Movies & TV | Mar 04, 2017 06:26 AM EST

'Moonlight': This Year's Oscar Winner Is Low-Budget And Low-Winning But Highly Acclaimed

By R. Siva Kumar

This year's Best Picture award-winning Oscar movie, "Moonlight" is a low-budget work, but much critically acclaimed. Initially, it did not make any waves during the premiere. It did not even gain much winnings at the box office.

Although "Moonlight" was made with just $1.5 million, by February 26, 2017, it had won $22.1 million after gross sales in the US and Canada. In various other regions, the movie got $3.9 million, and a global gross of $26 million. It has indeed been a great point of celebration for the team, according to Movienewsguide.

Yet, after the Oscar Award, "Moonlight" is hoped to cross the boundaries and expand its winnings. Written by Tarell Alvin McCraney, the movie is based on an unpublished play titled "In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue." The cast includes Ashton Sanders, Naomie Harris, Trevante Rhodes, Andre Holland, Janelle Monae, and the Oscars Best Supporting Actor Mahershala Ali.

"Moonlight" captured everyone's attention only at the 74th Golden Globe Awards, where it received the Best Motion Picture, Drama award and got nominations for five categories. At the Oscars too it was nominated in eight categories, including the Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, and five others.

"Moonlight" is all about a lad with an identity crisis, who enriched movie history. It talks about an African-American who is focused as a child, a teenager, and an adult. Being the first film that has an all-Black cast, the film talks extensively about the LGBT issue. It is also the second-lowest grossing movie that was called the Best Picture of the year. Other firsts of the film are heart-warming. Joi McMillon is the first black woman to become a nominee for editing, along with Nat Sanders. Mahershala Ali is the first Muslim to be awarded the Oscar award.

"Moonlight" also mentions others who have loved and supported him, and were most moving in the film. As the movie has won universal acclaim in its reviews, as well as from viewers, the awards are expected to increase the earnings. The subtle, "slow-burning" film has finally received its due in an award-winning show that would usually not pick such a movie for its winnings, according to Newstalk.