The mood inside the Dolby Theatre was polite but distracted.
“La La Land” was poised to take the best picture Oscar — after months of major awards, a coronation more than a piece of news. Nominees from the musical seated in the back of the theater swept to the front during a commercial break, poised to join the filmmakers and stars on stage. Everyone else began checking their phones — consulting the babysitter or their schedule of post-show parties.
But backstage, something wasn’t right. As producers Michael De Luca and Jennifer Todd followed on their monitors, celebratory champagne glasses stacked nearby, a stagehand arrived from the curtains leading to the stage wearing a pained look. “Oh my God,” she said. “[Presenter Warren Beatty] got the wrong envelope.”
In the botched handoff heard around the world, Brian Cullinan, the PricewaterhouseCoopers accountant who had given the actor the card, had messed up. Instead of passing Beatty an envelope with the correct winner of “Moonlight,” he gave him a duplicate of the card naming Emma Stone lead actress winner — just several minutes after Tweeting a selfie with her.
FULL COVERAGE: Oscars 2017 updates
The scene that played out Sunday night in various parts of the Dolby — an operation that normally makes a Swiss watch look like a kitchen clock — illustrates the underlying tenuousness of the Oscars process, relying not on computers but accountants, not on digitalization but a few pieces of paper crammed into an envelope.
And it demonstrated how, for all the tuxedos and glitz, the layer that separates the champagne-sipping glamour from canceled-flight chaos is thinner than casual viewers might assume.
Questions of responsibility were still being sorted through on Monday, although PwC quickly took the onus of blame from Beatty, his co-presenter Faye Dunaway and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. But the Oscars blunder — the most high-profile in its 89-year history — took no time reverberating through the Dolby compound, laying bare the ego, the sportsmanship and the humanity that can permeate Hollywood, sometimes all at once.
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Mahershala Ali comes backstage after winning the Oscar for supporting actor at the 89th Academy Awards. He won for his performance as Juan, a drug dealer who cares for a bullied boy.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 2/55
Mahershala Ali accepts his supporting actor Oscar for his performance in “Moonlight.”
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 3/55
Alicia Vikander backstage at the 89th Academy Awards.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 4/55
A PricewaterhouseCoopers accountant stands backstage with red award envelopes to hand out at the Academy Awards.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 5/55
Mahershala Ali is congratulated by Alicia Vikander backstage after winning the Oscar for supporting actor.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 6/55
Emma Stone is seen from backstage as she accepts the lead actress Oscar for her work as aspiring actress Mia in “La La Land.”
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 7/55
Emma Stone rises to accept the Oscar for lead actress.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 8/55
Oscar lead actress winner Emma Stone embraces Brie Larson, the previous year’s winner in the same category, backstage.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 9/55
Lead acting winners Emma Stone (“La La Land”) and Casey Affleck (“Manchester by the Sea”) hug backstage.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 10/55
Leonardo DiCaprio, the previous year’s winner for lead actor, walks newly minted Oscar winner Emma Stone backstage.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 11/55
“Moonlight” writer-director Barry Jenkins takes the stage with Tarell Alvin McCraney (white tuxedo) just behind him to accept the adapted screenplay Oscar.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 12/55
Barry Jenkins, seen from backstage, accepts the adapted screenplay Oscar.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 13/55
“Moonlight” actors Ashton Sanders, left, and Jharrel Jerome embrace backstage after the dramatic final moments of the 89th Academy Awards ceremony, in which “La La Land” was incorrectly announced as the best picture winner before the award went to “Moonlight.”
For the Record, Feb. 28, 2:52 p.m.: An earlier version of this caption misidentified Sanders as Andre Holland and Jharrel Jerome as Sanders.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 14/55
“Moonlight” actors Andre Holland, left, and Ashton Sanders react backstage to their film’s best picture win.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 15/55
“Moonlight” actors Trevante Rhodes, center, and Jharrel Jerome, right, react backstage after their film’s best picture win.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 16/55
“Moonlight” actor Mahershala Ali and “La La Land” actor Ryan Gosling interact backstage after the former’s film won best picture despite the initial announcement that the latter’s had.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 17/55
Writer Tarell Alvin McCraney and writer-director Barry Jenkins celebrate their adapted screeplay win for “Moonlight.”
