Capping off a year that boasted movies as progressive as Black Panther, The Favourite and BlacKkKlansman, the Oscars took us back in time on Sunday, giving Best Picture to something straight out of 1989.

Reverse Driving Miss Daisy you know it as Green Book nabbed the top prize , and with it the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences sent a clear message about how Hollywood sees race in 2019. The film tells the story of real-life black jazz pianist Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali) through the lens of the racist white chauffeur (Viggo Mortensen) in his employ, treating the latter as a hero because he overcomes his bigotry. Its a clichd, insulting conceit that dupes audiences into feeling good when the white character extends mild graciousness.

A Green Book win is proof positive that popular culture has only improved so much on matters of race since Crash won Best Picture in 2006.

The categorys preferential balloting system ensures the trophy goes to a movie that hits a consensus spot among voters. The winner therefore stands in as a median representation of the academys taste, providing a snapshot of how Hollywood views itself. This year, it turns out people were most comfortable handing the industrys highest honor to a movie that places its black character in the backseat, literally and figuratively.