The 80th Academy Awards (2007): Acceptance Speeches

Best Picture (Live)


Scott Rudin:

This is an unbelievable honor and a complete surprise. So many people have a part of this, chief among them Cormac McCarthy, who wrote a wonderful book that it was an honor to make into a movie. The three men sitting down front, Josh Brolin, Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, without them there would be no movie.

These two gentlemen [to Joel and Ethan Coen], I can't think of anybody I would rather be standing here with than the two of you. Thank you so much for this.

Everybody at Vantage and Miramax who financed the movie together. The entire team at Miramax who did a brilliant, brilliant job selling it. Thank you to all of them.

I want to thank Mark Roybal, It's a pleasure to work with him every day.

I want to thank my friend, Sydney Pollack, who taught me that with the responsibility -- with the opportunity to make movies comes the responsibility of making them good. This for him.

This is also for my partner John Barlow. Without you, honey, this would be hardware. Thank you so much. Thank you.

Best Picture (Backstage)

  • Q. Hi. You guys did very well tonight. How is Roderick Jaynes taking his loss?
  • A. We haven't talked to him. We know he's elderly and unhappy, so, probably not well.
  • Q. Hi. Guys, it's almost always the case that only a single person directs. Could you talk a bit about the dynamic of how you work together? Do you trade off particular chores or what have you? Does one emphasize one thing and one another? How do you work together?
  • A. No. We don't trade off. We've always done movies the same way, and basically we are both on all sides at all times and whoever is closest that's being asked, answers it. So there's no real division of labor, and it's very collaborative, just like the rest of movie making is, really. It's a collaborative process from top to bottom. So our collaboration is just another example of that.
  • Q. Joel and Ethan, can you talk a bit about when people talked about you being vibrant to win all these things; how do you personally relate to that and especially from your background as guys who've made interesting films, maybe not Hollywood blockbuster type film...how do you relate to the expectation and come here tonight and sit in your seat? Do you get nervous? Anxious? Come on, John.
  • A. Oh, boy. You know. Probably Joel as well, trying not to think about it. It's kind of...God. [Owe|Oh]. [Owe|Oh].
  • Q. Hi. There's been a lot of talk this year about a lot of best pictures, movies with strong themes from a lot of controversies and I'm wondering, what do you think about it and is this a special year and how do you feel and what do you think you will do?
  • A. Well, I think it was a special year in respect that I thought that, you know, it's almost like a cliche but all the movies nominated this year were really interesting to me personally and that is not always the case. And I thought all of them to me, personally, I thought were really fantastically good movies. I, in terms of sort of parsing the themes, it's not something we really do amongst ourselves or when we are doing interviews either. We adapted a novel by a great American novelist, Cormac McCarthy, and we are trying to do justice to the novel, but beyond that, we're really ones to sort of parse the themes of the material.
  • Q. Hi, guys. How gratifying is it to make a film that had some pretty bleak things which has now become such a huge critical success?
  • A. It's a serious movie, but it has big genre underpinnings, but I think it has a real beating heart, and anything like that is going to be in some respects kind of spiky and challenging, but it has been incredibly satisfying.
  • Q. Hi, Scott. Congratulations. Scott, you had so many scripts and so many films in consideration for an Oscar, and this is your first time up there accepting yourself. What does it mean to you, and how do you feel about having that award from the Academy?
  • A. It's amazing. There's nothing like it, and especially with these two guys. I'm incredibly proud, and I think it's the best movie we have been involved with. I loved it from the first minute I saw it, and I think it's a total tribute to Joel and Ethan. So it's thrilling.
  • Q. That's it. Thank you. Congratulations.

Best Actor (Live)

And that's the closest I'll ever come to getting a knighthood, so thank you.

My deepest thanks to the members of the Academy for whacking me with the handsomest bludgeon in town. I'm looking at this gorgeous thing you've given me and I'm thinking back to the first devilish whisper of an idea that came to him and everything since and it seems to me that this sprang like a golden sapling out of the mad, beautiful head of Paul Thomas Anderson.

I wish my son and my partner HW Plainview were up here with me, the mighty Dillon Freasier. So many people to thank. One amongst them would be Mrs. Plainview down there, the enchantingly optimistic, open-minded and beautiful Rebecca Miller.

I hope that all those to whom I owe and to whom I feel the deepest gratitude will forgive me if I say just simply, "Thank you, Paul."

I've been thinking a lot about fathers and sons in the course of this, and I'd like to accept this in the memory of my grandfather, Michael Balcon, my father, Cecil Day-Lewis, and my three fine boys, Gabriel, Ronan and Cashel. Thank you very much indeed. Thank you.

Best Actor (Backstage)

