name? I believe so. Just pulled Lee Krasner out of my head. Amazing here on Netflix. And the other nomination that I completely forgotten is for The Hours. Remember The Hours? Wow. Is he Mr. Dalloway? Yeah, Steve Dalloway. What actually is he? I remember The Hours. I don't know. Anyhow, Amy Madigan, terrific win. Keeping in the tradition of Oscar villains, you know, not actual in the competitions, but villains in movies winning and supporting categories like Heath Ledger and like Javier Bardem.

34:04And I knew the minute that the telecast started, we'll talk about Conan more in a bit. But within two seconds, Conan was on screen in full Aunt Gladys drag, like two seconds into the broadcast. And I was like, well, OK, so Amy Madigan is winning.

34:22Sean Fennessey:Yeah, I got to go back to my generational feelings when we get to Conan. I also want to say Amy Madigan was wearing Dior and she looked great. Nice. How wonderful. Didn't clock that. Best supporting actor went to Sean Penn. Who was not in attendance. Sean Penn. I say to you why. Joined an extraordinary class of actors who have three Academy Awards and he did not show up to the show. What I don't understand is that he was at the Golden Globes. And we know he was at the Golden Globes because he was filmed smoking in the middle of the Beverly Hilton ballroom. And so it can't be, it's not a blanket objection to awards season.

35:04It's not like he just didn't want to be bothered with all of it. He started on the train. He was there. And then he was no longer there.

35:12Sean Fennessey:I don't understand. He completely lost interest in this two months ago. And now he has three Oscars. How many three-time Oscar-winning actors or actresses can you name? Frances McDormand. That's one. Meryl Streep. That's two. Denzel still only has two.

35:33Nicholson only has two? Or does Nicholson have three? Nicholson has three. Nicholson has three? How many did Hackman have?

35:40Sean Fennessey:Nope, just two. There are eight total. You've got three. Well, four makes Sean Penn. Okay, four makes Sean Penn. Okay, there's got to be some more men here. There's a very obvious man. Daniel Day-Lewis. That's five. Okay, because sometimes I'm rounding up to four, but who else? Tom Hanks has two. The next three are classic cinema. Okay, Tom Hanks has two because he won for Philadelphia and Forrest Gump in a row, but then he was snubbed for Apollo 13 the next year. Yes, so I've heard. we are live sure but you brought up movie trivia and let me I brought it up because there's nothing to say about Sean Penn's speech so I was like this is allotted for the Sean Penn moment not Cary Grant because I didn't give him an Oscar Jimmy Stewart no okay two are easy one is hard not Paul Newman but more classic two gals well Catherine Hepburn has four yes that's one she has four Well, yeah.

36:46Sean Fennessey:Oh, I didn't know we were rounding up. Three or more. I thought we were doing it. I thought this is right. Okay, two more. I didn't know you could go over. You hang in there, mama. You got it. You're doing great. Am I wrong here? In the booth? Okay, they're not. They're not. Okay. So, Catherine Hepburn and two gals. Jack, what happened with the World Baseball Classic game? The United States won on a very controversial 3-2 pitch that was a ball and called a strike to strike out Geraldo Perdomo. What? Wow. what it's it's your night one battle and we're going for wow unbelievable sort of that i don't want to like a metaphor no comp there but mark de rosa crazy like a fox lining up the the dominican republic semi-final my goodness okay you there's two more people i'm going to tell you who they are you want to know yeah one of them is ingrid bergman of course oh yeah and she had you know the murder on the orgy express one is a little phony but gaslight and anastasia those are good wins.

37:43Sean Fennessey:And then Walter Brennan, who has three best supporting actor Oscars for Come and Get It, Kentucky, which I know you love, and The Westerner. So Sean Penn joins that hallowed group. Sean Penn. Sean Penn. Sean Penn, Sean Penn, who interviewed El Chapo. Do you think that Sean Penn, Ingrid Bergman would have had a lot to say to each other? Kind of yes, right? I kind of do. That's why I brought it up. Well, you know, Roberto Rossellini, who Ingrid Bergman been married, famously interested in the post-war, the carnage in Italy in the 1940s and 50s. Sean Penn loves to go to war sites. I'm not making a joke.

38:20Sean Fennessey:He really does. He goes to war-torn areas. He goes to countries in need. Sean Penn is just a crazy cat. You know, this is three Oscars for that guy. I just can't believe it. This is not insightful commentary. I'm just blown away. So if you don't show up to collect your Oscar. Yes, it goes right to me. I get it. Do they mail it to you? waiting at home. Do they mail it to you? Is it like, do you have to send someone to messenger it? I think he probably has to go to the post office to pick it up. Or the library. Where does he have to go? What civic institution does he have to visit to go pick it up?

38:55Sean Fennessey:We broke face. It happened. We broke down a little bit. It's been a long day. It's been a long day. My earring fell off. I tried to fix this before, but I knew this was going to happen. All right. Jessie Buckley. She won Best Actress. This has been understood to happen for months and months. Yes. she gives an incredible performance in Hamnet of course um you know Bill Simmons's favorite movie of the year Van Lathan's favorite movie of the year just just touching touching souls I mean they both love it they both will not stop every time I see them they're like number one I love Hamnet like stop making eye contact with me so intensely you gotta just just punch I know it's gone so I'm just doing one no you can't the thing is is that it won't stay on no it'll stay on my ear okay we'd love for you to try it we're just putting it right here I already had to take the bracelet off because it was clanking against the table.

39:40You know what? Black tie is, and podcasting don't necessarily go together. We're working every day. I am thriving. Further the definitions of what black tie can be. I feel stronger than ever. Okay. I'm just keeping my hair like this and then you won't be able to see it. Jessie Buckley won and she did the full cover your face, like instant cry reaction shot, which I thought was a tiny bit too much given that we knew that she was going to win. I've always wondered this.

