12. Ben Affleck and Matt Damon winning Best Original Screenplay in 1997: What was so neat about Affleck and Damon giving their speech is that they were trying to remember everyone involved in the picture, as well as acknowledge family and friends, yet they still couldn't contain their excitement.
Best Bit: When Ben says, "I said to Matt, losing would suck and winning would be really scary."
11. Jamie Foxx winning Best Actor in 2004: In his speech, Foxx spent a good chunk acknowledging Ray Charles, who he won an Oscar for portraying. Not only was that part of his speech neat, but it was also humorous, yet gets very touching towards the end when he talks about his grandmother.
If you watch that part, you may cry.
Best Bit: "I want to thank my daughter, who told me before I got up here, "Don't worry Dad, you're still good".
10. Martin Scorsese winning Best Director in 2006: After finally scoring Oscar gold when he won Best Director, Martin Scorsese certainly made the most of his speech and not only acknowledged those involved in the making of The Departed, but he even mentioned his partnership with Leonardo DiCaprio and said how he would like to work with him for many more years. I thought that was pretty neat.
Best Bit: "Could you double check the envelope?"
9. Daniel Day-Lewis winning Best Actor in 1989: If Daniel Day-Lewis, were to win an Oscar for every time he gave a good speech, he would probably have more than Katharine Hepburn. The guy just knows how to give a classy, poignant, yet humorous speech, and his speech for when he won his first Oscar for My Left Foot is no exception.
Best Bit: "It seems you just provided me the makings of a hell of a weekend in Dublin". Plus, the thrilled reactions of his fellow nominees is an added bonus.
8. Robin Williams winning Best Supporting Actor in 1997: Like his film's writers Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, when acting legend Robin Williams won an Oscar for his supporting turn in Good Will Hunting, he tried to thank as much people involved in the film while struggling to contain his excitement. He is always funny to watch and when accepting his sole Oscar win, he certainly makes the most of it.
Best Bit: "Thanks to my father, who when I told him I wanted to be an actor, said "Wonderful, just have a back-up profession like welding".
7. Denzel Washington winning Best Actor in 2001: Much like Daniel Day-Lewis, Denzel is a man who knows how to give a great speech. Not only did he acknowledge those involved in the film, as well as his family and such, but he even managed to mention Sidney Poitier who won an honorary Oscar the same night.
Best Bit: "Two birds, one night, huh? For 30 years, I've been chasing Sidney and what do they do? They give him an Oscar the same night. I'll always be chasing you, Sidney."
6. Holly Hunter winning Best Actress in 1993: Very humbled by her Oscar win, Holly Hunter not only thanks those involved in the making of The Piano, but describes the experience of making it, as well as a personal life story that pertains to the film, when she talks about how she always played the piano when she was young and even thanked her first piano teacher.
Best Bit: "Thank you for giving me a character and an experience that was so difficult to say goodbye to, except I don't have to say goodbye because it's everybody's now."
5. Frances McDormand winning Best Actress in 1996: McDormand starts off her speech by classily acknowledging her fellow nominees and as it progressed, she didn't waste any time by giving an invisible list of people to thank and just mentioned a fare few. Not to put any past winners who have ever done this down, but it's better to not just list a bunch of people to thank.
Best Bit: "Thank you to Ethan Coen, who made an actor of me. Thank you to the writer Joel Coen who has helped make a woman of me, and our son and our moon Mr. Pedro McDormand Coen, who has made a real mother of me."
4. Cate Blanchett winning Best Supporting Actress in 2004: Since Blanchett won an Oscar for her portrayal of Katharine Hepburn in The Aviator, she spent a lot of her speech talking about Katharine Hepburn, yet still kept her speech short and sweet. It was genuine, humorous, and to the point.
Best Bit: "Thank you to Martin Scorsese. I hope my son will marry your daughter."
3. Kathy Bates winning Best Actress in 1990: Much like Cate Blanchett, Kathy Bates kept her speech pretty brief when she won Best Actress for her frightening turn in Misery. She managed to acknowledge Stephen King for creating the character she won for portraying, the cast and crew, and added a humorous touch while she gets a little touching towards the end with the way she mentions her father.
Best Bit: "I'd like to thank Jimmy Caan, and apologize publicly for the ankles."
2. Joe Pesci winning Best Supporting Actor in 1990: Speaking of brief, most speeches don't get as brief as Joe Pesci's when he won Best Supporting Actor for his role in Goodfellas. Just watch.
Best Bit: The whole speech.
1. Steven Soderbergh winning Best Director in 2000: Out of all the various speeches I've watched, Steven Soderbergh's when he won Best Director for Traffic is hands down the best for a few reasons. One is that he starts it off with a humorous line, then rather than just thank those involved in the making of the picture, thanks anyone that takes a part of their day to create art, no matter what form it is. Watch for yourself.
Best Bit: "I want to thank anyone who spends part of their day creating. I don't care if it's a book, a film, a poem, a piece of theater, a piece of music, a dance. Anybody who spends part of their day creating art."
So, those are my picks for the top 12 best Oscar acceptance speeches, that are part of my Oscar coverage from now until March 2nd. Thanks for reading!
No comments:
Post a Comment