  • A. This is like an auction.
  • Q. Congratulations. Based on the role and the success of it, have you been offered complimentary milkshakes at restaurants and/or do you expect to now?
  • A. I'm very much looking forward to all milkshakes I can drink for the next 25 years or so, yeah.
  • Q. How are you? Firstly, congratulations, well done, mate.
  • A. Thanks.
  • Q. You've done a range of things over the years, and we see you as a fairly serious bloke from Australia. What do you do for a laugh? How do you have fun? How do you unwind after inhabiting all these characters?
  • A. Well, the great thing is that I don't have to talk about that, I can just do it. I'm not telling you.
  • Q. Why not?
  • A. Because it's none of your f... business, that's why.
  • Q. Michael, I know you want to share a few secrets.
  • A. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
  • Q. Hi, Daniel, right over here. Can you talk a little bit about what goes into your thought process in selecting a role? I know that you've been offered some other commercial roles in the past that you've turned down. Do you think that's something that you'll continue to do now or how is that with you now?
  • A. Well, in a way there is no thought process, I suppose is the easiest way to answer that. If you're thinking, you're already...you know, in some way you're already outside of it and, therefore, you can admire it from a distance and you can imagine somebody else doing it or imagine, you know, that you would like to see that thing done. But when it happens that you're drawn in spite of yourself into the orbit of another world, there is no thinking and that's I suppose... I mean, it's true that sometimes you try and kid yourself like maybe, you know, if you could change this or perhaps I'd find my way into that. But you're already gone and you can't be a part of that thing that's...that needs thought, you can only be part of that thing that needs no thought at all, I think.
  • Q. Daniel, over here. I'm going to go back to the milkshake theme. Are you aware of just how much...how this has grown, this phrase, how the Internet is full of websites that do parodies of that scene, and how Saturday Night Live just last night, did hysterical parody of you and your son in the movie? Are you aware of this?
  • A. I am completely aware of it, yeah.
  • Q. What do you think of this?
  • A. I think it's fantastic. I think it's fantastic, yeah. I mean, if people absorb something that you've done, or whatever your reasons are, it's not relevant, but that gets absorbed into the culture in such a way that people make something else...somebody can make something else out of it, that's delightful to me, I think. You know, and I come from a culture, two cultures, England and Ireland, where there's a long tradition, in fact, it's an art form, and we call it slagging in Ireland and taking a piss in England. But if you can offer up something that people will slag you for, they're always grateful for that.
  • Q. Right in front of you. And so you did something great after you won. I don't remember if you remember, you kissed George Clooney. Can you tell me what inspired that and how was that?
  • A. George Henry Clooney. Because George has been there for me. Because George is...well, apart from anything else he was the nearest fellow nominee, and I have to say, and I didn't say it at the time, that I was very proud to be included in that group of actors on this occasion. And, in fact, I think there were quite a number of actors that weren't included in the nominations this year who gave wonderful performances, Emile Hirsch and Ryan Gosling and Frank Langella, Benicio Del Toro, who is always wonderful, so...

    But also, George is just...he's just so incredibly generous, you know, and the last few weeks people have kind of mentioned things that George has been saying and about this whole circus that we're involved in. And I've always felt it was far more indicative of George's generosity as a man more than anything else. He's just a great guy. I had to kiss someone. I kissed my wife, and in the interest of parity, I kissed George.

  • Q. Right by the camera, right by the camera.
  • A. Hi.
  • Q. Two of the big films this year, both your film and No Country For Old Men, were shot in the same town in Texas.
  • A. Yes.
  • Q. How did that help inform your role and how did that inform your performance?
  • A. In absolutely no way whatsoever.
  • Q. Hi there. Just to your left. Congratulations.
  • A. Thanks.
  • Q. It's the first time in 44 years that every...all performing actors and actresses have been non U.S., and Javier Bardem was talking about there being no barriers in this profession. I'm just wondering if you can reflect on that, the fact that the four Europeans did win the main acting prizes.
  • A. I don't know what to say really. I don't know what to say except for the fact that, yes, you know, we have these beautiful things and so we're talking to you. But the roles of wonderful performances by American actors could equally as well have been recognized by nominations, some weren't recognized by the nominations. So I suppose it's a phenomenon, but I don't know if it kind of serves any purpose to focus on that really. Who do you write for?
  • Q. For Reuters.
  • A. Okay.
  • Q. Hi, Daniel. Congratulations.
  • A. Thanks. So I told you before I went in I felt like a cold British Rail sandwich.
  • Q. I was going to ask you about that. Tell me, why did you felt like a cold British Rail sandwich?
  • A. Well, you know what the sandwiches are like, right?
  • Q. Yeah, pretty edible.
  • A. Only because I feel like we've been involved, and it's been a wonderful thing. But since November we've been on the trail. You know, you make a film and you just hope beyond hope that that film may have a chance to speak for itself and, of course, that's not the way it works. You then have to kind of run a popularity contest and go on a campaign trail. And as George said, you can go around kissing babies and you're not feeling like a complete fraud. But I did feel somehow this, you know, because so many people, friends and family and people at home and so on, have expectations. I thought, well, how awful will it be to disappoint all those people? And the Academy likes surprises. There were a few surprises tonight. And I think they always get a rousing cheer. Everyone likes a nice surprise. So anyway, I felt like a sandwich.
  • Q. Daniel, I know you're from Ireland these days.
  • A. If it's a bit too much, if you'll excuse me.
  • Q. Champagne?
  • A. Well, amongst other things, yes.
  • Q. Will all the craic continue?
  • A. The craic will continue, I think. I mean, yes, it will, yes, to be honest.
  • Q. Daniel, to your left. Just to be serious for a second, you're infamous for your acting style, the way you prepare for your roles.
  • A. Yes.
  • Q. How do you finally put those characters to rest once you're finished with them?
  • A. They put me to rest. I don't really have to do anything at all. I think the main thing I would say about...feel about that idea is that, you know, more than anything else, it's not because you need to undergo some kind of exorcism because the house is haunted when somebody says it's time to go home. It's more you've unleashed a curiosity that's more or less insatiable. And therefore, in that moment, when the job's done, that curiosity doesn't just lie down and leave you alone. So it takes time, it takes time, because you, you know...I know this might seem bizarre to you, but I actually was happy exploring Plainview's life; therefore, I was reluctant to stop doing it. But, yeah, time, a little bit of time. And plus, life distracts you in the most wonderful way.
  • Q. Congratulations.
  • A. Thank you.
  • Q. Now, forgive me, because I know you're a modest man. But you've now won this; you've been here. To what extent does it matter to you that you won this tonight, and what opportunities does this give you as an artist?
  • A. Well, it'll take me to get over it for a while. I'm absolutely delighted and I'm thrilled about it. And I'm thrilled because if one ever can separate one experience from another and quantify the importance of that experience, it may be that this is just the most recent one; therefore, it's in the forefront of my thoughts and feelings. But it was a very important time in my life.

