The Big Picture

The 2026 Academy Awards: ‘One Battle After Another’ Earns More Than a Few Small Oscars

March 16, 2026

Key Takeaways Copied to clipboard!

  • The 98th Academy Awards, covered in this episode of *The Big Picture*, were largely seen as a victory for 'movie nerds' due to the Best Picture win for *One Battle After Another* and several satisfying, though sometimes predictable, wins. 
  • Michael B. Jordan's Best Actor win was a major emotional highlight of the telecast, celebrated for his long career trajectory and moving speech. 
  • The introduction of the Best Casting category resulted in a surprise win for *One Battle After Another*'s Cassandra Kulakundis, which the hosts viewed as a significant indicator for the Best Picture outcome, potentially superseding the traditional 'editing goes, picture goes' adage. 
  • The presenter's handling of an unexpected tie, possibly in an award category, was praised as an extraordinary moment of crowd management, prompting questions about the preparedness of Price Waterhouse Cooper representatives. 
  • The tribute segments, particularly those for Diane Keaton by Rachel McAdams and Robert Redford by Barbra Streisand, were highlighted as the most sincere and connective moments of the telecast, showcasing peer appreciation. 
  • The live performance of the song from *Sinners* was surprisingly well-executed, successfully adapting the film's complex musical sequence for the stage, unlike the performance for *Golden*, which felt stiff and poorly mixed. 