40:08Sean Fennessey:I've never won anything, of course. Yeah. Ever? What's up with the iHeart Podcast? Did we win? Oh, wait. Oh, no. It's actually tomorrow, I think. I think it's the day after the Oscars. Maybe tomorrow's your day. It's all hinging on this moment. Don't fuck this up for us. Jesus. I'm trying to get a thought off. Jesse Buckley was in this unique position that you and I, maybe you have felt this, but I have definitely never felt this. I won some awards in high school. I'll bet you did.

40:37Sean Fennessey:where she's known for months. You know, I'm sure she's a humble person and is a very serious artist. And I love her. I've been singing her praises on the show for years. I think she's an elite, phenomenal actor. But she has, you know, when she goes home and it's her and her husband and they've had a long day, they're taking care of the kid. Yeah. It's tough times. She can rest on the pillow and say, I shall be the best actress very soon. Right, right, right. So like, how do you keep that from popping out? How do you like, how do you put your hands over your face and be like, I can't believe this is happening?

41:10I think it helps is that if the studio that won the Oscar and the runner up tonight releases your less than ideally reviewed blockbuster adaptation of The Bride of Frankenstein like a week before. Yeah. Maybe that just brings you down a little bit.

41:28Sean Fennessey:She was fantastic. in that movie. Yeah, you and Yassi Salak. It's good that you can find joy wherever. It was the character and the writing. It was not Jesse Buckley's performance that I had an issue with. Let's psychoanalyze Renata Reinsva, Kate Hudson, some of her other fellow nominees. Yeah. When she is like, she's like, I can't believe I won. Uh-huh. Do you think they're like, you've been backing your Cadillac over my body for the last four months at award shows? Like, please don't do this to me? I think they're probably like, please get this camera out of my face so I can go get drunk. Okay.

42:04Is what I would guess. That's exactly how you feel right now. Yeah, except it's so true. Except for Kate Hudson, who is like, do I have any more paid promo with Grogu to do before I get to go home and get drunk? Which is how I feel. She sold it very well. She did. And she, as always, looked very beautiful. And I hope she's having a nice time at a party right now.

42:24Sean Fennessey:Let's pivot briefly to that conversation. So I would say Disney, the Disney Corporation seemed very comfortable synergizing some of their products with this award show. We saw a reunion, a reunion between Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr., two guys who have been apart for so long. What have they been doing without each other? I don't know. But they were reunited because they're promoting a forthcoming Avengers movie. It was the 14th anniversary since their first Avengers film. Who fucking cares? And then we saw Pedro Pascal and Sigourney Weaver present an award which led to that Grogu moment that you mentioned.

42:58Sean Fennessey:Yes. Openly promoting The Mandalorian and Grogu, also a Disney film. Sure. And we also saw Anna Wintour and Anne Hathaway. That's right. I thought in one of the better of the bits. Certainly the best of the synergy moments. Presenting for costume design and makeup and hairstyling, of course, connected to The Devil Wears Prada 2, which is coming out in six weeks. you know Disney won't have the Oscars in three years YouTube will be taking the show over Conan made a joke about that very fact at the show which was very funny thanks to Jane Lynch and also the credit sequence of the Oscars when he did the one battle send up and then they replaced the title on the door from forever host Conan O 'Brien to forever host Mr.

43:42Beast

43:42Sean Fennessey:yes very funny it all comes for all of us and it came for Conan tonight I thought this was like gross, but I get it. What else is Disney supposed to do? And why aren't more studios just buying time during the Oscars? 20 million people are going to watch this show. I do think we could do it a bit better. You know, the Anne Hathaway, Anna Wintour one was at least, it understood the subject matter that it was working with. And they had Anna do very little, but do it well. Yes, props to her for actually living up to her reputation performatively. Yes. And then but the other two, the Robert Downey Jr.

44:20Chris Evans one, which I realized in retrospect is like the Marvel moment that we were sold, which is two guys doing really bad half hearted copy about what gifts they gave each other for the Avengers anniversary.

44:33Sean Fennessey:Really, really dingy stuff. It is really, really, like I would have asked for some new copy, were I them. But the Grogu one is how I feel about Mandalorian and Grogu in general, which is this does look sort of like the bottom rung of IP management delivered to small children. And we should all be ashamed of ourselves. And I'm saddened that Sigourney Weaver participates in it. and also the report from home is that my son was psyched and he was waiting and waiting and waiting for the performance of golden which they saved until 6 55 p.m pacific 9 55 eastern i genuinely don't understand that but you know at least grogu showed up at some point and he was like can you believe it's grogu so you know i don't know like i like all of the celebrated filmmakers who won Oscars tonight and but apparent.

45:31Sean Fennessey:In terms of the arts, would you say that you love puppets? I like them more than cartoons. Yes. I see. Okay. Good to know. Because that was some handmade puppetry. I went to puppetry camp. You went to puppetry camp. I did at the Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta. And you had to make a puppet with a tennis ball as a head. But I have to tell you that it was very hard to puncture the tennis ball in order to get, you know, the appropriate steering instruments. This is my solemn vow. I'll never quit this show with you. Never. It's moments like that that are just revelatory. I went to all the performing arts games.

46:07Puppetry is a performing art. Check out the people at Bob Baker's Marion Heppier. I know.

46:11Sean Fennessey:I'm aware. I'm a huge fan. When I see them walking around and they're red, just like on the street, I'm like, that is a real celebrity. Those are the Bob Baker, the puppeteers. Yeah, they're incredible. Yeah. Shout out to them. I know we have spent many, many, many an effort in there. But I'm trying to not violate their space, you know? Wow. But if it was Leo, you'd roll up to him and be like, yo, what's up, dog? No, I will respect Leo's face. Yeah, there was a lot of, there was a decent amount of synergy. I still find it very strange that the Super Bowl has more capital with the movie business than the Oscars does.

