Academy Awards

'Parasite' Makes History With Best Picture Win; Phoenix, Zellweger Also Winners

True to its name, “Parasite” simply got under the skin of Oscar voters, attaching itself to the American awards season and, ultimately, to history.

NBCUniversal, Inc. Take a look at the biggest moments from the 2020 Academy Awards. This year’s Oscars were held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California.

Subtitle this: "Parasite" is the first non-English language film to win best picture in the 92-year history of the Academy Awards.

Bong Joon Ho’s masterfully devious class satire took Hollywood’s top prize at the Oscars on Sunday night, along with awards for best director, best international film and best screenplay. In a year dominated by period epics -- "1917," "Once Upon a Time ... In Hollywood," "The Irishman" -- the film academy instead went overseas, to South Korea, to reward a contemporary and unsettling portrait of social inequality in "Parasite."

True to its name, "Parasite" simply got under the skin of Oscar voters, attaching itself to the American awards season and, ultimately, to history. The win was a watershed moment for the Academy Awards, which has long been content to relegate international films to their own category.

Multiple standing ovations greeted Bong's several wins. "I am ready to drink tonight," Bong said, prompting roars from the crowd. Unexpectedly called up again for best director, Bong saluted his fellow nominees, particularly Martin Scorsese, and concluded: "Now I'm ready to drink until tomorrow."

The win for "Parasite" — which had echoes of the surprise victory of "Moonlight" over "La La Land" three years ago — came in year in which many criticized the lack of diversity in the nominees and the absence of female filmmakers. But the triumph for "Parasite" enabled Hollywood to flip the script, and signal a different kind of progress.

In doing so, the film academy turned away another history-making event, again denying Netflix its first best-picture win despite two contenders in "The Irishman" and "Marriage Story," and a big-spending awards campaign blitz.

All of the acting winners — Brad Pitt, Renee Zellweger, Joaquin Phoenix and Laura Dern — went as expected.

Few categories were more certain coming into Sunday's Oscars than best supporting actor, which Pitt has had locked down all awards season. While Pitt (who in 2014 shared in the best picture win for "12 Years a Slave," as was a producer) has regaled audiences with one-liners in the run-up to the Oscars, he began his comments on a political note.

"They told me I have 45 seconds to speak, which is 45 seconds more than the Senate gave John Bolton this week," Pitt said, alluding to the impeachment hearings. "I'm thinking maybe Quentin does a movie about it."

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Scarlett Johansson arrives at the Oscars on Sunday, Feb. 9, 2020, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
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Billy Porter arrives t the 92nd Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on Feb. 9, 2020, in Hollywood, California.
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Blac Chyna arrives at the 92nd Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on Feb. 9, 2020, in Hollywood, California.
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Roman Griffin Davis, left, and Archie Yates of “Jojo Rabbit” arrive at the Oscars on Sunday, Feb. 9, 2020, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
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Charlize Theron attends the 92nd Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on Feb. 9, 2020 in Hollywood, California.
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Saoirse Ronan attends the 92nd Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on Feb. 9, 2020 in Hollywood, California.
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Leonardo DiCaprio attends the 92nd Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on Feb. 9, 2020 in Hollywood, California.
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Brie Larson attends the 92nd Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on Feb. 9, 2020 in Hollywood, California.
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Cynthia Erivo attends the 92nd Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on Feb. 9, 2020 in Hollywood, California.
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Brad Pitt attends the 92nd Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on Feb. 9, 2020 in Hollywood, California.
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Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson attend the 92nd Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on Feb. 9, 2020 in Hollywood, California.
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Margot Robbie attends the 92nd Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on Feb. 9, 2020 in Hollywood, California.
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Adam Driver and Joanne Tucker attend the 92nd Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on Feb. 9, 2020 in Hollywood, California.
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Joaquin Phoenix attends the 92nd Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on Feb. 9, 2020 in Hollywood, California.
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Natalie Portman attends the 92nd Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on Feb. 9, 2020 in Hollywood, California.
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Gal Gadot attends the 92nd Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on Feb. 9, 2020 in Hollywood, California.
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Renee Zellweger attends the 92nd Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on Feb. 9, 2020 in Hollywood, California.
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Penélope Cruz attends the 92nd Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on Feb. 9, 2020 in Hollywood, California.
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(L-R) Robert De Niro and Al Pacino attend the 92nd Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on Feb. 9, 2020 in Hollywood, California.
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Sandra Oh attends the 92nd Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on Feb. 9, 2020 in Hollywood, California.
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Julia Louis-Dreyfus attends the 92nd Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on Feb. 9, 2020 in Hollywood, California.
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Director Spike Lee attends the 92nd Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on Feb.9, 2020 in Hollywood, California.
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Regina King arrives at the Oscars on Sunday, Feb. 9, 2020, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
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Antonio Banderas attends the 92nd Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on Feb. 9, 2020 in Hollywood, California.
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Laura Dern attends the 92nd Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on Feb. 9, 2020 in Hollywood, California.
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Chrissy Metz attends the 92nd Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on Feb.9, 2020 in Hollywood, California.
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Billie Eilish attends the 92nd Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on Feb. 9, 2020 in Hollywood, California.
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Welsh actor Jonathan Pryce and his wife Kate Fahy arrive for the 92nd Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on Feb. 9, 2020.
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Writer-director Greta Gerwig attends the 92nd Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on Feb. 9, 2020 in Hollywood, California.
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Bong Joon Ho attends the 92nd Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on Feb. 9, 2020 in Hollywood, California.
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Janelle Monáe attends the 92nd Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on Feb. 9, 2020 in Hollywood, California.
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Kelly Marie Tran attends the 92nd Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on Feb. 9, 2020 in Hollywood, California.
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Caitriona Balfe attends the 92nd Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on Feb.9, 2020 in Hollywood, California.
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Kristen Wiig attends the 92nd Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on Feb. 9, 2020 in Hollywood, California.

