The Oscars are the apex of awards season – it doesn’t get any bigger, brighter, or more memorable than that. Sure, the Golden Globes are nice, and the Screen Actors Guild award ceremony has its purpose, but for an actor/actress to add “Academy Award Winner” to their name is something different altogether. And how each person reacts to his/her win is just as momentous. Here is a look at what I consider the three best acceptance speeches in Oscar history.
Shirley Maclaine, Best Actress (1984), Terms of Endearment
Shirley Maclaine usually plays quirky characters, and she’s a bit like that in real life. Her acceptance speech in 1984 ran a little long, but it was something of a classic. She starts by saying that she’s going to cry because the Oscars have been around as long as her career. Maclaine doesn’t spend a lot of time naming off people no one cares about. Her honesty is comedic, yet she ends the speech with some intellectualism. She appealed to everyone, and anyone, with the idea that success is ours for the taking. Then, in one selfish moment, she declares “I deserve this!”
Take a look at her speech here.
Robin Williams, Best Supporting Actor (1998), Good Will Hunting
Robin Williams is hysterical, unpredictable, and sometimes nonsensical. But that’s what I love about him. When he won the Oscar for his supporting role in the film that shot Ben Affleck and Matt Damon to stardom, Williams was everything and nothing you’d expect. For once in his life, he wasn’t all over the place, yet he displayed the same humor that he’s known for. He was grateful, funny, and brief. And I think the best part was the look of pride on pal Billy Crystal’s face when Williams was announced the winner.
You can view Robin’s speech here
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Sandra Bullock, Best Actress (2010), The Blind Side
Who can forget the poeticism of Sandra’s speech last year? It’s on my list as one of the best because Sandra never fails in sincerity and humility. She, like the others above, did not rattle off every single name of the people she needed to thank. Instead, she acknowledged all of the women in the world who rise to the occasion of parenting, and she reiterated the belief that all people deserve love no matter what their background is. Her words, and the role that she played in the movie, are perhaps more symbolic because of life imitating art. Bullock was in the process of adopting a little boy of another race during the same timeframe.
Catch her speech here
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Depending on your definition of “best” as it relates to an Oscar acceptance speech, you may disagree with my conclusions above. But for me, the best speeches are those that showcase humor, universal truth, and authenticity. If the winners of the upcoming 2011 Oscars keep these traits in mind, they too may go down in history as having one of the best speeches of all time.
