Brendan Fraser and other Indiana natives vie for Oscars

When I was interviewing for this position, a big part of the job description was something to the effect of "writing about the Hoosiers making waves in American popular culture."

The natural question, especially for someone who at that point had never stepped foot in Indiana, was who qualifies as a Hoosier?

There's an ocean of gray area here, but it seems most Hoosiers would agree anyone born in Indiana or living here currently is a Hoosier. But I've found it also includes anyone who spent some formative years here. Mark Cuban went to IU, and I've heard Indiana fans claim him as a Hoosier. Abraham Lincoln spent his boyhood in the state, and you better believe he was a Hoosier.

Basically, if you've lived in the state and we want to claim you, we will. And with those broad parameters in mind, Hoosiers are very much at the forefront of some of last year's biggest film performances.

Here is a breakdown of the Hoosiers poised to make a big noise at Sunday's Academy Awards ceremony, airing at 8 p.m. on ABC. It is by no means exhaustive, as Hoosiers have a hand in everything, but it covers some of the larger names competing for top awards.

Related:Hollywood actor Dylan Sprouse stars in new movie 'The Duel,' filmed in Indianapolis

Brendan Fraser

Perhaps the biggest modern corollary to the "Hoosier by birth" rule is Brendan Fraser, who was born in Indianapolis but moved away as an infant.

Still, at least since "The Mummy," we have claimed him as our own.

As I wrote following the packed screening of "The Whale" that closed Heartland International Film Festival in October, Fraser is beyond deserving of the Oscar for best actor. The audience could feel his pained movements and struggle to reclaim what's important to him. His performance carried the film.

Fraser was the early frontrunner, and he has already captured a Screen Actors Guild award for his performance. But Variety, which tracks award season buzz year-round, is predicting a win for Austin Butler, whose turn as Elvis Presley won the Golden Globe in January.

Butler is deserving, as is Colin Ferrell, though I did not love "The Banshees of Inisherin" as much as seemingly everybody else did.

A lot of this year's top films — "Elvis," "Tar," "Banshees," even "The Whale" at times — felt a bit more like vehicles for strong acting performances rather than great overall films with strong plots and character development driven by the acting. "The Revenant" is my go-to example of this phenomenon. That movie existed to finally get Leonardo DiCaprio a best acting Oscar and to look really pretty while doing it.

Whether he wins or not, Fraser's comeback is cemented. And Hoosiers love a good comeback story.

Son Lux

I first met Ryan Lott at Monon Coffee Company last April. It was a beautiful Indiana spring afternoon — the rain was pouring so hard I nearly drowned getting over there.

During the pandemic, Lott, an IU grad and local music fixture for several decades who typically splits his time between here and Los Angeles, moved his family moved to Indianapolis. The Son Lux founder created the 49-song soundtrack for "Everything Everywhere All at Once," now the clear favorite to win Best Picture and a handful of other Oscars this weekend, in the bedroom of a rented home in Broad Ripple.

Lott's work encompassed a score, original songs featuring musical heavy hitters David Byrne, Randy Newman, André 3000 and Mitski and the soundscapes necessary for holding the interdimensional comedy/drama/martial arts film together.

Lott and his collaborators produced one hour and 50 minutes of original music for a two hour and 15-minute movie.

More coverage:The musical journey of 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' began in a Broad Ripple bedroom

And for that work, Son Lux earned Oscar nominations for Best Original Score and Best Original Song. The band will also perform "This Is A Life," a song from the soundtrack, at the ceremony alongside Byrne and "Everything" co-star Stephanie Hsu.

Variety does not like Son Lux's chances in either category. The band may have to settle for only playing an integral part in by far the year's best movie. But I'm in Indiana manifesting the win for Lott and company.

Lott told me something about a film composer's work that has stuck with me as I've watched however many dozens of films since:

"You don't want (the score) to stand out, yet it has to have a massive opinion … it has to have the same sized heart and personality of the movie."

'Stranger at the Gate'

Muncie is at the forefront of a film nominated for Best Documentary Short Film.

"Stranger at the Gate" tells the stories of Richard "Mac" McKinney, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who planned to bomb a mosque, and the Muslim family that embraced their would-be attacker as a friend and brother.

Upon getting to know the congregants of the Islamic Center of Muncie, McKinney not only abandoned his plan but underwent a total transformation in his soul.

More:A Muncie man planned to bomb a mosque. A film on his redemption is up for an Oscar.

"This film shows the power of talking to each other, of staying open to each other and of building bridges and searching for that shared humanity," director Joshua Seftel told me in a recent interview. "There's a power in that, and in this case, it saved lives."

It's a gripping and necessary film about hate and prejudice in Indiana and beyond. It's short and easily digested. It's also available for free on YouTube.

I'm not familiar with the other nominees in this category, but "Stranger at the Gate" is deserving on message alone. Plus, I'm a homer. Win this one for personal growth in Indiana.

Looking for things to do? Our newsletter has the best concerts, art, shows and more — and the stories behind them

Rory Appleton is the pop culture reporter and columnist at IndyStar. Contact him at 317-552-9044 and rappleton@indystar.com, or follow him on Twitter at @RoryDoesPhonics.

Oscars 2023: 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' wins best picture

Everything was all right Sunday at the 95th Academy Awards, where no one got slapped and "Everything Everywhere All at Once" ruled the night.

The acclaimed sci-fi comedy came in as a frontrunner at the Oscars and cleaned up like a powerhouse, winning seven honors including best picture, best actress (Michelle Yeoh), supporting actress (Jamie Lee Curtis), supporting actor (Ke Huy Quan), directing and original screenplay. And the good vibes continued in the best actor category, where Brendan Fraser completed a great awards-season comeback story and won for "The Whale."

Here are all the winners and highlights from the main Oscar ceremony, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel:

Oscars winners:See who took home gold at Academy Awards

Who made Oscars history in 2023? See the many 'firsts' from Michelle Yeoh, 'Naatu Naatu,' more

'Everything Everywhere All at Once' wins the Oscars' top prize, best picture

"We've said enough tonight. You inspire me," says director Daniel Kwan, accepting best picture for "Everything Everywhere All at Once."

Michelle Yeoh takes best actress for 'Everything Everywhere'

The longtime action-movie icon finally gets her Oscar and becomes the first Asian woman to win the category. "For all the little boys and girls who look like me watching tonight, let this be a beacon of hope and possibilities. This is proof dreams come true. And ladies, don't let anyone ever tell you you are past your prime," Michelle Yeoh says, winning best actress for "Everything Everywhere All at Once." She dedicates the win to her 84-year-old mom and promised to bring Oscar "home to you and my extended family in Hong Kong where I started in my career. Thank you to the Academy, this is history in the making."

'A beacon of hope and possibilities':Michelle Yeoh wins best actress, making Oscars history

'The Whale' comeback kid Brendan Fraser wins best actor

Brendan Fraser shakes fellow nominee Colin Farrell's hand before accepting the best actor honor for "The Whale." "So this is what the multiverse looks like!" Fraser says, out of breath with excitement. "I just want to say thank you for this acknowledgement. It's like I've been on a diving expedition," he adds, shouting out his kids and director Darren Aronofsky for "throwing me a creative lifeline."

Brendan Fraser:'The Whale' star wins best actor Academy Award and proves nice guys can finish first

'Everything Everywhere' snags Oscars for film editing, directing

"This is too much. This is my second film, y'all. This is crazy," Paul Rogers says, accepting the Oscar for best film editing for "Everything Everywhere All at Once." Then the best picture frontrunner runs its tally to five awards when Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert take best directing. "Our fellow nominees, you guys are our heroes, This is weird," Scheinert says. He thanks all the "mommies" in the house and his parents "for not squashing my creativity when I was making really disturbing horror films or really perverted comedy films, or dressing in drag as a kid, which is a threat to nobody" – a shot seemingly at anti-drag legislation popping up around the country.:

Adds Kwan: "There is greatness in every single person. You have a genius in you that is waiting to be unlocked."

'Top Gun' takes best sound, 'RRR' gets original song Oscar for 'Naatu Naatu'

Somewhere, Tom Cruise is smiling. "Top Gun: Maverick" finally wins an Oscar, for best sound. And the Academy Award for best original song goes to "RRR" dance number "Naatu Naatu." "I grew up listening to The Carpenters and here I am with the Oscars," says composer M.M. Keeravani, doing his own spin on The Carpenters' "Top of the World." John Travolta comes out and chokes up when introducing Lenny Kravitz, who sings "Calling All Angels" during the "In Memoriam" segment (which includes Travolta's "Grease" co-star Olivia Newton-John).

