Al Pacino took the stage at the 96th Oscars to deliver the award for best picture. Spoiler: “Oppenheimer” won, but Pacino’s delivery of the winner arguably stole the show.
Whereas the acting nominees had long presentations, the best picture presentation was rushed: Pacino didn’t read out the nominees.
Rather than mention each movie by name, Pacino only said, “Ten wonderful films were nominated, but only one will take the award for best picture.”
Then he gestured to his envelope. “I have to go to the envelope for that. Here it comes,” he said, opening it up.
Looking at the paper, he started talking. “And my eyes see ‘Oppenheimer,’” he said.
Some clapping could be heard, but it seemed like Pacino was still speaking. “Yes. Yes,” he continued, reading the names of the producers. More clapping occurred before it finally became apparent that “Oppenheimer” was the winner.
The somewhat anticlimactic moment led to a spirited conversation online.
“Al Pacino announcing Oppenheimer’s best picture win with the casualness of announcing what he wants to eat for dinner at Chili’s is why I watch The Oscars,” one X user wrote.
Another compared his tone to a bear stumbling out of a cave.
They noticed how he skipped reading the nominations and cut straight what his “eyes” saw: “Oppenheimer.”
“Al Pacino not even presenting the rest of the nominations and going straight to the winner is such a hilarious yet Oscar worthy performance in its own right,” someone wrote.
Others weren’t as taken with the moment, calling it “all kinds of awkward.”
Writer Spencer Althouse concluded it “couldn’t have been more chaotic or confusing,” but said he was still “obsessed.”