46:42Sean Fennessey:I mean, obviously more people watch the Super Bowl, but there's a captive audience of movie fans that are tuning in for the Academy Awards. And like watching the commercials tonight and even watching the presenters, like how many of them were even promoting new movies tonight? I found that to be very odd. I don't know, but we got multiple Rolex ads, including the same Rolex ad played twice, and then there was a special Zendaya-only Rolex ad. Okay. So maybe that says good things about the net worth of the Oscar-watching audience. Sure. I don't know. Do you have a Rolex? No, I don't. I don't have a Rolex.

47:21Sean Fennessey:And we're really into the Oscars, so what does that tell you? This episode is brought to you by TaxAct. From opening credits to the final scene, TaxAct guides you through your taxes step-by-step with your maximum refund guaranteed. Get tips along the way, add expert assist to talk to tax experts, or let our experts do your taxes for you with expert full service. TaxAct helps you find the deductions and credits you deserve so you can get them over with. Visit TaxAct.com to learn more. Conditions apply. See TaxAct.com for details. This episode is brought to you by Hotels.com. Save Your Way is a new feature on Hotels.com and it's as simple as it sounds.

47:59Sean Fennessey:When you book a trip as a Hotels.com member, you decide how to use your savings. Take the instant savings now or bank the savings as rewards for later. It's your call only at Hotels.com. Save Your Way is available to loyalty members in the U.S. and U.K. and hotels with member prices. Other terms apply. See site for details. other awards let's talk about the trio of animated international and documentary okay animated it's a real up down yes up down roller coaster of emotions here that's how roller coasters go animated feature went to k-pop demon hunters yes very early in the night yes Maggie Kang Chris Applehans spoke Maggie seemed knocked out she was very emotional I thought it was lovely I liked what Chris had to say about art and cultures connecting to each other through art.

48:52Sean Fennessey:I think that movie, if you can just remove your cynicism for five seconds, is an amazing way to introduce young people to all kinds of different kinds of art. And I think it's a really cool movie. And it's like a pretty good win and an interesting win in terms of that category, which is really evolving right now. Like it used to just be like, all right, it's Pixar. And then maybe every 10 years you get a Miyazaki. And now I feel like it's a little, the aperture has been widened for what's eligible. And also the interesting moment for Sony Pictures animation too. Obviously, Netflix distributed the movie, but they've just had another hit with Goat and they're kind of riding high right now.

49:27I loved the moment. I loved the speech. I thought both Maggie and Chris, like they are another situation where they've won everything all season long and kind of had to know it was coming, but still, and were ready and knew what they wanted to say, but also were clearly very moved by the moment. So it was great. I was happy to see at least one K-pop Demon Hunters up earlier because I do know that there were a lot of young children just waiting for K-pop Demon Hunters wherever they could get it. It's been interesting, like, in the span of this awards season is when my household has really caught on to that movie because we're a bit younger.

50:06But it's powerful. And I agree. of all of the other kids stuff that I'm watching. It teaches kids great things, not just about music and Korean culture and how sometimes girls are cooler than boys, but it's just a way of thinking about yourself. So I'm very pro. I'm very happy for them.

50:27Sean Fennessey:International feature. Sentimental value from Norway. Joachim Trier's film won here. And I think after it won at BAFTA, it seemed like it had the run of show. there was not really a lot of sense that The Secret Agent or any other film was going to come in behind it? What was your reaction? Except for everyone with their itchy fingers online in the past week. Yes. Some pundits did still go with The Secret Agent. You and I never really came off that. I almost did. I had it noted because hello to the people of Brazil. They are, you know, very powerful. And their enthusiasm for this movie and this performance is, I think, part of what has propelled it, along with the good people at Neon who buy movies at Cannes and do the work.

51:11And the Sentimental Value had four acting nominations and screenplay and director and picture. It was just, and it was kind of the only place for a win to go. So I don't think anything else ever had a chance, but I don't know. Secret Agent is an amazing film if you haven't seen it.

51:31Sean Fennessey:It is. And now feels overlooked. And now I think we've done a lot to try to promote the greatness of that movie. But Zero Wins Tonight. And that leaves us with documentary. Yeah. Where you had a sourpuss on when it was announced that Mr. Nobody against Putin won. Yes. I didn't really care for this slate of documentary nominees. all worthy issues and all medium to questionable films. And I found this to be the most questionably executed of the films. And I thought that the speech that the filmmaker gave about tying it to a current moment was perceptive. I would have liked to see a little bit more of that in the film and a little bit less of the solipsistic nature of the Pasha character.

52:33And I still want to know what's going on in that town, but I guess no one will ever tell me. I hope they're okay.

52:39Sean Fennessey:Yeah. Not my favorite category this year. And it ended with kind of a strange win. And I don't want to speak too strongly, but I think we need to reevaluate what this category is supposed to do. And I think the branch is a little weird and everybody knows it's a little weird. Yeah. It's historically been very finicky.

52:59Sean Fennessey:And it's not just because it's hard to predict. It's mostly because the slate of films that we have have kind of shifted dramatically. A listener to the show. This is so good. Sent along some extraordinary research and analysis around social issues becoming dramatically more important to the nominees in this category over time and also increasingly more international nominees. That in and of itself, there's nothing wrong with it. But this category has undergone a pretty dramatic shift. And next time we talk docs, I'll read more deeply from that research. But, yeah, it wasn't my favorite. Let's talk about the shorts categories.

53:37Sean Fennessey:Mm-hmm. because, you know, speaking of documentaries, All the Empty Rooms did win. Yes. The Devil is Busy. No, you did not predict The Devil is Busy. No, I just wanted it to win. And that was the exception to my annual The Shorts Should Be in a Different Awards Show rant because I was quite moved by it. And every once in a while, I'm wrong. And it's important to say that. Wow. That was very, very brave and sincere of you. Live action short film, I thought produced perhaps the best moment of the night, which was a tie. Not the best moment, but something interesting. It was something where I was like, oh my, I have not seen this in some time.