Brutally honest rankings:All the Oscars song performances, from ‘Naatu Naatu’ to Lady Gaga

'Everything Everywhere,' 'Women Talking' win screenplay Oscars

"Everything Everywhere" filmmaker Daniel Scheinert thanks his teachers for helping him be "less of a butthead" when accepting the original screenplay Oscar alongside partner Daniel Kwan, who admits "my imposter syndrome is at an all-time high." And when accepting the adapted screenplay honor, "Women Talking" director Sarah Polley slyly shouts out the Academy for "not being offended by the words 'Women' and 'Talking' so close together."

'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' presents Chadwick Boseman tribute, Rihanna number

"Wakanda Forever" star Danai Gurira arrives on stage to pay tribute to late "Black Panther" actor Chadwick Boseman, saying in Wakandan: "Thank you, king." Gurira then introduces Rihanna, who sings her nominated tune "Lift Me Up" and receives a standing ovation.

'Lift Me Up':Rihanna soars at 2023 Oscars with powerful first performance of song

'Avatar: The Way of Water' gets the gold for visual effects

Elizabeth Banks and the Cocaine Bear come out to present the award for visual effects. The Oscar goes to "Avatar: The Way of Water," which makes sense because the Na'vi main characters are all digital. Afterward, Jimmy Kimmel is ready with an A-plus dad joke: "The afterparty is at CGI Friday's."

'All Quiet on the Western Front' wins two more technical honors

The Netflix war movie is starting to gain some momentum, as "All Quiet on the Western Front" runs over the likes of "Babylon," "The Fabelmans" and other Oscar favorites for best production design and score.

Lady Gaga sings a raw, rousing version of 'Top Gun' song 'Hold My Hand'

"It's deeply personal for me and we all need a lot of love to walk through this life. And we all need a hero sometimes. You might find that you can be your own hero, even if you feel broken inside," Lady Gaga says before performing her nominated song "Hold My Hand" (from "Top Gun: Maverick") with stripped-down piano, guitar, bass and drums.

Oscars best-dressed:Jaw-dropping looks from Lady Gaga, Michelle Yeoh, Angela Bassett

'Elephant Whisperers' and 'The Boy, the Mole' conquer shorts categories

"The Elephant Whisperers," about an Indian couple that cares for an orphaned baby elephant, wins for best documentary short. And animated short goes to "The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse," based on Charlie Mackesy's book.

'All Quiet on the Western Front' wins best international film

This isn't a surprise: After ruling the BAFTAs (and with Indian action epic "RRR" not in its category), "All Quiet on the Western Front" takes the international film Oscar, its second honor of the night. "This means so much to us," says director Edward Berger. He also thanks star Felix Kammerer: "Without you, none of us would be here."

'Wakanda Forever' nabs costume design honor

"Nice to see you again," Ruth Carter says, winning costume design for "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" – the same honor she took home for 2018's original "Panther." The first Black woman to win two Oscars, Carter dedicates the award to her mom, who recently died at age 101, and thanks director Ryan Coogler and producer Nate Moore: "We are reshaping how culture is represented." if that wasn't exciting enough, the original song performance of "RRR" tune "Naatu Naatu" delivers a ton of rousing dance moves that get the Oscar crowd going.

Brendan Fraser's 'The Whale' wins for best makeup and hairstyling

Digital and physical prosthetics were used to transform Brendan Fraser into the 600-pound main character of "The Whale," and it pays off with an Oscar for makeup. Fraser is one of the first to get on his feet and excitedly cheer the win.

Best cinematography Oscar goes to 'All Quiet on the Western Front'

Netflix's acclaimed German war drama earns its first technical honor of the night. "My fellow nominees, your work is just outstanding and inspiring," says James Friend, who wins best cinematography for "All Quiet on the Western Front." Donnie Yen arrives on stage afterward to introduce the next original song nominee: "Everything Everywhere" star Stephanie Hsu, Son Lux and David Byrne doing a weird, ethereal performance of "This Is a Life."

'Navalny' is named best documentary

Director Daniel Roher's film about Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny wins the Oscar for best documentary. "We must not be afraid to oppose dictators," says Roher, while Navalny's wife Yulia addresses her husband, currently being held in solitary confinement in Russia: "I'm dreaming of the day you will be free and our country will be free." And the award for live-action short goes to "The Irish Goodbye."

Jamie Lee Curtis wins her first Oscar, for supporting actress in 'Everything Everywhere'

"Woo-hoo," Jamie Lee Curtis exclaims, hugging Ariana DeBose and taking her supporting actress trophy for "Everything Everywhere." "I know it looks like I'm standing up here by myself but I am hundreds of people," Curtis says, shouting out her directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, "my bae" Michelle Yeoh, all her horror folks and her late Hollywood parents, Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh. "We all just won an Oscar together." She leaves the stage and then Sofia Carson and Diane Warren arrive with a choir to perform their original song nominee, "Applause" from "Tell It Like a Woman."

Jamie Lee Curtis:First-time winner thanks castmates, late parents in touching Oscars speech

Ke Huy Quan takes best supporting actor for 'Everything Everywhere'

After hugging co-star Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan goes to the stage to take his supporting actor trophy for "Everything Everywhere" and immediately starts crying. "My mom is 84 years old and she's at home watching. Mom, I just won an Oscar!" he says through tears. He tells how his journey started on a boat, involved spending a year in a refugee camp and "somehow ended up on the Oscar stage. This is the American dream." He concludes by saying that "dreams are something you have to believe in. I almost gave up on mine. Everyone out there, keep your dreams alive."

'This is the American dream':Read Ke Huy Quan's emotional Oscars acceptance speech

Guillermo del Toro's 'Pinocchio' wins best animated feature

Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson arrive on stage to give out the first award of the night: best animated feature. And the winner is ... director Guillermo del Toro's Netflix stop-motion feature "Pinocchio"! "Animation is cinema, animation is not a genre. Animation is ready to be taken to the next step. Please help us keep animation in the conversation," del Toro says, tearing up when thanking his parents. According to Netflix, del Toro becomes the first person to win best picture, best director and best animated feature Oscars.

2023 Oscars:Why Cate Blanchett, Guillermo del Toro and more celebs wore blue ribbons

Jimmy Kimmel gets the 'Top Gun' treatment to begin the show

Jimmy Kimmel starts the show by being "ejected" out of a fighter jet by Tom Cruise and parachutes onto the Dolby Theatre stage. "Give me a second to adjust my Danger Zone here. My Banshees are caught in my Inisherin," he jokes. Kimmel shouts out audiences returning to the theater to see movies and is also glad to see Nicole Kidman out of that "abandoned AMC, where she has been held captive for two whole years now."

The host points out first-time nominees Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan, as well as Brendan Fraser: "Two guys from 'Encino Man' are nominated for Oscar." Kimmel calls Steven Spielberg and Seth Rogen "the Joe and Hunter Biden of Hollywood" and can't believe Spielberg was sober doing "E.T." "You were high as a bike when you made that movie," Kimmel cracks. He also gives props to John Williams being a nominee at 91 – "He's still scoring – if you know what I mean" – and mentions the absence of Cruise and James Cameron: "Two guys who insisted we go to the theater didn't come to the theater."

Jimmy Kimmel:Angry actors would have to 'battle' Michelle Yeoh to slap him at Oscars

For Angela Bassett, the Oscars are all about 'the spirit of never giving up'

Supporting actress contender Angela Bassett, the first actor from a Marvel superhero movie to garner a nod, told USA TODAY that her husband Courtney B. Vance has been an essential support system this Oscar season, accompanying her to awards shows and filming her acceptance speeches on his smartphone. "He was supportive before the whirlwind," says the "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" star. "He always trusted and believed that a nomination like this might one day happen for me."

In addition to being the subject of Ariana DeBose's viral rap, Bassett has loved going through the awards process with her fellow thespians: "When I think of my girl Michelle Yeoh and it being her first nomination, it really is about the spirit of never giving up."

A Brendan Fraser win would complete an epic Oscar comeback story

The best actor race seems to be down to Austin Butler, Colin Farrell and Brendan Fraser, though a win by the latter would finish one of this year's most noteworthy comebacks. After becoming a major Hollywood star in the 1990s, Fraser has been honest about his career hardships, including being sexually assaulted, and won accolades for his role in "The Whale."

In an emotional Screen Actor Guild speech, Fraser shouted out to other actors who've weathered struggles: "I know how you feel. But believe me, if you just stay in there and you put one foot in front of the other, you'll get to where you need to go."

