Since her startling and provocative portrayal of Bella Baxter in Poor Things, Emma Stone has been the talk of the town. The uniquely odd film was a refreshing inclusion to this year’s crop of critically acclaimed movies.
A twist on Mary Shelley’s classic gothic horror story Frankenstein, Poor Things follows Bella after she is brought back to life with the brain of a child. The film contains the commonly used “Born Sexy Yesterday” trope, which is prevalent in many sci-fi films. In these features, women typically depend on men to show them how to behave in society since they have no context for it. This common storytelling device usually pertains to knowledge about sex as well.
But, as this is Yorgos Lanthimos, he twists this overused story to tell one of nuance, which ultimately earned Stone an Oscar for Best Actress. Of course, as with any live broadcast, things don’t always go according to plan. As Stone ascended the podium to accept the award, she was overcome with emotion due in part to something that had happened behind the scenes.
What happened to Emma Stone before her award?
In a broadcast that was mostly supportive and even-keeled, Stone’s acceptance was full of high emotion. Immediately, the actor confessed to being overwhelmed by the situation. She was among many impressive performers, one of whom was Lily Gladstone, the first ingenious woman nominated for her harrowing performance in Killers of the Flower Moon.
Stone’s emotions were only elevated by a wardrobe malfunction she confirmed happened earlier in the night. As she walked up, she mouthed: “My dress is broken,” before taking her statue. The seam at the back of her dress seemed to split down her back.
“I think it happened during ‘I’m Just Ken.’ I’m pretty sure.”
Stone’s former co-star, Ryan Gosling, performed the crowd-pleasing song from Barbie which included a karaoke-style teleprompter, encouraging everyone in the audience to sing along. Ken himself descended into the audience with a microphone and had members sing with him. It is probably a good estimate that Stone’s dress ripped at that moment. Luckily, she didn’t have to endure a broken dress for the whole night. According to People, she was saved just after she stepped off the stage.
“They sewed me back in. Right when I came back, they sewed me back in, which was wonderful.”
Poor Things was the second Best Actress win for Stone, who earned her inaugural accolade for her 2016 performance in jazz musical La La Land. Her win is the most recent in a string of successes, and the actor made sure to thank her fellow actors in the category who were just as deserving.