The Oscars finally stopped checking the clock during the In Memoriam segment. For years, this specific window of the broadcast functioned as a frantic, high-speed shuffle—a literal race against the teleprompter where legendary cinematographers and character actors were reduced to three-second blips. But the 96th Academy Awards signaled a hard pivot. By bringing in heavyweights like Billy Crystal and Barbra Streisand to anchor an expanded, more deliberate tribute, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) addressed the most persistent criticism of its brand: that it had become too shallow to honor its own history.
This wasn't just about longer clips. It was a calculated structural shift to restore gravity to a ceremony that has struggled with its identity in the streaming era. When the show honors those who built the industry, it reinforces its own necessity.
The Production Gamble That Paid Off
The In Memoriam segment has long been a production nightmare. Producers usually face an impossible math problem: fitting dozens of deaths into a four-minute musical window. The result was often a "greatest hits" reel that left the audience feeling cold and the families of the deceased feeling slighted. This year, the Academy broke the mold.
By integrating live performance with a more spacious visual layout, the producers allowed the audience to actually process the loss of icons like Matthew Perry, Tina Turner, and Glenda Jackson. This wasn't merely a aesthetic choice. It was a response to the "speed-run" culture of social media. The Academy realized that if it wants to remain the "Gold Standard," it cannot move at the pace of a TikTok scroll.
The Crystal and Streisand Effect
Billy Crystal and Barbra Streisand aren't just celebrities; they are the living memory of Hollywood. Crystal, having hosted the Oscars nine times, carries a specific type of "Academy Authority." When he speaks about the loss of a peer, the room goes silent in a way it doesn't for younger presenters.
Streisand’s involvement added a layer of historical prestige that shielded the segment from being seen as "filler." Her presence is rare. Her voice carries the weight of the studio system's sunset and the rise of the New Hollywood era. By positioning these two as the emotional pillars of the segment, the Academy created a bridge between the past and the present. It turned a mandatory slideshow into a centerpiece.
Why the Expanded Format Matters for the Industry
The film industry is currently obsessed with "content" over "cinema." In this climate, the In Memoriam segment serves as a vital reminder that movies are made by people, not algorithms.
Expanding this segment serves three distinct business purposes:
- Legacy Management: It signals to current talent that their contributions will be remembered with dignity, helping maintain the "prestige" allure of working in film versus high-volume television.
- Viewer Retention: Data from previous broadcasts showed that viewers often tuned out or checked their phones during the "boring" technical awards and the tribute. By making the tribute a "star-powered" event, the Academy kept eyes on the screen.
- Historical Correction: For years, the Academy was criticized for leaving out "below-the-line" workers—the grips, the gaffers, and the editors. An expanded clock allows for a broader representation of the workforce that actually keeps Hollywood running.
The decision to feature a live orchestra and a choir alongside the screen projections wasn't just "flavor." It created a physical atmosphere in the Dolby Theatre that translated through the screen. You could feel the collective breath of the room.
The Politics of the "Snub"
No matter how long the segment is, the "snub" remains the most debated topic the morning after. The Academy’s selection committee—a group that operates with more secrecy than a papal conclave—must whittle down hundreds of deaths to a manageable list.
This year, even with the expanded time, names were missed. This highlights the inherent flaw in the system: the Oscars are a television show first and a memorial second. The tension between "honoring everyone" and "making good TV" is a gap that even Billy Crystal can't fully bridge. However, by moving the "full list" of names to a digital gallery and using the broadcast for a more "curated emotional journey," the Academy found a middle ground that feels less like a slight and more like a focused narrative.
The Technical Execution
The visual design of the tribute shifted from single-frame portraits to a more immersive, multi-layered projection system. This allowed for the inclusion of multiple names simultaneously without making the screen feel cluttered.
- Deeper focus on craft: Clips focused on the specific contributions of the deceased, showing a screenwriter’s dialogue or a costume designer’s sketch.
- Audio integration: Using original film audio rather than just a backing track gave the deceased "a final word" on the stage.
The Cultural Weight of Matthew Perry and Others
The inclusion of Matthew Perry was a moment of peak emotional resonance. While primarily known for television, his film work and his massive cultural footprint made his absence a gaping hole in the year’s narrative. The Academy handled this by placing him within a sequence that emphasized the "friends" of the industry—those who felt like family to the global audience.
This is where the expanded format truly wins. It allows for these specific emotional beats to land. If the show had rushed past Perry to get to the next category, the backlash would have been nuclear. By letting the moment breathe, the producers showed a rare bit of awareness. They knew the audience needed a beat to grieve.
The Future of the Tribute
Will this be the new standard? It has to be. The Academy is fighting for relevance in a world where the "Best Picture" often earns less at the box office than a mid-tier superhero movie. Its only remaining currency is prestige.
If the Oscars become just another awards show, they die. If they remain the "High Temple of Cinema," they survive. The In Memoriam segment is the most "human" part of that temple. By giving it to titans like Streisand and Crystal, and by refusing to rush the departed off the stage, the Academy proved it still understands the value of its own history.
Hollywood is a town built on the ghosts of those who came before. For one night, the Oscars stopped trying to be "fast and loud" and decided to be "quiet and significant." It was the smartest move they've made in a decade.
Stop treating the In Memoriam as a bathroom break and start seeing it for what it is: the heartbeat of the entire institution.
Check the Academy's digital database for the complete list of the 2024-2025 honorees who didn't make the primary broadcast.
