Oscars got it right: '20 Days in Mariupol,' 'The Zone of Interest' wins show academy is listening

I joke with my Opinion team at USA TODAY that I watch all the awards shows so that in case there's bad news, I can cover it for us. This was the case in 2022, when I wrote a column headlined, "Will Smith and Regina Hall turned the Oscars into a slap in the face in a night of cringe."

Since January, however, the awards shows have stayed on track with no spectacular crashes. So Sunday night I settled in with the family to watch the 96th Oscars ceremony, ready to enjoy the finale of a not-so-newsy awards season.

And guess what? Not only do I not have bad news, but the extraordinary moments out of the more than three hours were so good that I thought it's only fair to recognize what went spectacularly right with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences this year.

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Here are my favorite acceptance speeches, celebrations of unsung heroes and Oscar show performances. They chilled me, as I thought of where we are in history. Yet, they also made me cheer the academy for giving them a global platform:

'20 Days in Mariupol'

In accepting the best documentary award for "20 Days in Mariupol," about the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Associated Press journalist Mstyslav Chernov wishes that the events that led to his Oscar win had never occurred: "I'm honored. But probably I will be the first director on this stage who will say I wish I'd never made this film.

"I wish to be able to exchange this to Russia never attacking Ukraine, never occupying our cities. I wish to give all the recognition (for) Russia not killing tens of thousands of my fellow Ukrainians. I wish for them to release all the hostages. ... But I cannot change the history, cannot change the past. But we all together ... can make sure that the history record is set straight, and that the truth will prevail, and that the people of Mariupol and those who have given their lives will never be forgotten.

"Because cinema forms memories, and memories form history."

'The Zone of Interest'

Accepting the best international film Oscar for "The Zone of Interest," a Holocaust movie set just outside Auschwitz at a villa where real-life Nazi commandant Rudolf Hoss (played by Christian Friedel) lived with his wife, Hedwig (Sandra Hüller), and their kids, director and co-writer Jonathan Glazer said: "Our film shows where dehumanization leads, at its worst. ...

"Right now we stand here as men who refute their Jewishness and the Holocaust being hijacked by an occupation which has led to conflict for so many innocent people. Whether the victims of October the 7th in Israel, or the ongoing attack on Gaza, all the victims, this dehumanization, how do we resist?"

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The camera panned to the applauding audience, among them a crying Hüller, who was nominated for best actress for her role in best-picture nominee "Anatomy of a Fall."

If you haven't seen either film, what are you waiting for? Her stunning work in both outstanding movies should have earned Hüller an Oscar.

The invisible heroes behind the Hollywood stars

Kudos to host Jimmy Kimmel for closing out his opening monologue by inviting on stage all the unseen crew members, from the lighting specialists to the sound technicians. Then he called for a "very well deserved round of applause for the people who work behind the scenes."

Who help make Oscar winners?It's past time Academy Awards let casting directors win, too.

And good for the academy to show a montage celebrating stuntmen and stuntwomen. How about adding a category to let them win, too? Like you just did for casting directors.

Osage Singers and Ryan Gosling rocked the Oscars

Another extraordinary academy recognition was the Osage Singers performing their nominated original song, "Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)." As USA TODAY's national music reporter Melissa Ruggieri wrote in her review: "With a deep orange sunset as the backdrop, (Scott) George and the Osage Singers engaged in drum pounding and chanting as dancers in traditional clothing circled them and a ring of female singers.

"The song, featured in the closing dance scene of Martin Scorsese’s 'Killers of the Flower Moon,' was an educational moment for Oscars viewers and an appreciated detour from the usual lineup."

But what topped Ruggieri's review of best song performances was Ryan Gosling and more than 60 dancers bringing down the house with "I'm Just Ken," accompanied by Slash and Wolfgang Van Halen.

When Gosling announced he would sing at the Oscars, I groaned. "I'm Just Ken" is a cartoon song fitting for a doll. But the pinked-out Gosling camped like the pink Marilyn Monroe from "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" and delivered an epic performance that managed to be both moody and celebratory.

I'm glad Gosling proved me wrong. His Kenergy was more than enough!

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Thuan Le Elston, a USA TODAY Opinion editor, is the author of "Rendezvous at the Altar: From Vietnam to Virginia."