- James Kunovski
My Favourite Oscar Speeches
By kicking off this year’s tribute to the Academy Awards, here a few of my favourite acceptance speeches from ceremonies past.
Miyoshi Umeki, Supporting Actress, Sayonara
for her humility in an historic moment
“Thank you to everyone who helped me and you, and you and all American people”
Rita Moreno, Supporting Actress, West Side Story
short but sweet
“I leave you with that”
Ruth Gordon, Supporting Actress, Rosemary’s Baby
perfect mix of wit and gratitude
“I can’t tell you how encouraging a thing like this is”
Beatrice Straight, Supporting Actress, Network
for breaking down why we love cinema
“It’s a great profession and we have to keep thinking [that] all the time"
Ms. Straight's total Network screen-time was five minutes and two seconds making her performance the shortest to win an Academy Award.
Visual Effects team from Jurassic Park
because actors aren’t the only funny ones
*unintelligible*
Roberto Benigni, Foreign Language Film, Life is Beautiful
for that iconic walk up to the stage
“Love is a divinity, and sometimes if you have faith, like all the divinities it can appear.”
And, once again, for that parade to the stage.
Marion Cotillard, Lead Actress, La Vie en Rose
for her honesty
“Thank you, life, thank you, love”
Olivia Colman, Lead Actress, The Favourite
because it’s Olivia Colman
Really the whole speech but especially the closing remarks... “Oh! Lady Gaga!”