54:17Sean Fennessey:It's been, in fact, I think 13 years since we had a tie at the Academy Awards. Yes, 2012 was the last. And what was it? Sound editing? It was in sound editing. Yes. And the winners were Skyfall and Zero Dark Thirty. I remember this. so live action short film we did in fact have a tie Kumail Nanjiani was was introducing this category he took an absolute stray from Conan O 'Brien who said that the following presenter has the physique of a Marvel hero yes and the voice of a Marvel collector and Kumail clearly did not know that was coming he was extremely funny which she said in the receiving of that joke and then he also had a pretty good bit about how maybe more feature films could just be best live action films and then did a whole list.

55:06But what I remember was just one battle. Yes.

55:10Sean Fennessey:And then Schindler's Post-It. Schindler's Post-It was very funny. And he opened the envelope for this award and he revealed and explained perfectly that there was a tie, that he was not joking, and that the way that this would go is he would announce one film's name, people would come up, give an acceptance speech, then they would leave, and then he would announce the next film's name And then those filmmakers would come up and give their speech. And it went over beautifully. It was an extraordinary moment of crowd management to the point that and if he was tipped off, then great job by everyone involved because he knew exactly what to do.

55:46He said, there's a tie. I'm not joking. We're going to get through this. I'm going to, you know, and the right amount of funny and also very clear. He would be like he would be a great elementary school teacher. I don't know why I keep invoking elementary school. but so did he know to do that or did he just decide off the cuff?

56:04Sean Fennessey:I don't know. Was there a 500-word essay inside of the envelope explaining what he should do? Like how did he know that? I don't know. He throws some of the Pricewaterhouse stuff into question there. Like what information, was he giving information that there was a tie but didn't say who the winners were? It could be that and it could be explained what to do because I remember after the Moonlight La La Land debacle it was explained that there is always or at that time maybe procedures maybe security has been up since then um but that there would be a price waterhouse there was always a price waterhouse cooper um representative standing on the side of the stage who knew the results so that if anything went wrong on stage they could intervene and they were they're also supposed to cr is doing right in case you make a mistake he bursts on stage you guys shut up you're wrong it wasn't jesse buckley You won.

56:58So maybe someone there. But he looked surprised.

57:03Sean Fennessey:He did. He sold it. He sold the moment. Does everybody get briefed like that if there's a tie, here's what happens? I don't know. It doesn't look like most presenters are paying that much attention. No. Ties are fascinating. There was a question about the possibility of a tie in our Instagram live before the show. And also another thing that I said to you was that I was having some second thoughts about my pick for best live action short film. You and I both picked two people exchanging saliva, which had been the heavy favorite and is very liked. And then I was thinking about the singers, the Netflix film about a group of men in a bar singing and how it makes people feel, which is they feel moved by it and they like it.

57:37Sean Fennessey:And we split the difference here. They both won. Yes. So just to be clear, we are counting the live action short that we got that we picked that did win one of the two Oscars as a correct prediction. Yeah, I think that's right. Yeah, because otherwise no one predicted a tie. Well, yes. If someone did predict a tie out there in the world, I mean, they can't prove it. It just made a very difficult to predict category that much easier, which is we salute them. We did not get correct. Best animated short. Yeah. And that prize went to the girl who cried pearls. And we predicted butterfly. And it didn't win.

58:14Sean Fennessey:Any thoughts? I don't care for... Stop motion doesn't speak to me. It's not my preferred form of animation. Okay. Thank you for your time. Those are your only thoughts there? I mean, what do you got? No, that's fine. Okay. That just about does it, I think. You know, we haven't spoken in any detail about costume design or makeup and hairstyling, production design. All went to Frankenstein. They all went to Frankenstein. As predicted.

58:45Sean Fennessey:Let's spend a little time on the show itself. Okay. Conan O 'Brien was back for a second year. he opened the show with a Billy Crystal-esque filmed montage in which he appeared in several of the nominated films starting with his appearance as Aunt Gladys or as Conan in Aunt Gladys drag as as Conan having what is either a nightmare or a weapons-esque you know alternate reality where everyone else sees Conan, but he knows he looks like GLaDOS. And the small children, the small group of children who are falling behind him on all screaming also seem to think that he looks like GLaDOS. Yes. And they're in his thrall as such.

59:30Sean Fennessey:And he raced through F1. He raced through Marty Supreme. He raced through Hamnet. Very funny. Behind Hamlet. He raced through he had a sit-down conversation with Gustav Borg in Sentimental Value. and he raced through Sinners as well. He sang Danny Boy at the, you know, the Open the Barn, Will You Let Me In scene. This was all set to the Beastie Boys sabotage. It was, yeah. And once again, my adolescence to the fore, a lot of my stuff colliding. This is specifically happening to us more and more with Beastie Boys songs. Yes. Because they're getting looser and looser with the licensing. and every time we are generationally confronted with this was the most sacred coolest thing that I could possibly know and now it's in a Minions movie or it's at the beginning of the Oscars and what does that mean for us as people what does that mean for what's cool what does that mean for time I none of it's none of its answers we want so I think we just got to move on I thought it was a funny it was funny I liked it opening yeah um I thought Conan's monologue was a little weak and I think he felt it a little bit and Conan you know famously on his show delivered many a week monologue and often played into the fact that he was like I'm doing my best here guys it was kind of part of his comedic persona right he was very funny with that and it's very funny for him to be doing that in the room I seem to remember him killing a lot more last year I could be wrong part of it was just the kind of excitement to see him in that setting um I think also he did have a very sincere moment at almost the very end of the opening that acknowledge, if not in specific terms, all of the horrors currently happening in the world around us, both in the United States and outside of the United States, some much of it at the United States doing.