Pitt said the honor had given him reason to reflect on his fairy-tale journey in the film industry, going back to when he moved to Los Angeles from Missouri. "Once upon a time in Hollywood," said Pitt. "Ain't that the truth."

Most of the early awards went according to forecasts, including Dern winning for her performance as a divorce attorney in Noah Baumbach's "Marriage Story.” Accepting her first Oscar, Dern thanked her in-attendance parents, "my legends, Diane Ladd and Bruce Dern."

For the 87th time, no women were nominated for best director this year, a subject that was woven into the entire ceremony — and even into some attendees' clothing. Natalie Portman wore a cape lined with the names of female filmmakers who weren't nominated for best director, including Lulu Wang ("The Farewell"), Greta Gerwig ("Little Women") and Mati Diop ("Atlantics").

Coming on a rare rainy day in Los Angeles, the ceremony was soggy and song-heavy. Some performances, like Eminem's performance of "Lose Yourself," were unexpected (and drew a wane response from Martin Scorsese). All of the song nominees performed, including Elton John who won with his longtime songwriting partner Bernie Taupin for their "Rocketman" tune.

The hostless ceremony opened on a note of inclusion, with Janelle Monae performing "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" and her own song, "Come Alive," with an assist from Billy Porter. "I’m so proud to be standing here as a black queer artist telling stories," Monae said. "Happy Black History Month."

Take a look at four of the outfits that people were talking about during Sunday’s Academy Awards.

Two former Oscar hosts, Chris Rock and Steve Martin, provided the opening monologue. "An incredible demotion," Martin called it. Martin also reminded that something was missing from this year's directing nominees. "Vaginas!" Rock replied.

There were milestones, nevertheless. In winning best adapted screenplay for his Nazi satire "Jojo Rabbit," the New Zealand filmmaker Taika Waititi became the first indigenous director ever to win an Oscar. He dedicated the award to "all the indigenous kids in the world who want to do art, dance and write stories."

"We are the original storytellers," Waititi said.

"Joker" composer Hildur Gudnadottir became only the third woman to ever win best original score. "To the girls, to the women, to the mothers, to the daughters who hear the music opening within, please speak up," said Gudnadottir. "We need to hear your voices."

Awards were spread around to all of the best-picture nominees, with the lone exception being Martin Scorsese's 10-time nominee "The Irishman."

"1917," acclaimed for its technical virtuosity, took awards for Roger Deakins' cinematography, visual effects and sound mixing. The car racing throwback "Ford v Ferrari" was also honored for its craft, winning both editing and sound editing. Gerwig's Louisa May Alcott adaptation "Little Women" won for Jacqueline Durran's costume design. "Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood" for Barbara Ling's production design.

