A Cinderella story without a fairy tale ending took center stage at the 97th Academy Awards. Anora, the Brooklyn-set screwball drama about an erotic dancer swept into the world of Russian oligarchs, claimed Hollywood’s highest honor on Sunday. Directed by Sean Baker and made on a shoestring $6 million budget, the indie sensation triumphed over big-budget competitors like Dune: Part Two and Wicked.
Baker’s win, alongside several other victories for independent films, reinforced a shift within the industry. In a time of economic uncertainty and streaming dominance, voters leaned toward cinematic purity. The night saw heartfelt speeches, a historic acting win for Adrien Brody, and some surprises—including an underdog animated film from Latvia making history.
A Night for Independent Cinema
For the past few years, smaller films have punched above their weight at the Oscars. Everything Everywhere All at Once, CODA, and Nomadland all proved that intimate, character-driven stories still hold sway in an era of studio tentpoles. Anora continued that trend.
Baker, known for The Florida Project, made his case for keeping movies on the big screen. “Where did we fall in love with the movies? At the movie theater,” he told the crowd at the Dolby Theatre. His passionate plea for traditional theatrical releases drew cheers.
Other indie winners included The Brutalist, Brady Corbet’s historical epic, which took home cinematography and score, and No Other Land, a politically charged documentary that found unexpected success.
But the indie dominance didn’t mean blockbusters were shut out entirely. Wicked, the season’s highest-grossing nominee, earned two awards, including one that made history.
History and Surprises on the Acting Front
Adrien Brody etched his name in Oscar history, becoming only the second actor ever to win Best Actor twice for playing Holocaust survivors. His latest win, for The Brutalist, came 22 years after his triumph in The Pianist. The moment was both emotional and politically charged.
“I’m here once again to represent the lingering traumas and the repercussions of war, oppression, and hatred,” Brody said. His speech touched on themes of antisemitism and global conflicts, resonating with the evening’s underlying political undercurrents.
Madison took home Best Actress for Anora, marking a career-defining moment. The category favorite, Demi Moore (The Substance), had been widely expected to win. But voters sided with Madison’s breakout performance, continuing the film’s dominance.
Elsewhere, Kieran Culkin, fresh off his Succession success, won Best Supporting Actor for A Real Pain. He kept things light in his speech, joking about a bet with his wife. “Jazz, you said if I won this, we could have a fourth kid. So… I won!”
The Best Supporting Actress race ended with Emilia Pérez star Zoe Saldaña taking home the prize. “I am the first American of Dominican origin to accept an Academy Award, and I know I won’t be the last,” she declared. Her film had faced controversy in recent weeks, but she emerged unscathed.
A Latvian Underdog Steals the Animated Feature Award
One of the night’s biggest shocks came when Flow, a wordless Latvian animated film, toppled DreamWorks’ heavily favored The Wild Robot in the Best Animated Feature category.
Director Gints Zilbalodis, seemingly as surprised as anyone, kept it simple in his acceptance speech: “Thank you to my cats and dogs.”
The win was historic. Latvia had never before won an Oscar, and Flow became a symbol of how international and unconventional stories continue to find a place at Hollywood’s biggest event.
Oscars Avoid Politics—At First
For a ceremony that had an actor playing a sitting U.S. president (*Sebastian Stan as young Donald Trump in The Apprentice), politics were noticeably absent in the early stages of the broadcast. Host Conan O’Brien played it safe, sticking to self-deprecating humor and gentle jabs at nominees.
But the silence didn’t last. Midway through the ceremony, No Other Land won Best Documentary, and its Palestinian and Israeli co-directors delivered a charged speech about ongoing conflict and the role of American foreign policy.
Later, the first notable political statement came from presenter Daryl Hannah, who simply said, “Slava Ukraini” (“Glory to Ukraine”) on stage. The moment, though brief, was one of the few overt acknowledgments of global events.
‘Wicked’ and ‘Dune’ Make Their Mark
While indie films ran the table in the major categories, the night wasn’t a total loss for big-budget productions.
Wicked delivered one of the evening’s most rousing performances when Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo opened the show with a tribute to Los Angeles, still recovering from devastating wildfires. The film later picked up wins for Production Design and Costume Design.
Paul Tazewell’s victory for Wicked made history, making him the first Black man to win for costume design. He barely got through the words, “I’m the first Black man to receive the costume design award,” before the audience erupted into a standing ovation.
Meanwhile, Dune: Part Two picked up wins for Visual Effects and Sound, a small consolation for a film that had once been expected to dominate the night. Its famous sandworm became a running gag throughout the evening, showing up in multiple comedy bits.
Conan O’Brien Delivers in First-Time Hosting Gig
Hosting the Oscars can be a thankless job, but Conan O’Brien delivered one of the more warmly received monologues in recent years.
Introducing himself as a “four-time Oscar viewer,” O’Brien joked about nominee titles: “A Complete Unknown, A Real Pain, Nosferatu… these are just some of the names I was called on the red carpet.”
He also delivered one of the night’s biggest laughs with a jab at Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, who “arrived at the red carpet in a cardboard box.”
O’Brien’s humor leaned more self-deprecating than biting, a stark contrast to past hosts who took more aggressive swings at Hollywood elites. His light touch seemed to work, with the crowd responding warmly.
An Oscars Ceremony Reflecting a Changing Industry
This year’s ceremony capped off a turbulent year for Hollywood. The twin strikes of 2023 left release schedules in disarray, and box office numbers remain well below pre-pandemic levels. With streaming changing the landscape and audiences growing more selective, the Academy found itself honoring films that, for the most part, were seen by smaller, dedicated audiences.
Whether the Oscars can continue to draw major viewership with this strategy remains to be seen. Last year’s show, fueled by Oppenheimer and Barbie, hit a four-year high in ratings. This year, with smaller-scale films dominating, it could be a different story.
One thing is certain: independent cinema isn’t going anywhere. And for Sean Baker and the Anora team, it was a night to remember.
