I also must acknowledge Helen Mirren for giving the best acceptance speech. Very intelligent,gracious woman
She was indeed. This was about the least self indulgent Oscar night that I can remember. Nobody took themselves too seriously.
I was extremely disappointed in Forrest Whittacker's speech but I guess he was very nervous and excited. I am thrilled for him...though I am so sorry that Peter O'Toole was nominated 8 times in his life and never won.
Amen. In both her performance and her speech, she acknowledged QEII as a strong, noble and admirable woman, when it would have been easy not to.
But for me, the emotional high point of the night was Thelma Schoomaker's speech. She won for film editing in "The Departed."
Schoomaker helped Martin Scorcese edit his student film at NYU, and they became friends. Scorcese, with help from Al Pacino, allegedly pulled every string they had to get her into the union so she should come to work for him. The details have never been revealed. She has been Scorcese's editor since "Raging Bull," and he introduced her to her husband.
Watching the cameras cut between the two of them, it was a beautiful moment between two old friends, and they were both tearing up a little. Him more than her. I didn't see anything on camera, but I'm sure when Marty won his Oscar (FINALLY!!!), Thelma was bawling.