    And my working partnership with Paul is something that I will cherish for the rest of my life. In fact, I really miss the day, and we speak a lot on the phone, but we don't have any excuse to. It's just shooting the breeze. We don't have anything to say anymore, but I just miss working with him every days, so it's a lovely thing to have this. And it may just mean that we can...you know, we have to begin to think about the fact that life goes on and we've been reluctant to acknowledge that.

  • Q. Thank you, and congratulations.
  • A. Thanks very much.

Best Actress (Live)

Oh -- thank you so much. Olivier, what you did to me, Maestro Olivier Dahan, you rocked my life. You truly rocked my life. Thank you so much to Picturehouse for your passion, members of the Academy, thank you so, so much. And -- wow. Well, I'm speechless now. I -- I -- well, I -- thank you life, thank you love, and it is true, there is some angels in this city. Thank you so, so much.

Best Actress (Backstage)

  • Q. How hard is it for an actress that doesn't speak English as a first language to have that thing in your hands?
  • A. It's not hard at all, there's nothing hard about this. It's just joy and so unexpected that it's surreal, but I love it, I love it.
  • Q. Congratulations. Can you talk about what it means, I believe this is the first time an Oscar has been given for a French language performance for an actor or actress, what that means to you.
  • A. It's huge, it's huge, and I'm so proud of the movie. We had so much more than fun doing the shooting and doing all this adventure, so for the movie I'm really, really proud. Thank you.
  • Q. Congratulations.
  • A. Thank you.
  • Q. Your performance is so all consuming in the movie, so, she seemed to really take over you and you really embodied the character. Was it at all difficult to draw the line between your outside life and kind of the life that you're portraying?
  • A. Well, I really dedicated my life to the movie and to play Piaf for a few months, and so I didn't...I didn't have a life. And when the movie was finished, I realized that I didn't have a life and I didn't know exactly how to go back. But I love life and I love my life so, it was not so hard to go back there, here.
  • Q. Thank you.
  • A. Thank you.
  • Q. Hi, congratulations.
  • A. Thank you.
  • Q. What are some of the actors, the actresses who you have seen over the years who maybe have influenced your
  • A. Well, there are so many actors and actresses. I'm a very, very big fan of Peter Sellers, I wanted to marry him when I was a child. And Meryl Streep, of course, she's one of the greatest actresses ever. Daniel Day Lewis. Wow, wow, there are a lot of actors who are so inspiring. Cate Blanchett. I'm a very big fan of Toni Collette too. And (unintelligible).
  • Q. How does it feel to win the French equivalent of the Oscar and now the actual Oscar?
  • A. Sorry?
  • Q. How does it feel to win the Cesar and now the Oscar?
  • A. Feels so good. I'm totally overwhelmed with joy and then sparkles and fireworks and everything which goes like bam, bam, bam! I just ate all those things and it's happening right here, right now.
  • Q. I noticed that you're still breathing a little heavy, you're still shaking a little.
  • A. Yeah.
  • Q. After your speech, you and Forest Whitaker had some kind of a nice exchange. Can you tell me what was going on as you were walking off the stage?
  • A. Well, I had the great chance to do a movie with Forest a few years ago and I had a very small part in it. And that I admire him so much, I will add Forest to my list. And so really, I was...yeah, I was totally...my brain collapsed, so he helped me to find the plug back to my brain.
  • Q. Marion, congratulations.
  • A. Thank you.
  • Q. You talked so much about how different awards are here and how the whole season is here. Can you describe what you've been through and the fun of it and the confusion of it?
  • A. Well, the confusion of it is that I spend all that month talking about myself which is not what I prefer to do in life, so it's very long and it's much longer than in France. You don't do this, you don't campaign, and so that was kind of weird, to sort of answer the same question about myself because the movie was released everywhere so it was...I mean, the life is of the movie going on but the movie doesn't need us anymore. And the fun, wow, the fun was to meet all the wonderful actors and actresses, directors and all the beautiful people I've met here and people that I was a big fan of for many years and to share this movie is a lot of fun.
  • Q. All the way back here. Hi, congratulations.
  • A. Thank you.
  • Q. At the Oscar nominees' luncheon, many of your colleagues talked about how different you were, obviously, from the character, Edith, and she was so complex. How did you find that complexity? How deep did you have to dig for that?
  • A. Well, my aim was to understand her, to understand her heart, her soul, and so I went as deep as I could. I tried to do my best to find her inside me. But it was not so hard because I really love her.
  • Q. Hi Marion. First of all, congratulations.
  • A. Thank you.
  • Q. Many of us were so excited to see you win. So, at the poolside luncheon you mentioned that you're also a singer and here you are honored for one of the greatest singing performances ever. If any one song of Edith Piaf's represented how you feel right now, which song is it and would you mind singing a little bit of it for us?
  • A. Okay. Now it would be maybe...(sings).
  • Q. Thank you and congratulations.

