Best and Worst Moments From the 2025 Oscars
The New York Times
There was plenty to take in, including a “Wicked” opener, Conan O’Brien gags, and memorable speeches both good and bad. And people watching on Hulu saw almost all of it.
When it was announced that Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo would perform at the Oscars, it was assumed they would sing something from “Wicked,” the film for which they were both nominated. They did, of course. It would be silly to pass up that opportunity. But the women also paid tribute to previous cinematic versions of Oz, showing how Hollywood had imagined L. Frank Baum’s world through the years.
Grande emerged first, wearing a sparkling red gown with an actual ruby slipper affixed to its back, channeling Judy Garland to sing “Over the Rainbow” from “The Wizard of Oz.” She then ceded the stage to Erivo, who performed “Home,” Dorothy’s ballad from “The Wiz,” famously sung onscreen by Diana Ross. And, yes, then they closed with “Defying Gravity,” the signature song from “Wicked,” with Erivo bringing everything home with her shiver-inducing war cry. (Later, we returned to Oz to honor Quincy Jones when Queen Latifah performed a rousing rendition of “Ease on Down the Road.”)
The “Anora” director has hovered around the outer edges of the Academy’s sensibility with his previous films “The Florida Project,” which earned Willem Dafoe a supporting-actor nomination, and “Red Rocket,” which had some Oscar buzz but was ultimately snubbed. Now Baker appears to have hit a sweet spot: He earned four separate Oscars tonight — in the editing, directing, original-screenplay and best-picture categories — which tied the record set by Walt Disney. Don’t expect Baker’s R-rated films to get the same amusement-park treatment, though.
Going into the night, O’Brien was at least as nervous as he was excited. But from the filmed opening — in which he fished around in Demi Moore’s back, in a spoof of “The Substance” — to his monologue, O’Brien seemed to have a joyful glint, even (or maybe especially) when he was razzing the industry. (The sandworm from “Dune” earned its residuals.)
