If you’ve watched the Oscars, which you most likely have, you might have shed a few
tears.
I mean, it couldn’t have been just me!
The 2019 Academy Awards boasted some powerful speeches. They covered diversity,
persistence, history, and other topics that could not go unmentioned.
It’s not really about who wins, but the impact the winners have on a diversified audience—
and memorable speeches are the perfect way to deliver an inspirational message to the
world.
For us creatives, the Oscar night is not to be missed. It’s a commitment, an important one
at that. Even though our whole experience is on the couch with a massive bucket of
popcorn, we, too, are part of it all. Why? Because we’re just getting used to what one day
might be our time.
Believe it or not, every single one of the winners who has stepped on that sumptuous
stage has dreamed of their speeches long before they happened. All the while, they were
working jobs they didn't like or struggling to get there. Despite their circumstances, giving
up was not an option.
Below are some of the winner speeches (& scripts to download and read - sourced from
Script Slug) that just might revive your willpower to do amazing things!
Spike Lee
“Before the world tonight, I give praise to our ancestors who have built this country into what it is
today along with the genocide of its native people. We all connect with our ancestors. We will
have love and wisdom regained, we will regain our humanity. It will be a powerful moment. The
2020 presidential election is around the corner. Let’s all mobilize. Let’s all be on the right side of
history. Make the moral choice between love versus hate. Let’s do the right thing!
You know I had to get that in there.”
In his best adapted screenplay speech for BlacKKKlansman, Spike Lee makes an honourable
mention of his grandmother, who worked hard saving decades of social security checks to put
him through film school.
Every single one of his achievements is a product of painstaking effort and passion.
His family was never wealthy, let alone privileged—but that didn’t stop him from becoming one of
the most renowned filmmakers of our time.
The speech acknowledges years of black history and the relevance of wise presidential elections.
Lady Gaga
“If you are at home and you’re sitting on your couch and you are watching this right now, all I have
to say is that this is hard work. I worked hard for a long time, and it’s not about winning.
What it’s about, is not giving up. If you have a dream, fight for it.
There’s a discipline for passion, and it’s not about how many times you get rejected, or you fall
down, or you’re beaten up, it’s about how many
times you stand up and are brave and you keep on going.”
If there’s anyone who can teach us about persistence, this person is Lady Gaga.
The “Shallow” singer won her first Oscar for Best Original Song, after having been nominated for
Best Original Song in Hunting Ground (2015).
This woman powered through years of judgment, even from a former boyfriend, who told her she
wouldn’t ever succeed in her career. In a scene of “A Star is Born”, Ally (Lady Gaga) lets Jackson
(Bradley Cooper) know that she was told her nose was too big, and therefore she would never be a
star.
This particular line reflects one of Gaga’s real struggles.
The “Shallow” singer won her first Oscar for Best Original Song, after having been nominated for
Best Original Song in Hunting Ground (2015).
This woman powered through years of judgment, even from a former boyfriend, who told her she
wouldn’t ever succeed in her career. In a scene of “A Star is Born”, Ally (Lady Gaga) lets Jackson
(Bradley Cooper) know that she was told her nose was too big, and therefore she would never be a
star.
This particular line reflects one of Gaga’s real struggles.
Gaga clapped back at her ex-boyfriend, saying: “Someday, when we’re not together, you won’t be
able to order a cup of coffee at the f**king deli without hearing or seeing me”.
Boy, was she right!
able to order a cup of coffee at the f**king deli without hearing or seeing me”.
Boy, was she right!
Click HERE to read A Star Is Born Script!
Rami Malek
“I think about what it would’ve been like to tell little bubba Rami that one day this might happen to him, and I think his curly-haired little mind would be blown.
That kid was struggling with his identity, trying to figure himself out...and I think to anyone struggling with theirs and trying to discover their voice...listen, we made a film about a gay man, an immigrant who lived his life just unapologetically himself.
And the fact that I’m celebrating him and his story with you tonight is proof that we’re longing for stories like this.”
We could try, but we wouldn’t be able to think of a better actor to play the iconic Freddie Mercury than Rami Malek.
Son of immigrants from Egypt, Rami strove to find himself for a long time—much as Freddie, who struggled with his birth name, his sexual orientation, and his looks.
Son of immigrants from Egypt, Rami strove to find himself for a long time—much as Freddie, who struggled with his birth name, his sexual orientation, and his looks.
However, these guys did something right: they used their idiosyncrasies as their best assets. And look where it got them!
Click HERE to read the Bohemian Rhapsody script!
Olivia Colman
“And to any little girl who’s practicing their speech on the telly: you never know! (...) I used to work as a cleaner and I loved that job. I did spend quite a lot of my time imagining this.”
Olivia Colman’s speech bristled with jokes and spurts of laughter, which made it even better.
During her acceptance, she made it clear that she, too, was once a naive girl who longed for her
big Academy Award moment. In spite of working a completely unrelated job in the past, she got
an agent, Lindy King (whom she thanked during the speech) and stuck with her for over 20 years
before she starred in “The Favourite”.
She’s proof that your starting point may not be your final destination.
Click HERE to read The Favourite script!
Alfonso Cuarón
“I want to thank the Academy for recognizing a film centered around an indigenous woman, one of
the 70 million domestic workers in the world without work rights, a character that historically had
been relegated in the background in cinema. As artists, our job is to look where others don’t.
This responsibility becomes much more important in times when we are being
encouraged to look away.”
Alfonso Cuarón became the first Hispanic to win an Academy Award for best director in 2013, with
the film Gravity. With yet another win for Roma, Cuarón had another big chance to communicate an
important message: the need to represent minorities in cinema.
He didn’t look away from the harsh reality, and besides excellence, inclusion was what got him the
golden statuette.
the film Gravity. With yet another win for Roma, Cuarón had another big chance to communicate an
important message: the need to represent minorities in cinema.
He didn’t look away from the harsh reality, and besides excellence, inclusion was what got him the
golden statuette.
I hope you leave this post feeling inspired and capable of anything you set your mind to.
As a final note: keep creating and dream big. That, right there, is an infallible combination.
Laila Resende: I'm a 20-year-old freelance copywriter and a Feature Writer and Social Media Assistant at Into The Script. My insatiable passion for movies and blogging got me here. I share all of Into The Script's news on my Instagram page (@lailarsnde) and Facebook.
Post a Comment