Host Jimmy Kimmel doesn't hold back in Oscars monologue

Host Jimmy Kimmel at the 90th Academy Awards. Lucas Jackson / Reuters

Jimmy Kimmel got the 90th Academy Awards under way with an opening monologue that mixed Harvey Weinstein punchlines with earnest comments about reforming gender equality in Hollywood.

At the Dolby Theatre ceremony on Sunday, Kimmel — returning to the scene of the flub — dove straight into material about last year's infamous best-picture mistake.

"I do want to mention, this year, when you hear your name called, don't get up right away," said Kimmel. "Give us a minute."

But while Kimmel spent a few moments on the fiasco known as Envelopegate, he expended far more minutes frankly and soberly discussing the parade of sexual harassment allegations that have coursed through the movie business in the wake of the revelations regarding Weinstein. He also spoke straightforwardly about the industry's poor record for female directors and equal pay.

"We can't let bad behavior slide anymore," said Kimmel. "The world is watching us."

Kimmel called the show "a night for positivity."

"I remember a time when the major studios didn't believe a woman or a minority could open a super hero movie — and the reason I remember that time is because it was March of last year," said Kimmel.

The night's acting honours are considered fairly locked for nominees, and the first award of the evening — as expected — went to Sam Rockwell for his supporting performance as a dimwitted and racist police officer in Martin McDonagh's darkly comic revenge drama Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.

Raising the award, the veteran character actor — celebrating his first Oscar — shouted: "For my buddy, Phil Hoffman."

Kimmel, with stopwatch in hand, also emphasised keeping acceptance speeches short. He promised the shortest speech would win a Jet Ski. Go long, and winners might get Lakeith Stansfield screaming "Get out!" as the actor briefly reprised his character from the Oscar-nominated Get Out on stage.

Early wins went to makeup that adorned Gary Oldman's Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour and period costume design of Phantom Thread.

Best documentary went to Netflix's Icarus, Bryan Fogel's investigation into doping in sports, aided by the assistance of Grigory Rodchenkov, the head of the Russian anti-doping laboratory. Fogel dedicated the award to Rodchenkov, "our fearless whistleblower who now lives in great danger."

"At least now we know Putin didn't rig this election," said Kimmel after the Icarus win.

The ceremony is the crescendo of one of Hollywood's most tumultuous awards seasons ever — one that saw cascading allegations of sexual harassment topple movie moguls, upended Oscar campaigns and new movements launched to improve gender equality throughout the industry.

No Golden Globes-style fashion protest was held by organisers of Time's Up, the initiative begun by several hundred prominent women in entertainment to combat sexual harassment. Their goals go beyond red carpets, organisers said in the lead-up to the Oscars. "We did the dress code thing and now we're doing the work," said #MeToo founder Tarana Burke on the red carpet.

Yet the #MeToo movement is sure to have a prominent place in the awards. Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird) is just the fifth woman nominated for best director. Rachel Morrison Mudbound is the first woman nominated for best cinematography. Ashley Judd, the first big-name actress to go on the record with allegations of sexual misconduct against Harvey Weinstein, is among the scheduled presenters.

Before he was tossed out of the film academy after a storm of sexual harassment and sexual abuse allegations, Weinstein was for the last two decades the grand poobah of the Oscars. By one study's findings, Weinstein was thanked more often than God in acceptance speeches.

The parade of sexual harassment allegations has made the normal superficial red carpet a place of sometimes more serious discussion than attire. Scrutiny was falling on Sunday on E! host Ryan Seacrest after his former stylist, Suzie Hardy, alleged sexual harassment against the red-carpet regular. Seacrest has denied it and E! has supported him. Best supporting actress Oscar nominee Mary J Blige said Seacrest is "fighting for his life right now."

It's been an unusually lengthy — and often unpredictable — awards season, already an increasingly protracted horse race begun as most of the contenders bowed at film festivals last September. The Academy Awards were moved a week later this year because of the Olympics.

While the night's other acting categories are widely expected to go to Frances McDormand (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri), Gary Oldman (Darkest Hour) and Allison Janney (I, Tonya), the long season hasn't produced a clear best-picture favorite.

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Guillermo del Toro's monster fable The Shape of Water comes in with leading 13 nominations, but many peg McDonagh's darkly comic revenge drama Three Billboards as the front-runner despite the film's divisiveness among critics. And still, many aren't counting out Jordan Peele's horror sensation Get Out or Christopher Nolan's World War II epic Dunkirk, which is expected to dominate the technical categories.

The field is made up largely of modest independent film successes except for the box-office phenomenon Get Out ($255 million worldwide after opening on Oscar weekend 2017) and Dunkirk ($255m).

This year, the academy has prohibited the PwC accountants who handle the envelopes from using cellphones or social media during the show. Neither of the PwC representatives involved in the mishap last year, Brian Cullinan or Martha Ruiz, will return to the show.

However, multiple reports say that Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway will be returning to again present best picture, a year after they announced La La Land as the winner instead of Moonlight, because Cullinan handed them the wrong envelope. The Bonnie and Clyde duo will, 12 months later, get "take two."

With just a few minutes before the show started, Kimmel and his team emerged from his dressing room chanting, "Let's get it right this time!"