The new Oscar best picture winner will join Hollywood's most hallowed hall

"Everything Everywhere All at Once" is in the pole position to win best picture over "The Banshees of Inisherin," "Top Gun: Maverick," "All Quiet on the Western Front," "The Fabelmans" and "Elvis," among others.

The victor will join a long list filled with some of the greatest movies ever (and a few that don't quite fit that bill). We watched all 94 so far and ranked them, from the first winner – the 1927 silent war drama "Wings," which holds up well! – to the feel-good 2022 Oscar champ "CODA."

Get a video tour of the ultra-exclusive green room at the Oscars

USA TODAY's Ralphie Aversa has been in LA all week for events leading up to the Academy Awards, and one of them was getting a look at the ultra-exclusive, swanky green room backstage at the Oscars. He was able to do a fun video tour for our readers but come Sunday night at the Dolby Theatre, no cameras will be allowed in – only performers, presenters and winners will be able to enjoy the comfy furniture, floral arrangements and food by celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck.

Michelle Yeoh, Colin Farrell could be first-time Academy Award winners

Sixteen of the 20 acting contenders at Sunday's Oscars are first-time , including "Everything Everywhere" favorites Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan and Jamie Lee Curtis, as well as best actor candidates Brendan Fraser, Colin Farrell and Austin Butler. The four returnees: Two-time winner Cate Blanchett ("Tár"), Angela Bassett ("Black Panther: Wakanda Forever"), Michelle Williams ("The Fabelmans") and Judd Hirsch ("The Fabelmans"), who last received an Oscar nod for 1980's "Ordinary People."

But the list of thespians who've never won an Academy Award is a pretty star-studded affair overall, including Scarlett Johansson, Antonio Banderas, Glenn Close, Willem Dafoe, Amy Adams, Tom Cruise and Robert Downey Jr.

Supporting actor is Ke Huy Quan's to lose

"Everything Everywhere" star Ke Huy Quan has dominated the competition and rolled through awards season. But his quest for a supporting actor victory has also been a Cinderella story for the actor, who was a child star in the 1980s with roles in "The Goonies" and "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" and then stepped away from Hollywood because of a lack of meaty roles for Asian actors.

"I'm grateful the landscape has changed, there’s a lot more progress now," Quan said backstage after winning at the Golden Globes. He's also made sure to have a bunch of fun heading to Oscar night, posting tons of selfies with peers on his Instagram account.

Best supporting actress is a toss-up

As far as Oscar predictions go, most of the acting categories are fairly straightforward with a favorite moving out in front. Not so much with supporting actress, which can go a few different ways. "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" star Angela Bassett – the first actor to be nominated for a Marvel movie – had the early momentum with wins out of the Golden Globes and Critics Choice, but Jamie Lee Curtis of "Everything Everywhere" took an important Screen Actors Guild honor while "The Banshees of Inisherin" actress Kerry Condon picked up the supporting trophy at the British Academy Film Awards.

Given SAG and the "Everything" goodwill, Curtis probably has the best chance over Bassett, though it's possible the two beloved Hollywood types cancel each other out and Condon sneaks by for a victory.

Good news: Lady Gaga will be performing 'Hold My Hand' after all!

A bevy of original song contenders are slated for prime-time performances. Rihanna will sing "Lift Me Up" from "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," Sofia Carson and songwriter Diane Warren are slated to perform "Applause" from "Tell It Like A Woman," Talking Heads frontman David Byrne teams with "Everything Everywhere All at Once" supporting actress nominee Stephanie Hsu and music trio Son Lux for “This Is A Life," and Indian singers Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava will perform the "RRR" song-and-dance number – and the frontrunner in the category – "Naatu Naatu."

And while Oscar producers previously said she wouldn't perform, Lady Gaga is now slated to sing “Hold My Hand” from "Top Gun: Maverick," a person familiar with the production but not authorized to speak publicly told USA TODAY. (Fun fact: Gaga is shooting "Joker: Folie à Deux" with Joaquin Phoenix, who won best actor for the first "Joker" movie.)

Glenn Close tests positive for COVID-19, won't be among Oscar presenters

Glenn Close was expected to be among the dozens of A-list stars on tap to hand out trophies and appear on the telecast Sunday but has tested positive for COVID-19. A representative for the actress told The Associated Press she is isolating and resting.

Ariana DeBose, Troy Kotsur, Halle Berry, Nicole Kidman and Jessica Chastain are among the previous Oscar winners scheduled to be presenters. Also on the list is a raft of other high-profile names like Samuel L. Jackson, Dwayne Johnson, Melissa McCarthy, Janelle Monáe, Zoe Saldaña and Harrison Ford.

Just don't expect an appearance from Will Smith. Smith, who won best actor last year for "King Richard" and would traditionally present the award for best actress this year, was banned from Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences events for 10 years after he slapped Oscar presenter Chris Rock for making a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.

Red carpet coverage is coming for the fashionistas

All the big stars will be hitting the "champagne carpet" and wearing their Sunday best. E!'s "Live From the Red Carpet" kicks off at 5 p.m. EDT/2 p.m. PDT while ABC starts its pre-show coverage at 6:30 EDT/3:30 PDT. (And check out entertainment.usatoday.com for fashion galleries and analysis.)

Read more about the Academy Awards:

Contributing: Bryan Alexander, Patrick

Here's every film that won the Oscar for best picture | CNN

"It Happened One Night" (1935): "It Happened One Night" was one of the great underdog winners. Its studio, Columbia, wasn't considered one of the majors at the time, and neither Clark Gable nor Claudette Colbert, its stars, were excited about the project. But it became the first film to sweep the five major categories of picture, actor, actress, director and screenplay. To this day, only two other films -- "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1975) and "The Silence of the Lambs" (1991) -- have pulled off the same trick. Columbia Pictures Corporation

'Everything Everywhere' historic Oscars sweep: I finally feel seen

After nearly a year of rave reviews, I waited until Saturday to watch "Everything Everywhere All at Once," the movie that swept the 2023 Academy Awards with seven wins Sunday, including best picture and three of the four acting awards. Not because I doubted the hype, but because I knew it would hit home for me.

And I wasn't quite ready for that.

"Everything Everywhere" tells the story of a Chinese immigrant, Evelyn Wang (Michelle Yeoh), struggling to connect with her lesbian daughter, Joy (Stephanie Hsu), and her kind yet estranged husband, Waymond (Ke Huy Quan). That is, until she is thrust into an alternate universe and forced to defeat an evil force inhabiting her daughter – a metaphor for Joy's deep-rooted unhappiness stemming from years of unaddressed intergenerational trauma.

After finally mustering the mental energy to watch, I can say it's no wonder "Everything Everywhere" is being heralded as the movie of the year. Very few movies have made me laugh, cry, smile and call my mom all in the span of 2 hours and 19 minutes. It's a cosmically chaotic plot infused with fun martial arts action, bittersweet family drama and comic relief.

That's why "Everything Everywhere," against all odds, won big. But more importantly, it's a hopeful reminder that Asian representation doesn't have to include cliche stereotypes or tokenism disguised as diversity to be worthy of the Oscars.

A big night for Asian Americans

After decades of limited, biased and stereotypical representations of my community, Asian Americans witnessed a milestone in Hollywood history.

On the red carpet, Harry Shum Jr., one of the film's stars, paid homage to his Asian heritage with an innovative, bespoke "East meets West" tuxedo. Hong Chau, nominated for her performance in "The Whale," added a Mandarin collar to her custom Prada gown as "a shoutout to (her) roots."

Oscars best-dressed:Jaw-dropping looks from Lady Gaga, Michelle Yeoh, Angela Bassett

The night continued to radiate inspiring Asian American pride and positivity, for South Asian Americans – who witnessed many "firsts" with "RRR" (best song) and "The Elephant Whisperers" (best documentary short) – and for East Asian Americans, who witnessed a long-awaited and well-deserved win from Quan, 51, only the second Asian actor to win best supporting actor since Haing S. Ngor for "The Killing Fields" in 1984.

Beloved industry veteran Yeoh, 60, also took home one of the night's biggest prizes, the second woman of color in the 95-year history of the awards to win best actress (following Halle Berry for 2001's "Monster's Ball").

What 'Everything Everywhere All At Once' means for me

Words cannot explain how proud I am to see "Everything Everywhere" – an unapologetically Asian American story with an Asian American cast – recognized by perhaps the most prestigious institution in the entertainment industry, now headed by an Asian president, Janet Yang.

