An unexpected turn of events occurred at the 97th Academy Awards. 25-year-old newcomer Mikey Madison surpassed Hollywood veteran Demi Moore to become the recipient of the Oscar for Best Actress.
Demi Moore, a Strong Contender, but… Oscar Made a ‘Surprising Choice’
On the 2nd (local time) at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, the 97th Academy Awards saw Mikey Madison, the lead actress in the film ‘Anora’, win the Best Actress award. She emerged as the ‘Oscar Cinderella’ by defeating the strong contender Demi Moore (‘Substance’).
Earlier this year, Demi Moore swept the Best Actress awards at major ceremonies such as the Golden Globes, the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards, and the Critics' Choice Awards, leading many to believe she was a strong candidate for the Oscar. There was high anticipation that the 40-year veteran actress would finally grasp her first Academy trophy. However, the name called at the ceremony was Mikey Madison.
Mikey Madison, the Birth of a ‘Hollywood Cinderella’
Mikey Madison delivered a powerful performance as the stripper ‘Anora’ in the film Anora. She received high praise for deeply expressing the complex emotions of a woman fighting for survival while being threatened after marrying a Russian tycoon.
The Washington Post (WP) analyzed, “After Demi Moore expressed her acceptance speech at the Golden Globes, it seemed the Oscar would be hers,” adding, “But the Oscar chose Madison.” The New York Times (NYT) also reported, “Madison’s win was somewhat of a shocking twist,” stating, “Although Demi Moore delivered the best performance of her career, the Oscar chose a new face.”
‘A Miracle of Low Budget’… ‘Anora’ Wins 5 Awards Including Best Picture
‘Anora’ emerged as the biggest winner of this year’s Oscars, winning a total of 5 awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Editing. This low-budget film, with a budget of $6 million (approximately 8.7 billion won), triumphed over major blockbusters to claim the Oscar.
AP News reported, “The production budget of ‘Anora’ was so low that jokes were made about it being less than the ‘catering budget’ of competing films.” In fact, the production budget of last year’s Oscar-winning film Oppenheimer was $100 million (approximately 1.46 trillion won), highlighting the significant scale difference between the two films.
Continuing the Lineage of the Youngest Winners in Oscar History
Mikey Madison has become one of the few actresses to win the Oscar for Best Actress in her 20s. Previously, Marlee Matlin won at 21 for ‘Children of a Lesser God’ (1986), Jennifer Lawrence at 22 for ‘Silver Linings Playbook’ (2012), and Audrey Hepburn at 26 for ‘Roman Holiday’ (1953) are part of this lineage.
With Mikey Madison winning the Best Actress trophy, the Oscars continued the trend of choosing ‘new faces’ once again.
‘Surpassing Disney’… Animation Award Goes to ‘Flow’ Over ‘Inside Out 2’
Meanwhile, another twist unfolded at this year’s Oscars. The Latvian animation ‘Flow’ won the Best Animated Feature award, beating Disney-Pixar’s ‘Inside Out 2’.
Additionally, the Brazilian film ‘I’m Still Here’ won the Best Foreign Language Film award, defeating Netflix’s ‘Emilia Perez’, which was nominated in 13 categories, creating another upset.
This Academy Awards ceremony was a series of ‘upsets’, giving opportunities to newcomers instead of Hollywood veteran actors and allowing low-budget films to dominate major categories. As 25-year-old Mikey Madison rises as a new star in Hollywood, there is great anticipation for her future endeavors.
[Kim Seung-hye, MK Sports Reporter]