Best Supporting Actor (Live)

Wow. Alright, this is very amazing. It's a great honor for me to have this. I want to& I have to speak fast here, man. Thank you to the Coens for being crazy enough to think that I could do that and put one of the most horrible haircuts in history over my head.

Thank you for really proving my work. I want to share this with the cast, with the great Tommy Lee Jones, with the great Josh Brolin, with the great Kelly MacDonald. And I want to dedicate this to my mother, and I have to say this in Spanish, and I'm sorry...

Mama esto es para ti. Esto es para tus abuelos, para tus padres, Rafael y Matilde. Esto es para los comicos de Espana que han traido la dignidad y el orgullo a nuestro oficio.

Esto es para Espana. Y esto es para todos vosotros.

Best Supporting Actor (Backstage)

Following interviews conducted in Spanish.

  • Q. Congratulations.
  • A. Thank you.
  • Q. All right. We want you to share some of this joy in English, and also (Laughter). And also
  • A. I said some pretty good things out there in Spanish.
  • Q. Tell us, baby. We also want to know what your mother has been saying to you during this whole Academy Award process, when everyone went, he can't lose, he can't lose, he can't lose?
  • A. Okay. My mother said to me when I take a plane and get there on time, make sure somebody helps me through immigration. And that's the only concern my mother had, and I was today, sitting down with her, and I said, "Mom, I'm nervous." And she said, "Why? They are not going to give it to you. Don't worry. And if they do, just have fun." And I said, "What the hell?" I don't know. My mother's been working for almost 50 years, and she knows everything about all this; the ups, the downs, the dark, the light, and it's a great companion, to have her on my side, and she always calms me down, and she knows the real success is to get a job and trying to fight for that job and try to do it as good as you can every time. Thank you.
  • Q. It wasn't just your mom who thought you were going to win tonight; virtually everybody was predicting you were going to go home with the Oscar. How did that affect you, and did that put a lot more pressure on you? And who did you think was going to win?
  • A. Well, since my little experience experience, sorry, in these days where they weren't giving me awards, and I don't know why, I guess the critics can have some impression on people, I learn one thing: you better write something, man, because you don't speak the language, and you cannot improvise. So, I brought something, not because I thought I was going to win, but I thought in case I win, I should say something. And then I said, wow, that was long, and it was 45 seconds. So, every time when they say, "And the Oscar goes to," I wasn't worried about if I was going to win or lose. I was, like, "If I win, what do I say because I have a lot to say?"
  • And then they say my name, and I was right there on stage trying to figure out how to put all the people I want to thank and I forgot by the way in 45 seconds. And so, I guess that was my way to put all the extra pressure on the nerves and the expectation that I (unintelligible) on this award, aside. And I put it on (unintelligible).
  • Q. Javier
  • A. Well, the good thing is that every actor you mean, about the Best Supporting Actor or in general?
  • Q. Best Supporting Actor?
  • A. I don't know. I mean, Philip Seymour Hoffman, for me, is one of the most amazing actors of all time. There's no one moment of not truth in his performances. I go to the away, blown way with everything that he does.
  • Hal Holbrook, I didn't know his work prior to this, because I don't live here. When I saw "Into the Wild," I have a heart attack almost, and I almost have to leave the theatre in Toronto with the scene in the truck when he wants to adopt him. I said, "There's no way that nothing can really go up" how can I say "beyond that performance." That's an amazing, intimate moment of a man, who is really putting away the mask and being really transferring in front of audience. Casey Affleck, the whole journey is a piece of jewelry, jewelry, like every piece on time in order to create a really a spectrum of a ghost. And Tom Wilkinson, I haven't ever seen a madman so funny, crazy, dangerous, and the same time so heartbroken. So, I think it's who should win? I don't know. This is a lottery. I won. That doesn't mean I am better than the other one, than the others, the rest at all, that's for sure.
  • Q. (Spanish)
  • A. (Spanish) and I was sitting next to Jack Nicholson. I mean, what can I add? I mean, that was pretty cool.
  • Q. (Spanish). As you say in your speech, I'm going to have to say to you in Spanish. I am going to have to say this in English.
  • A. Spanish or English?
  • Q. They have asked me to ask you in English because we are on TV.
  • A. English.
  • Q. Congratulations for the award. We are very proud of you.
  • A. Thank you.
  • Q. And you've done many characters that come from extreme situations. Is this the most
  • A. You ever lost in a coin toss?
  • Q. Do you feel this is your most demanding performance at all than the ones you did in Spanish in Spain?
  • A. Well, you want to think they are giving you the recognition for something you've done good, and sometimes you go, well, I think I've done better before, but the tricky part of this character was that everything was there to be constructed. There was nothing explained; neither on the book, neither on the script. So, everything that you see, you hear, you feel, is because the Coens and I, we put it together. And I guess that because of the Coens, and I and I mean this very seriously, we take one place where the character really is uncomfortable to watch. It's not about being scary. It's about what happened. I don't get it. This guy is going to do something, and I don't know what. And that's because we really, how to say... put out a lot of choices that will make the character many more fun to watch, but less interesting to feel, and that's something that, I guess, is a challenge. And we did it; me and the Coens.
  • Q. What do you feel is your most demanding role you've ever done, English or Spanish?
  • A. Being just normal, being myself. That was the most demanding role. That's why every actor that present an award, they are going through a hell of a time because every actor wants to hide themselves, become somebody else. Because there have been many roles out there, and I guess I don't have anything special that I would go, "Wow, that was good." No. I have some moments where I thought that I really hit the note quite well, but moments, seconds. Thank you.
  • Q. Thank you, and congratulations.