Segments

Initial Reactions and Telecast Vibe
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(00:00:54)
  • Key Takeaway: The hosts felt moved by the wins, particularly for One Battle After Another and Sinners, despite the telecast itself being somewhat ‘shaggy’ and less memorable than previous years.
  • Summary: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins immediately reacted to the 98th Academy Awards, noting several emotional wins, including for One Battle After Another and Sinners. They found the telecast production quality uneven, citing issues with speaker timing and presenter presence. The overall feeling was that the show catered well to dedicated ‘movie nerds’ invested in the outcomes.
Tracking the Big Picture Wins
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(00:04:08)
  • Key Takeaway: One Battle After Another secured six Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay, while Sinners took home four awards.
  • Summary: One Battle After Another ultimately won six awards, including the top prizes, while Sinners won four, confirming their status as the dominant films of the race. The surprise win for Casting went to Cassandra Kulakundis for One Battle After Another, which the hosts suggested might be a stronger indicator for Best Picture than the traditional Editing win.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s Triumph
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(00:07:26)
  • Key Takeaway: Paul Thomas Anderson’s multiple wins, including Best Picture, Director, and Screenplay for One Battle After Another, represent a significant, rare triumph for a signature Gen X filmmaker recognized relatively early in his career.
  • Summary: The hosts celebrated PTA’s success, noting that directors of his style rarely achieve this level of recognition so early, often having to wait until later in life. One Battle After Another managed to retain PTA’s oddball sensibility while making key decisions that made it palatable as a Best Picture winner. PTA dedicated his screenplay Oscar to his children, apologizing for the state of the world they inherit.
Best Actor and Michael B. Jordan
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(00:15:24)
  • Key Takeaway: Michael B. Jordan’s Best Actor win was a climactic moment for Sinners, validating his long career and representing a positive billboard for Hollywood talent who can drive movies to production.
  • Summary: Michael B. Jordan’s win was highly anticipated following his SAG win, and his speech was authentically moved, thanking his mother and father who flew in from Ghana. The hosts view his win as beneficial for the industry, adding ‘Academy Award winner’ to his billing for future projects. His victory was seen as a more traditional arc compared to some other nominees in the strong Best Actor category.
Other Major Acting Wins
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(00:31:33)
  • Key Takeaway: Amy Madigan won Best Supporting Actress, giving a charming speech while her husband Ed Harris (who has four nominations but no wins) watched, and Sean Penn won Best Supporting Actor but was absent.
  • Summary: Amy Madigan won Best Supporting Actress, delivering a heartfelt speech that included a shout-out to Ed Harris. Sean Penn earned his third Oscar in Best Supporting Actor but did not attend the ceremony, joining an elite group of three-time winners including Walter Brennan and Ingrid Bergman. Jesse Buckley won Best Actress for Hamnet, an expected win that still elicited a visibly emotional reaction.
Synergy and Telecast Bits
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(00:42:05)
  • Key Takeaway: The telecast featured significant synergy moments promoting Disney properties, including a reunion of Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. and a Pedro Pascal/Grogu appearance, which the hosts found commercially obvious but somewhat jarring.
  • Summary: Disney utilized the broadcast for promotion, featuring an Avengers anniversary reunion and a segment promoting The Mandalorian featuring Pedro Pascal and Grogu. Anna Wintour and Anne Hathaway also presented, promoting Devil Wears Prada 2. The hosts noted the prevalence of Rolex ads, suggesting a wealthy viewing audience, and felt the synergy moments were often distracting.
Animated, International, and Documentary Results
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(00:48:02)
  • Key Takeaway: The Animated Feature win for K-pop Demon Hunters was celebrated as a sign of the category’s widening aperture beyond traditional Pixar dominance, while Sentimental Value won International Feature as expected.
  • Summary: K-pop Demon Hunters won Animated Feature, with the creators speaking about art connecting cultures, marking an interesting evolution for the category. Sentimental Value from Norway secured the International Feature win, having been favored since its BAFTA victory. The Documentary Feature winner, Mr. Nobody Against Putin, received a speech the host found perceptive, though the film itself was deemed questionable.
Shorts and Historic Tie
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(00:53:21)
  • Key Takeaway: The Live Action Short Film category resulted in a rare tie, which presenter Kumail Nanjiani handled masterfully by clearly explaining the procedure for two separate acceptance speeches.
  • Summary: The short film The Devil Is Busy was a surprise winner for the hosts in the Documentary Short category, prompting a rare admission of being wrong in predictions. The Live Action Short Film category featured a tie, the first since 2012, which Kumail Nanjiani managed by clearly instructing the audience on how two separate groups of winners would accept their awards sequentially.
Presenter Handling of Tie
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(00:55:00)
  • Key Takeaway: The presenter expertly managed an unexpected award tie, suggesting prior briefing or quick thinking.
  • Summary: The presenter announced one film’s name, allowed the speech, and then announced the next, which went over beautifully. This smooth execution led to speculation about whether the presenter was tipped off about the tie or improvised effectively. The segment referenced post-Moonlight/La La Land procedures involving a Price Waterhouse Cooper representative standing by to intervene if necessary.