The crux of the film is a familiar and nostalgic narrative: I see bits of myself in Joy, an angsty 20-something grappling with the innate, intergenerational trauma that comes with being a second-generation American. It's trauma, with a lowercase "t," in the subtle form of sensing disappointment from your grandparents when you can't fluently speak their native language; of wanting to assimilate as an Asian American without abandoning your roots; of feeling guilt over the sacrifices your parents made, only to fear you won't live up to their expectations.

But I also relate to matriarch Evelyn. I too struggled to communicate and express my feelings. Instead, my default response to frustrating and unfamiliar conflicts was defensiveness and anger rather than empathy and kindness.

The movie admittedly is a hard watch, but in the best ways possible. I enjoyed that it courageously explored taboo topics, such as positive masculinity (Waymond's) and queer relationships in Asian cultures. At the same time, "Everything Everywhere" pushed boundaries and perfectly captured the complexities of vulnerable, intergenerational healing in many immigrant families.

Despite the dazzle of special effects and the fantastical impossibilities of a multiverse, "Everything Everywhere" represented my reality: an authentic story of a second-generation Asian American girl who is still learning to accept being "stubborn, aimless, and a mess."

Missed the Oscars? Read our coverage

Oscar falls in love with 'Amour'

Andrea Mandell, USA TODAY

Five nominations came as a surprise

Film's unflinching focus on aging resonates with academy members

"The film is very human," says producer Margaret Menegoz

There are no presidents reincarnated in Amour. No wars. Or storms.

Just love.

The Paris-set film with French-speaking actors (subtitled for the USA) and directed by an Austrian filmmaker surprised Oscar prognosticators on Thursday by earning nominations in five categories, including best picture, director and actress categories, stealing spots from supposed big-budget shoo-ins.

Director Michael Haneke, 70, simply focuses on a couple in their 80s, living in a somewhat spare, but well-loved, apartment as aging takes its toll and slowly, cruelly rips one partner away from the other. The carefully paced story offers few fireworks but emphasizes the enduring power of a love that transcends a lifetime.

"It's a beautiful life. A long life," Emmanuelle Riva says with a sigh in the film as Anne, a onetime accomplished pianist reduced to looking through an old photo album after a failed operation to fix an obstructed artery leaves her left side paralyzed. It falls to her husband, Georges (Jean-Louis Trintignant), to care for her, until her illness requires that a team of nurses take over.

"There's nothing reassuring in its dry-eyed examination of decrepitude," writes USA TODAY critic Claudia Puig in her review. "Haneke doesn't sentimentalize serious illness. Taking place almost entirely inside an apartment, the march toward death grows increasingly oppressive. Yet this is a humanistic film, infused with subtle emotion and profound honesty."

Tom O'Neil, founder of awards website GoldDerby.com, says the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which skews over retirement age and may have identified with the topic at hand, likes to honor international art-house hits. And Amour, he notes, beat out other foreign-language favorites like The Weinstein Co.'s The Intouchables.

"It's no surprise that Amour got nominated for best picture, but the support it got across the board — for screenplay, director, the rest of it — really is remarkable," says O'Neil. "It shows extreme love for the movie that was not anticipated by the pundits."

Currently playing in Los Angeles and New York, Amour opens in San Diego, Chicago, Phoenix, San Francisco and Washington

There have been signs that the film was gathering steam. Last year, the film won the Cannes Film Festival's top prize, the Palm d'Or. Recently, it took home best-picture awards from both the Los Angeles Film Critics and the National Society of Film Critics. Riva and Haneke were tapped for BAFTA best-actress and director nominations.

At 85, Riva is the oldest lead-actress nominee in the academy's history, and the French actress says (in French, via a translator) that she didn't expect to receive the attention. "I feel like I'm in sort of a fairy tale."

But she believes the film struck a chord with Oscar voters because of its universality, crediting Haneke's "impeccable" direction.

"It resonates with a lot of Americans because the situation that we have lived in this film has so much to do with the essence of being a human being,'' she says. "You come into life, and there's childhood. You love. (And then) the possibility of illness, operations and death is a subject which is the very essence of life. One cannot be indifferent to such a subject."

"We did not expect the nominations, but are very happy to have them, especially for Michael and Emmanuelle," adds Amour producer Margaret Ménégoz,who says she wasn't exactly sure how the film swept into so many categories. "I can only think perhaps it's because the film is very human.''

"There's a lot of respect for Haneke," says O'Neil of the filmmaker/screenwriter, who has helmed 11 films since 1989, including the much-lauded The Piano Teacher and The White Ribbon. "He's overdue for an Oscar nomination."

'Succession' and 'Ted Lasso' dominate major categories in Emmy ...

CNN —

It was a good morning for the cast and creative teams of “Succession” and “Ted Lasso.”

The shows on Tuesday earned several nominations in the major categories for the 74th Emmy Awards, which will be held September 12.

“Succession” earned the most nominations of any show, earning a total of 25 nods, including one for outstanding drama, as well as outstanding lead actor nominations for Brian Cox and Jeremy Strong.

“Ted Lasso” led the comedy category, earning 20 nominations, including one for outstanding comedy series. Star Jason Sudeikis earned an outstanding lead actor nomination, while Juno Temple, Brett Goldstein and Hannah Waddingham were among those who earned individual nominations in their respective supporting acting categories. Sarah Niles, Toheeb Jimoh and Nick Mohammed also earned supporting actor nominations.

“White Lotus” was a favorite in the limited series category, earning a total of 20 nominations and an incredible eight nominations in supporting acting categories.

“Hacks” and “Only Murders In the Building” earned 17 nominations each, rounding out the list of top five nominated programs.

See below for a list of nominees in top categories.

Outstanding drama series

“Better Call Saul”

“Euphoria”

“Ozark”

“Severance”

“Squid Game”

“Stranger Things”

“Succession”

“Yellowjackets”

Outstanding comedy series

“Abbott Elementary”

“Barry”

“Curb Your Enthusiasm”

“Hacks”

“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”

“Only Murders in the Building”

“Ted Lasso”

“What We Do in the Shadows”

Outstanding limited series

“Dopesick”

“The Dropout”

“Inventing Anna”

“Pam & Tommy”

“The White Lotus”

Outstanding lead actor in a drama series

Brian Cox, “Succession”

Lee Jung-jae, “Squid Game”

Bob Odenkirk, “Better Call Saul”

Adam Scott, “Severance”

Jeremy Strong, “Succession”

Outstanding lead actress in a drama series

Jodie Comer, “Killing Eve”

Laura Linney, “Ozark”

Melanie Lynskey, “Yellowjackets”

Sandra Oh, “Killing Eve”

Reese Witherspoon, “The Morning Show”

Zendaya, “Euphoria”

Outstanding supporting actor in a drama series

Nicholas Braun, “Succession”

Billy Crudup, “The Morning Show”

Kieran Culkin, “Succession”

Park Hae-soo, “Squid Game”

Matthew Macfadyen, “Succession”

John Turturro, “Severance”

Christopher Walken, “Severance”

Oh Yeong-su, “Squid Game”

Outstanding supporting actress in a drama series

Patricia Arquette, “Severance”

Julia Garner, “Ozark”

Jung Ho-yeon, “Squid Game”

Christina Ricci, “Yellowjackets”

Rhea Seehorn, “Better Call Saul”

J. Smith-Cameron, “Succession”

Sarah Snook, “Succession”

Sydney Sweeney, “Euphoria”

Outstanding lead actor in a comedy series

Donald Glover, “Atlanta”

Bill Hader, “Barry”

Nicholas Hoult, “The Great”

Steve Martin, “Only Murders in the Building”

Martin Short, “Only Murders in the Building”

Jason Sudeikis, “Ted Lasso”

Outstanding lead actress in a comedy series

Rachel Brosnahan, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”

Quinta Brunson, “Abbott Elementary”

Kaley Cuoco, “The Flight Attendant”

Elle Fanning, “The Great”

Issa Rae, “Insecure”

Jean Smart, “Hacks”

Outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series

Anthony Carrigan, “Barry”

Brett Goldstein, “Ted Lasso”

Toheeb Jimoh, “Ted Lasso”

Nick Mohammed, “Ted Lasso”

Tony Shalhoub, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”

Tyler James Williams, “Abbott Elementary”

Henry Winkler, “Barry”

Bowen Yang, “Saturday Night Live”

Outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series

Alex Borstein, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”

Hannah Einbinder, “Hacks”

Janelle James, “Abbott Elementary”

Kate McKinnon, “Saturday Night Live”

Sarah Niles, “Ted Lasso”

