The 2016 Oscars lived up to the expectations building up to the event. Chris Rock constantly reminded the audience that this was the second year in a row that the Oscars nominated only white actors. He even brought up the issue of why there are separate categories for men and women actors. But overall, whether Chris Rock agreed or disagreed with the boycotts by Hollywood notables like Spike Lee and Will Smith, one thing is clear: Rock wants fairness in the film industry.
During his monologue, Chris Rock said, "We want opportunity. We want the black actors to get the same opportunities as white actors. That’s it. And not just once. Leo gets a great part every year. You guys get great parts all the time. What about black actors?”
And, of course, everyone was anticipating the inevitable Leonardo DiCaprio win. DiCaprio, who had been snubbed his entire career, finally won an Oscar for Best Actor for his role in "The Revenant." He even gave a wonderful speech about the seriousness of climate change as eloquently as only DiCaprio could.
However, when the Oscars were finished and I checked out what people were saying in the news and social media, I noticed a common trend. "Spotlight," which had won Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay, had taken a backseat to the storylines I just mentioned. This powerful film is about the real events that happened in 2001 when "Boston Globe" reporters revealed the cover up of sexual abuse within the Roman Catholic Church. "Spotlight" is arguably the best and most realistic journalistic films to be made, as it shows the fundamentals of reporting and the impact journalists could have.
As an aspiring journalist, this film really left an impression on me. From the moment I saw the film, I knew it would win Best Picture. Fast forward a few months later, and this movie about abuse and neglect has ironically become an afterthought. It is especially ironic given that abuse and neglect were the themes that this year's Oscars revolved around. We saw this in Leonardo DiCaprio's eyes when he won the Oscar he had been denied all these years. We saw this in DiCaprio's speech about climate awareness. We saw it in the discussion that minorities still can’t seem to get a fair shot in entertainment. We even saw it in the amazing performance given by Lady Gaga when she sang “Til’ it Happens to You," leaving the audience in tears.
"Spotlight" was the perfect film to win this year. A film about the real life victims of sexual abuse should never be forgotten. Let’s not belittle the Best Picture of the year by saying, “No one will remember who won Best Picture at the 88th Academy Awards,” which is something I’ve already heard so many people say. Let us remember this night as a whole and make sure to take a step forward against injustice.