Best Supporting Actress (Live)

Oh, no. Happy birthday, man. I have an American agent who is the spitting image of this. Really truly the same shape head and, it has to be said, the buttocks.

And I'm giving this to him because there's no way I would be in America at all ever on a plane, if it wasn't for him. So, Brian Swardstrom, I'm giving this to you. And Tony Gilroy walks on water, it's entirely official as far as I'm concerned, and Jen Fox and Steve Samuels, our incredible producers.

And Sydney Pollack, and George Clooney, you know, the seriousness and the dedication to your art, seeing you climb into that rubber bat suit from "Batman & Robin," the one with the nipples, every morning under your costume, on the set, off the set, hanging upside-down at lunch, you rock, man.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Best Supporting Actress (Backstage)

  • Q. Tilda, hi, over here by the camera. I'm from the BBC, I just want to ask you how you feel about winning and whether you're prepared for being transported into the stratosphere because of the Oscar win.
  • A. I'm kind of working on that, I think so. I'll let you know. I'm so stoked, as they say, I think it's fantastic. It's completely astonishing, and I'm amazed I'm still standing, but I'm not complaining, it's good.
  • Q. Congratulations.
  • A. Thank you.
  • Q. Ms. Swinton, to your right. Congratulations so much. Sandy Kenyon from ABC. I was wondering, we saw you say "Wow, wow," you seemed stunned. What was going through your head as they called your name and you walked to the stage?
  • A. I really just had a reverse Zoolander moment when I think I heard someone else's name and suddenly slowly heard my own. I'm still recovering from that moment, and I have absolutely no idea what happened after that. So, you know, you can tell me my dress fell off and I'd believe you, so don't be cruel.
  • Q. Are you worried that there might be a SAG strike and do you have any films planned beyond June?
  • A. Where are you? Where you are, man? Okay.
  • Q. I'm with the L.A. Times. I was just wondering if you are worried that there may be a SAG strike down the road and do you have any films planned beyond June?
  • A. I'm never worried that there may be a strike, I'm worried that there may be a cause to strike. Striking is the thing we can do if conditions aren't right. I feel like recent events might have made a strike unlikely, but there's always that possibility. I have the great fortune of being European, so there are other planets for me to work on, but I have American projects which were, you know, waiting to see what happens when there's going to be a strike. I certainly wouldn't break any picket line.
  • Q. Tilda, to your left. L.A. Daily News. When you were up there you said you were going to give your Oscar away.
  • A. I have given it away, it's gone.
  • Q. You're going to do it?
  • A. I've given it, I've given it, I'm a man of my word. I've given it to my agent who truly, I mean not only does he does deserve it, but he really does look like this. And if you see a guy at the Governors Ball looking like this, this is him in his receiving position when I'm on the speaker phone telling him I'm going to do another art film in Europe. He's like (demonstrates). That's him.
  • Q. Hi, I'm directly behind the camera.
  • A. This is the way you keep people awake at this moment, this is a mad game. Where are you?
  • Q. Behind the camera, you'll see me. Congratulations. I wanted to know who you thought was going to win the category because your face was absolutely flabbergasted, you looked like you didn't think you were going to win today.
  • A. Who did I think...I kind of thought Ruby Dee would win but frankly anybody but myself, so, yeah.
  • Q. Tilda, I've over here on your right. Independent Radio News in London. Congratulations.
  • A. Thank you.
  • Q. How are you planning on celebrating tonight?
  • A. There's some parties apparently, but you all know that better than me. But apparently they go on and on, so I might go there.
  • Q. Hi, Tilda, I'm over here, how are you doing?
  • A. Thank you.
  • Q. I was wondering, how do you relate to the future with concerns of success and future roles and kind of the way you grow? I kind of read something interesting about the way you feel about that and I'd like to hear kind of the way you think about that.
  • A. Well, I've just been with gorgeous Alan Arkin, who told me he didn't work for a year after winning one of these things, so who knows. I'm just making it up as I go along, I really am. I never expected to be holding one of these things. This is not where I was ever intending to be. I'm so happy that there's even some little corner in Hollywood for me to turn up in and enjoy being part of those films but that's not where I grew. You know, I grew in Europe and in independent film really when it was more underground film, and so I'm just, you know, as mystified as the rest. It's not the end of the line for me. I mean, Alan Arkin can give you some real good advice to do something really embarrassing next to put everybody off, but I really probably have already done that, so that's safe.
  • Q. So far so good for Europe. I mean you have the Oscar, Javier Bardem just won the Oscar, and it's just crazy, who would have thought two European actors have won two Oscars tonight. It's not like we see this everyday.