Sheryl Lee Ralph, “Abbott Elementary”

Juno Temple, “Ted Lasso”

Hannah Waddingham, “Ted Lasso”

Outstanding lead actor in a limited series or TV movie

Colin Firth, “The Staircase”

Andrew Garfield, “Under the Banner of Heaven”

Oscar Isaac, “Scenes from a Marriage”

Michael Keaton, “Dopesick”

Himesh Patel, “Station Eleven”

Sebastian Stan, “Pam & Tommy”

Outstanding lead actress in a limited series or TV movie

Toni Collette, “The Staircase”

Julia Garner, “Inventing Anna”

Lily James, “Pam & Tommy”

Sarah Paulson, “Impeachment: American Crime Story”

Margaret Qualley, “Maid”

Amanda Seyfried, “The Dropout”

Outstanding supporting actor in a limited series or TV movie

Murray Bartlett, “The White Lotus”

Jake Lacy, “The White Lotus”

Will Poulter, “Dopesick”

Seth Rogen, “Pam & Tommy”

Peter Sarsgaard, “Dopesick”

Michael Stuhlbarg, “Dopesick”

Steve Zahn, “The White Lotus”

Outstanding supporting actress in a limited series or TV movie

Connie Britton, “The White Lotus”

Jennifer Coolidge, “The White Lotus”

Alexandra Daddario, “The White Lotus”

Kaitlyn Dever, “Dopesick”

Natasha Rothwell, “The White Lotus”

Sydney Sweeney, “The White Lotus”

Mare Winningham, “Dopesick”

Outstanding reality/competition series

“The Amazing Race”

“Top Chef”

“RuPaul’s Drag Race”

“Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls”

“The Voice”

“Nailed It!”

Outstanding variety talk series

“Last Week Tonight With John Oliver”

“The Late Show With Stephen Colbert”

“Late Night With Seth Meyers”

“The Daily Show With Trevor Noah”

“Jimmy Kimmel Live!”

2023 Oscar predictions: Who will win best picture, actor and actress?

Last year's Academy Awards were unexpectedly exciting. This year's ceremony might be so predictable you'll have to slap yourself to stay awake.

After winning all the top guild prizes, the sci-fi comedy "Everything Everywhere All at Once" rolls into Oscar night (ABC, Sunday, 8 p.m. ET/5 PT) like a multiversal monster, with a leading 11 nominations and tons of momentum. It looks to be only the third film in history to win three acting categories, and "Everything Everywhere" is a clear frontrunner for best picture.

The academy likely won't be embracing total chaos but maybe has a surprise or two up its sleeve. Here are our predictions for all the major categories:

Best picture

“All Quiet on the Western Front”

“Avatar: The Way of Water”

“The Banshees of Inisherin”

“Elvis”

“Everything Everywhere All at Once”

“The Fabelmans”

“Tár”

“Top Gun: Maverick”

“Triangle of Sadness”

“Women Talking”

Will win: "Everything Everywhere"

Should win: "The Banshees of Inisherin"

So far this awards season, "Everything" has been a kung fu master taking down, well, everything in its path, and it's a great bet to win the final battle, too. The word-of-mouth hit won over hearts and minds early, and the film has stuck with audiences like "Parasite" did three years ago. The academy's preferential ballot (where voters rank their best picture choices) does lend itself to the possibility of a shock: Perhaps Tom Cruise's blockbuster "Top Gun" sequel has enough in the tank for an out-of-nowhere victory? The category is called "best picture," and "Banshees" is honestly the top of this list with its darkly funny look at an imploding friendship. But let's be real: Those Irish eyes won't be smiling at the end of an Oscar night seemingly destined for "Everywhere."

Best actress

Ana de Armas, “Blonde”

Cate Blanchett, “Tár”

Andrea Riseborough, “To Leslie”

Michelle Williams, “The Fabelmans”

Michelle Yeoh, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

Will win/should win: Yeoh

This has always been a two-woman contest, between Blanchett's portrayal of a powerfully flawed orchestra conductor and Yeoh's multiverse-saving, laundry-owning wife and mom. After an important Screen Actors Guild Awards victory, the Oscar is there for Yeoh's taking – and hallelujah for that. After a long career – including as a global action-movie icon – Yeoh is finally having her moment for a role that lets her show every facet of her talent, sometimes even with hot dog fingers. It took the mainstream a while to figure out how much she rules and, as good as Blanchett is, it's Yeoh on tap to reign Sunday.

Best actor

Austin Butler, “Elvis”

Colin Farrell, “The Banshees of Inisherin”

Brendan Fraser, “The Whale”

Paul Mescal, “Aftersun”

Bill Nighy, “Living”

Will win/should win: Fraser

When nominations were announced, it was a three-man race between Golden Globe winners Butler and Farrell as well as Fraser, but in recent weeks the latter has been pulling away. Fraser won the SAG award (which has missed matching up with the eventual Oscar winner only twice since 2004) and has a ton of goodwill on his side, yet also took his acting to an unforeseen level in "The Whale." As a 600-pound writing teacher hoping to reconnect with his teen daughter before his death, Fraser gives a heart-wrenching, empathetic portrayal of a man who sees the good in people while wrestling with his own flaws and mistakes, reminding Hollywood he's still one heck of a leading man.

Best supporting actress

Angela Bassett, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”

Hong Chau, “The Whale”

Kerry Condon, “The Banshees of Inisherin”

Jamie Lee Curtis, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

Stephanie Hsu, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

Will win: Curtis

Should win: Condon

The most tumultuous acting category on this year's Oscar slate, with Bassett winning at Golden Globes and Critics Choice, Curtis taking SAG and Condon victorious at the British Academy Film Awards. The SAG winner has taken Academy gold 12 of the last 13 years, which bodes extremely well for Curtis – the fact that she's both Hollywood royalty and a beloved performer with a chance for her first Oscar in an iconic career doesn't hurt either. She deserves her flowers, but Condon is the standout of this group. As an Irish woman caught in her brother and his ex-best pal's civil war, she brings fiery sass, a strong grounding presence and needed warmth to an island village divided by feuding frenemies.

Best supporting actor

Brendan Gleeson, “Banshees on Inisherin”

Judd Hirsch, “The Fabelmans”

Brian Tyree Henry, “Causeway”

Barry Keoghan, “Banshees of Inisherin”

Ke Huy Quan, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

Will win/should win: Quan

All of these stellar performances are Oscar-worthy, but Quan has run the table this awards season and you can take it to the bank that he's going to end Sunday night with a golden guy. While he's fantastic in the multifaceted role of Yeoh's onscreen husband – and his various alternate-reality versions – Quan also is a comeback kid with a Cinderella story. After gaining fame as a 1980s child movie star in "The Goonies" and "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom," he disappeared from the public for decades, returned with a meaty performance and has been on a tear with emotional acceptance speeches. Expect the best to come this weekend.

Best director

Todd Field, “Tár”

Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

Martin McDonagh, “The Banshees of Inisherin”

Ruben Ostlund, “Triangle of Sadness”

Steven Spielberg, “The Fabelmans”

Will win/should win: Kwan and Scheinert

It would take an impressive effort to defeat a legend like Spielberg putting his life story onscreen, though that's exactly what happened with a couple of guys named Daniel and their genre-exploding quest to scramble people's brains before getting them right in the feels. Although Spielberg won Globe honors, Kwan and Scheinert scored a key victory at the Directors Guild Awards – a frequent harbinger for Oscar success. More importantly, they're bringing their fresh (and very weird, in a good way) filmmaking voices to the fore.

Read more about all things Academy Awards:

Oscar nominated foreign films 2022: Where to watch the Oscar ...

CNN —

The best international feature film category at the Academy Awards could, in some ways, be compared to flying economy. Often, the five films that get a seat aboard the Oscars seem squashed in the back, lest they take up space that Hollywood might want to luxuriate in. You’d like to upgrade to best picture? With twice the room and more prestige, who wouldn’t. But many of those seats still appear to be reserved for English-language pictures.

However, things are changing for the better, with Academy voters finding increasing space for international films in other categories. As the awards continues to ask existential questions of itself, this is cause for celebration.

In the Oscars’ 94th year, there are a few firsts among the nominees for best international feature. “Drive My Car” by Ryusuke Hamaguchi became the first Japanese film to be nominated for best picture, and “Flee” by Danish writer-director Jonas Poher Rasmussen became the first film nominated across best international feature film, best animated feature and best documentary feature. Meanwhile Bhutanese cinema received its first nomination in any category with Pawo Choyning Dorji’s “Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom.”

