Oscar nominee Kate Hudson was seated at the Oscars with Grogu from the Star Wars universe.
Courtesy: AMPAS/ABC
By BERNICE FOX
Remember when Billy Crystal hosted the Academy Awards and began many Oscars shows by inserting himself in scenes from the year’s films? That was a highlight.
Conan O’Brien opened the Oscars as Amy Madigan’s character Gladys in Weapons.
Courtesy: AMPAS/ABC
Conan O’Brien, like Crystal a Palisadian, did the same this time, with a twist. He was made up as one of the creepiest characters of any recent film – Gladys from Weapons. (Movie spoiler alert!) And like in Weapons, he was being chased by the children Gladys had traumatized.
This was the second year that Conan O’Brien hosted the Oscars.
Courtesy: AMPAS/ABC
That chase took him from one scene to another in various nominated films, including hitching a ride with Benicio del Toro’s character in One Battle after Another and playing ping-pong in Marty Supreme.
The chase took him right into the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood for his second outing as Oscars host.
Moments later, the first award of the evening, best supporting actress, went to long-time Malibu resident Amy Madigan for playing Gladys in Weapons. That meant Palisadian Kate Hudson did not take home the Oscar for Song Sung Blue. But she applauded for all and looked as though she was having a good time.
Steven Spielberg seemed to be having a good time at the Oscars.
Courtesy: AMPAS/ABC
And when One Battle after Another won best picture, that meant Palisades resident Steven Spielberg did not get an Oscar for producing Hamnet. But he, too, was applauding for everyone and looked quite happy in his seat.
The segment many were waiting for was the In Memoriam. Former Pacific Palisades honorary co-mayor, Crystal, took the Oscars stage to pay tribute to his friend, Rob Reiner, and Reiner’s wife, Michele Singer Reiner, who were murdered in their Brentwood home in December.
In a heartfelt speech, Crystal said he and Rob Reiner played best friends in an episode of All in the Family and continued that friendship through the years.
After running through a list of films Reiner directed, including This is Spinal Tap with Palisadian Christopher Guest, When Harry Met Sally (with Crystal), A Few Good Men and many more, stars from his films came out and lined the Oscars stage.
Billy Crystal eulogized his good friend Rob Reiner.
Courtesy: AMPAS/ABC
Brentwood residents Catherine O’Hara and Diane Keaton also received special memorial tributes. Keaton lived in the Palisades for many years before moving to Brentwood.
And Malibu resident Barbra Streisand gave a moving speech about friend and co-star, Robert Redford. She ended it by singing part of the theme from The Way We Were.
Sunday’s show included an Oscar win for Steve Kerr. The coach of the Golden State Warriors grew up in the Palisades and is a producer of the winning documentary short film, All the Empty Rooms.
This film spotlights families whose children were killed in school shootings, showing the bedrooms that are frozen in time, staying that way as families feel the remembered and wished-for presence of their children. Kerr’s father had been murdered in 1984 while president of American University in Beirut and Kerr is active in gun control campaigns.
The full list of Oscar nominees and winners is available here: click here.