  • A. Dude, Hollywood is built on Europeans. I mean that's, you know, go back, look. I mean, that's what Hollywood is, you know. And I'm just really sad that I couldn't give a speech in Gaelic, but if I could, I would have. You know, the Italians, we just met in the corridor, but don't tell everybody but we're everywhere.
  • Q. In the back right corner over here. Hi. Congratulations.
  • A. Thank you.
  • Q. You played a woman who is willing to do anything to preserve her position. Is there anything in your life that you would do anything for?
  • A. Well, I don't have a position so that's...and I honestly don't, and I think that's a really...it's good to...it's handy to not have anything that's going to break, because believe me, if I have something that might break I would probably break it.
  • Q. I'll stand up so you can see me, Tilda.
  • A. Thank you so much.
  • Q. Sarah Edwards from Boston, I work for Comcast. Congratulations, you were fabulous in "Michael Clayton." You had great fun making fun of George Clooney from the stage. Do you think there will be hell to pay at the parties afterwards?
  • A. I'm just paying him back.
  • Q. Was he a practical joker?
  • A. There are things, there are scores to be settled, and I took a chance tonight and it'll go on and on. We just made another film together so...
  • Q. So more fun and games with George.
  • A. Probably.
  • Q. Congratulations again.
  • A. Thank you very much.
  • Q. Hi there, congratulations. You look stunning tonight. Can you tell us how you picked the gown that you're wearing?
  • A. I'm wearing a dress that was made for me by Albert Elbaz of Lanvin, and he made it for me and I should be so lucky, you know, I'm not going to not wear it.
  • Q. What do you like about it? It's very unique.
  • A. Unique, that's such a great sort of euphemism. It's really really comfortable, I feel like I'm in my pajamas. And I'm kind of jet lagged so it's a slightly dangerous thing to wear, it's got an inflatable pillow so by midnight I can rest. It's just really easy.
  • Q. Congratulations.
  • A. Thank you.
  • Q. You seem to have an innate sense of humor, your acceptance speech was the funniest so far. How come you don't do comedies? Have you not been offered? Would you really be interested in it?
  • A. I think everything I do is hilarious, but obviously I'm in the minority, but I'm getting there.
  • Q. So you'd be interested in doing a comedic part?
  • A. Everything I do is funny, I'm not joking. I'll make it more obvious.
  • Q. How does your sensational personal life feed your sensational professional life?
  • A. Tell me about my sensational personal life.
  • Q. Well, everyone is talking about it these days.
  • A. Really?
  • Q. You've got lots of loving at home.
  • A. I have, yeah. How do you know that?
  • Q. Well, reporters from Great Britain were calling me about it, asking me what I thought about it.
  • A. That's great. They weren't calling me...
  • Q. Well, you have an unconventional love life.
  • A. Right.
  • Q. You have a boyfriend and a husband?
  • A. I don't have a husband, I've never been married.
  • Q. A boyfriend
  • A. I have children with someone else, with whom I'm bringing up my children, and I've lived with somebody else or I've lived with someone else, my sweetheart for the last three years, and maybe it's extraordinary that we're really all friends. (Interrupted by applause.) Who won?
  • Q. Marion Cotillard.
  • A. Fantastic, fantastic. You see what I'm saying about Europe.
  • Q. Tilda, Sam Rubin to your left, how are you?
  • A. Hi.
  • Q. On the red carpet, you said you had no expectation about what would happen tonight. So, I'm going to ask you three questions. A), why are you so excited by Marion Cotillard?
  • A. Because she's great, and that's it. I think she's great, and I think she's new and it's really great to feed the gene pool.
  • Q. For the agent who you're giving the Oscar to, what did he specifically do for you that merits him getting that Oscar?
  • A. He checks my luggage and he gets me on the plane, I can't put it more plain than that. I came to...I can't remember, seven years ago when I was working in Europe I came to meet some people in America, thinking I'm never going to be able to work in Hollywood, there's no space for me here, and he told me to come and take some meetings and I met some fantastic people who I continue to work with. And he's just...he gets it, you know, and I don't think I'm necessarily a kind of easy thing to get and I love him, he's great.
  • Q. Why were you so convinced, I know many people do this to psych themselves up, on the red carpet, you were convinced you were not going to be holding that tonight.
  • A. It helps that I never even watched this thing on television, and I've never been here before, I didn't know what to expect. I'm a little disappointed there weren't any dance numbers, and the thing outside, I didn't know what to expect, I thought it would be much more like Siegfried and Roy. And so when you don't know what's coming, you can't visualize it, I don't know, I'm just very lazy, it never occurred to me.
  • Q. Congratulations, good for you.
  • A. Thank you.

