Thorny issues about the Best Picture winner aside, Sunday night’s Oscars were a surprisingly smooth and frequently engaging affair — so much so that this whole “no host” thing might end up being more of a feature than a bug.
The 91st Academy Awards held plenty of great moments, from Olivia Colman’s gobsmacked tears for her Best Actress award to Ruth Carter’s triumphant, long-deserved speech for Best Costume. But Regina King remains one of the best and most riveting presences in Hollywood, and her well-deserved Best Supporting Actress win for If Beale Street Could Talk gave her the chance to dispense both graciousness and wisdom on the world. She even was escorted onto the stage by Captain America himself and led the Oscar crowd in a chant of “God is good” (“all the time”).