Apple TV+ film ‘CODA’ triumphs at Oscars 2022

Deaf family drama 'CODA' won best picture honors at the Oscars Sunday, the first ever triumph for a streamer, in a ceremony that was overshadowed by best actor-winner Will Smith striking comedian Chris Rock on stage for making a joke about his wife.

Tinseltown’s biggest night began with a performance by pop megastar Beyonce, and touched on politics with a moment of silence over the Ukraine crisis.

But before the final awards were handed out, the shocking Smith-Rock altercation went viral, and changed the mood of the night.

“CODA”, a feel-good indie drama starring deaf actors in lead roles, had been presumed a longshot for Hollywood’s biggest prize until very recently, but pulled off a remarkable late surge to emerge triumphant.

The film bagged the historic prize for Apple TV+, a relative newcomer in a streaming market dominated by rivals like Netflix.

“Thank you to the Academy for letting our ‘CODA’ make history tonight,” said producer Philippe Rousselet.

Taking its title from the acronym for child of deaf adult, the movie also won for best adapted screenplay, and best supporting actor for Troy Kotsur, who plays the father of a teenage girl who can hear and wants to pursue a career in music.

Kotsur dedicated his golden statuette to the deaf and disabled communities.

“This is our moment,” he said.

Jessica Chastain won best actress for “The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” in which she played a real-life televangelist who became an unlikely champion for the LGBTQ community.

“We’re faced with discriminatory and bigoted legislation that is sweeping our country... in times like this, I think of Tammy and I’m inspired by her radical acts of love,” she said.

But Hollywood’s biggest night was dominated by a shocking moment in which Smith — who won best actor for his work on “King Richard” — slapped Rock on stage, before returning to his seat alongside his wife Jada Pinkett Smith and shouting profanities.

“Keep my wife’s name out of your mouth,” yelled Smith, forcing the producers to bleep out several seconds of audio from the televised broadcast in the United States.

Rock, presenting the best documentary prize, had compared Jada’s tightly cropped hair to Demi Moore’s appearance in the film “G.I. Jane.” Jada suffers from alopecia, a condition causing hair loss.

The moment left stunned viewers questioning if it had been scripted or genuine.

But when he returned to the stage to accept his award, a tearful Smith lamented “people disrespecting you” in Hollywood, and apologized to the Academy “and all my fellow nominees.”

Smith, who plays the father of tennis greats Serena and Venus Williams in “King Richard,” added: “Art imitates life. I look like the crazy father, just like they said about Richard Williams.”

Until recently it had appeared that dark, psychological Western “The Power of the Dog” was fated to earn Netflix its much-coveted first best picture statuette.

As it turned out, the film won only best director for Jane Campion.

She is only the third woman to do so in Oscars history, just a year after Chloe Zhao became the second (“Nomadland”). Kathryn Bigelow was the first for “The Hurt Locker.”

Kenneth Branagh’s childhood-inspired “Belfast” — another presumed best picture frontrunner — triumphed for best original screenplay.

Ariana DeBose won best supporting actress for playing Anita in “West Side Story,” and Disney’s “Encanto” was named best animated feature.

DeBose, who first made her name on Broadway, celebrated her historic win for “an openly queer woman of color, an Afro-Latina.”

Yvett Merino, producer of Colombia-set “Encanto,” said she was “so proud to be a part of a film that put beautiful, diverse characters in front and center.”

“Summer of Soul” won best documentary for musician Questlove’s first movie about the huge “Black Woodstock” festival that took place in 1969 Harlem.

Several attendees wore blue ribbons reading #WithRefugees.