10 Acceptance Speeches That Will Probably Make You Cry
After tomorrow, our favorite stars can ditch the fancy garb, slip into their grungiest sweats and indulge on burgers and ice cream. This awards season will conclude tomorrow evening with the 85th Annual Academy Awards, the mother of all award ceremonies. While I don’t always agree with the Academy’s nominees and selected winners, I would never miss the show. Or any award show. The dresses! The host (Seth MacFarlane, swoon)! The elbow-rubbing of the biggest A-listers during commercial breaks! It’s all pretty magical.
The best part of any award show, though? The acceptance speeches. I can’t handle them and I can’t get enough of them. I cry so much during acceptance speeches that I probably should stop attending award show parties. I’m not a pretty crier so I’m sure the invites will stop coming very soon. There’s just something so incredibly intimate about seeing these untouchable celebs receive the ultimate praise for their work. And if they shed tears? Done. Game over. Here comes Mr. Red Face and Lady Snot Bubbles. It’s amazing. And as a fan, you feel like you’re sharing that moment with them.
So here they are, my dearest pals. These are my favorites. Some of these are funny, some are touching, some are both. All will probably make you cry. Grab your tissues and get ’em ready.
Heath Ledger Wins the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role as “The Joker” in The Dark Knight.
His family accepts the award on his behalf. He wasn’t there, but you could feel his presence. This speech is just as chilling as the performance for which he won.
Michelle Williams wins the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead in My Week With Marilyn.
The speech is incredibly sweet, and real. On her first time at the Spirit Awards, ten years prior, she says, “I wore my own clothes, which were not very good. And I cut my own hair, which was not very good. But I still remember feeling that in this room, that was O.K., possibly even preferred. And what I thought then, and I still feel now, is that it’s because this is a room full of misfits, outcasts, loners, dreamers, mumblers, delinquents, dropouts – just like me.”
Emma Thompson wins the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for Sense and Sensibility.
“Before I came, I went to visit Jane Austen’s grave in Winchester Cathedral to pay my respects and tell her about the grosses. I don’t know how she’d react to an evening like this but I do hope she knows how big she is in Uruguay.” How could you not adore her, really?
Tom Hanks wins the Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his performance in Philadelphia.
Of course Tom Hanks is on this list. He’s a young fella here, but his eloquent thank you’s and his beautiful sincerity are timeless.
Kate Winslet wins the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama for her performance in Revolutionary Road.
She’s humble and so appreciative. Also, any declaration of love between her and Leo and I’m in. Just go live happily ever after already, you two!
Lin-Manuel Miranda wins the Tony for Best Original Score for In The Heights.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eI6icWf6CB8
Unique and utterly spectacular.
Patty Duke wins the Emmy for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for My Sweet Charlie.
More heartbreaking than touching, this speech caused many in the industry to think that Patty was using drugs at the time. We learned later that she was in the throes of an undiagnosed bipolar disorder. She won this award in 1970 and wasn’t diagnosed until 1982.
Tina Fey wins the Golden Globe for Best Actress in TV Series Musical or Comedy for 30 Rock.
Tina should really win everything and each time she does, we must celebrate. Especially when she tells the trolls of internet world to “suck it.”
Roberto Benigni wins the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film for Life Is Beautiful.
I mean, this man climbed over the seats, kicked his heels up in the air, jumped up the stairs and shouted his love and appreciation for the award given to him. Does he have kids? I hope he’s procreating because we need more people like him in this world.
Mickey Rourke wins the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama for The Wrestler.
Full disclosure, I’ve never seen this film. But I will stand up and cheer for anyone who is grateful for being given a second chance. He sends some serious gratitude to his agent for believing in him. He also thanks his dogs. “Sometimes when a man is alone, that’s all you got is your dogs and they meant the world to me.”
I’m not an authority on anything, I just have a lot of feelings. These are the speeches that I have shed many-a-tear to. Which ones did I forget? Let me know in the comments.
Happy Oscar Day to you and yours.
Featured image via Telegraph
