Working the Weekend with Luke-Oscar Talk: Awesome Acceptance Speeches
Happy Valentine’s Day weekend everyone. I hope all of you are enjoying a nice weekend and were lucky enough not to waste your hard earned money on Fifty Shades of Grey. I know I didn’t, won’t, and wouldn’t ever make any plans to see this ridiculous flick. Seriously folks, don’t you know that you don’t have to drop forty bucks at the theater to watch something like this? You are aware that you can find movies just like this online for free, right? And from the trailer that I saw, the ones online probably have better dialogue too. But hey, if that’s what gets you going, by all means proceed.
But I’m here today to actually talk about good movies. A few weeks ago, I kicked off my Oscar series by talking about some of this year’s nominees and omissions. And just last week, I started a new fan vote that lets you make your choice for who should win each category this year. You’ve still got a week left, so take a few minutes and make your picks HERE.
I know Oscar night isn’t for everyone (check out this week’s Jack Attack Tuesday), but I’m actually a big fan. I know I shouldn’t be, as it’s really just a bunch of rich people celebrating other rich people, but hey, I guess I’m a sucker for things like this. It’s true that the big celebrities get most of the press, but it is nice to see some of the people behind the scenes get their fifteen minutes as well. I’m talking the costume designers, the set designers, the special effects team, and my personal favorite, the writers, get the recognition they so richly deserve. And while guys like me debate on who should win and who will win, the fact remains that somebody’s name eventually comes after the phrase “And the Oscar goes to….”. And this is my favorite part of awards season. People will argue forever about how this movie should have beaten that movie and this actor didn’t deserve that, but we never turn away from the speeches, even if we disagree with the outcome.
So the plan today is to just give you a few of the best acceptance speeches that I’ve seen since I’ve really started paying attention to the Oscars. But before I do that, I want to start with one that happened before I was even born. It’s perhaps the most controversial speech in Oscar history. In 1973, Marlon Brando was nominated for his work in The Godfather. But the night before the ceremony, he announced he would boycott the show due to the treatment of Native Americans in film. When his name was called the next night as the winner, young actress Sacheen Littlefeather would take his place on the podium, refuse the award, and read a statement that Brando had prepared.
JOE PESCI-GOODFELLAS
It doesn’t get much simpler than this.
JACK PALANCE-CITY SLICKERS
This might be the funniest one on my list. But hey, it’s normal for a man in his 70s to do one-armed pushups on national television in a tuxedo, right?
TOM HANKS-PHILADELPHIA
Longtime funnyman Tom Hanks shows everyone that he’s one of the best actors in the world with this performance. Seriously, if you haven’t seen this movie, you’re missing out. And his acceptance speech is almost just as good. Okay, that might be a stretch, but it’s pretty damn good.
CUBA GOODING JR.– JERRY MAGUIRE
At that time, I don’t think I’d ever seen anybody so excited to win. But just wait a couple spots and you’ll see one that might beat it. But still, this was a very good speech for a very good performance.
ROBIN WILLIAMS-GOOD WILL HUNTING
I almost didn’t put this one on here, as I don’t have much respect for people who commit suicide, but I couldn’t resist as this is one of the best performances I’ve ever seen.
BEN AFFLECK & MATT DAMON-GOOD WILL HUNTING
This was a very cool moment. At this time, these two were not the Hollywood heavyweights they are today. They were two young guys that had a dream and worked their ass off to achieve it.
ROBERTO BENIGNI-LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL
This is what the Oscars are all about. As the director, Benigni would accept the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, which is what the clip below shows you. He would also win later in the night for Best Actor and delivered another great moment by telling the audience that “I used up all my English”. Great moment here.
ANGELINA JOLIE-GIRL, INTERRUPTED
And the award for the creepiest speech on this list goes to…Mrs. Pitt. Watch your back Brad. She really, really, really likes her brother.
JULIA ROBERTS-ERIN BROCKOVICH
I don’t pretend to be the biggest fan of Julia Roberts, but I really did like her speech when she won for Erin Brockovich. And she certainly earned that Oscar. I’ve obviously never seen the final vote count, but I’m betting that was one of the biggest blowouts in Academy Awards history.
HALLE BERRY-MONSTER’S BALL
Let the tears flow, Halle. In arguably the most emotional acceptance speech on this list, this was truly an amazing moment.
ADRIEN BRODY-THE PIANIST
It’s not even the speech that people remember here, but the moments leading up to it that make this a great Oscar moment. I guess when you’ve got the chance to go for it, just go for it. And that’s what Adrien Brody did when taking the stage to accept his Oscar from presenter Halle Berry. Pimp move brother.
JAMIE FOXX-RAY
If you would have told me that Jamie Foxx was going to win an Academy Award when I was watching In Living Color in the 90s, I would have had you committed. But I’m sure glad he did, because this may be my favorite speech of all time. Just listen to the end of this speech and try not to tear up.
REESE WITHERSPOON-WALK THE LINE
This was just a very nice speech from a great performance.
MARTIN SCORSESE-THE DEPARTED
It’s a crying shame that it took so long for this to happen, but the great thing about Martin Scorsese is that he just went with it, even asking if the envelope was correct. Well deserved after a long, long wait.
DUSTIN LANCE BLACK-MILK
For most, this is a once in a lifetime moment on that stage, and the writer of Milk certainly didn’t waste his opportunity. Some might call his acceptance speech too political, but I call it fantastic.
KATE WINSLET-THE READER
Okay, she didn’t have the wait that Scorsese had, but Kate Winslet had her fair share of disappointment before finally winning for The Reader.
HEATH LEDGER-THE DARK KNIGHT
This was another one I was hesitant to put on here, but there’s no denying that this was a powerful yet tragic moment in Oscar history.
AARON SORKIN-THE SOCIAL NETWORK
I just like Aaron Sorkin and I love the movie. Deal with it.
MERYL STREEP-THE IRON LADY
It’s nearly impossible to talk about the Oscars and not mention Meryl Streep.
CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER-BEGINNERS
“Where have you been all my life?” Classic.
JENNIFER LAWRENCE-SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
Because it’s my list and she’s just so damn cute.
What’s your favorite Oscar speech? Let me know below or hit me up on Twitter @THElukenorris.
Don’t forget to cast your Oscar votes HERE. I’ll be back next week with the results and my picks for each and every category as we get geared up for Oscar night. Until next time, I leave you with this.