Thrinethra Serman
The most-anticipated moment of the year for all the movie lovers is here. Hollywood’s biggest night of the year took place at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. The 92nd Academy Awards have been announced. South Korean film – Parasite made history which won Best Film, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best International Feature Film categories. Let us now look at the spotlight, the reigning queens of the Hollywood.
Renee Zellweger – Judy
Nominations include Saoirse Ronan for Little Women, Charlize Theron for Bombshell, Renee Zellweger for Judy, Cynthia Erivo for Harriet and Scarlett Johansson for Marriage Story but it was Renee Zellweger who took the title home – Best Actress for the movie Judy. She had previously won an Oscar in 2004, as the Best Supporting Actress in Cold Mountain and was also nominated two other times. In her performance as Judy, Zellweger did her own dancing and singing which was widely appreciated.
Judy is a biographical film based on Judy Garland, American singer and actress. In her career of 45 years, she achieved global recognition for her versatile performances. However, she was subject to heavy criticism from the film industry for her looks; she was often called physically unattractive. This affected her mental health from an early age and she took to alcohol and substance abuse to cope up. Her last years were struggles to maintain financial and mental stability which led to her death from a barbiturate overdose.
In her acceptance speech Zellweger said, “When we celebrate our heroes, we’re reminded of who we are as one people united. Miss Garland, you are certainly among the heroes who unite and define us, and this is certainly for you. I am so grateful”. Although Zellweger did not call this performance her comeback, critics have compared her ups and downs in the industry with that of Garland, calling her portrayal of Garland as poetic justice. While Zellweger was nominated thrice in the last decade, she was absent for some years from the main scene and is now back in the spotlight with a bang. Along with the Academy Award, she has already bagged the SAG, BAFA and Golden Globe for Judy.
Laura Dern – Marriage Story
The other female winner last night was Laura Dern for her role in Marriage Story. She plays a ruthless divorce attorney, Nora Fanshaw. Dern has been in Hollywood for more than 40 years and this was her first Academy Award after being nominated twice before. The movie revolves around a married couple, played by Scarlett Johansson, an actress and Adam driver, a stage director. It portrays the disintegrating relationship between a married couple and a coast – to – coast divorce. Dern represents Johansson in her fight for custody of her son. Dern’s badass performance has won her the ultimate recognition. She has also won the Golden Globe, Critics Choice Movie Awards, SAG and BAFA for Marriage Story, completing her clean sweep with the Academy win.
Dern is the daughter of Bruce Dern and Diane Ladd, both acclaimed actors as well. After receiving the award, Dern said, “I share this with my acting heroes, my legends, Diane Ladd and Bruce Dern. You got game.” She concluded by saying that, this was the best birthday gift ever (obviously!); she turns 54 today.
Highlights:
- Renee Zellweger wins Best Actress for Judy; this is her second Oscar.
- Laura Dern wins maiden Oscar – Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Marriage Story.
Image credits: oscar.go.com/Getty Images
