Samantha Sollitto Journalism Portfolio

Every year, on one fateful Sunday in March, actors and actresses alike put on their best (and worst), getting ready for what’s bound to be one of the most exciting nights of their career. But for some, (I’m looking at you, 12-time Oscar loser Bradley Cooper), it’s just another Sunday.

On March 10 at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, hundreds of stars gathered for film’s biggest night. Jimmy Kimmel returned to the stage for the fourth time, giving the audience the mediocre show he’s almost always guaranteed to provide.

The night started off strong with past “Best Supporting Actress” winners Jamie Lee Curtis, Regina King, Lupita Nyong’o, Rita Moreno and Mary Steenburgen teaming up to present The Holdovers Da’Vine Joy Randolph the award. Randolph accepted her award in tears, giving a riveting speech about how she “didn’t think she was supposed to be doing this as a career” and ending it by thanking her publicist (someone many celebrities could benefit from having).

“Best Supporting Actor” went to Robert Downey Jr. for his role in Oppenheimer, the star’s first ever Oscar in his 54 years as an actor. He thanked his troubled childhood and the Academy “in that order.”

Oppenheimer went on to win seven awards during the evening, including the coveted “Best Picture,” “Best Director,””Best Cinematography,” “Best Editing,” and “Best Original Score.” Cillian Murphy took home the Oscar for “Best Actor in a Leading Role” for his portrayal of the titular character.

Emily Blunt, who also starred in Oppenheimer but lost out to Randolph earlier in the evening, and Barbie’s Ryan Gosling delivered possibly the funniest bit of the night with their witty banter about the “Barbenheimer” rivalry (or as Blunt put so eloquently, their lack thereof given the awards season turnout).

Gosling then went on to completely steal the show with his iconic performance of “I’m Just Ken” from the Barbie movie. Accompanied by 65 male backup dancers, four of which starred as Ken alongside Gosling in the film, Gosling dazzled the crowd with his smooth vocals and “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” inspired performance, ending with a sea of celebrities singing about how they are “kenough.”

While Gosling’s charming-as-ever personality might have been enough to win over the crowd, it was certainly not enough to win over the Academy, seeing as Barbie walked away with only one award which was won by Billie Eilish and FINNEAS for “Best Original Song” for “What Was I Made For?”

Yorgos Lanthimos’s Poor Things starring Emma Stone and Mark Ruffalo was another big winner last night taking home “Best Costume Design,” “Best Production Design,””Best Makeup and Hairstyling” with Stone winning “Best Actress in a Leading Role” for her portrayal of Bella Baxter.

Movies like Bradley Cooper’s Maestro and Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon walked away with no awards with many people shocked at the Academy seemingly snubbing Lily Gladstone for “Best Actress” after making many statements about how she would make history if she were to win.

No one cared much about Cooper’s losses.

However, regardless of snubs and non-snubs, the Oscar’s, as always, was an event-filled night with gorgeous people doing nothing but looking pretty and wearing questionable things. A great evening of television for those who also wear questionable things but lack the grandeur to make it ironically chic.

Perhaps next year’s Oscar’s will bode better for some familiar faces. But for some, it will, once again, just be another Sunday.