1:01:20But just acknowledging that it is a very tough time and talking about the power of movies, really like as a portrait of something to look forward too of hope of things getting better and i thought it was sincere and really definitely like handled and it made the silliness of the rest of the monologue make more sense there weren't very many like going for it jokes everything was goofy you know there were like lunch meat puns um and and you know delivered in the conan you know nodding your head a lot But charm, it wasn't unfunny. It was just kind of goofy. And like he wasn't really trying to hurt anyone.

1:02:06Sean Fennessey:It wasn't in general an overtly political Academy Awards. We already mentioned one of the speeches for Best Documentary that spoke to it. Javier Bardem spoke very strongly and said free Palestine from the stage, which is something that is not common. And end all wars. Yes, not common. Also with like not the tiny ice out pen, though I didn't see many of those tonight. No, I didn't either. But like he had like full medallions. Yes. Which, you know, is consistent with how Javier Bardem has spoken his views at every public event that he has attended. Yes. But one of the very few people at this award show who even spoke to the severity of a lot of issues around the world in a specific way.

1:02:46Sean Fennessey:Yeah. You know, there were a lot of bromides, of course, about being together and caring for one another, but not a lot of specificity this year. Conan. He also then ended with a whole opera bit, but not a Timmy bit. He did the Timmy joke. And. How are you feeling about that? How are you feeling about the. The ballet and the opera? Well, just that that controversy took off after the voting ended. I still. He's been roundly roasted. Yeah, to be very clear, that all happened. The interview happened before, but the reality of that clip being posted and the outrage all happened after voting closed.

1:03:25So if it had anything to do with the results in Best Actor, it was a reflection rather than a cause of Timmy losing the Oscar.

1:03:34Sean Fennessey:Do you think it was a little overkill with a lot of the commentary and jokes? Yeah, well, by tonight, by Oscars night, it wasn't funny. and especially by the fourth one. Even the Conan joke was like, Timmy was kind of taking Timmy under his wing. I can't remember the exact phrasing, but it wasn't at Timmy's behest. Well, it was like even one of the guys who won best live action short film was making a shot, taking a pointed ballet comment. I was like, all right, man. Like, come on. Yeah, you're not funny anymore. It's not creative. So, yeah, I think it's over. You know, as you said to me, they'll never take that phone from us.

1:04:10They'll never take the... I love Marty Supreme. I love Marty Supreme. I know. I love that performance. I am team Timmy. I'm really, really happy that Michael B. Jordan won. I think it's deserving. But yeah.

1:04:21Sean Fennessey:It's a good one. Timmy's going to be back in Dune 3, man. It's like, this is going to get going all over again. Dune 3 is about to be an Oscar movie too. So like, buckle up. He's going to be back. That's great. But no, but then the second opera thing was when after his moment of sincerity, Conan did a whole this is what I'd do if I won an Oscar bit. and he had like a full, he accepted the Oscar on like a mountain set and Josh Groban was singing a song about it and I was quite amused. My favorite Conan joke of the night was when he brought up Sinners and he mentioned that Kugler is not a member of the Academy because he doesn't feel that, you know, we should individually be celebrating the works of a single film.

1:05:00He doesn't like judging his peers' work.

1:05:03Sean Fennessey:And then Conan said, but the rest of you pricks seem to love it. I thought it was the kind of like mean-spirited FU that the host needs to have sometimes. you know Kimmel always I thought did a nice job of kind of balancing that like and don't forget you guys are fucking clowns a little bit in all of his speaking of Kimmel they had him come out to present the two documentary awards which I thought was really great programming and great producing some really good ABC synergy as well what else I mean what else what we mentioned the YouTube Oscars joke at the end of the film there with the Mr. Beast bit there was also a YouTube joke about Beam Pro and Jane Lynch There was adventure crossroads, AI improving films, shrinking down the images that you would see and redefining them.

1:05:47Sean Fennessey:Let's talk, I guess, about the tributes. Yeah, which were much earlier in the show than they usually are. Billy Crystal came out to celebrate the Reiners and his work with Rob Reiner over the years and walked through some of the films that they made together and that incredible run that he had from roughly 1980 through 1995. and I really liked that they did that. After he spoke, they started to kind of start the traditional in-memoriam package where they showed us a series of people who'd worked in Hollywood over the years making films and internationally as well. And then they cut out and they cut to Rachel McAdams who gave a tribute to Diane Keaton, which at first I thought was going to be a little eye-rolly and then I was kind of crying by the end of it.

1:06:30Sean Fennessey:I thought it was really good. It was so beautiful. I mean, we've talked about it before on this show this year, Rachel McAdams is a star They, and a wonderful presence, they start together in a truly underrated romantic comedy, Morning Glory, also starring Harrison Ford. He makes a frittata. And that is how he enunciates those tees. But so she had real stories and she told, she closed it with like an amazing story of a song that Diane Keaton would sing on set, make new friends, but keep the old. Yes, the Girl Scout song. Exactly. And they weave it into the tribute. It was great writing, great performance, and she's such a lovely person.

1:07:16And also, you know, she pointed out, like, Diane Keaton was a legend to every single aspiring actress, especially anyone who wanted to do comedic work, which Rachel McAdams does.

1:07:26Sean Fennessey:I thought they really did write by her, and I liked how they did that. And as I was watching that, and even before Barbra Streisand came out to honor Robert Redford, all I could think to myself was like, this is the point of this show like it's not to honor people who passed away but it's to say that there's connectivity in the work movie to movie career to career that these people know each other that they're interested in each other and care about each other and that they can communicate about things that their peers do in ways that maybe we can't and if you're not platforming that and making that more a point of the show and obviously you want to entertain the masses and you want to talk about the new movies but there should just be more of this in the show and maybe it was because rachel mcadams was just good at it and she what she what she wrote or someone helped her i don't know what happened but it was really well nicely done but same for billy crystal and same for barbara streisand when she honored robber edford and they obviously worked together many years ago yeah and had known each other for decades um and she gave kind of a sleepy tribute uh barbara streisand you know is in her 80s of course and then she started singing and she was Like singing her balls off.

