Jimmy Kimmel was back for his fourth hosting gig at last night’s Oscars, and it went exactly as everyone expected. He made a few predictable jokes, some landing better than others. We’d like to make the case that he did a fine job, except we can’t because any jokes he made paled in comparison to the short time we got to spend with John Mulaney.
The comedian presented the award for Achievement in Sound, and he showed once again that his joke delivery is on a level Kimmel could never dream of reaching.
Instead of talking about any of the nominated films in the category, Mulaney spent his time delivering a too-short monologue about other movies. First, he mentioned the importance of the award, namely how without sound we wouldn’t be able to hear lines like, “‘You’re gonna need a bigger boat,’ ‘I’ll have what she’s having’ and ‘He was in the Amazon with my mother when she was researching spiders just before she died.'” (The last line was the second Madame Web joke of the night.)
But Mulaney spent most of his screen time talking about 1989 classic Field of Dreams. Mulaney recapped the ridiculous film plot in a way no one else would ever describe it, while also making a strong case as to why it should have won Best Picture.
Hosting is no easy gig, even for comedians — looking at you, Jo Koy. There’s a delicate balance between being funny, being knowledgeable about the field, and threading the needle between making fun of nominees while still respecting their craft. Kimmel has done a fine job as host for the last four years, but it’s time to pass the baton on to someone who can take things to another level. Mulaney has more than proven he’s the right host for the job.
