The British Academy Film Awards, or BAFTAs, have given audiences some great moments in recent years. Remember Ariana DeBose’s “Angela Basset did the thing,” that awkward performance that had a joyful second life as a joke? Or Ryan Gosling’s wink at Emma Stone last year that had internet shippers in a tizzy?
The worst part is that for some parts of the world, including the U.S., they’re also not the easiest to watch — or at least a little harder than just turning on ABC (and soon Hulu) to watch the Oscars.
The Associated Press is here to help those without a BritBox subscription with a rundown of the best and most memorable moments of the night, where “Anora” did not sweep (though Mikey Madison did triumph over best actress front-runner Demi Moore), “Conclave” won big and “Emilia Pérez” proved it’s still a contender.
‘(500 Miles)’ singalong with Brian Cox
Host David Tennant got the ceremony off to an amusing start with a pre-recorded bit where various actors give him a little pep talk, appearing in his dressing room mirror — including fellow Scot Brian Cox, who kicked off a rousing rendition of The Proclaimers song “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles).” Tennant took over and brought the anthem into the room, where Selena Gomez seemed genuinely surprised when he tapped her shoulder and inserted her name into the song. There were the celebrity participants of course, James McAvoy, Camila Cabello and Colman Domingo among them. But even some not “in the show” sang along happily as well, Saoirse Ronan and Jack Lowden included. Others, like Adrien Brody and Demi Moore, did not seem to be part of the chorus.
Selena Gomez narrowly avoids a presenting gaffe
No presenter wants a John Travolta “Adele Dazeem” moment or, worse, a Faye Dunaway “La La Land” flap, and you could see the wheels turning in Gomez’s head as she looked at the card for the debut by a British writer, director or producer award. “I don’t know how to say,” she said quietly from stage, looking at her co-star and co-presenter, Zoe Saldaña, before looking further down on the card. “Oh, ‘Kneecap,’” she said, quietly adding, “Rich” and simply avoiding the writer-director’s last name, Peppiatt.
Jesse Eisenberg’s sweet, funny tribute to his wife
Jesse Eisenberg started off his best screenplay win for “A Real Pain” with some signature, self-deprecating jokes about how neither he, his wife nor the person who sat him thought he was going to win. The audience laughed loudly when he said that’s why his wife didn’t attend the ceremony. But he quickly turned sincere, offering a touching tribute to his wife, Anna Strout, whom he credited with helping him learn about the world around him. “You’ve put every worthwhile thought into my head over the last 20 years,” Eisenberg said. “I love you so much.”
Zoe Saldaña’s teary, fierce speech
Perhaps Saldaña was feeling the pressure of “Emilia Pérez’s” diminished Oscar dreams two days before voting closes. Or maybe she was just really overwhelmed to win the best supporting actress BAFTA. Regardless, she let her emotions show in a teary and intense speech, in which she poked fun at her own inability to do a good British accent, shouted out her makeup artist as her closest confidant and made a case for the film.
“Films are supposed to change hearts and challenge minds, and I hope, I hope that ‘Emilia Pérez’ did something like this,” she said. “Voices need to be heard, just not my English accent. Bye, guys.”
Jeff Goldblum, piano man
In memoriam segments don’t need to be flashy. All you need is a thoughtful reel, Jeff Goldblum and a piano, it turns out. He played “As Time Goes By.”
Warwick Davis “keeps it short,” and sincere
Warwick Davis joked that he’d keep his BAFTA Fellowship acceptance speech “short,” telling the audience that it’s OK, they can laugh. “This is probably the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I’ve been in ‘Star Wars,’” he said. Davis also got emotional, speaking about his wife who died last year.
“She was always so supportive of my career, encouraging me to grab every opportunity with both hands,” he said. “Since then, life has been pretty tough for me. Thanks to the support of our wonderful children, I’ve been able to continue working and engaging in life.”
Mikey Madison gets her moment
Moore has been sweeping many of the best actress prizes, but “Anora” star Madison got a great, big moment and win. Though she said she didn't expect it, and said she should have “listened to my publicist and written a speech,” Madison gave a notably thoughtful speech, paying tribute to her director, producer, co-stars, mother (her favorite scene partner) and the sex worker community.
“I just want to say: I see you. You deserve respect and human decency,” she said. “I will always be a friend and an ally, and I implore others to do the same.”
Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press
