Oscars 2024: Ryan Gosling Sings, Emma Stone Surprises, and John Cena Naked

Preview:

• The 2024 Oscars represented a return to form.
• A naked John Cena surprised audiences.
• Ryan Gosling’s “I’m Just Ken” performance was a highlight.

After some rougher Oscar nights (slaps, snubs and that brave but ultimately disappointing low key pandemic version), 2024 very much represented a return to form for Hollywood’s Most Glittering Night™.

True, it got off to a controversial (and late) start when protestors advocating for a cease fire between Israel and Gaza disrupted attendees’ access to the Kodak Theater, but once the show was actually underway, it became something that most attendees and viewers recognized as a classic Academy Awards, for good and ill.

Related Article: ‘Oppenheimer,’ ‘Poor Things’ Are Big Oscar Winners In Trouble-Free Show

There were your typical annoyances –– many below-the-line craftspeople being played off far too soon by an orchestra who looked for all the world like they were in some sort of science fiction vessel. Some of the comedy banter fell flat. Not everything worked.

But for all the issues, there was an awful lot to like about the show, so we’ve rounded up some memorable moments…

Ryan Gosling and the Kens

In the sort of performance that would bring a smile to musical number specialist Barbie’ proved to be just as much of a showstopper as we’d all hoped it would be.

Kicking off in the audience as Gosling rose to start singing, he ed a charmed and giggling Kingsley Ben-Adir among them), Guns N' Roses' Slash on guitar, plus a plethora of dancers ing him on stage for a memorable and hilarious highlight.

“I’m Just Ken” might not have won its Oscar (‘Barbie’s “What Was I Made For?” took the movie’s only award in that same category), but it won the night.

Cena Causes a Scene

Presenting Best Costume Design, Jimmy Kimmel cueing up talking of a streaker (one of the most infamous moments of Oscars past), there was a moment where it appeared Cena was having second thoughts about the comedy bit they’d come up with for him to present naked.

But nope, he arrived on stage in the buff (though reportedly with a modesty sling to hide things that can’t be shown on TV outside of HBO etc.), covering himself with the sealed Oscar envelope for the category. All in all, a moment of naked hilarity.

Emma Stone’s Surprise Win

All right, so Lily Gladstone scoring the Screen Actors Guild award, the tide had turned in the native’s favor.

Still, it was Stone going on stage, seemingly shocked (did she have Gladstone on her Oscar ballot like many others?), making a heartfelt speech in which she praised her fellow nominees, thanked ‘Poor Things’ director Yorgos Lanthimos and even joked that her dressed, which had broken, had been ripped by her laughing at Gosling’s “I’m Just Ken” performance.

Pacino Gets Right To It

Jimmy Kimmel must have been sweating when Oppenheimer'”.

Unlike “Moonlight-gate”, where Christopher Nolan’s movie capping a successful night where it picked up seven gongs. But in skipping over the nominees, Pacino certainly didn’t make for a highlight.

Batman’s Nemeses Look to Settle a Score

Old friends (and ‘Danny DeVito reunited for the second time this year (after their State Farm Super Bowl commercial) for a funny bit where they talked about playing Batman villains.

The highlight, DeVito pointed out George Clooney had shown up, since he was Schwarzenegger’s Bat-opponent.

Godzilla Stomps to His First Win

Cue the classic, bombastic theme tune! ‘Godzilla: Minus One’, whose producers originally didn’t intend to submit for the Oscars as they didn’t think the film stood a chance of winning, actually went home with Best Visual effects.

The team showed up wearing custom Godzilla shoes and carrying adorable gold statuettes shaped like the classic character. Could the giant lizard himself have shown up to collect? We doubt the Kodak Theater could have accommodated him, sadly.

Cage Goes Eye-to-Eye with Giamatti

This year’s show brought back a segment that had been tried a few years ago where former winners paid tribute to current nominees. Cillian Murphy took Best Actor) but he must have felt like a winner in that moment.

Movies Nominated for Best Picture at the 96th Academy Awards:

• ‘American Fiction’
• ‘Anatomy of a Fall’
• ‘Barbie’
• ‘The Holdovers’
• ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’
• ‘Maestro’
• ‘Oppenheimer’ - WINNER
• ‘Past Lives’
• ‘Poor Things’
• ‘The Zone of Interest’

Buy 'Oppenheimer' On Amazon