Norwegian nominee “The Worst Person in the World” and “Drive My Car” both made the cut in writing categories – director Joachim Trier and Eskil Vogt sharing a nomination for best original screenplay, and Hamaguchi and Takamasa Oe for best adapted – while Hamaguchi finds himself only the third Japanese filmmaker nominated for best director.

“Drive My Car” ties Akira Kurosawa’s “Ran” (1986) for most nominations ever for a Japanese film, but a “Parasite”-level sweep is unlikely, even if few would quibble with the movie’s brilliance. However, the repeated inroads of non-English language cinema suggests, to borrow a phrase from Bong Joon-ho, that voters are overcoming the one inch tall barrier of subtitles and finding a whole world of movies to celebrate. No doubt the Academy’s increasingly international membership is helping too.

Last year’s resurgent festival scene and a backlog of releases due to the pandemic meant there was even greater choice than usual. As always, each country may only nominate one movie for best international feature, with 93 countries submitting this year. Many big-hitters missed out. France had Julia Ducournau’s Cannes Palme d’Or winner “Titane” and Audrey Diwan’s Venice Golden Lion winner “Happening” at its disposal; “Titane” was submitted over “Happening,” only to fail to make the shortlist. Spain submitted Fernando Leon de Aranoa’s “The Good Boss” over Pedro Almodovar’s “Parallel Mothers,” only for it to strike out and see Almodovar’s film nominated for original score (Alberto Iglesias) and star Penelope Cruz for best actress. Romania’s Berlin-winner “Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn” by Radu Jude, two-time Iranian Oscar winner Asghar Farhadi’s “A Hero” and Austrian submission “Great Freedom” by Sebastian Meise are all fantastic films that were either not shortlisted or nominated.

There was such an abundance of great international cinema, the question of whether this category should be expanded to 10 nominees, like best picture, must be asked once more. Until then, we have these five. If you need to catch up on this year’s crop, here’s all the details, along with where to watch them.

“The Hand of God”

Filippo Scotti in "The Hand of God." Gianni Fiorito/Netflix

Italian director Paolo Sorrentino is up to his usual tricks in “The Hand of God,” setting them loose on a work of poignant, sometimes bizarre, autofiction.

Set in sweltering 1980s Naples, Sorrentino’s stand-in Fabietto (Filippo Scotti) is an awkward teenager struggling to find his voice among his large, bickering carnival of a family. The talk of the town is the possible move of football megastar Diego Maradona to local club Napoli, but Fabietto is equally preoccupied with his aunt Patrizia (a disquieting Luisa Ranieri). An abused woman with mental health concerns, the director chooses to present this primarily through the medium of her exposed breasts, at which her nephew can’t help but stare. It is not the most conventional sexual awakening committed to screen, and where the film goes from there is eyebrow-raising to say the least (kudos to Sorrentino for his honesty if it’s all true).

That aside, there’s beauty aplenty in how director and regular cinematographer Daria D’Antonio shoot their hometown. Visual flourishes and a Fellini-esque menagerie of larger-than-life characters combine in an elegy to the city and the director’s youth – one defined by a tragedy that set Sorrentino on his path.

“You’ve got to have a story to tell,” a director urges aspiring filmmaker Fabietto toward the end of the movie. Sorrentino, already an Oscar winner for “The Great Beauty” in 2013, hasn’t exactly made a bad fist of telling fictional stories. By returning to Naples and telling his own, he’s come full circle and made one of his richest films to date.

“The Hand of God” is available to watch on Netflix.

“Drive My Car”

Hidetoshi Nishijima and Toko Miura as Yusuke Kafuku and Misaki Watari in "Drive My Car." Courtesy of Sideshow and Janus Films

Japanese director Ryusuke Hamaguchi had a huge 2021, debuting not one but two critically acclaimed films. “Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy” enchanted the Berlin Film Festival, but it was his three-hour adaptation of Haruki Murakami short story “Drive My Car” that gained traction after its debut at Cannes.

The adaptation is an expansion of the story of actor Yusuke Kafuku (Hidetoshi Nishijima) grieving the sudden death of his wife. Two years on, he’s hired to direct a production of Anton Chekhov’s “Uncle Vanya,” where Kufuku meets chauffeur Misaki Watari (Toko Miura), with whom he has unlikely kinship. Through chance and his own making, the past surrounds Kufuku, forcing him to confront his loss.

Hamaguchi’s intricately woven story contemplates the disconnect between inner turmoil and outward stoicism. He brilliantly uses Chekhov’s play, with its thematic overlap, as a safe space for characters to wrestle with their real lives. By casting the play as a multilingual production (actors perform in Korean, Tagalog, Mandarin and Korean Sign Language, among others), Hamaguchi steers the audience’s attention towards language and the body. Like Kafuku, we become attuned to when the two fail to tell the same story. His frustrations become our own, his direction of his actors a proxy for what he desires for himself: self-knowledge, and perhaps through that, catharsis.

This is intellectual filmmaking that offers no concessions to the audience. It demands your attention and offers rich rewards in return. Hamaguchi may be surprised by the Academy’s love for the film, but that comes off the back of topping multiple critics’ best of year lists. The film has already won a BAFTA and must be considered red-hot favorite to take the Oscar on Sunday.

“Drive My Car” is available to watch on HBO Max (like CNN, a WarnerMedia company) and Amazon Prime Video in the US.

Read more: Ryusuke Hamaguchi is as surprised as anyone by the Oscar love for ‘Drive My Car’

“The Worst Person in the World”

Herbert Nordrum and Renate Reinsve as Eivind and Julie in Joachim Trier's "The Worst Person in the World." courtesy Mubi

The capstone of Joachim Trier’s Oslo Trilogy, “The Worst Person in the World” refuses to stick to the rom-com blueprint in its portrait of the Norwegian city and its inhabitants.

Julie (Renate Reinsve) is approaching 30 and is coasting. Her older boyfriend Aksel (Anders Danielsen Lie) is looking to get serious, but Julie has reservations; thoughts that crystallize when free-spirited Eivind (Herbert Nordrum) walks into her life, setting off a charisma bomb that will go down as one of cinema’s great meet-cutes.

Trier has no interest in fairy tale endings, however. His and Eskil Vogt’s rich and textured script drills into the ideation and idealization of modern living, and the life that happens while you’re making – and breaking – plans.

Julie something of a paradox, riven by impulsiveness and indecisiveness (and she’s privileged enough that she can be). The writing is strong, but this is a film propelled by a star turn. Reinsve’s iridescent performance won her the best actress award at Cannes (remarkably, she’d been about to give up the industry before being cast) and as Julie she’s nothing short of a marvel; a muddle of inconsistencies and equally beguiling and infuriating. In other words: deeply human.

“The Worst Person in the World” paints a portrait that’s so arrestingly real, it recasts much of what came before in the genre as synthetic. For romcoms, this is a corner turned.

“The Worst Person in the World” is available to watch on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV in the US.

Read more: Joachim Trier ripped up the romcom script with ‘The Worst Person in the World’

“Flee”

Amin (right), the subject of Jonas Poher Rasmussen's "Flee." Final Cut for Real

Jonas Poher Rasmussen’s international animated documentary represents an impressively original triple threat at the Oscars this weekend.

The Danish film debuted at Sundance in 2021 where it won the world cinema documentary award and it’s been attracting high-profile admirers ever since. It centers on Amin, a gay Afghan who as a boy fled Kabul in the 1990s. Now an academic in his thirties living in Denmark, he narrates the story of his perilous flight, dredging up myriad horrors that are written and rewritten before our eyes as what was once suppressed breaches consciousness and finds form.

The choice of animation allows Amin (a pseudonym) anonymity, but what it affords Rasmussen is dazzling scope for creative expression, utilizing a variety of styles from smooth rotoscope to scratchy sketching in stylistic collusion with the tone of the moment. It’s truly beautiful, impactful filmmaking that’s not quickly forgotten.

“Flee” is available to watch on Hulu and Apple TV in the US.

“Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom”

Sherab Dorji as Ugyen in "Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom." Kinley Wangchuk/Jigme Thinley

This year’s surprise contender, “Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom” is only Bhutan’s second entry to the Academy Awards and its first nominee.

Writer-director Pawo Choyning Dorji’s mild-mannered addition to the “city-slicker-goes-to-the-countryside-and-learns-what’s-important-in-life” canon follows Ugyen (Sherab Dorji), a government employee and wannabe singer whose dreams of Australia are put on hold when he’s sent to teach in the remote mountain community of Lunana. Initially dismissive, his petulance gives way to an appreciation of rural life and the culture he was so ready to leave behind, helped by cute kid Pem Zam (Pem Zam) and singer and local beauty Saldon (Kelden Lhamo Gurung).

