10 Greatest Ever Oscar Shocks

7. The Moonlight Debacle

Parasite 2019
ABC & AMPAS

The Oscars ceremony is a whirlwind of moving parts, with hundreds of participants, performers, and awards recipients. As such, it is stage managed to within an inch of its life. Still, sometimes things go wrong, and they don’t go much more wrong than Faye Dunaway reading out the wrong best picture winner at the end of the 2017 ceremony.

It’s a car crash moment, as the erroneously announced cast and crew of La La Land joyously swarm the stage, only for the film’s producer to curtail the festivities. With commendable grace and restraint, he corrects the error, and Moonlight gets the gong.

A colossal and hilarious blunder which no doubt caused panic behind the scenes, the best film certainly won here, with Moonlight, a gorgeous coming of age story, far more deserving than the serviceable but safe La La Land. The Moonlight crew are delighted but too staggered for long speeches - never a bad thing.

A great night for director Barry Jenkins and co, a bitter pill for the losers, and a surefire striking off the invitations list for Faye Dunaway (and co-presenter Warren Beatty who, in handing her the fateful envelope, sells her right down the river).

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Yorkshire-based writer of screenplays, essays, and fiction. Big fan of having a laugh. Read more of my stuff @ www.twotownsover.com (if you want!)