Film News: Best Picture at 96th Academy Awards is ‘Oppenheimer’

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CHICAGO – In a breezy and memorable 96th Oscars … which took place on March 10th, 2024 … the Best Picture was “Oppenheimer,” with Cillian Murphy taking Best Actor and Robert Downey, Jr. for Best Supporting Actor from the same film. Emma Stone was the surprising Best Actress for “Poor Things” and Da’Vine Joy Randolph was Best Supporting Actress for “The Holdovers.”

The introduction of the major acting awards from former winners to the current nominees was an emotional addition to the ceremony, and should be included as tradition every year. The comedy bits worked (thanks Guillermo) and Jimmy Kimmel handled the hosting duties with panache and a serious burn on a former one term president. Add Ryan Gosling’s spectacular “I’m Just Ken” live performance, and the the Best Oscar ceremony in years was the result.

Best Director Christopher Nolan of ‘Oppenheimer’ Accepts His Honor
Photo credit: Screenshot, ABC-TV

Oppenheimer took seven Oscars on 13 nominations. In a quasi-upset, Emma Stone won Best Actress for her transformative performance as Bella in “Poor Things.” She took the honor over Lily Gladstone, who had been building momentum toward Oscar, and appeared to be the odds-on favorite. The Best Documentary winner, “20 Days in Mariupol” a stark on-the-ground look at at the title Ukraine city as they are besieged by Russia, drew a deeply passionate speech from director Mstyslav Chernov, about the utter tragedy of this invasion for Ukraine.

And in a bit of connective tissue, the Best Animated Short was “War is Over,” directed by Dave Mullins and co-written by Sean Lennon, the son of original “War is Over’ songwriters John Lennon and Yoko One. Sean led the audience in wishing Happy British Mother’s Day to his Mom Yoko.

But the biggest bang heard at the 96th Academy Awards was for the film “Oppenheimer,” directed by Christopher Nolan, who also won Best Director.

Complete list of winners …

BEST PICTURE
Oppenheimer


BEST ACTRESS 

Emma Stone, “Poor Things”


BEST ACTOR
Cillian Murphy, “Oppenheimer”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Robert Downey Jr., “Oppenheimer”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS 

Da’Vine Joy Randolph, “The Holdovers”


BEST DIRECTOR

Christopher Nolan “Oppenheimer”

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Justine Triet“ & Arthur Harari, “Anatomy of a Fall”

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Cord Jefferson, “American Fiction”

Best International Feature Film
Photo credit: A24

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE
The Zone of Interest

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
The Boy and the Heron

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
20 Days in Mariupol

BEST LIVE-ACTION SHORT
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar

BEST ANIMATED SHORT
War is Over!

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
The Last Repair Shop

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Oppenheimer

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
“What Was I Made For? Billie Ellish for “Barbie”

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Oppenheimer

BEST EDITING 

Oppenheimer

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Godzilla Minus One

BEST SOUND 

The Zone of Interest

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN 

Poor Things

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Holly Waddington, “Poor Things” (the Uber Critic Bounce)

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
Poor Things


By PATRICK McDONALD Editor and Film Critic/Writer HollywoodChicago.com pat@hollywoodchicago.com