Did you watch the Oscar awards on Sunday night? The evening had celebration, remembrance, and a surreal hazmat-suited existential punchline.
Let’s start with the applause-worthy moments. Bravo to Best Actress Jessie Buckley for Hamnet and Best Actor Michael B. Jordan for Sinners. Their acceptance speeches were lovely. Both of their performances were powerful reminders of how storytelling helps us sit with life’s biggest truths, especially the ones we tend to avoid… death, grief, and vampires.
In fact, Hamnet, Sinners, and The Life of Chuck also happen to be my top three Mortality Movies of 2025. Not exactly light viewing, but deeply human explorations of love, loss, and what it means to be here while we’re here.
And then… the In Memoriam.
Every year, it’s the emotional heart of the ceremony, and this year, it hit especially hard. The tributes, including moving salutes for Rob and Michele Reiner, Diane Keaton, and Robert Redford, felt less like a segment and more like a collective pause. A reminder that behind every name is a life, a story, a legacy.
And just when you think the night will end on a graceful note… the Oscars took a hard left turn into the bizarre.
Host Conan O’Brien is named “Host for Life” in a pre-recorded bit. He’s ushered into an office where he soaks in the absurd honor. Suddenly, greenish gas seeps from the ceiling. Cut to: hazmat suits, a body being carted away, and… credits.
Dark humor? Satire? A reminder that even the most glittering moments are temporary? Probably all of the above.
But here’s the takeaway I’m holding onto:
Live each day like it’s Oscar night. Celebrate boldly. Remember those who came before us. Laugh, even at the weird, uncomfortable stuff. And most importantly, really live before you die.
Because whether it’s a standing ovation or a surprise curtain call, none of us knows when the credits will roll.
BTW: Hamnet is featured in the Grief and Growth chapter of 98.6 Mortality Movies to See Before You Die, coming April 16, 2026. Stay tuned! There’s a whole cinematic journey ahead.
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