By Nick M

The next time you fail a quiz or test, take heart. The biggest mistake in 89 years happened at the 2017 Oscars on Sunday, February 26 when the wrong film was announced as Best Picture.

When the award for Best Picture was being announced by presenters Warren Beatty and Faye Duanway, they were unaware that they had the wrong envelope. Beatty opened up the envelope and later told reporters, “I was genuinely confused, I was not trying to be funny.” “You’re awful!” Dunaway said while on stage, seemingly thinking her co-presenter was trying for a laugh. Beatty handed her the envelope and Dunaway promptly announced “La La Land!”

The musical film’s cast and crew gathered onstage and producer Fred Berger was midway through his speech when the mistake became clear. “We lost, by the way,” Berger said, as the confusion onstage mounted. Jordan Horowitz, another La La Land producer, then took the mic to clarify. “This is not a joke,” he said “Moonlight has won best picture. Moonlight. Best Picture.” Horowitz was later recognized online for handling the situation with dignity.

It’s now emerged that Beatty was handed the wrong envelope, one that read “Emma Stone, La La Land.” Stone had just been announced as the “Actress in a Leading Role” winner. “When La La Land exited backstage after the award before and handed back the envelope it must’ve just in return got handed right back” said Dawn Hudson, CEO of Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

This was a shock for all, including local viewers. “I’ve been watching the Oscars for many years and was shocked to see a blunder like that,”  Dustin Allen, Walled Lake Central alumnus, said.
Oscars host Jimmy Kimmel tried to lighten the mood with a joke as the cast of Moonlight made their way to the stage. “I would like to see you get an Oscar anyway, why can’t we give out a whole bunch of them,” Kimmel said to the La La Land team. Beatty then returned to the stage and explained the envelope debacle. “I knew there was a problem when Beatty opened up the envelope and looked at Faye the way he did,” said senior Sydni Mazer.