The grand finale and therefore the highlight of the Oscars is the announcement of the winner in the “Best Film” category – but as has often been the case in the past at the Academy Awards, not everything went quite according to plan in 2024. The reason for this was Al Pacino’s scatterbrained announcement, with which he took the tension out of the big moment.
“Best picture”
The actor came on stage at the end of the event to announce the winner. He forgot to list the ten nominated films again. The 83-year-old quickly opened the envelope and spoke out. “My eyes see Oppenheimer,” he explained, and it took a brief moment in the audience before the winners rose from their seats to receive the prize. Nobody expected the announcement to be so short and painless. After all, a few warm words were always addressed to the respective nominees in the important categories.
Here’s the bumpy announcement:
Pacino has now justified the incident in a statement: “I just want to make it clear that it was not my intention to leave her out,” and also addressed the other nominated filmmakers. It was the producers’ decision not to mention all the films again, as they were highlighted individually throughout the ceremony. “I was honored to be a part of the evening and decided to follow the path the Academy wanted to present this award,” said the actor.
“I realize that being nominated is a huge milestone in a person’s life and not being fully recognized is insulting and hurtful. And I say this as someone who has a deep relationship with filmmakers, actors and producers. I feel deeply for those who have been offended by this oversight, which is why I felt it necessary to make this statement.”
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has not yet responded to Pacino’s statement.