“The Shape of Water” on Sunday won top honors at the Oscars including the coveted best picture statuette, bringing the curtain down on a Hollywood awards season overshadowed by scandal over sexual misconduct in showbiz.
Guillermo del Toro’s fairy tale romance led the charge going into the show with 13 nominations, and took home best picture – the top prize of the night – as well as best director and statuettes for production design and best original score.
In an night of honors being shared fairly evenly among several candidates, Martin McDonagh’s dark crime comedy “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” had to settle for best actress for Frances McDormand and best supporting actor for Sam Rockwell.
Christopher Nolan’s World War II thriller “Dunkirk” also picked up three awards, but in the less glitzy technical categories, while several movies ended the evening with two trophies.
“I am an immigrant,” an emotional Del Toro said in collecting his first prize of the night, praising the power of filmmaking to “erase the line in the sand” between people of different countries and cultures.
“I thought this could never happen. It happens.
“We can’t let bad behavior slide anymore. The world is watching us. We need to set an example,” he said.
“We all have stories to tell and projects we need financed,” she said to enthusiastic applause.
Her “Three Billboards” co-star Rockwell kicked off the night by claiming best supporting actor for his acclaimed turn as a racist, violent police officer.
Allison Janney won best supporting actress for her turn as the cold, sardonic mother of disgraced figure skater Tonya Harding in “I, Tonya” – capping a sparkling awards season which saw her sweep the major prizes.
“My fellow nominees, you represent everything that is good and right and human about this profession. You are all extraordinary,” the statuesque 58-year-old Janney, the overwhelming favorite, enthused at the podium.
With the #MeToo and Time’s Up campaigns against sexual misconduct and gender inequality dominating the 2018 awards circuit, this year’s Oscars gala was seen as an opportunity for Tinseltown to support female filmmaking.
Greta Gerwig, only the fifth woman in Oscars history to be nominated for best director – for comedy/drama “Lady Bird” – however went home empty-handed, despite other nominations for best picture and best screenplay.
But towards the end of the show, Salma Hayek fronted the presentation of a video of stars advocating for women’s rights and racial equality, including Ava DuVernay, Chadwick Boseman, Lee Daniels and Geena Davis.
“This entire fall, (through) the #MeToo, the Time’s Up movements, everyone is getting a voice to express something that has been happening forever, not only in Hollywood, but in every walk of life,” said Mira Sorvino (“Mighty Aphrodite”).
In another nod to the women’s movements, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences tapped past winners Jennifer Lawrence and Jodie Foster – on crutches – to present McDormand’s best actress Oscar.
Other winners included Pixar’s “Coco” for best animated feature and “A Fantastic Woman” – a love story from Chilean director Sebastian Lelio with a much-praised star turn from transgender actress Daniela Vega – in the foreign film category.
“It’s so nice seeing you again,” joked Beatty, to laughs from the audience.