Bohemian Rhapsody wins big at the 91st Academy Awards
Green Book and Bohemian Rhapsody swept the 91st Academy Awards, which were held Sunday, February 24th, 2019, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Bohemian Rhapsody brought home four, besting Green Book’s three.
Green Book, based on the real life story of a black musician who hired a white driver to tour the Deep South in the 1960s won Best Picture, against Roma, Black Panther, BlacKkKlansman, Bohemian Rhapsody, The Favourite, A Star Is Born, and Vice.
Green Book was widely considered an underdog, having been the subject of numerous controversies, including old revelations of director Peter Farrelly flashing his penis on-sets and star Viggo Mortenson using the N-word, in addition to an outcry over its accuracy.
The other big wins were Olivia Colman, for Best Actress in The Favourite and Rami Malek, for Best Actor in Bohemian Rhapsody. Alfonso Cuoron won Best Director for Roma. Colman’s victory was considered an upset, with many expecting seven-time nominee Glenn Close to clinch the win.
The Oscars are considered to be the culmination of the awards season, and this year there were all of the usual draws—glimpses of the world’s biggest stars in couture gowns and diamonds, the year’s best films earning (or being overlooked) the industry’s highest honors, amazing speeches, riveting gaffes. But this year, the drama kicked off ahead of time, starting when Kevin Hart was named as host then stepped down after homophobic tweets he sent out years ago were resurfaced.
The show kicked off with a bang, featuring Adam Lambert and Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor in an explosive medley of “We Will Rock You” and “We Are the Champions.”