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 18/55
Supporting actor winner Mahershala Ali, who received the evening’s first award, is congratulated backstage by Justin Timberlake, who opened the show by singing the nominated original song “Can’t Stop the Feeling,” which he co-wrote for “Trolls.”
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 19/55
Janelle Monáe, who acted in two of the year’s best picture nominees -- “Hidden Figures” and the winning “Moonlight” -- is seen backstage.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 20/55
Octavia Spencer, a supporting actress nominee for “Hidden Figures,” is seen backstage.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 21/55
“Hidden Figures” stars Janelle Monáe, standing from left, Taraji P. Henson and Octavia Spencer hang out backstage with trailblazing former NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson. Henson played Johnson in the film.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 22/55
Viola Davis approaches the stage to accept the supporting actress Oscar for her performance in “Fences.”
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 23/55
Viola Davis gives a memorable speech after winning the supporting actress Oscar for her performance in “Fences” as Rose, a wife whose husband betrays her trust.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 24/55
Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux are seen backstage.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 25/55
Auli’i Cravalho, who voiced the title heroine of “Moana” and performed the original song nominee “How Far I’ll Go” during the ceremony, is seen backstage.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 26/55
Shirley MacLaine backstage at the 89th Academy Awards.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 27/55
Dakota Johnson backstage at the 89th Academy Awards.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 28/55
Viola Davis backstage after winning the supporting actress Oscar.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 29/55
Charlize Theron backstage at the 89th Academy Awards.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 30/55
Chrissy Teigen and John Legend backstage at the 89th Academy Awards. Chart-topping musician Legend, who played a band’s frontman in “La La Land,” performed both of the film’s original song nominees, “City of Stars” and “Audition (The Fools Who Dream),” during the ceremony.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 31/55
Jennifer Aniston, left, Nicole Kidman, and Keith Urban backstage at the 89th Academy Awards.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 32/55
Warren Beatty backstage at the 89th Academy Awards.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 33/55
Presenter Faye Dunaway (in white) backstage at the 89th Academy Awards.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 34/55
“Manchester by the Sea” writer-director Kenneth Lonergan, center, accepts the Oscar for original screenplay from Matt Damon, left, and Ben Affleck, who were presenting the award 20 years after winning it for writing “Good Will Hunting.”
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 35/55
“Manchester by the Sea” writer-director Kenneth Lonergan approaches the stage to accept his original screenplay Oscar.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 36/55
Ben Affleck, left, Kenneth Lonergan and Matt Damon head backstage after Lonergan’s win.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 37/55
Presenters Matt Damon, left, and Ben Affleck backstage at the 89th Academy Awards.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 38/55
Presenter Scarlett Johansson backstage at the 89th Academy Awards.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 39/55
Co-lyricist Justin Paul, left, and composer Justin Hurwitz head backstage after winning the original song Oscar for “City of Stars,” which they wrote with co-lyricist Benj Pasek for “La La Land.”
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 40/55
“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” actors Felicity Jones, center, and Riz Ahmed backstage at the 89th Academy Awards.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 41/55
Charlize Theron, left, Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban backstage at the 89th Academy Awards.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 42/55
Mel Gibson and Vince Vaughn backstage at the 89th Academy Awards.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 43/55
Felicity Jones and Riz Ahmed talk to Samuel L. Jackson backstage at the 89th Academy Awards.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 44/55
Amy Adams backstage at the 89th Academy Awards.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 45/55
The star-studded crowd at the Oscars reacts in shock when “Moonlight” is revealed as the best picture winner after “La La Land” was initially announced as the award’s recipient.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 46/55
The audience is stunned after it’s announced that “La La Land” was erroneously named the best picture winner instead of “Moonlight.”
