The 95th Oscars telecast was back on ABC, along with the various pre-shows doing their typical red carpet banter. Set to be a three-hour broadcast, once the “Top Gun” themed opening jetted onto the screen, and all was said and done, it came in at a whopping 3 hours and 40 minute telecast. Silvia and I were back on the couch taking it all in, and with Daylight Savings and Spring Break on the horizon, we gave up immediately on the kids going to bed anywhere near on time. Either way. During all this time, between multiple snack and bathroom breaks, and despite who actually took home the “little gold man,” one question kept popping into my head, “who really won the Oscars in 2023?”
The short answer…”the Dreamers.” From those who dreamed of seeing theaters filled with moviegoers once more (and we have mostly two sequels to thank for that), to those dreaming of career comebacks (because of course Hollywood loves a good comeback story), to first time nominees and industry vets finally getting their due, and an indie distributor from New York turned studio dreaming of becoming the next Miramax, they were all dreaming, and some living the dream, at least for one night.
It’s been a few years now that cinema goers nationwide, and exhibitors for that matter, have been hoping for, and dreaming of, a full return to theatrical exhibition. Times have been tough, both for the major theater chains and the independent movie houses, but last year, it seemed things finally took a turn. Starting with the jet-fueled box office of Top Gun: Maverick and ending the year with Avatar: The Way of Water making serious waves at the end of the calendar year. But even for the indies, especially A24’s Everything Everywhere All at Once (EEAAO) becoming the company’s highest grossing film ever (just over $100 million on an estimated 25$ mil budget), it seems our collective cinema going dreams came true. This was, of course, buoyed emotionally, by anyone, but especially the show business types, who saw Spielberg’s autobiographical The Fabelmans.
And speaking of A24, when three Industry execs took a leap of faith at building an elevated indie distribution company back in 2012, could they have even dreamed of winning a staggering 15 Oscars in such a short period of time, including 9 this year alone? And, since we are Miami-Dade after all, I would be remiss not to mention the dreams instilled in future generations of local filmmakers when A24’s Moonlight beat all odds to take home 3 Oscars, including Best Picture back in 2017. And that Best Picture win was, after all, probably the Oscar’s most controversial moment…at least until last year. In the end there is always a Miami connection, considering it was one of Miami’s “Bad Boys” connecting with a popular comedian in a not so popular fashion…but I digress.
In the end, the Dreamers included acting veterans Michelle Yeoh who won her first Oscar at 60 and Jamie Lee Curtis, who took home the gold for the first time at 64, a feat her famous parents were nominated for, but did not achieve. How about two actors who shot to fame at relatively young ages including Ke Huy Quan, who was a major subject of the last op-ed, to Brendan Fraser, both of whom could have easily given up after long acting hiatuses, only to return in the most unexpected ways not only to a renewed stardom, but now with the caveat of being Oscar winners? Their teary eyed acceptance speeches, filled with gratitude, told their own story of how long it can take for dreams to come true, even when things seem the most hopeless. “The night is always darkest before the dawn,” the old saying goes. And lastly, it felt the Academy Awards, and the movie going experience itself, desperately needed a “comeback win.” Ultimately it wasn’t about who took home the top prize, it was about reigniting that ancient dream of seeing stories unfold in a darkened space before a flickering light, as a communal experience. Because when a dream is shared, ultimately it becomes reality.
Jose Luis Martinez
Co-Founder & Creative Director
MMFM