I’m just going to start with the elephant in the room…this happened:
The most important thing that happened here is that Moonlight won Best Picture. It’s one of the most original and best films I have ever seen. I feel so bad for everyone involved in this mistake (no it wasn’t staged, shut up with your conspiracy theories Twitter). I also don’t think it was Warren Beatty’s fault.
I have watched this video countless times this morning and the only reaction I cannot understand is Jimmy Kimmel’s. “You guys should get it anyway”??!! Obviously they should not. They didn’t win. Just shut up and let Jordan Horowitz and Warren handle this. Otherwise though, I thought he was a pretty good host. (Though the show felt long. That’s not his fault really though, it is just long. I miss being in the central time zone where it ends after 11 instead of after midnight.)
Anyway, there were hours of show before the most interesting end to an awards show ever. My highlights are:
An opening with real energy (whatever your feelings are on this song):
The first award of the night went, as it absolutely should have, to Mahershala Ali:
Viola finally has an Oscar, which is great, but I would like to state one last time for the record that she deserved to win Best Actress in a Leading Role for this film. Her studio should have had that confidence in her, but I’m happy for her all the same:
Lin-Manuel was there! And, I confess that I have yet to see Moana, but this girl just punched her ticket to Broadway if that’s where she wants to go:
(Also, Dwayne Johnson for Oscar host next year?)
I also, really liked the rearranged La La Land number. (Because, the music is good. It’s a good movie. You don’t have to hate it to love Moonlight, despite what the internet tells you.)
(I’ll post a better video of this once its available…)
Also, this happened:
Unfortunately, they then presented an Oscar to Hacksaw Ridge which is not a good film.
Good Will Hunting was formative for me, and though they are imperfect people, I will always love Matt and Ben and the little fraternity they surround themselves with and I loved that they got to have this moment of presenting an Oscar to their friend. (And this was one of the best Kimmel-Damon ‘feud’ moments of the night:
(I’m not going to rehash my take on Casey Affleck again, but I’m glad he won. And he should have combed his hair.)
I would have given my personal Oscar to Natalie Portman for Jackie, but I’m happy for Emma:
But I’m even happier for these men:
And now, dresses. There were fewer strange appliqués last night, which I appreciated. And a lot of sparkle:

Ruth Negga in Valentino (Photo Credit: Jeff Kravits/FilmMagic)*

Felicity Jones in Christian Dior (Photo Credit: Glamlog)

Emma Stone in Givenchy Haute Couture (Photo Credit: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images)

Scarlett Johansson in Azzedine Alaïa (Photo Credit: David Fisher/REX/Shutterstock)

Alicia Vikander in Louis Vuitton (Photo Credit: REX Shutterstock)

Michelle Williams in Louis Vuitton (Photo Credit: Noel West)

Taraji P. Henson in Alberta Ferretti (Photo Credit: Lionel Hahn/ABACA USA/INSTARimages.com, Getty)

Isabelle Hupert in Armani Privé (Photo Credit: WireImage)
*The blue ribbon is to support the ACLU