1:08:27I can't express the number of different emotions that I felt in the moment when Barbra Streisand was handed the microphone and seemingly was not expecting it. And then launched into memories. And it was, I went from, oh, no. And I think I was clutching the side of the couch because in general, I get nervous when people sing live. Yes. You know. and then she's still Babs even though she doesn't want to be called Babs as we learned from her tribute to Robert Redford she's still got it but I really I was down I was horrified I was up I was moved well in my head I was like Rachel McAdams just crushed

1:09:10Sean Fennessey:this we're really bringing the energy down here come on like let's get it going but she's sang well the tribute was the in memoriam section was almost 10 minutes long I think maybe longer much much longer and that just reflects that it was a pretty extraordinary year in terms of the number of true great Hollywood legends that we lost. But I think you're right that they found a way to spend a moment with those really titanic kind of outsized names, but fit a lot of people in and made it like an actual moment in the show. You could have spent more time on Claudia Cardinale and Robert Duvall and Val Kilmer.

1:09:49Sean Fennessey:And I mean, they were really well-known figures. Catherine O 'Hara. actors and actresses with really big careers, decades on careers, people who won Academy Awards who didn't get some of that time. So, yeah, I just thought it was nicely done and really good on the Academy for carving out more time for it. Musical performances, speaking of Babs singing. Sure. So I Lied to You. Yes. Which came before Golden and effectively recreated the scene from Sinners in which Miles Caton sings and we travel through past and future of musical styles across multiple diasporas. Kind of like shockingly well done.

1:10:31I was amazed that they even tried to do it. And they were trying to replicate some of the camera work. That's what I'm saying. And they added in some performances. It kind of crescendoed to Misty Copeland performing ballet front and center. But I mean, Misty Copeland's a legend. So why not if you can get her? And people coming down the aisles of the theater. And I had the same reaction. I was like, oh, they're trying to recreate this out of context? A scene that seemed to jar so many people in the situation of the film. And then it just kind of worked. It worked, yeah. I thought so too. And I think, you know, in some ways distills what that scene is trying to do in the movie for a larger audience.

1:11:17But yeah, it was cool. I was also, I mean, I assume Ryan Coogler didn't actually direct that performance. So kind of the balls on whoever to be like, no, no, no, we got this and we can adapt it to the stage.

1:11:29Sean Fennessey:I thought it was really impressive. And I thought it was not just, you know, first of all, Miles Caden, his voice is just unbelievable. And live, he crushed it. But incorporating Jamie Lawson and Lee Jun Lee and actors and Jack O 'Connell and Lola Kirk having a, you know, like the fact that it felt like they were actually celebrating the movie. It wasn't like a tribute to a movie featuring dancers who are not related to the movie. Like the Oscars has been guilty of that many times in the past. And this was like, no, these people who made this are remaking this before your eyes. Like it is live theater.

1:12:00Yeah.

1:12:00Sean Fennessey:And that is really cool. Again, something that a lot of really good decisions like this throughout the show that were impressive. The golden performance I thought was a little stiff. I didn't think it was as impressive either visually or sonically. First of all, we had to wait too long for it. It was curtailed. You know, they didn't sing the whole song.

1:12:20And here's what I'll say. EJ hit the note live. And I was a little, I was nervous. And it's probably because I've seen K-pop Demon Hunter so many times. So I have the, from the plot in my head. But she can hit it live. But they had adjusted the mix just in case she couldn't. So you could barely hear it, which I thought was a shame. and yeah, they looked a little nervous. It also started with a little, there were some demons for a second or two on stage before they got to the performance as if they were trying to recreate the movie. How would you fare against a demon? You mean a K-pop demon hunter demon?

1:13:01Yeah. Well, I mean, what's one demon versus another? They're pretty clueless, those demons. Right? There's like watering plants with coffee. They don't really know where they are.

1:13:11Sean Fennessey:Yeah, that's feminism. Nice. And I just don't, I would be fine with it. I would just say, no, thank you. You know? Not sure how that works. No, no, no. I just like, I would handle it like they would. Okay. You know? I would show them how it's done, done, done, right? And then go, that's Knox's favorite. So I, you know, I know what it is. What would be your weapon of choice? I don't know. The blade? The blaster? No, no blaster. No guns. Blade, I guess. Okay, the blade. Or just the power of my hands. What about the bow or the size? No, the bow, I don't really have that much. No, I meant the bow, like the staff.

1:13:47No, I don't like gear, you know, in life. No, I really don't.

1:13:51Sean Fennessey:Have you ever been rock climbing? I have because it was required in my elementary school. It's a long story. Did you also go to rock climbing camp? No, but we went on like rock climbing trips. And you had to like repel to learn trust. You asked me. How long have you been going? I don't. We've been going for maybe almost 90 minutes. which is still shorter than it took you to tie that bow tie. Let's talk about the bow tie. Looked at several tutorials. So you were watching Instagrams. You were looking at like wiki how, you know, diagrams. What finally broke through for you? I was not paying attention closely enough to what I was supposed to be doing.

1:14:31Sean Fennessey:And it's on me. It all worked out. It miraculously happened. You were trying to do it. But I was trying to pay attention to the Oscars. I know. That was the problem. In front of the thing. So you were just sitting there for a full hour. An hour. Yeah. Pretty pathetic. Do you think it cut down on your tweeting? That's a good question. There probably is some correlation. Yeah, so that's positive for all of us. Between the slowdown in social media output. Yeah. Which is probably for the best, right? One Epstein joke, right? Right, yeah. In England, we arrest our pedophiles. In England, they arrest their pedophiles.

1:15:06Yes.

