The Oscars is one of my favorite nights of the entire year. It's the grand finale of awards season and the ultimate prize in the film industry.
The show opened with a fantastic, high energy performance from Janelle Monae. Though the ceremony didn't have a host this year, there were funny bits from Steve Martin and Chris Rock, Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph and Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Will Ferrell. I also enjoyed the rap recap by Utkarsh Ambudkar.
I was excited to see Laura Dern win for her performance in A Marriage Story and Jacqueline Durran take home the trophy for Best Costume Design for Little Women. I was very moved by Hildur Guðnadóttir' speech when she won Best Original Score for Joker. The more she spoke, the more I teared up!
I haven't seen Parasite yet, but judging by their sweep last night, I need to.
While I love the suspense of wondering who will take home the Oscar, the part of the evening I will always love the most is the red carpet. This year, Giuliana Rancic and Ryan Seacrest co-hosted on E! Giuliana looked fabulous in a red, Atelier Zuhra dress (though her botox was very intense).
After three full hours of red carpet viewing, here are my picks for the best and worst dressed at this year's Academy Awards.
BEST DRESSED
1. Regina King - Regina! You never disappoint me. King won last year for If Beale Street Could Talk, and this year was back as a presenter. She looked stunning in this Versace gown, which fit her like a glove. The champagne color was beautiful and it had just the right amount of sparkle. I wish it didn't have that one, awkward shoulder strap, but other than that, flawless.
2. Brie Larson - I actually didn't see Brie Larson on the red carpet, but first noticed her when the camera panned to her in the audience. She looked radiant in this glittering Celine ensemble.
3. America Ferrera - God bless America! Have you ever seen a more beautiful pregnant woman? Ferrera was glowing in this deep red Alberta Ferretti gown. I loved the headpiece too. Very Grecian.
4. Kaitlyn Dever - Kaitlyn Dever shimmered up and down the red carpet in this Louis Vuitton dress. I love her and I love this entire look.
5. Gina Davis - Gina Davis slayed in this black Romona Keveza dress with a plunging neckline. The actress is 64 years old! May I please have this much confidence when I reach that age.
I also want to give an honorable mention to Natalie Portman, who had the cape of her Dior ensemble embroidered with the names of all the female directors who were not nominated.
Now, onto the evening's missteps.
WORST DRESSED
1. Kristen Wiig - When Kristen Wiig came into the frame while we were watching the red carpet, my friend screamed, "That looks like lasagna noodles!" What on earth was she thinking? The side boob alone was reason enough not to wear this.
2. Maya Rudolph - Oh, Maya. She looked like a rhinestone orange! This Valentino dress / cape combination was a complete fail. It looked like she might be hiding small children under there.
3. Olivia Coleman - I love Olivia Coleman, so this pains me. This Stella McCartney dress had a bunch of schizophrenic, unrelated details. If the dress had been one piece of fabric at the top (no jewels, no cut outs) it could have been really beautiful.
4. Rebel Wilson - I actually loved Rebel Wilson's gold Jason Wu dress. She's on the worst dressed list for her horrendous hair and makeup. Whoever did this styling, swept her hair back from her face in a way that made her forehead look absolutely enormous. Distractingly so!
5. Chrissy Metz - This red dress is designed by Christian Siriano, who I have adored since his debut as a contestant on Project Runway. I love that he makes clothes for women of every shape and size. Here, Chrissy Metz looks lovely in the dress, but this hair style is terrible. It looks like she just walked out of the ocean. For an occasion this formal, I would have preferred a sophisticated up do.
Ok, those are my picks. I am dying to hear yours! Who wowed you and who left you asking, "Why?"
*All images courtesy of Just Jared.