Best Director (Live)


Ethan Coen:

I don't have a lot to add to what I said earlier. Thank you.

Joel Coen:

Ethan and I have been making stories with movie cameras since we were kids. In the late '60s when Ethan was 11 or 12, he got a suit and a briefcase and we went to the Minneapolis International Airport with a Super 8 camera and made a movie about shuttle diplomacy called "Henry Kissinger, Man on the Go." And honestly, what we do now doesn't feel that much different from what we were doing then. There are too many people to thank for this. We're really thrilled to have received it, and we're very thankful to all of you out there for letting us continue to play in our corner of the sandbox, so thank you very much.

Best Original Screenplay (Live)

What is happening? This is for the writers, and I want to thank all the writers. I especially want to thank my fellow nominees because I worship you guys and I'm learning from you every day, so thank you very much. I want to thank the Academy, I want to thank Fox Searchlight, Mr. Mudd, Mandate, Dan Dubiecki. I want to thank our incredible cast including the superhuman Ellen Page. I want to thank Jason Reitman, who I consider a member of my family, and I'm in awe of his talent as a filmmaker. I want to thank Sarah Self. I want to thank Mason Novick who knew I could do this before I did. And most of all, I want to thank my family for loving me exactly the way I am.

Best Original Screenplay (Backstage)

  • Q. Hi, I work for CBC TV, and congratulations
  • A. Thank you.
  • Q....on the win. Tell me about what you did either working with or how you felt Ellen Page inhabited your words for this screenplay.
  • A. I don't think a person could be more fortunate than to have Ellen Page play the lead in the film they wrote. She's phenomenal. She became the character in a lot of ways. And she's so good that I think people assume that she must be just like Juno in a lot of ways. In reality she's not, and she's just an incredible actor and she developed some mannerisms and things for this role, and she just blew me away.
  • Q. Hey, Diablo congratulations.
  • A. Thank you.
  • Q. So excited for you. Two part. First off, if you could rename Oscar, what would you name him?
  • A. It's funny that you should say that because I generally like to name things, and I decided that out of respect for this institution, it's just Oscar. Sorry.
  • Q. That's okay.
  • A. It's not creative.
  • Q. That's okay. We'll take that. And second of all, you've had such an interesting life story and I think everyone has been fascinated with your own life. If your life were to have been made into a movie, who would you want to write the screenplay for it?
  • A. Here's the thing with that. I always thought it would be a silly movie because nobody would believe it. I have an unbelievable life story, and I think that I would have to write it. I don't know anybody else that could.
  • Q. Thanks so much. Congratulations.
  • A. Thank you.
  • Q. Congratulations, Diablo.
  • A. Thank you.
  • Q. Susan Jack to your left, middle of the room.
  • A. Hi, what's up? How are you?
  • Q. So I understand that you blogged on your site about these very special shoes that were made for you and then you didn't realize that it was this huge deal.
  • A. No. I woke up in the morning and everyone said, "I hear you're wearing million dollars shoes." And I looked at them, and it was the silliest thing. Nobody asked me, nobody talked to me, it was just this crate in the room with my name on it. I was like, what the hell? So, no, these are regular shoes.
  • Q. Just for the record, how much do your shoes cost? Not in millions...
  • A. I'm actually not sure, but I'm sure it is nowhere near a million dollars. If I had a million dollars I would help people.
  • Q. Hi, Diablo. I'm a USC film student, so I was wondering what advice you would give to aspiring screenwriters.
  • A. You know, the best advice I can give is so important is to get your work out to as many places as you possibly can. And I know that sounds like it's a given, but even if it means self publishing, it could mean blogging, it could mean Xeroxing your own (unintelligible) and handing it out on the street. You need to have as many eyes pass over what you write as possible because otherwise, you won't meet the right people.
  • Q. Hi, Diablo.
  • A. Hi.
  • Q. So since your film came out, a lot of parents, teachers, they are telling high school kids, "Go to the theater," you know, it's kind of like its all on birth control. Is that any intention of yours and what do you think of, like, the amazing success of your film?
  • A. The answer to the first question is that I really was just writing a personal story about one girl, I wasn't intending to write a statement about pregnancy or anything like that. It was not political. I just wrote Juno, that's it. It's Juno's story (unintelligible), hence the title. But I'm shocked by the popularity of the film. I mean, when you write basically an independent movie about, you know, a pregnant teenager, making it for $7 million, you never, ever think it's going to become a phenomena. So we're all still processing that because it's crazy.
  • Q. Diablo?
  • A. Yes.
  • Q. Way back here.
  • A. Hey, how are you?
  • Q. Congratulations.
  • A. Thank you.
  • Q. I'm just wondering if you had a quarter for every time that your past profession was mentioned (unintelligible), what would you do with all that money and what would you say to other aspiring writers that happen to be doing some odd jobs right now?
  • A. If I had the money I would probably pay off everybody in the journalism world to not mention again. No. It's all right, I mean, you know, I've always been very open about my past. And what was the second question? I'm sorry.
  • Q. What would you say to people that are aspiring?
  • A. Oh. People doing odd jobs? You know what? To me those are the greatest artists in the world because those are people who are doing art for art's sake. And no matter what they do, they find to the time to create what they love and that's wonderful.
  • Q. Hi. There's been a lot of discussion about, you know, your life before and being a dancer. Did you always want to be
  • A. I was not a dancer; I can't dance.
  • Q. All right. Did you always...were you always a writer or was there some event that took place that you said, "I'm going to write"?
  • A. I've always been a writer and I've always been a storyteller. Anybody I grew up with can attest to that. But I never thought about screenwriting. It's not something people do. You grow up in the suburbs in the Midwest, you don't know any screenwriters, so it just doesn't seem like a realistic career possibility. And it wasn't until somebody who was in this world found me and said, "Hey, you should come out here and do this. You could do this," that I realized it was something that I could try.
  • Q. Hi. I love you. There's this funny thing that happens, though. You've sold over, you know, a hundred million dollars' worth of tickets, the movie is a commercial success, and some people are like, "Well, wait a minute. That means it's not an independent film."
  • A. Yeah.
  • Q. Have you been part of that, are you aware of that controversy and how do you answer that?
  • A. I actually wasn't aware of that. However, it doesn't surprise me. I think, you know...I often think how different the reaction to the film might have been if it hadn't made any money. I think the immense sort of popularity of it has colored people's view of it. It's really just a sweet film that we made, and when something becomes a sort of a juggernaut, I think the cynics come out. But it is an independent movie. I...it's a little movie, it was a family atmosphere on set, and I know that we beat the odds.
  • Q. Back of the room to the right. Hi.
  • A. Hi.
  • Q. Congratulations. You're now an Academy award winning screenwriter.
  • A. Funny.
  • Q. What is next for you?
  • A. Actually, I love horror movies, Argento and Lewis, and if you saw Juno, you know that, so I'm sure I channeled that into the character. So I wrote a horror movie and we're going to go shoot it in two weeks, so we'll be back on set. I'm excited, yeah.
  • Q. Hello, over here.
  • A. Hey, how are you?
  • Q. Hi. I wanted to see...you said your Oscar was for the writers?
  • A. Yeah.
  • Q. I wanted to see if you had a comment about the end of the writers' strike, and also how it maybe affected the quality of this year's show.
  • A. You know, this year's show, I'm not sure if I saw it. I was kind of in my own world of anxiety and stomach pain. But obviously, I mean, I'm in support of the writers' strike. I'm a member of the WGA. I'm really glad it's over because writing is my passion and I want to get back to work. But I have to say, it was sort of...it was kind of triumphant how it coincided with all this happening and how we were able to all come celebrate tonight and I'm glad.
  • Q. Hey. Congratulations.
  • A. Ted.
  • Q. Hey. Listen, there's such a swell of support for your film which is wonderful, but what's your comment on the slight shock and horror at a gal like Jamie Lynn Spears being pregnant?
  • A. I don't even know. Like, that's another girl. I only can speak about Juno. That's the truth. It's just that's how personal my view of this film is.
  • Q. What would you call the life story of Britney Spears?
  • A. Oh, come on.
  • Q. Congratulations. First of all, how long did it take to write the film and what was your motivation?
  • A. You know, it only took me a couple months to write because I was working alone outside the industry. I didn't really know how long it should take to write a movie, and that's how long it took me. I think now that I realized that people take longer, I've abused that privilege. But what was...I'm sorry. One question at a time. It's, like, all I can hold in my head.
  • Q. What motivated you to tell a story about a teenager?
  • A. That's a tougher question. I think it was just the dynamic between Juno and the adoptive parents was something I had never seen in a film before. And I thought it was very awkward and unusual and wrenching. It just felt like a movie to me.
  • Q. Thank you and congratulations.
  • A. Thank you very much.

