The Best Bits of the 2020 Oscars

It’s usually all about the winners or the best dressed people, but here at CelebrityKind, we like to do things a little differently.

Our top moments from the Oscars are all about kindness, empathy and making the world a little better. So who were the stars that used their platform for good, to draw attention to important causes or inspire others to be their best?

Let’s start with Joaquin Phoenix who won Best Actor for his role in the Joker. 

“This form of expression has given me the most extraordinary life,” he said during his acceptance speech. “I don’t know where I’d be without it. But I think the greatest gift that it’s given me, and many people in [this industry] is the opportunity to use our voice for the voiceless.”

 

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“I’m full of so much gratitude now. I do not feel elevated above any of my fellow nominees or anyone in this room, because we share the same love – that’s the love of film. And this form of expression has given me the most extraordinary life. I don’t know where I’d be without it. But I think the greatest gift that it’s given me, and many people in [this industry] is the opportunity to use our voice for the voiceless. I’ve been thinking about some of the distressing issues that we’ve been facing collectively. I think at times we feel or are made to feel that we champion different causes. But for me, I see commonality. I think, whether we’re talking about gender inequality or racism or queer rights or indigenous rights or animal rights, we’re talking about the fight against injustice. We’re talking about the fight against the belief that one nation, one people, one race, one gender, one species, has the right to dominate, use and control another with impunity. I think we’ve become very disconnected from the natural world. Many of us are guilty of an egocentric world view, and we believe that we’re the centre of the universe. We go into the natural world and we plunder it for its resources. We feel entitled to artificially inseminate a cow and steal her baby, even though her cries of anguish are unmistakeable. Then we take her milk that’s intended for her calf and we put it in our coffee and our cereal. We fear the idea of personal change, because we think we need to sacrifice something; to give something up. But human beings at our best are so creative and inventive, and we can create, develop and implement systems of change that are beneficial to all sentient beings and the environment. I have been a scoundrel all my life, I’ve been selfish. I’ve been cruel at times, hard to work with, and I’m grateful that so many of you in this room have given me a second chance. I think that’s when we’re at our best: when we support each other. Not when we cancel each other out for our past mistakes, but when we help each other to grow. When we educate each other; when we guide each other to redemption…

A post shared by Joaquin Phoenix (@joaquinlphoenix) on Feb 9, 2020 at 11:19pm PST

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And boy, did he use his voice – to talk about gratitude, about kindness to the earth and animals. And about forgiveness:

“I think that’s when we’re at our best: when we support each other. Not when we cancel each other out for our past mistakes, but when we help each other to grow.”

And while we’re talking about great speeches, we’re still giving Taika Waititi a standing ovation!

The Maori filmmaker and actor took home the award for Best Adapted Screenplay for Jojo Rabbit and dedicated his win “to all the indigenous kids in the world who want to do art and dance and write stories. We are the original storytellers and we can make it here as well.”

 

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Felt cute, definitely won’t delete later. – Photo: @jefflipsky

A post shared by The Academy (@theacademy) on Feb 9, 2020 at 7:23pm PST

There’s also Bong Joon Ho who, let’s face it, probably had the best night out of everyone at the Oscars.

Not only did he win Best Director, but his film Parasite also won Best International Feature Film AND made history after it became the first non-English language film to win Best Picture at the Oscars.

 

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A post shared by The Academy (@theacademy) on Feb 9, 2020 at 10:35pm PST

What about Hildur Gudnadottir who did the music for Joker and smashed a few glass ceilings along the way. She became the first woman to win the Oscar for Best Original Score since the Academy combined all the “score” categories into one in the year 2000. Only seven women have been nominated in these categories – ever.

And then there was Jane Fonda. The legendary actress and climate activist Jane Fonda who presented an award on stage in a dress she wore to the Cannes Film Festival six years ago and her signature Fire Drill Fridays red coat elegantly hanging off one arm:

“You see this coat?” she asked the immaculately dressed audience. “I needed something red and I went out and found this coat on sale…this is the last article of clothing that I will ever buy.”

Which begs the question, why don’t celebrities re-wear their clothes more often? Why is there so much pressure on them to wear something new every single time they’re seen in public? Why not reuse?

 

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At Oscars wearing Pomellato jewelry because it only uses responsible, ethically harvested gold and sustainable diamonds. #oscars @pomellato

A post shared by Jane Fonda (@janefonda) on Feb 9, 2020 at 9:20pm PST

Speaking of fashion, did you catch Natalie Portman on the red carpet? She was wearing a cape with the names of female directors on it because none of them were nominated for an award.

We’re talking Greta Gerwig who directed Little Women, Lorene Scafaria who directed Hustlers and Lulu Wang who directed The Farewell. 

Yep, each name, embroidered along the seam of her long dark cape, reminding the industry that women exist and deserve more recognition.

 

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Honoring these remarkable women last night who were not recognized for their incredible work: @thumbelulu, #GretaGerwig, @lorenescafaria, @mariellestilesheller, @matidiop, @msmelina, @alma.harel, and @celine_sciamma. Hair @adamcampbellhair Makeup @lisastoreymakeup Jewelry @dior @cartier Styling #ryanhastings

A post shared by Natalie Portman (@natalieportman) on Feb 10, 2020 at 8:30am PST

What was your favourite moment at the Oscars? Tell us below.