Green Book defeats Roma in another shocking Best Picture finish


Two years after the infamous Moonlight and La La Land switch-up, 2019's Best Picture finish was another shocker.
Green Book took home the top prize at Sunday's Oscars, winning over the heavy favorite, Roma. Although there were some who doubted Roma's chances for a variety of reasons, including the fact that no foreign-language film has ever won Best Picture let alone one from a streaming service, it was still thought to have by far the best chance of winning.
We'll never know for sure if those two factors are what set it back, but Green Book ultimately prevailed after also winning the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, despite the numerous controversies it faced over the past few months including complaints that it whitewashes history. This means that two of the most contentious Best Picture nominees of the year, Green Book and Bohemian Rhapsody, walked away from the show triumphant, with the latter scoring the most awards of any film.
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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
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