It’s familiar story, but perhaps one shouldn’t hold that against the film. “Lunana’s” trump card is its stunning setting and window into an underexposed part of the world. Handsomely shot by Jigme Tenzing, we see both bustling capital Thimphu and the majestic foothills of the Himalayas, an idyll if ever there was one. The guileless turns of the film’s real-life highlander cast also grounds the film nicely and act as an effective foil to Ugyen.

Academy voters have plucked from relative obscurity a film that debuted at the London Film Festival way back in 2019. Dorji beat out giants of world cinema to bag a nomination – and with a debut feature, no less. All this considered, “Lunana” represents a landmark in Bhutanese cinema.

“Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom” is available to watch on Kanopy and Amazon Prime Video.

The 94th Academy Awards takes place on Sunday March 27.

viewpoint-oscars-snub-some-but-largely-get-it-right

Clara Ritger

Director Ben Affleck, center, and producers George Clooney, right, and Grant Heslov celebrate in the press room after winning the trophy for Best Picture for Argo during the 85th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 24.

Though it didn't seem like it, Argo swept the Academy Awards. Winning best picture, best adapted screenplay and best film editing, Argo fared better than its other high profile counterparts, such as Silver Linings Playbook, which accepted only one award for its eight nominations, or Lincoln, which took two of 12.

In all, the Academy largely granted recognition to the films that deserved it, if in an egalitarian manner where the best woman doesn't necessarily win (see my best actress analysis). While the winner's circle seemed to represent the large number of quality films at the 85th annual Academy Awards, there were obvious overlooked films -- Zero Dark Thirty and Beasts of the Southern Wild -- which easily could have stolen the top honors from Argo.

Except Argo director Ben Affleck got his own snub in the best director category, making best picture a necessary apology for the film that had moviegoers in full applause when I saw it last weekend.

RELATED: Life lessons from Oscar-nominated films

Category by category, here’s my analysis of last night’s ceremony based on the movies I saw: Argo, Silver Linings Playbook, Zero Dark Thirty, Beasts of the Southern Wild and Lincoln.

Best picture: Director drama aside, Argo was a solid choice in a category of nine well-received films. True to the undercover operation itself, every single element of this production came through, from performances to editing to screenplay. The focus is on the story, not the actors, and it will have you on the edge of your seat even though, like Zero Dark Thirty, you know how it ends.

Best actress:Jessica Chastain was robbed. That said, this category featured such powerful performances from strong, defiant leading ladies, the measure of difference between them was so small that the award could have been anyone's. Go watch Quvenzhané Wallis, for instance, who had no real chance in this category -- she’s nine and the star of an independent film -- but performed with such naked vulnerability that I wouldn't object to her taking home the gold. In the end, Jennifer Lawrence’s interpretation of Tiffany was memorable and I was glad to see Silver Linings Playbook get something.

Best actor:Daniel Day-Lewis was this year’s single best performance in film, bar none. Anyone who would like to argue can go watch My Week With Marilyn. Michelle Williams embodies Marilyn Monroe as perfectly as Day-Lewis captures Abraham Lincoln, and I contend that, like Chastain, she was deservedly awarded at the Golden Globes if passed over for a higher profile pick (Meryl, anyone?) at the Oscars. Plus, Day-Lewis needed to take this award home for Lincoln, the movie that had everyone predicting Steven Spielberg for best director but only got one other award: best production design.

Best director: Having read and loved the book, Life of Pi was not on my list of films I wanted to see. I remained skeptical that it could pull off Yann Martel’s allegorical story. But when Ang Lee beats Spielberg and a director who got a best actress performance out of a nine-year-old, I’m all eyes.

Best adapted screenplay: Talk about a loaded category. I could hardly predict how the Academy would fall. Argo is a commendable choice -- its witty dialogue and dramatic scenes propel the narrative forward and I’m especially happy it beat out Lincoln. Personally, I thought Lincoln was made for history buffs and not the general public. Historically accurate sure, but the movie missed an opportunity to tell a story audiences could fall in love with. Lincoln’s wife was crazy -- why not give the facts through the lens of family struggle, instead of a Doris Kearns Goodwin history lesson? Other notable screenplays certainly include Silver Linings Playbook, which had me laughing as much as it had me thinking about mental health in the United States, and Beasts of the Southern Wild, which perfectly embodied the voice of a child narrator, while prompting discussion about problems adults face, such as climate change.

Clara Ritger is a Spring 2013 USA TODAY Collegiate Correspondent. Learn more about her here.

This story originally appeared on the USA TODAY College blog, a news source produced for college students by student journalists. The blog closed in September of 2017.

Grammys 2020: Billie Eilish sweeps all four major categories ...

“Bad Guy” led to good news all around for teenage phenom Billie Eilish at the Grammy Awards on Sunday night.

The 18-year-old singer swept all four major honors at the 62nd annual Grammys, winning album, record and song of the year as well as best new artist – the first person to do so since Christopher Cross in 1981 – plus picked up best pop vocal album on a night that honored young talent and the loss of NBA star Kobe Bryant.

“Tonight is for Kobe,” pronounced pop sensation Lizzo as she kicked off the ceremony, one of several tributes to the Los Angeles Laker during the show hosted by Alicia Keys.

Lizzo won solo pop performance for “Truth Hurts,” Tyler, the Creator took best rap album, and country mainstay Tanya Tucker won her first Grammys in her long career. In addition to awards, there were plenty of memorable performances, including emotional turns from Camila Cabello and Demi Lovato.

Here are the live-time highlights from the Grammys ceremony (in ET):

11:39: Now it’s a sweep as Eilish takes record of the year as well for her hit “Bad Guy.” “Thank you” is all she can say.

Kobe Bryant: All the major (and subtle) nods during the Grammys show

Grammys 2020:The winners list

11:36: Eilish is on a roll, winning album of the year for "When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?" "Please sit down. Can I just say that Ariana deserves this?" she says. (Ariana Grande, to her credit, waves her off and blows Eilish a kiss.)

11:29: Camila Cabello, Cyndi Lauper, Ben Platt, The War and Treaty, Lang Lang, Common, Gary Clark Jr. and more perform "I Sing the Body Electric," which features an appearance from A-list ballerina Misty Copeland.

11:25: Best new artist goes to … Billie Eilish. This time on stage, she honors the fans, who “deserve everything. They haven’t been talked about enough tonight because they’re the reason why we’re here at all.”

11:19: The "In Memoriam" segment honors Dr. John, Leon Redbone, Doris Day, Neil Peart, Dick Dale, Ric Ocasek, Jessye Norman and other musicians who died in the past year. It's followed by Trombone Shorty and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band with the Dixieland jam "Didn't He Ramble."

11:10: Bonnie Raitt performs her song "Angel From Montgomery," honors John Prine's lifetime achievement award, then introduces Gary Clark Jr.'s powerful rendition of "This Land."

11:01: Sitting at her piano, H.E.R. sings "Sometimes" and grooves with a backing band of dancing instrumentalists before she shreds an excellent electric guitar solo.

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10:58: DJ Khaled's "Higher," a collaboration with John Legend and the late Nipsey Hussle, wins best rap/sung performance. "This is for Nipsey Hussle. This is for hip-hop," Khaled says, with Legend thanking everyone "for lifting Nipsey's name up."

10:47: Keys plays a rising piano and sings "Underdog" while Brittany Howard strums on her guitar.

10:40: Billie Eilish gets her second Grammy and it's a big one: song of the year for "Bad Guy." "Why? Wow," Eilish says alongside co-writer/brother Finneas O'Connell. "So many other songs deserved this. I never thought this would happen in my whole life. I feel like I joke around a lot and I never take anything seriously, but I openly want to say that I'm grateful and honored to be here."

10:33: Best new artist nominee Rosalia breaks out the flamenco stylings for her song "Juro Que," gives the audience a dramatic dance break, then shifts to "Malamente."

10:21: Introduced by Ava DuVernay, the tribute to Nipsey Hussle (who was fatally shot last year in L.A.) begins with Meek Mill and also includes John Legend (on piano), DJ Khaled, Roddy Ricch, Kirk Franklin, YG and a dancing choir. "Long live Nip, long live Kobe Bryant," Khaled says in closing.