1:15:07Sean Fennessey:That was pretty much it, right? Yeah. Did you think there should have been more? I'm good. Can we do Bridesmaids? Let's talk about Bridesmaids. I was just giggling the whole time. You know, we were talking about the pre-show, and I was like, okay, they do this. They have reunions of casts, and they put like a middling anniversary against it. And then Melissa McCarthy, Rose Byrne, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, and Ellie Kemper come out. Right. Oh, this is, it's the 15th anniversary. 15 is a silly anniversary. Well, that's what I'm saying. When I heard about it, I was like, this is kind of whatever.

1:15:39Sean Fennessey:You know, obviously a big night for Maya Rudolph because her husband was nominated for and expected to win many Academy Awards. Right. But, you know, Bridesmaids is still a beloved and memorable movie and it's probably the kind of movie that the Oscars should be celebrating. We're kind of in that zone where like whatever happened 15 to 20 years ago now is the pure nostalgia for younger people who are getting into watching the Oscars. And they were absolutely hilarious. It was easily the funniest moment of the night. It was so funny. So they were each given quote unquote notes from the audience to read halfway through, right, as Ellie Kempner was starting to explain what the score it does.

1:16:17And they were all weird notes from Stellan Skarsgård, you know, not actually. Elle Fanning, who was actually just Stellan Skarsgård again. Leonardo DiCaprio, who really, really played the bit with Rose Byrne perfectly. Benicio Del Toro. And then Sweet Jacobi Dupe at the end. really really funny then they came back and what were they talking about well that was when my

1:16:46Sean Fennessey:rudolph uh said sound for sound they came back she said earlier today when i was counting my money i said to myself what is sound and kristen wig had a follow-up to that that was just like that's 10 years of snl working together where they had a they had a moment of chemistry that was very really very good congratulations to all of them big fan of Ridesmaids I do feel like every year whenever whatever the SNL present or former SNL cast members do to present where I was just like well that was the best part of the night this is why I never cashed my wig check wig is nine out of ten times is a part of the bit like she crushes at the Oscars anytime she's there that's great let's just not have her in the Martian but that's okay you know just they canceled that show they canceled her show that Wesley likes so much.

1:17:35Yeah, we'll never see it now. I've never seen the show.

1:17:38Sean Fennessey:When did they cancel it? They canceled it. Like two days after Wesley was here. Oh, no. Should I binge it tonight? Yeah, we've got plenty of time. Adrian Brody presented Best Actor, and he had a bit. Yeah. A lot of stuff written down on a piece of paper. Right. What do you think of that? The problem is that Conan made his joke before he did his bit. So Conan took his bit from him, which is fine because Conan's bit was funnier. And then, I mean, at least we didn't really, at least he didn't give another speech, you know, after last year. Thank God. Yeah. Okay. Let's go into post-game reflections.

1:18:17Sean Fennessey:Okay. On what this is and what happened. Okay, 90 minutes in, yeah. Who is the next Paul Thomas Anderson? I don't mean who's the next filmmaker who's going to be as good as him or whatever. I mean, who's the next person in line that has been nominated many times, is widely beloved, but has never quite gotten over the line. Okay. So probably in his generation-ish, could be a bit younger, but... You've got to remember that Paul Thomas Anderson had won zero Academy Awards. Right. You know, like Quentin Tarantino already has multiple Oscars for writing, for example. David Fincher, on the other hand, has zero Academy Awards.

1:18:57Yeah.

1:18:58Sean Fennessey:Well, that's an example. Is it good? But you think, do I think that it's going to happen for, I mean, Spike Lee, even though he does have an Oscar. He has an Oscar. He has a writing Oscar, not a directing Oscar. Yeah. But you know what I mean. Yes. But so someone who's been totally blanked. Yes. Is there somebody out there right now? Because a lot of people who were kind of younger than, you know, Nolan already, he crossed the threshold. Right. In terms of, you know, your beloved Sophia, she's already got one. That's right. I mean, so Fincher, there you go, though I don't know about Cliff Booth being the one.

1:19:30You know, I think a lot about Noah Baumbach, who doesn't have an Oscar of any kind. Speaking of people in that marriage who don't have Oscars, Greta Gerwig, obviously younger, but has been at the table a lot. Jordan Peele has been at the table. He has an original screenplay. He has an original screenplay. That's right. Okay. Well, those are my two for you. You know who doesn't have one? Ridley Scott

1:19:57Sean Fennessey:Ridley Scott he has a film coming out this year The Dog Stars you guys aware of The Dog Stars? I'm looking forward to it new Ridley movie? love Ridley listen same I'd like to people were asking me about like Bucket List right after talking to Steven Spielberg which I don't know if I mentioned but it was a fucking dream of my life what an amazing Friday I had never talked to Ridley never met him don't know him nothing and I think I'd really like to dig in and try to get him to come on because you know he doesn't he's he's he's prickly and direct he's he's a man of of few words or only the words that he wants I would enjoy it I would like you talking to him he's another filmmaker whose work I have studied closely I really like his movies are we counting Wes Anderson's shorts Oscar he has one I mean but it doesn't count yeah you know it's he has one right that's what I'm saying the Paul Thomas Anderson thing I think when people look at this yeah like oh and battle's overrated or whatever It's like, Paul had a real, and he even said, you make a guy work hard for one of these.

1:20:55Sean Fennessey:He said that while he was holding one during his Best Director speech. He had been waiting a long time. For somebody who a lot of serious movie fans are like, that's my fave. It's not that common for that to happen, you know? You know, Lumet, Altman, Kubrick, these people didn't win Best Director, you know? Lynch. Hitchcock, Lynch, none of them won Best Director. That never happened for any of those people. Orson Welles, he never won Best Director. or he shared a best original screenplay Oscar with Herman Mankiewicz. They made a film about that. It's called Mank. David Fincher did not win any Oscars for it.