Netflix came in with a leading 24 nominations. Along with the win for "Marriage Story," the streamer's "American Factory" won best documentary. The film is the first release from Barack and Michelle Obama's Higher Ground Productions. No studio has spent more heavily this awards season than Netflix, which is seeking its first best picture win after coming up just shy last year with "Roma."

Pixar extended its domination of the best animated film category, winning for "Toy Story 4." It's the 10th Pixar film to win the award and second "Toy Story" film to do so, following the previous 2010 installment.

It was an early award for the Walt Disney Co. which despite last year amassing a record $13 billion in worldwide box office and owning the network the Oscars are broadcast on, played a minor role in the ceremony. The bulk of its awards came from 20th Century Fox ("Ford v Ferrari") and Fox Searchlight ("Jojo Rabbit"), both of which the company took control of after its $71.3 billion acquisition of 21st Century Fox last year.

Disney's ABC, which is broadcasting the show live, hoped a widely watched field of nominees — including the $1 billion-grossing "Joker," up for a leading 11 awards — will help viewership. Last year’s show garnered 29.6 million viewers, a 12% uptick.

In a year of streaming upheaval throughout the industry, this year’s Oscar favorites were largely movies released widely in theaters. They also predominantly featured male characters and came from male directors.

After a year in which women made significant gains behind the camera, no female directors were nominated for best director. The acting categories are also the least diverse since the fallout of #OscarsSoWhite pushed the academy to remake its membership. Cynthia Erivo ("Harriet") is the only actor of color nominated. Those results, which have been a topic in speeches through awards season, stand in contrast to research that suggests the most popular movies star more people of color than ever before.

IN PICTURES: BEST MOMENTS FROM THE 2020 OSCARS

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Bong Joon Ho and the cast of “Parasite” reacts as they receive the “Best Picture” Academy Award from presenter Jane Fonda on Feb. 9, 2020, at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles. “Parasite” made Oscars history on Sunday when it became the first foreign language film to win the Oscars’ biggest category.
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South Korean film director Bong Joon-ho poses with his engraved awards as he attends the 92nd Oscars Governors Ball at the Hollywood Highland Center in Hollywood, Feb. 9, 2020. “Parasite,” Bong’s latest work, made Oscar history when it became the first foreign language film to win the “Best Picture” award on Sunday.
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Scarlett Johansson, left, congratulates Laura Dern for winning best supporting actress for “Marriage Story” at the Oscars on Sunday, Feb. 9, 2020, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
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Tom Hanks, right, turned heads when he dropped on the red carpet at the Academy Awards and did a few push-ups alongside an army sergeant on Feb. 9, 2020, at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles.
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Janelle Monae performs onstage during the 92nd Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on Feb. 9, 2020.
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Cynthia Erivo performs onstage during the 92nd Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on Feb. 9, 2020 in Hollywood, California.
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Janelle Monae, left, and Billy Porter perform onstage at the Oscars on Sunday, Feb. 9, 2020, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
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Steve Martin and Chris Rock (R) speak onstage during the 92nd Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on Feb. 9, 2020.
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Regina King, left, presents Brad Pitt with the award for best performance by an actor in a supporting role for “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” at the Oscars on Sunday, Feb. 9, 2020, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
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Idina Menzel and Elsa voice actresses perform onstage during the 92nd Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on Feb. 9, 2020.
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(L-R) Maya Rudolph and Kristen Wiig speak onstage during the 92nd Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on Feb. 9, 2020 in Hollywood, California.
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Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Will Ferrell speak onstage during the 92nd Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on Feb. 9, 2020 in Hollywood, California.
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James Corden, left, and Rebel Wilson present the award for best visual effects at the Oscars on Sunday, Feb. 9, 2020, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
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Elton John performs onstage during the 92nd Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on Feb. 9, 2020 in Hollywood, California.
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Billie Eilish performs onstage during the 92nd Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on Feb. 9, 2020.
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Joaquin Phoenix accepts the Actor In A Leading Role award for ‘Joker’ onstage during the 92nd Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on Feb. 9, 2020 in Hollywood, California.
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Renée Zellweger accepts the Actress in a Leading Role award for ‘Judy’ onstage during the 92nd Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on Feb. 9, 2020 in Hollywood, California.
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