Its usually a room full of self-important people patting each other and themselves on the back for being so important. Stuffy, rigid and far from entertaining. This list focuses however on some of the moments that have helped to show the Academy in a positive light. Whether it be laughing along with a top notch host or laughing at a host who is rather less impressive, being inspired by a speech or seeing a long time favourite finally pick up his or her statuette the following is a countdown of the ten greatest Oscar moments.
10.) Stanley Kubrick Tribute At The 1999 Academy Awards
"He died before he could witness the century that he had already made famous with 2001: A Space Odyssey." A touching sentiment delivered by Steven Spielberg who introduced the Stanley Kubrick tribute that aired at the 1999 Academy Awards. And a fine tribute it was highlighting the visual delights of one of the most important film-makers of the past century. Watching it now though it does make you wonder how films such as 2001, The Shining, Paths of Glory and A Clockwork Orange were so unrecognised in their own time. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1cY5ociBsQ
9.) Ellen DeGeneres Opening Monologue
Because her talk show is so over the top and celebrity crazed I don't think people give Ellen Degeneres enough credit for being a very engaging and talented comedian. As host she cut a fantastic opening monologue in which she spoke about always wanting to host the Oscars and instead of turning this into a sickly moment instead led it towards an unexpected and hilarious pay-off:
"I've always dreamed about hosting the Oscars whereas most people dream about winning Oscars so I guess that's a message to you kids out there. Aim lower."
8.) Harold Russell's Oscar
Art imitated life in William Wyler's Best Picture winning drama The Best Years of Our Lives with real war veteran Harold Russell playing the role of a wounded solider returning home. Russell had lost both arms in combat and so when he was announced as the Best Supporting Oscar winner and received a thunderous ovation that was as much a validation for his war efforts as it was for his performance and the moment brought tears to both his eyes and many others amongst the proud audience. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Udz6GD43mE
7.) Billy Crystal Sings About All The Best Picture Nominees
I'm not the world's biggest Billy Crystal fan, in fact forget the world's biggest, I'm barely a fan at all yet I had to admire the craftsmanship on display as he sung about the nominated films of 1996. It was funny, well performed and expertly timed and something a bit different that thankfully didn't fit in with the usual Academy stuffiness. Besides on a night when The English Patient dominated the awards most people probably needed something to smile about. Embedding has been disabled but you can see the youtube vid,
HERE.
6.) Tom Hanks Acceptance Speech for Philadelphia
When most excitable actors and actresses take to the stage to pick up their first and I'm sure in their own minds only Oscar, they usually cut an unbalanced speech which ranges from being sincere and heart-felt to high pitched and borderline crazy. It's like they are trying to stay cool but keep thinking back to the thirteen year old that practised in front the mirror and they lot those emotions get the better of them. Full credit then to Tom Hanks who delivered a poetic and heart-rendering monologue for his first win in the film Philadelphia. Though a tad overbearing in its tone Hanks nonetheless used the speech as a platform to express the importance of the film's subject matter and to not just thank his fellow performers but also those who had inspired him when he was young. It felt impressively sincere. Embedding has been disabled but you can see the youtube vid,
HERE. Maybe the Academy were thinking about this performance as opposed to his hammy turn in Forrest Gump when they decided to reward the actor again the following year.
5.) David Letterman's Opening "Joke"
It was as if for a minute Rupert Pupkin had taken to the stage as David Letterman produced one of the most cringe-worthy opening jokes in Oscar history. Working at primary school level he introduced Oprah to Uma and then Uma to Oprah before asking them if either had met Keanu (Reeves.) Name-play doesn't get any more basic or embarrassing than that.
4.) Chris Rock's Bush Joke
Now from something totally unfunny to something totally hillarious as controversial comedian Chris Rock saved one of his best jokes for his stint as host of the Academy Awards with his brilliant bit about George Bush re-applying for his job "whilst in every theatre there's a movie about how much you suck at that job." He mentioned Bush losing money and starting a war and then imagined the president working at the Gap, having little money in his till and still having the balls to start a war with rival clothes brand Banana Republic. It was a fantastic down to analogy with a brilliant, edgy touch and managed to be political and true without becoming aggressive. Embedding has been disabled but you can see the vid,
HERE.
3.) Martin Scorsese Finally Wins His Oscar
In 2003 everyone thought it was his year. Gangs of New York would be the film that put an end to Scorsese's famous Oscar losing streak after previous nominations for Raging Bull, The Last Temptation of Christ, Goodfellas and Cape Fear. Producer Harvey Weinstein followed the director around like a rabbit passionately telling everyone he bumped into that Marty deserved to win. No such luck. Two years later his Howard Hawks biopic The Aviator suffered a similar fate. Was Scorsese destined to follow down the same path of directors such as Orson Welles, Stanley Kubrick and Alfred Hitchcock - men who had like Marty helped to make some of the finest movies of all time whilst ever being rewarded for Best Director. In 2007 however the Academy finally took notice and The Departed, a solid though rather forgetful picture ironically became the first Scorsese film to win Best Picture. Earlier in the night there had been a sense of inevitably when his three long-time buddies Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola came out to present the award and as soon as those men appeared on stage people in attendance and those watching at home couldn't help but smile in anticipation. Sure enough Scorsese's name was called out of the envelope and he joined the stage to embrace his proud companions. A lovely touch for a great Oscar moment that was some thirty odd years in the making. Embedding has been disabled but you can see the vid,
HERE.
2.) Hitchcock's Got Two Words For Ya
I'm sure when Alfred Hitchcock's name was called out to receive an honary award he had a few things on his mind. I'm pretty confident that he wasn't stressing over ways to thank the Academy but rather mulling over where this prestigious establishment had been when he had helped to define the very nature of cinema. Where was his award when he had been busy being one of the most tenacious, daring and gutsy directors to have ever stood behind a camera. The incredible choreography of Rear Window, the awesome technological adavancements of Vertigo, the exhilarating ground-breaking set-pieces in Psycho and the unparalleled skill to make a film set primarily in one room engrossing, visual and tense - Rope and Dial M for Murder. With this in mind, Hitchock took to the stage, expressed his gratitude with a mumbled thank-you and then simply walked off again. It was his final insult to a board which had insulted him his entire career.
1.) Russell Crowes' Classy Acceptance Speech
Short, simple, classy was the order of the day for Russell Crowe and his Oscar winning speech for Gladiator as he inspired young people to rely on courage to make their dreams come true no matter what their background or obstacles may be. He talked about how he had come from an Australian suburb to become an A-lister and he used his speech to try and inspire others to do the same. It was like he was giving a performance at the Oscars itself and in one funny moment he tilted his face slightly as if he was anticipating a close-up. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmQ8gFuVxfo So there we have it, the ten greatest Oscar Moments. Disagree or want to have your opinion heard - then please leave a comment in the box below and thank-you for reading.