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2018 Oscars Best Moments: Jordan Peele Makes History, Helen Mirren Rides a Jet Ski, and More

Inspiring speeches from Jordan Peele and Frances McDormand, the return of Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway, and more — here are the best moments of the 2018 Academy Awards.

by | March 4, 2018 | Comments

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Jordan Peele at the 90th Oscars(r) broadcasts live on Oscar(r) SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2018 (ABC/Craig Sjodin)

(Photo by ABC/Craig Sjodin)

In terms of major Oscar moments, it was always going to be hard to top the 2017 Best Picture announcement debacle. But host Jimmy Kimmel and the writers of the 2018 Academy Awards tried their very best to make the ceremony as funny — and as seamless — as possible, while still providing a good dose of viral-worthy entertainment. How did they do?

There were a few misses, including the pre-taped opening segment and spending lots of time on gags only to see the producers of The Shape of Water unable to speak when accepting their Best Picture award. But there were some definite hits, too.

From Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway‘s presenting redux to a night of political messages — and Helen Mirren on a jet ski! — here are the top five moments of the 2018 Oscars.

(See the full list of winners here.)

1. The Best Picture announcement goes off without a hitch.

No doubt most of the Oscar-viewing audience was paying especially close attention to the final award of the night to see if Beatty and Dunaway would crack under the extra scrutiny.

“It’s so nice seeing you again,” said Beatty when he greeted the crowd alongside Dunaway to present the Best Picture award — on the 51st anniversary of their Bonnie and Clyde, joked Kimmel. There were no screw-ups this time, and the duo awarded the final statue of the night to The Shape of Water.

2. Frances McDormand and Jordan Peele give us feels.

The night was filled with plenty of political messages, and even a segment about the Time’s Up movement (and Emma Stone’s introduction of the five Best Director nominees by name-checking the only female among them, Greta Gerwig). McDormand used her acceptance speech for Best Actress (for Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri) to shout out her fellow female nominees — not just in her category, but in all categories — and encourage Hollywood to work with them. She also had the world googling “Inclusion Rider”.

Meanwhile, when Jordan Peele accepted his Best Original Screenplay award for Get Out, he thanked “everyone who let me raise my voice.” As only the third person ever to be nominated in the Screenplay, Directing, and Best Picture categories for his first feature film, and the first black screenwriter to win Best Original Screenplay, his words carried extra weight for many (including his Key and Peele costar and cowriter Keegan Michael Key).

3. Stars surprise unsuspecting moviegoers with giant sub and hot dogs.

Much like Kimmel’s 2017 bit where he brought unsuspecting Hollywood star tour sightseers into the theater, this year he brought the stars to the unsuspecting public — a group of moviegoers who were watching a special screening of A Wrinkle in Time. Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, Mark Hamill, Emily Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and more stars to invaded the theater and handed out snacks. There was even a hot dog cannon.

4. Helen Mirren, The Price Is Right model.

Did you know that in addition to starring in an incredible number of award-winning movies and being one of the most celebrated living actresses, Mirren also moonlights as a jet ski model? She does on Oscars night, at least. Mirren introduced the jet ski joke in the opening monologue — Kimmel promised a jet ski to the shortest speech of the night — delighting the audience in the Dolby and those watching at home. Likely less delighted, however, were the Shape of Water producers who didn’t get to speak at the end of the ceremony to make room for a callback to the Mirren–jet ski gag.

5. The stars—and host—get political.

Unlike some of the pre-shows, host Kimmel’s monologue didn’t shy away from the hottest topics of the day: harassment in Hollywood, the politics of Black Panther, pay disparity, Parkland students, and, of course, last year’s Best Picture gaffe. There was also a separate Time’s Up segment later in the show, which many were happy to see — others were less happy to see politics mixing with entertainment.

What were your favorite and least favorite moments? Leave your thoughts on the ceremony in the comments below.

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