LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Academy Awards were full of certainties, long-awaited anointings and easy predictions. “Oppenheimer'' has fun. Ken, played by Ryan Gosling, stole the show. This puts even more focus on a category that can hardly be called Best Actress.
The ceremony was full of surprises when Emma Stone was announced as the winner, and the stunned look on her face said it all. It was hard not to see Stone's victory for her sensational performance in Poor Things as a defeat for Lily Gladstone. The “Killers of the Flower Moon” actress had been chosen by most prophets, but as everyone knew, history was in jeopardy. Her win makes her the first Native American to win in the nearly century-long history of the Oscars.
The outcome was difficult to define. It wasn't a complete upset. Stone's performance, which was similarly favored, was too good to be called an upset. But it was still jarring that the story and cast were missed, especially by American Indian viewers across the country, a community that has overseen Hollywood's existence for most of its existence.
But it was Gladstone's defeat that could not be called that.
“With her extraordinary presence and commitment to storytelling, Lily Gladstone broke barriers, inspired countless people, and undoubtedly left an indelible mark,” said Kainai Blood Tribe, The Blackfoot Confederacy, the tribal council of the Siksika, Pagan Piekani, and Blackfeet Confederacy, sent a message of encouragement. Amskapi Pikuni.
“Her expression is a source of pride for the Blackfoot Confederacy, the Osage Nation, and all Native communities and resonates far beyond a single ceremony.”
Throughout awards season, Gladstone has been a rare figure of grace, speaking eloquently on behalf of her tribe, the Osage, Native American representation, and Hollywood history. More than any other performer nominated Sunday night, she carried the hopes and dreams of a nation.
“This is for all the little lesbian kids,” Gladstone said at the Golden Globe Awards in January. “Every little child in the city, and every Native child with a dream, should express themselves, tell their stories in their own words, and be great allies and great allies to each other.” I see them having trust.”
Gladstone, who was born in Montana and raised on the Blackfeet tribe, is the first Native American performer to win the award for best actress in a drama. This is just one of the many firsts she achieved on her way to the Oscars. She also made history at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, winning Best Female Actor for her leading role. These victories, along with the devastating empathy and poise of her performance in “Killers of the Flower Moon,” are more than enough to leave Gladstone's many cheering for her breakthrough feat. was.
Peggy Flanagan, Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota and member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, wrote to X, “Lily Gladstone, you have already won.” We find ourselves in you every day – thank you for taking us on this journey. Because of you, we can dream bigger than we ever thought possible. ”
Gladstone's SAG Award was a big reason why some expected her to win at the Oscars. This is the most anticipated acting award. All other SAG winners (Cillian Murphy, Da'Vine Joy Randolph and Robert Downey Jr.) won on Sunday. Her SAG winners for the past two years were exactly the same as her Academy Award winners.
But Stone also won at the BAFTA and Globe Awards, where “Poor Things” was included in the comedy or musical category. At the Oscars ceremony, it was clear that Academy voters were more enthusiastic about “Poor Things” than they were about “Killers of the Flower Moon.” “Poor Things” won four awards, second only to “Oppenheimer,” but “Killers of the Flower Moon” was shut out.
Director Martin Scorsese was seen consoling Gladstone after the ceremony. The 81-year-old director knows something about Oscar disappointment. Remarkably, Scorsese has only won one Academy Award (for Best Director for The Departed) and has attended numerous awards ceremonies for films such as Taxi Driver and Gangs of New York. ”, “Wolf” and many other nominated films. “Wall Street” and “The Irishman” – I’m going home empty-handed. His last two films went 0-for-20 at the Academy Awards, easily a record.
She may have been on screen for nearly a third of the film's long running time, contrary to Gladstone's wishes. Some thought she should have competed for Best Supporting Actress. Stone's performance, on the other hand, was more traditional and starring. Stone, 35, who won two Oscars for her five nominations, is one of the most widely beloved actors working today.
“I think I passed out,” Stone said in the backstage press room. “Yes, I was very shocked. I feel like I'm still spinning a little bit. Well, it's a great honor and I'm very surprised.”
But the awards season context doesn't mean much to Native American communities, who for decades have prepared for the historic moment by almost completely absenting themselves from the Academy Awards.
Dallas Goldtooth, a Sioux actor and “Reservation Dogs” regular, wrote to X, “How do you say 'robber' in Blackfoot?”
“I'm looking for a friend,” Goldtooth added. “You’re kidding, that’s what I ask of myself.”
Lucas Brown Eyes, an Oglala Lakota television writer, was frustrated not only that Gladstone didn't win, but also that this was the only real chance for the Native Americans.
“It took 95 years for a Blackfeet woman to earn a nomination like this,” Brown Eyes wrote. “This industry is giving Native Americans a once-in-a-century opportunity, but the Oscar 'makeup' doesn't help them.”
One actor, even one as good as Gladstone, is not enough to change the way Native Americans have continued to appear in movies. As it turns out, the moment of celebration for Indigenous people came early in the Oscar ceremony, in a performance of collective strength. Scott George, the first Native American nominated for Best Original Song, performed “Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)” with the Osage Tribal Singers. A dozen singers and dancers surrounded a tight drum circle of nine tribal musicians.
At awards ceremonies, where artists are often isolated, the exhibition echoed ancient rhythms and energized common connections. And it reminded me of what Wes Studi said when he won an honorary Oscar in 2019. Studi, the great Cherokee actor whose breakout role in Dances with Wolves was given credit only as “The Toughest Pawnee,” remains the only Native American to win an Academy Award. .
“I won't say how long it took me to do this,” Studi said at the time. “All I can say is that this journey has been well-visited.”
Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP
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