1:21:28Sean Fennessey:No. Yeah, I don't know. Some real Mank strays on the Zodiac rewatchables. Not from you. A film I like. I like the film Mank as well. A film I like. Yeah, I don't know. I don't know. I think that... We gotta get Fincher an Oscar. But does he want it? I don't think he cares. Okay. That's why he's so cool. He had three big competition years. Benjamin Button, Social Network, and Mank. And he didn't come close in any of those three. So maybe he's just like, fuck it. I'm going to make cool movies for a streaming service. I look forward to seeing it. Any other generational, emotional closing thoughts here?

1:22:08Sean Fennessey:So we wrap up this award season, which has been going on for very long. It feels kind of warm and fuzzy. Am I wrong right now? This was a nice night. It was a nice night. Should I, how long, like, how long before that turns? Am I wrong to trust that? Am I wrong to, can we have a nice thing? We haven't been observing the discourse. Can we have a nice thing? Will you look at the discourse? I mean, I try not to, but, you know, then people serve me tweets of you saying stuff. And I'm like, oh, great. Now I got to know about this. You say it like a man holds a silver tray before you full of tweets.

1:22:46Sean Fennessey:And you use tweezers to choose the one that you choose to consume. It was like, ma 'am, ma 'am, once again, Sean is at it. He's tweeting about aliens and the Mets. Well, everything's coming up, aliens and the Mets. That's coming? Pretty soon. Two weeks, right? Feeling good? Up, down? Yeah, I'll say it right here on Netflix. Okay. Well, Mets Corner is on Netflix. I think that's your goddamn right it is. I think the Mets are going to the World Series. Oh, Christ. Okay. I think they are. I think Paul Thomas Anderson won Best Picture. So what you've learned from the last 72 hours when you talked to Steven Spielberg and your other hero won Best Picture and Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay and the Beastie Boys kicked off, and your childhood hero is Conan and the Beastie Boys kicked off the Oscars, is that anything's possible, including the Mets going to the World Series.

1:23:41Sean Fennessey:Not only that, but sometimes the good guys win. That's all I'm saying. And we can make that if you will it, it is no dream. Okay. And that's the energy that I'm bringing to 2026. And if you're watching this show for the first time, this is how I always am. I'm always very positive and very enthusiastic about my work and my life. I'm wearing a tuxedo. We will be talking more about the Oscar season and especially the telecast in a mailbag in mailbag form. When are we going to do it? Tuesday. Yes. So send your questions to what? BigPickMailbag at gmail.com. That's BigPickMailbag at gmail.com. I want to emphasize that's questions, not comments, not essays.

1:24:30We won't be reading them. But our producer, Jack Sanders, he's had a long weekend.

1:24:36Sean Fennessey:Spare Jack. Yeah. He's been working extremely hard these last few days. you know because I can't help myself I'm going to gin up some 2027 odds who do I think is going to be in the race that will be completely erroneous you know within a few months time but this is just how they made me this is just how God made me full of optimism right enthusiasm sincerity I'm happy for you I worked out just this once for you the guy in the tux wins the night just this once incredible night for white guys. I mean, just unbelievable. Well, this was fun. This season was too long. Way, way, way too long. We'll cut it short next time.

1:25:19Oscars 2027 date. Googling mark. They haven't announced it yet. They haven't announced it. Okay, let's go. Let's go. February 10th or whatever.

1:25:28Sean Fennessey:That would be sick. That's definitely not going to happen. Last question for you before we wrap up. Ratings. They were, I think, at 19.7 million last year. Up a tick. from previous years, that was attributed to, I think, in part, largely in part, Hulu finally streaming the show. Okay. And I think there were even some streaming snafus last year. I didn't get a sense of any streaming snafus this year for the show. Do you think they're up again, given the films that were nominated, given the outcomes that we just saw? I think they're probably steady. Okay. Because, yes, Sinners and K-pop Demon Hunters and all these very beloved films were nominated, but also those moments didn't happen until much later in the show.

1:26:09And I think people probably gave up. You know, I just, I don't, I don't know. I don't think ratings are going to go up. I think that we have to create a brave new world where we find, you know, where we go beyond linear audiences. You know, we reach people in other ways, like in on Netflix or on our stupid little YouTube clips. So what, you know. uh

1:26:34Sean Fennessey:no that's wrong they're gonna be up okay they're gonna be up because this is a time of positivity this is a time of greatness uh people love the movies did you know that the box office is up significantly this year over last year well that's great I feel I feel renewed I think that's great there we could drill down on some numbers if you wanted to there but it's fine that's what do you mean I like that I don't know Is that, that's cumulative box office? That's not accounting for inflation? Yeah, but sure. I bet the numbers of people going to the movies, count that out for me. Well, you got to call Jim Fandango to talk about that.

1:27:12Sean Fennessey:I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about the box office. Listen, movies are live to the people who love them. And that is us. So, and that is the people who are still watching this weird podcast. So that is beautiful. Do you think Ted Sarandos, after the show, raced home so that he could watch us? Do you think he skipped all the parties so that he could watch us? What if we are being projected live on a Netflix party thing? You know what I mean? Oh, yeah. What if it's like, or if they have, you know, so he can both party and watch it. And he's shushing people so that he can hear us. Yeah, exactly.

1:27:47Well, I assume it's closed captioned, you know, so that people can do whatever they need to do.

1:27:51Sean Fennessey:That's not our best friend, given some of the language used here today. What a time. What a season. Yeah. What an amazing job by you. Thanks so much. You too. So congratulations. Doing my best. Thank you so much to Jack Sanders. And thanks to everybody here at Spotify who helped us go live. On a Sunday night. Thanks to the folks at Netflix for helping us go live. That's been wonderful. Thanks to Lucas Cavanaugh for his production support today and in these recent days. As I said, we will be back with a mailbag in just a couple of days. Email us at bigpickmailbag.com. We will answer your questions about the Oscars.

1:28:22Sean Fennessey:We will see you then.

1:28:31Thank you.