HOLLYWOOD – Should Oscars be called Annas?
Such was the siren call sent by famed Italian director Lina Wertmüller at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' 11th annual Governors Awards Sunday night, as the 91-year-old received her honorary Oscar.
Appearing before a ballroom packed with stars including Leonardo DiCaprio, future Batman Robert Pattinson, Jennifer Lopez and Lupita Nyong’o, the diminutive Wertmüller stood onstage flanked by Sophia Loren and Isabella Rosselini. She held the room rapt as she announced her support for a female Oscar.
"She would like to change Oscar to a feminine name. She would like to call it ‘Anna,'" translated Rossellini. The director launched a chant: “Women in the room, please scream, 'We want Anna, a female Oscar!'"
(Mid-translation Rossellini began to chuckle as Wertmüller told the actress she didn’t care for her plum gown, considering the color bad luck. “The next time I come dressed in purple,” Rossellini translated, “she will undress me.”
Wertmüller then dedicated her “Anna” to her daughter and husband.
Honorary or not, Wertmüller's Oscar remains a significant milestone in the Academy’s history. She was the first woman to ever be nominated in the directing category for her 1975 film “Seven Beauties.”
Only five women have ever been nominated in the category. Three were in the room Sunday, including "Lady Bird" Greta Gerwig, whose take on “Little Women” hits theaters this Christmas. "She's a godmother to us all," said Gerwig, introducing Wertmüller alongside Oscar-nominated director Jane Campion.
Campion additionally drove home sobering statistics, noting 350 men have been nominated for best director. “I’ve been asked to talk about the history of women in the directing category. It’s a very short history. More of a haiku,” she said.
Also honored was Geena Davis, 63, who was presented with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for her work as an advocate for gender equality. Tom Hanks introduced his “A League of Their Own” co-star, happily bringing the crowd back to their Dottie Hinson and Jimmy Dugan days.
Davis said if those gathered were going to be labeled as Hollywood liberals, they may as well lean in and take action addressing gender disparity in scripts. “If we’re supposed to be a bunch of gender fluid intersectional feminists, then by god, let’s do it right!” she deadpanned.
Four-time Oscar nominated director David Lynch, 73, saw his first statuette Sunday night, too, after a career spanning productions from “The Elephant Man and “Twin Peaks” to "Eraserhead" and “Mulholland Drive.”
His speech was swift and sweet, clocking in at under 45 seconds. He thanked “everyone who helped me along the way” and complimented his gold Oscar. “You have a very nice face," Lynch remarked, looking at the statue.
And after an introduction from his "Hostiles" co-star Christian Bale and U.S. poet laureate Joy Harjo, “Dancing with the Wolves" actor Wes Studi made history by becoming the first Native American to win an Oscar, ever.
“I'd simply like to say, it’s about time," said Studi, 71. "It's been a wild and wonderful ride, and I'm really proud to be here tonight as the first indigenous Native American to receive an Academy Award. It's a humbling honor to receive an award for something I love to do." Studi then closed his speech in Cherokee.
The annual dinner is a must for awards season contenders, and Sunday saw plenty, with stars including Eddie Murphy – recently back in the Oscar conversation thanks to "Dolemite Is My Name" – Quentin Tarantino representing "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," Scarlett Johansson who was present for ''Marriage Story" and "JoJo Rabbit" and Taron Edgerton, who continues to rise thanks to his portrayal of Elton John in "Rocketman."
When the Oscars were handed out, the afterparty continued just outside the ballroom, where heat lamps, circling trays of French fries and cocktails fueled the starry crowd.
Olivia Wilde held court with her "Booksmart" stars Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein; Jordan Peele and Nyong'o kept a circle of friends entertained; "Harriet" star Cynthia Erivo and Dakota Johnson were deep in conversation; and inside the emptying ballroom, David Oyelowo, Charlize Theron and Quentin Tarantino mingled.
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Governors Awards: Famed director calls for 'a female Oscar' named Anna - USA TODAY
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