It was supposed to be the most unpredictable Oscar ceremony in recent history. In this case, the juiciest mystery hanging over the film industry's biggest night was how celebrities would react to the Academy's failure to nominate a single actor of color for the second year in a row.
Attempts to raise a stink before Sunday's proceedings in Hollywood failed to gain much traction. An Al Sharpton-led protest just a few blocks away only drew about 100 people. Nominees Sylvester Stallone and Mark Ruffalo publicly contemplated skipping the event, but both showed up.
A boycott instigated by Jada Pinkett Smith was largely ignored, with Whoopi Goldberg, Common and Kevin Hart among the list of black performers handing out awards. In fact, 25 percent of the presenters were African-American — more than double the average number since 1969, according to the Washington Post. The honor of giving best picture to "Spotlight" was given to Morgan Freeman.
"I respect a lot of people who aren't here, but for me, my voice and my heart is best used at the table," presenter Kerry Washington told ABC on the red carpet. "I really want to be part of the conversation."
The most star-studded protest was nowhere near Hollywood, with "Creed" director Ryan Coogler and comedian Hannibal Buress joining residents in Flint, Mich., to draw attention to the city's tainted water supply.
However muted, the campaign still put extra pressure on the broadcast to address the issue. That it did — and then some. Chris Rock, making his second appearance as host, got the ball rolling with a 10-minute monologue dedicated almost solely to the lack of diversity at the Oscars.
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"If they nominated the host, I wouldn't even get this job," he said. "You'd all be watching Neil Patrick Harris right now."
In his most charged line, Rock joked that the show's traditional "In Memoriam" tribute would consist solely of black people who had been shot on their way to the movies. Later, Rock showed himself interviewing moviegoers at a theater in L.A.'s Compton neighborhood, where black patrons had never heard of such nominated films as "Brooklyn" and "Trumbo."
One joke that fell flat for those who don't regularly watch Fox News: An appearance by "Clueless" star Stacey Dash, who wished the audience a happy Black History Month. In January, the African-American actress angered some by arguing that Black History Month shouldn't be celebrated.
Some used the Oscar spotlight to draw attention to other issues. "Spotlight" winners spoke out for victims of childhood sexual abuse and the value of investigative journalism. Adam McKay, winner of a screenplay award for "The Big Short," urged Americans not to vote for "candidates that take money from big companies or weird billionaires." Lady Gaga got a standing ovation as she performed best-song nominee " Till It Happens to You" surrounded by victims of sexual abuse on college campuses. British pop singer Sam Smith, who defeated Gaga in that category, dedicated his award to the LGBT community.
Winner Leo DiCaprio took time in his acceptance speech to say climate change is the biggest threat to the Earth. "Let us not take this planet for granted. I do not take this night for granted."
But the theme that "Black Lives Matter" dominated the evening.
A speech by the Academy president is usually an excuse to go to the bathroom. Not this year, as Cheryl Boone Isaacs — the first African-American to hold the office — vowed that the Academy will better reflect its global audience. "Inclusion only serves to make us all stronger," she said. "It's not enough to just listen and agree. We must take action."
The telecast also showed clips from an earlier ceremony in which director Spike Lee accepted an honorary award. He remarked that it was easier for a black person to be president of the United States than the head of a movie studio.
It would have been easy for producers to exclude the swipe. That they didn't may have been the evening's boldest statement of all.
Neal Justin • 612-673-7431 Twitter: @nealjustin