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The Oscars took place Sunday night under torrential rain so heavy that it threatened to rip through the white tent sheltering the celebrity fabulousness on the red carpet. You'd be excused if you assumed this downpour to be a symbol of the sweeping cultural changes to which the Motion Picture Academy, and Hollywood in general, have failed to fully adapt. In the lead up to the award show, we wondered: Would this be another year focused on pale-as-snow slates of winners, celebrating stories that elevate the privilege of white English-speaking protagonists, narratives, settings and history?
The answer: A resounding no.
From its very earliest moments to the shocking, exultant Best Picture victory by "Parasite" -- the first foreign language film to win Best Picture and the first Korean film nominated for Best Picture, let alone win — these Oscars felt like the long-awaited arrival of an inflection point for an institution desperately in need of one.