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10:08: Greta Gerwig introduces Demi Lovato's return to the Grammys in the singer's first live appearance after an apparent drug overdose in 2018. Lovato chokes up at the beginning of her ballad "Anyone" and has to start over, but by the end she's belting with a strong, clear voice and the crowd gives her a standing ovation.

9:56: Lil Nas X teams up with mega-popular South Korean boy band BTS – as well as country dude Billy Ray Cyrus, Walmart yodeler Mason Ramsey, Diplo, Young Thug and Nas – on his breakthrough hit "Old Town Road."

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9:53: Tyler, the Creator takes home best rap album for "Igor." "That's my mom, if y'all are wondering," says Tyler, hugging his crying mother. "You did a great job raising this guy." He thanks those who "trust in my crazy ideas" and has a special shout-out for Pharrell Williams: "That man allowed me to be comfortable in myself."

9:41: Aerosmith comes out to go old school first with "Living on the Edge" and then reuniting with hip-hop pioneers Run-DMC for the iconic rap/rock tune "Walk This Way."

9:34: The green-haired Eilish comes out to perform her ballad "When the Party's Over" as her producer brother Finneas (and a whole choir dressed in white) backs her.

9:21: Ariana Grande's medley starts with "Imagine," transitions to a mashup of "My Favorite Things" and "7 Rings" with a full orchestra and lingerie-clad backup dancers, and completes with her hit "Thank U, Next."

9:15: Dave Chappelle wins for best comedy album, but he's not there to accept.

9:11: Just four hours after winning her first-ever Grammy, country legend Tanya Tucker (with piano accompaniment and backup vocals courtesy of Brandi Carlile) performs "Bring My Flowers Now."

9:08: Camila Cabello tries to hit everybody in the feels with her ballad "First Man," which she's singing in tribute to her father as home videos play in the background. She comes down to perform next to her dad, who's crying, and they end the tune with a big hug.

8:54: Usher begins a tribute to the iconic Prince with a cover of "Little Red Corvette," puts his smooth touch on "When Doves Cry" (while FKA twigs dances on a pole nearby), and finishes his medley – plus breaks out some Prince-y moves – with "Kiss."

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8:52: Dan + Shay take best country duo/group performance for "Speechless." "I want to put my heart up to this microphone. You can literally hear it beating out of my chest right now," says Dan Smyers alongside Shay Mooney.

8:39: Tyler, the Creator's fiery avant-garde showing includes his songs "Earfquake" and "New Magic Wand," with backup from Charlie Wilson and a special a cappella interlude by Boyz II Men.

8:32: Lizzo takes the first major award of the night, best pop solo performance, for "Truth Hurts." "This is unexpected (and) really cool. This whole week, I've been lost in my problems, stressed out, and then in an instant all that can go away and your priorities shift," says an emotional Lizzo. "I realize that people are hurting right now (but) this is the beginning of making music that moves people again."

8:26: "Pose" TV star Billy Porter introduces the Jonas Brothers, who sing "Five More Minutes" out into the crowd like a traveling bunch of bards before coming back to the stage – now full of dancers – for the catchy "What a Man Gotta Do."

8:10: Blake Shelton is joined by his girlfriend and fellow huge music star, Gwen Stefani, to duet on their song "Nobody But You." There are lots of wedding vibes with Shelton in a tux and Stefani wearing a white dress with a tiara of roses.

8:07: Host Alicia Keys arrives on stage at the Staples Center but says, "We're all feeling crazy sadness right now" because of the death of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gigi Sunday. "We're literally standing here heartbroken in the house that Kobe Bryant built." After asking for a moment of silence "to hold them inside of you and share our strength and support for their family," Keys is joined by Boyz II Men for a tribute version of the group's ballad "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday."

8:01: "Tonight is for Kobe," Lizzo pronounces as she (and her own orchestra) kicks off the ceremony with "Cuz I Love You" before shifting into a lively rendition of her hit "Truth Hurts" with a posse of backup ballerinas. To top it all off, a flute is delivered to Lizzo from up above for a woodwind breakdown.

6:47: Eilish gets her first Grammy win – best pop vocal album – for "When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?" in the pre-show ceremony. (It also received the best engineered album award earlier in the day.) Her brother Finneas takes producer of the year (non-classical).

6:43: Lil Nas X receives best pop/duo group performance, his second Grammy of the day, for "Old Town Road," his huge breakout hit with Billy Ray Cyrus. Elvis Costello & The Imposters snags best traditional pop vocal album for "Look Now." "This is a beautiful thing," says Costello, who kept a Carole King collaboration on the shelf for years until the album "because I didn't want to answer to Carole if I didn't get it right."

6:28: Lizzo scores her first two Grammy wins, best traditional R&B performance for "Jerome" and urban contemporary album for "Cuz I Love You (Deluxe)." PJ Morton's "Say So" gets best R&B song and Anderson Paak snags best R&B performance for "Come Home," his collaboration with Andre 3000, plus R&B album for "Ventura." "This is a win for R&B," Paak says. "I’m just going to keep it at my house. if you don’t mind."

6:16: Gary Clark Jr. takes best rock performance and rock song for "This Land" – he also won best contemporary blues album earlier in the day. Clark thanks "everybody who paid attention and showed love." Tool's "7empest" gets best metal performance, Cage the Elephant earns best rock album for "Social Cues," and Vampire Weekend's "Father of the Bride" is named best alternative music album.

6:14: The Broadway musical "Hadestown," which swept the Tonys with eight awards (including best musical) last summer, wins the Grammy for best musical theater album.

5:41: Nipsey Hussle, who was shot to death last March in L.A., posthumously wins best solo rap performance for "Racks in the Middle." The performer "was a phenomenal vessel," says Lauren London, Hussle's girlfriend and the mother of his son, accepting the Grammy alongside Hussle's family. "Nip did it not just for the awards but for the people. God allowed him to use this music to speak his truth, give us wisdom, and (it's) something that we will forever be able to live with."

5:25: Forty years after winning best disco recording for "I Will Survive," Gloria Gaynor, 70, takes home best roots gospel album for "Testimony." "I am at least able to balance out my piano," Gaynor quips. In addition, Kirk Franklin wins best gospel album for "Long Live Love" and best gospel performance for his song "Love Theory." "Sending prayers to Kobe Bryant and his family," Franklin adds.

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5:05: After almost 50 years in the music business, 61-year-old Nashville stalwart Tanya Tucker finally won her first Grammys, best country song for "Bring My Flowers Now" and best country album for "While I'm Livin'." "There’s no words to express how I feel right now," Tucker says. Willie Nelson also wins best country solo performance for "Ride Me Back Home."

4:50: Esperanza Spalding, the first jazz artist to win Grammy's prestigious best new artist honor, snags best jazz vocal album for "12 Little Spells." "Thank you to whatever mystery life-force energy is moving through us," says Spalding, wearing a flowery dress with "LIFE FORCE" written on the front. Other jazz Grammys go to Chick Corea & the Spanish Heart Band (Latin jazz album for "Antidote") and Brian Lynch Big Band (large jazz ensemble album for "The Omni-American Book Club").

4:45: Legendary composer John Williams wins his 25th career Grammy for best instrumental composition for "Galaxy's Edge Symphonic Suite," which he created for the new "Star Wars" lands in the Disney theme parks. And English musician Jacob Collier picks up a couple of arranging Grammys for "Moon River" and "All Night Long."

4:38: The audiobook for Michelle Obama's best-selling memoir "Becoming" takes best spoken word album. "I will gladly accept this on her behalf," presenter Esperanza Spalding says with a grin, earning a cheer from the crowd. The Chemical Brothers win best dance/electronic album for "No Geography" as well as best dance recording for "Got to Keep On," Patty Griffin's self-titled effort takes best folk album, and Koffee's "Rapture" is named best reggae album.

4:20: Backstage, producer Paul Blair (aka DJ White Shadow) says he's not sure if Lady Gaga is aware of the wins yet. “I texted her," he says.

4:05: Lil Nas X wins best music video for "Old Town Road" with Billy Ray Cyrus. He simply says "thank you," at the microphone when accepting his award. Moments later, Beyonce wins best music film for her Netflix project "Homecoming." She's not in the room for the win, and producer Steve Pamon accepts instead. He's the first to reference Kobe Bryant's death, which hit like a shock wave just an hour earlier: "Rest in peace, Kobe, we love you," he says.

3:45: Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga win best compilation soundtrack for visual media, a year after their Oscar run for the musical film "A Star Is Born." Sadly, neither star is in the house to pick up the award; album producers accept instead. Gaga and Cooper win again moments later, taking home best song written for visual media for "A Star Is Born" ballad "I'll Never Love Again."