The Will Smith–Chris Rock slap incident was the main topic of conversation at the luncheon for Oscars nominees on Monday. It was so significant that Janet Yang, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, did not need to explain what happened or name the two people involved. Yang expressed her sorrow for last year’s “unique event” in front of a ballroom packed with prize contenders, including Tom Cruise, Angela Bassett, Cate Blanchett, and Steven Spielberg.
“I’m sure you all remember we experienced an unprecedented event at the Oscars”: Janet Yang
She said, “I’m sure you all remember we experienced an unprecedented event at the Oscars. What happened onstage was wholly unacceptable and the response from our organization was inadequate.” Many believe that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences didn’t do enough to address Smith storming the stage and punching Rock in the face during or immediately after the 2017 Oscars telecast. The board of governors decided to bar Smith from the Oscars and all other academy functions for ten years after nearly two weeks had passed. Smith had already resigned in advance from the academy.
“We learned from this that the academy must be fully transparent and accountable in our actions,” Yang said. “And particularly in times of crisis, you must act swiftly, compassionately and decisively for ourselves and for our industry. You should and can expect no less from us going forward.”
A brief burst of applause cut off Yang, who was not the president at the time, and she moved on to more upbeat issues
A brief burst of applause cut off Yang, who was not the president at the time, and she moved on to more upbeat issues. When she informed the nominees that all categories will be broadcast live on the March 12 ABC ceremony, they all applauded enthusiastically. Several Oscars were presented in a pre-telecast ceremony last year, and altered copies of winners’ speeches were crammed into the main broadcast, sparking criticism that was mainly overshadowed by the smack.
Generally speaking, nominees are treated equally at the luncheon, and an A-lister nominated for best actor may sit next to a relatively unknown nominee for best animated short. Naturally, some people draw more attention than others and don’t need to wear the nametags that are given to everyone.
Tom Cruise, who was nominated for a producer award for his work on Top Gun: Maverick, was able to blend in with the audience in a Beverly Hilton ballroom for a short while before he attracted a large group of onlookers. When they collided, he and Jamie Lee Curtis, who is nominated for best supporting actress for Everything Everywhere All at Once, rubbed their foreheads together and giggled.
For potential victors, the luncheon serves as an orientation for the Oscars
He grinned broadly as he posed for pictures beside Steven Spielberg, his former War of the Worlds and Minority Report co-worker, who is up for best director for The Fabelmans, and Michelle Yeoh, who is up for best actress for the year’s most nominated movie, Everything Everywhere All at Once. During the lunch of risotto and oyster mushrooms sliced to mimic scallops, Odessa Rae, the producer of the nominated documentary film Navalny, chatted with Colin Farrell, another nominee for best actor. This pairing typified the seating arrangement that appeared to be random.
Jenny Slate, the voice actress for the animated film Marcel the Shell With Shoes On, and Brian Tyree Henry, the best-supporting actor candidate for Causeway, laughed together at a different table nearby. The class photo, which is displayed as the centrepiece of the luncheon, has the atmosphere of a high school prom. 182 nominees were announced by an academy governor, and when they approached and took their places on the risers, their fellow nominees applauded.
Yang emphasised that acceptance remarks at the ceremony the following month could not exceed 45 seconds
Producer DeVon Franklin yelled into the microphone, “Jamie Lee Curtis.” Curtis leapt up and received a thunderous cheer as she ascended by herself to the top tier. When his name was called, Henry, a first-time nominee, stood at his table, raised an arm in the air, and yelled. Another first-timer, Ke Huy Quan, who was nominated for best-supporting actor for the movie Everything Everywhere All At Once, sprinted to the front and raised his fists in celebration. He gave Justin Hurwitz, the composer of Babylon, a bear embrace.
When her name was called, Bassett, who was up for best supporting actress for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, received one of the loudest applause of the day. She hugged Cruise as she approached her seat next to him. For potential victors, the luncheon serves as an orientation for the Oscars. Yang emphasised that acceptance remarks at the ceremony the following month could not exceed 45 seconds. She instructed the throng, “Let’s say it together, 45 seconds.” They all echoed it back to her at once, but once they had the statue in their possession, at least some of them were likely to forget or disregard her.