Short Film Predictions Review
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(00:56:54)
  • Key Takeaway: The hosts correctly predicted a tie in the Best Live Action Short Film category, splitting their vote between two favorites.
  • Summary: The hosts noted that a tie in Best Live Action Short Film occurred, which they had anticipated as a possibility during their Instagram live. They split their prediction between the eventual winner (the film involving two people exchanging saliva) and the Netflix film about men singing in a bar. They missed the prediction for Best Animated Short, which went to The Girl Who Cried Pearls over their pick, Butterfly.
Technical Awards Sweep
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(01:08:13)
  • Key Takeaway: The film Frankenstein swept all technical categories, including costume design, makeup and hairstyling, and production design.
  • Summary: The technical awards for costume design, makeup and hairstyling, and production design all went to the film Frankenstein. This outcome was noted as having been predicted by the hosts.
Conan O’Brien Opening Segment
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(00:58:26)
  • Key Takeaway: Conan O’Brien’s opening montage, set to Beastie Boys’ ‘Sabotage,’ was funny but his subsequent monologue was considered weak.
  • Summary: Conan O’Brien returned for his second year, opening with a montage parodying nominated films, including Aunt Gladys Drag and Marty Supreme. The use of Beastie Boys music prompted a generational reflection on the band’s licensing becoming more widespread. Conan included a sincere moment acknowledging global horrors before delivering goofy, non-aggressive jokes.
Political Statements on Stage
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(01:01:48)
  • Key Takeaway: The telecast was generally not overtly political, with Javier Bardem’s ‘Free Palestine’ statement being a notable exception.
  • Summary: The Academy Awards were largely devoid of overt political commentary, contrasting with a speech for Best Documentary that addressed global issues. Javier Bardem made a strong statement on stage, calling for ‘Free Palestine,’ which was noted as being consistent with his public stances. Most other commentary consisted of general bromides about caring for one another rather than specific political points.
Timothée Chalamet Ballet Jokes
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(01:02:43)
  • Key Takeaway: The repeated jokes about Timothée Chalamet’s ballet training became overdone and unfunny by the end of the night.
  • Summary: The controversy surrounding Timothée Chalamet’s ballet comments gained viral traction after Oscar voting closed, meaning it did not influence the Best Actor result. Conan’s joke about the ballet was considered part of his persona, but the repetition, especially by the fourth instance, was deemed uncreative and no longer funny. The hosts expressed support for Michael B. Jordan’s win over Chalamet.
Tributes to Hollywood Legends
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(01:05:31)
  • Key Takeaway: The tributes to Billy Crystal/Rob Reiner, Diane Keaton, and Robert Redford were praised for emphasizing career connectivity within Hollywood.
  • Summary: Billy Crystal honored Rob Reiner’s career run from 1980 through 1995 early in the show, followed by the traditional In Memoriam package. Rachel McAdams delivered a beautiful tribute to Diane Keaton, sharing personal anecdotes that resonated deeply. These moments were seen as the core purpose of the show: platforming the connectivity and care between cinematic peers.
Musical Performances Analysis
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(01:09:48)
  • Key Takeaway: The Sinners performance was a successful, live theatrical recreation of the film’s scene, while the Golden performance was stiff and technically compromised.
  • Summary: The Sinners performance, featuring Miles Caden and incorporating Misty Copeland, was praised for recreating the film’s complex musical styles and involving the movie’s actors. Conversely, the Golden performance was criticized for being stiff, having a curtailed song length, and adjusting the mix so that the lead singer’s high note was barely audible.
Bridesmaids Reunion Segment
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(01:14:56)
  • Key Takeaway: The Bridesmaids 15th-anniversary reunion was the funniest moment of the night, showcasing strong chemistry among the former SNL cast members.
  • Summary: The reunion of Melissa McCarthy, Rose Byrne, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, and Ellie Kemper for the 15th anniversary of Bridesmaids was deemed the funniest part of the night. The bit involved reading absurd audience notes, including fake ones attributed to major stars like Stellan Skarsgård and Leonardo DiCaprio. The chemistry between the former SNL cast members was noted as being exceptionally strong.
Filmmaker Legacy Discussion
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(01:17:59)
  • Key Takeaway: David Fincher and Noah Baumbach are current examples of widely beloved, frequently nominated filmmakers yet to win a major Oscar, similar to Paul Thomas Anderson before his win.
  • Summary: The hosts discussed which contemporary filmmakers might be the next Paul Thomas Anderson—widely beloved but previously blanked by the Academy for major awards. David Fincher, despite nominations for Benjamin Button, Social Network, and Mank, remains without a directing Oscar. Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig were also mentioned as prominent figures without a major win.
Post-Show Outlook and Ratings
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(01:21:46)
  • Key Takeaway: Despite a long season, the hosts felt a warm, fuzzy energy from the night’s outcomes, leading one host to optimistically predict the Mets will reach the World Series.
  • Summary: The overall feeling after the show was warm and fuzzy, fueled by the success of Paul Thomas Anderson and the positive energy surrounding the event. The hosts decided to defer detailed ratings analysis to a future mailbag episode, though one predicted ratings would remain steady or increase due to the beloved nominated films. The segment concluded with an optimistic prediction that ‘sometimes the good guys win.’