One of the most moving parts of any awards ceremony is the "In Memoriam” section. While award shows are there to honor current outstanding performances, the “In Memoriam” section allows celebration for those who came before. In the middle of the show, everyone takes time to honor those who died in the past year, and watching this year's felt like a powerful celebration of life rather than a reminder of death.
This year's “In Memoriam” at the Oscars featured one of the most heart-warming segments of any award show. Industry professionals were highlighted throughout the 15-minute tribute.
The segment featured spotlights on Rob Reiner and Robert Redford. It also highlighted women who especially changed the acting industry.
The segment opened with Billy Crystal’s tribute to Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner. Crystal’s speech featured kind words about Rob Reiner as both a director and a friend. He went through many of his popular films and discussed their impact on the film industry.
Following his speech, the starring actors from Rob Reiner’s films all came out on the stage. Each actor represented a film Rob Reiner directed. The films included were “This is Spinal Tap,” “Stand By Me,” “The Princess Bride,” “When Harry Met Sally,” “A Few Good Men,” “Misery,” “The American President” and “The Sure Thing.”
The moment was powerful as they all turned to watch the screen. The segment continued, as actors and filmmakers were highlighted and “Storybook Love” from “The Princess Bride” played in the background.
The next segment of the “In Memoriam” was given by Rachel McAdams, who spotlighted female artists who made a difference through their acting.
“This past year, we lost so many artists, including actresses whose talent and originality widened the world for all of us,” McAdams said.
McAdams highlighted four women in her brief two-minute speech, all of whom were adored by audiences, fans and fellow actors. She spoke about Claudia Cardinale, Diane Ladd, Catherine O’Hara and Diane Keaton. She took time to speak extensively on Keaton, sharing kind words about her life and legacy.
“Believe me when I say there is not an actress of my generation who is not inspired by and enthralled with her absolute singularity,” McAdams said.
The beautiful tribute reminded audiences of the inspiration these women are in the acting industry. The segment continued to highlight more people who died over the year. As more were featured, the Los Angeles Master Chorale performed an operatic rendition of “Amazing Grace,” which surely moved viewers, as applause was heard from the crowd.
The segment concluded with Barbra Streisand honoring actor and director Redford. Streisand spoke highly of him, talking about both his life achievements and her personal interactions with him. The two starred in “The Way We Were” in 1973, which allowed them to form a decades-long friendship.
This was so powerful because Streisand dislikes live performing and is mostly retired from Hollywood. Her friendship with Redford was strong enough for her to deliver such an impactful performance dedicated to him. She ended the segment by performing “The Way We Were” in honor of Redford’s life.
The “In Memoriam” was the most powerful I had seen from any award show this year. The Academy chose people to speak who were truly connected to these actors and filmmakers. This allowed the section to have personal meaning instead of past shows that just flashed a slideshow of people who had died.
After the Oscars concluded, people took to social media to note people who were left out of the segment. People pointed out Eric Dane, Malcolm-Jamal Warner and James Van Der Beek as missing from the “In Memoriam.”
These names quickly made headlines the following day as people questioned why they were not mentioned in the segment. However, the three were largely known for their roles in television series rather than in films.
Likely, these three were not included because they will have a large part in other award shows that honor television, such as the Emmys, which takes place in September. It will be interesting to see how their lives are remembered then.
Overall, other award shows should consider the Oscars when thinking about structuring their “In Memoriam” sections. It was powerful to see how the lives of so many were honored and how many people were impacted by them.
Sophia Anness is a junior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note the opinions expressed in this column do not represent those of The Post. Want to talk to Sophia about her column? Email/tweet them at sa425522@ohio.edu /@AnnessSoph0415.
