Academy Awards

Something I consider very interesting and relevant in the United States is the Academy Awards.

In this post, I’ll explain a little its history, and taking into consideration that this blog is dedicated to the language of The United States, I’ll talk about some memorable Acceptance speeches that actors, actresses, directors… have made along the history.

The first Academy Awards ceremony took place out of the public eye during an Academy banquet at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. Two hundred seventy people attended the May 16, 1929 dinner in the hotel's Blossom Room; guest tickets cost $5.

The Academy used a system which consisted of keeping the results in secret but giving a list in advance to newspapers for publication at 11 p.m. on the night of the Awards. This policy continued until 1940 when the Los Angeles Times published the names of the winners in its evening edition. This prompted the Academy in 1941 to adopt the sealed-envelope system still in use today.

The event moved from banquet room to a theater venue in 1942, held at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. Today, the Oscar Ceremony is held at the Hollywood and Highland Center®.

In 1953, the first televised Oscar ceremony occurred. Broadcasting in color began in 1966, affording home viewers a chance to fully experience the dazzling allure of the event. Since 1969, the Oscar show has been broadcast internationally, now reaching movie fans in over 200 countries.

And now, I’ll show you the memorable Acceptance speeches mentioned above.

One of the speeches which draws my attention is the Gwyneth Paltrow’s speech, for winning the best actress statuette for Shakespeare in love. What is remembered is her simpering acceptance speech, a performance so self-indulgently lachrymose that the phrase ‘to do a Gwyneth’ has entered the language as a generic description for anyone who loses of sense of emotional proportion the moment the step up to accept an award.

Here it's the video:

Another memorable Acceptance Speech is the Marlon Brando’s speech. At the 45th annual Academy Awards show he boycotted the ceremony and sent American Indian Rights activist, Sacheen Littlefeather, in his stead. When Brando’s name was called as winner of the coveted Best Actor award, Littlefeather took to the stage dressed in traditional Apache clothing, refused the proffered Oscar trophy with a polite wave of her hand, and read a brief statement explaining that Brando would not accept the award in order to protest the manner in which Native Americans were portrayed in the entertainment industry.

Here’s the video: 

Another curious Acceptance speech was the Adrien Brody’s speech. Accepting the award at age 29, his acceptance speech was filled with youthful exuberance. As Brody bounded onto the podium he took presenter Halle Berry in his arms, tilted her back and planted a passionate Hollywood kiss on her lips. 

And finally, the acceptance speech made by James Cameron, in which he says ‘’I’m the king of the world’’, imitating Leonardo Di Caprio in the movie ‘Titanic’.

Source:

 http://oscar.go.com/about-the-show