'Moonlight' Takes Oscar for Best Picture

Trevante Rhodes plays Chiron as an adult in "Moonlight."

The druggy saga Moonlight garnered eight Academy Award noms, winning three for Best Picture, Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor Supporting Actor (Mahershala Ali).

Moonlight held off La La Land, which was favored to take Best Picture. Up until the final botched announcement by Warren Beattly and Faye Dunaway, La La Land had earned six awards, including Best Actress (Emma Stone) and Director (Damian Chazelle).

Barry Jenkins' film follows an African-American boy as he grows up in three stages. Chiron, whose mother Paula (Naomie Harris) is a crack addict, endures years of bullying and develops an affection for another man. Ali plays drug dealer Juan, who takes a paternal interest in Chiron. Harris was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her harrowing depiction.

Other CelebStoner Oscar faves included Jeff Bridges (Best Supporting Actor for Hell or High Water). Viggo Mortensen (Best Actor for Captain Fantastic), Ava DuVernay's 13th (Best Documentary) and Zootopia, which won for Best Animated Feature (it features Tommy Chong as the character Yax.)  

Check out all of the Oscar winners and nominees here.

Steve Bloom

Steve Bloom

Publisher of CelebStoner.com, former editor of High Times and Freedom Leaf and co-author of Pot Culture and Reefer Movie Madness.