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 47/55
“Moonlight” writer-director Barry Jenkins reacts after being handed the best picture Oscar for his film following the initial, incorrect announcement that “La La Land” had won.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 48/55
“La La Land” producer Fred Berger congratulates “Moonlight” actor Mahershala Ali onstage. Representatives from both films crowded the stage after the erroneous announcement that “La La Land” had won was corrected.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 49/55
The star-studded crowd at the Oscars reacts in shock when “Moonlight” is revealed as the best picture winner.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 50/55
“Moonlight” actors Ashton Sanders, left, and Trevante Rhodes celebrate backstage at the 89th Academy Awards.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 51/55
The star-studded crowd at the Oscars reacts in shock when “Moonlight” is revealed as the best picture winner.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 52/55
The star-studded crowd at the Oscars reacts in shock when “Moonlight” is revealed as the best picture winner.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 53/55
The star-studded audience in the Dolby Theatre reacts to the corrected announcement that “Moonlight” had won best picture, not the previously declared “La Land Land.” Producers from “La La Land” were making acceptance speeches when they received the news.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 54/55
“La La Land” producer Jordan Horowitz is seen from backstage at the 89th Academy Awards. He delivered a best picture acceptance speech before being notified of the mix-up and relaying news to the audience that “Moonlight” had in fact won.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 55/55
Oscar statuettes backstage at the 89th Academy Awards.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) After producers from “La La Land” gave an acceptance speech for a movie that didn’t win, and those who seemed to lose staggered onto the stage as victors, the room erupted in chaos; it quieted only as Beatty took the microphone again to try to explain what happened. A moment later, as the agents, producers and other well-heeled insiders spilled chatteringly out of the theater, a dazed man stood in the aisle. He held an Oscar and seemed unsure of where to go.
It was “La La Land” cinematographer Linus Sandgren. “I don’t understand what happened,” he said. “Did we lose?”
In the wings, people were trying to figure out just what had occurred.
Beatty, clearly shaken after he and Dunaway had presided over the wrong winner, disappeared down a hallway. “La La Land” co-star John Legend walked by, shaking his head. Host Jimmy Kimmel, fresh off his appearance onstage to self-deprecatingly close the show, came in and stood next to De Luca. “Thanks for covering, man,” the producer said. “Yeah, but no one is going to remember that now,” Kimmel said.
Casts and producers of both films, oddly commingling as they left the stage together, wandered past. Kimmel went to his dressing room. De Luca left the wings and walked through the hall toward his dressing room, which was across the hall from Kimmel’s. A man hugged him and asked if everything was OK. De Luca said: “It’s OK for some but not OK for others. It’s not OK for the academy. But it was great live television.”
Moments later, Kimmel emerged from his dressing room preparing to head to the Governors Ball, the post-Oscar bash at a sprawling event space atop the Dolby. He stopped and explained that he had been about to go onstage and reprise his long-running bit about Matt Damon, this one involving a doughnut. Then he saw chaos had broken out.
“There was a lot of nuttiness. It was kind of like a dispute over a boxing match. You didn’t know who won,” he recalled. “‘I think I have to go on stage,’ because otherwise our stage manager Gary [Natoli] was going to have to finesse it.”
Not far away in the Dolby lobby, the most veteran of the “La La” producers, Marc Platt, was trying to process his own thoughts.
The theater-film hyphenate had been through something, well, slightly similar before: Heavily favored with “Wicked” to win the Tony for best musical in 2004, he lost to upstart “Avenue Q.” In fact, a monitor at Radio City Music Hall had briefly flashed his show’s name. “Here we go again,” he thought.
As sympathizers approached Platt outside the Dolby, though, he tried to keep perspective “Experience prepares you,” he later recalled. “I held an Oscar for two minutes, 43 seconds, and gave it back. It’s a big bummer — you feel stung by a bee — but you come out the other side.” He sought to convey that perspective to younger “La La” filmmakers.
Not all seemed as willing to accept it, at least in public. In the news-conference room at the adjoining Loews Hollywood Hotel, Damien Chazelle, who directed “La La” and had just become the youngest director winner in Oscar history, was a no-show, as he was at many post-Oscars events later in the evening.
That left Stone to face the media music. “Whoo, did you guys see that?” she asked reporters in the press room. “I was on such a buzzy plane backstage that I already felt like I was on another planet.”
She raised a question: “I also was holding my best actress in a leading role card, so I’m not sure what that was. Whatever story you’re hearing.” It was taken by some as the suggestion of a conspiracy theory. But she said she “loved” “Moonlight” and, in any event, at that moment she clearly didn’t know the Oscars’ system — duplicate envelopes held by Cullinan and colleague Martha Ruiz, both as a redundancy and to allow presenters to be handed them from either side of the stage. “Is that the craziest Oscar moment of all time? Cool, we made history. Craziest moment,“ Stone said.
