Hurray for 'Parasite'! And other thoughts on the Oscars I didn't see

For my entire adult life and much of my childhood I never missed an Academy Awards. As silly as it sounds, I really cared about the results. But this year, I was so offended but what felt like the systematic erasure of many of the best performances of people of color I gave up and essentially boycotted the show.

It didn't help that there was next to no suspense in many of the major categories. Brad Pitt in particular was seemingly assured a win the moment Once Upon a Time in Hollywood debuted (that said -- it's deserved, the performance is the perfect distillation of his star image). The only race that seemed up in the air was best picture, and even that seemed likely to crown the solid but also very safe WWI film 1917.

So imagine my pleasant surprise when easily one of the most accomplished, original and acclaimed films of last year -- Parasite -- actually triumphed in that category (as well as Best Director). I mean, for once, the right movie won. The Irishman and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood were more sentimental favorites of mine, and he either of those won I'd have been equally thrilled, but this victory feels very special. Not only is this the first foreign language film to win Best Picture, it's a smart, timely meditation on class that feels relevant, in the way that the impeccably made 1917 was not.

I'll also admit that I didn't want to see an undeniably very good director like Sam Mendes win a second Best Director Oscar when Scorsese only has one and Tarantino had none. I'd much rather see a rising talent like Bong Joon-ho (who will now have his pick in terms of what he does next) get the prize.

I'm happy to see Laura Dern finally win one, even if I think her performance in Marriage Story is a little one note and the movie itself didn't move me in the ways it was supposed to. I'm glad Joaquin Phoenix finally won a long overdue Best Actor Oscar for admittedly a very polarizing movie but one that will be discussed for quite some time (which I think was the intent behind it).

It's wild that a little over a decade ago, any movie with comic book origins would have been unthinkable as an Oscar movie and now we've seen two incredible actors win Academy Awards for delivering two remarkable, and wildly divergent takes on the Joker.

I'm very bummed that The Irishman was completely shut out. It was, for me, the best movie of last year -- a profound meditation on the toll a life of violence can take -- and one of Scorsese's most epic movies. I don't know what happened there. Was it bias against Netflix? Was it the constant griping about its male-centered story or its ambitious length. I know it's found a wide audience on Netflix and will likely be in the legendary director's top 10 when all is said and done, but I'm stunned that it didn't get any recognition at all.

I am also sad for Tarantino, who didn't even get his customary screenplay love this time around. That said, one of the most satisfying victories was seeing Once Upon a Time in Hollywood win for its remarkable production design. Again, these awards rarely 'get it right' and there was no movie more deserving of this trophy.

I still can't forgive the Academy Awards for completely ignoring Us, Uncut Gems, Dolemite Is My Name, Hustlers and whole host of other totally worthy movies and performances, and I don't know if I'll tune in next year. But I am pleasantly surprised that when the dust settled on this year's awards season I'm not as a bitter as I expected to be.