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Emma Stone with her Oscar for lead actress for “La La Land.”
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 2/14
Casey Affleck with his Oscar for lead actor for “Manchester by the Sea.”
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 3/14
Tarell Alvin McCraney, left, and Barry Jenkins won the Oscar for adapted screenplay for “Moonlight.”
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 4/14
“Fences” star Viola Davis hoists her award for supporting actress backstage in the photo room at the 89th Academy Awards on Feb. 26 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 5/14
Mahershala Ali won the Oscar for supporting actor for “Moonlight.”
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 6/14
Kenneth Lonergan won original screenplay for “Manchester by the Sea.”
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 7/14
Linus Sandgren won the Oscar for cinematography for “La La Land.”
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 8/14
Joanna Natasegara and Orlando Von Einsiedel won the Oscar for documentary short with “The White Helmets.”
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 9/14
Alan Barillaro, left, and Marc Sondheimer won the Oscar for animated short film for “Piper.”
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 10/14
Bryon Howard, from left, Rich Moore and Clark Spencer won the Oscar for animated feature for “Zootopia.”
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 11/14
Sylvain Bellemare with his Oscar for sound editing for “Arrival.”
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 12/14
Sylvain Bellemare with their Oscars for documentary feature for “O.J.: Made in America.”
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 13/14
Ezra Edelman and Caroline Waterlow, with presenter Katherine Johnson, who won Oscars for documentary feature for “O.J.: Made in America.”
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 14/14
Kristof Deak and Anna Udvardy won the Oscar for live-action short film for “Sing.”
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) Shortly after, the “Moonlight” crew came in, “Moonlight” director and co-writer Barry Jenkins still trying to make sense of what he saw.
“I noticed the commotion that was happening and thought something strange had occurred. I’m sure everybody saw my face,” he said. “It made a very special feeling even more special … but not in the way I expected.”
Then he and other members of his team went up to the Governors Ball too. Co-star Naomie Harris was already standing outside. “I thought it was a practical joke,” she said. An acting nominee not affiliated with either film came to the top of steps alongside her. “What the...,” the nominee mouthed in exaggerated slow-motion to a TV reporter.
Inside, Hollywood’s elite were talking, and asking questions. How did pollsters get it so wrong, especially after a year of Trump and Brexit? And how did the academy, known for its military-style efficiency at the Oscars, allow this to happen? Was it a victim of its own secrecy requirements, in which only two PwC staffers in the know meant a delay in realizing the mistake? Did Beatty and Dunaway play it right by not stopping? Or did they let appearances get in the way of accuracy?
One question seemed to prevail above the others: How would people, many of them nominees themselves, react if they were in “La La Land’s” position? “I’d like to think I’d stand up there and be very tough,” said “Arrival” executive producer Glen Basner “Then I’d go home and cry.”
Nearby, some of that vulnerability was on display, as Jenkins and “La La Land” producer Jordan Horowitz came together for the first time after their awkward stage moment. “I feel so out-of-body right now,” Horowitz said. Jenkins took out his phone and showed him a message pertaining to the envelope mix-up.
Then he snapped a selfie with Horowitz. There was a genuine feeling of affection between the men after all that had happened — two movies, a juggernaut and an upstart, forever linked in Oscar history.
“Moonlight” producer Jeremy Kleiner, who had been chatting a few feet away, turned to Horowitz. “I wish you had your moment,” Horowitz said to him.
Kleiner then gave Horowitz a deep hug. “I love ‘La La’ and I love our film,” Kleiner said to The TImes a moment later. “Our film is about empathy and breaking barriers. Maybe the symbolism of that is a rebuke to what’s been happening in our country.”
Did tonight’s circumstances give him the same feeling as winning the traditional way? “It can’t,” he said with a shrug. “How can it?”
A few feet away, Horowitz continued to process the events. “I got to speak and got to thank my wife,” he said, as much to reassure himself as the listener. “I’d like to watch it and see what happened.
“I still don’t know if I can watch it,” he added ruefully.
He paused and took a breath.
“It’s an award. It’s just an award,” he said, then repeated the statement.
Times staff writers Jeffrey Fleishman, Amy Kaufman, Tre’vell Anderson and Jessica Gelt contributed to this report.
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steve.zeitchik@latimes.com
Twitter: @ZeitchikLAT
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