    Best Adapted Screenplay (Live)


    Joel Coen:

    Thank you very much for this. Thank you, Scott Rudin for bringing us this novel and giving us the opportunity to make the movie. I think whatever success we've had in this area has been entirely attributable to how selective we are. We've only adapted Homer and Cormac McCarthy, so thank you.

    Ethan Coen:

    We, uh and thank you very much.

    Best Animated Feature (Live)

    I think I'm gonna throw up, too. I want to thank the Academy and I also want to thank my junior high guidance counselor for a meeting we had where he asked me, "What do you want to do with your life?" And I said, "I want to make movies." And he said, "What else do you want to do with your life?" And I said, "Make movies," and he said, "What if you couldn't make movies," and I said, "I'd find a way that I could."

    "What if movies didn't exist?"

    "I'd have to invent them." And it went on like this until we were sick of each other and i only realized just recently that he gave me the perfect training for the movie business.

    So, I want to thank my wife Liz, who I love, my sons, all the dreamers at Pixar and Disney, John Lasseter, Steve Jobs, Ed Catmull. Wrap it up. I hate that thing. Producer Brad Lewis, Jan Pinkava, and Dick Cook, and all the dreamers who are supporting a rat who dreams. Thanks.

    Best Animated Feature (Backstage)

    • Q. Hi, Dave Cohen from Variety over here to your right.
    • A. I just went to this thing where they shot off a million...I can't even see you right now.
    • Q. Don't worry about it.
    • A. Just send out a flare.
    • Q. Your next movie is live action; correct?
    • A. Yes.
    • Q. You've won two animated Best Picture Oscars in a row. Are we going to see you back out here again for animated picture?
    • A. I want to make more animated films so, you know, I hope so, yes.
    • Q. Bill Desowitz with A W N of Pittsburgh. How are you?
    • A. I'm good.
    • Q. Since you are turning to live action for the first time, can you give us an idea of what is animating you about doing the 1906 San Francisco earthquake as a story?
    • A. Well, it's just a really great mix of unusual things at that moment in time. Chinatown was co existing with the Barbary Coast which was like the "wild west," and at the same time on Nob Hill some of the wealthiest people in the country were up there. And this is all in a very small area, so it was very volatile, it was right at the edge of two centuries, so you had horses and cars existing simultaneously with electric lights and gas lights and there's political intrigue, and it was just a very volatile mix of great things. And then you throw an earthquake in there, come on, that goes good with popcorn.
    • Q. Hi, Brad, way back here. Angela Dawson at Nielsen Entertainment news wire. You mentioned your guidance counselor in your acceptance speech and I was just wondering did you give him or her a heads up that you were going to mention them?
    • A. No.
    • Q. What would you say to him or her now that you've gotten your Oscar?
    • A. I'd take my advice in that situation because I said I want to make movies. But he actually...it did help me because it seemed impossible and I think that they sort of...life has a way of sort of smacking you down and if you get up enough times, you know, things happen.
    • Q. Hi Brad.
    • A. Hi.
    • Q. This is your second Oscar. How would you describe this experience compared to the first time?
    • A. No less sweet. Every time you make a movie you're just hoping to get it out on time and hope that it makes sense and that people like it, and all of this other stuff is always surprising and shocking and wonderful.
    • Q. Well, Brad, this town just went through a crippling writers strike.
    • A. I was one of those crippled writers.
    • Q. Do you think that the Academy Awards has the power to heal frayed relations in this town?
    • A. Well, you're talking about a guy who made "Ratatouille" and made things good between France and the United States for a little bit so, yeah, sure, after that, you know, I think it's been easy. No, I mean, I think that everybody, all the writers want to work and they just want a deal where everybody wins. Nobody wanted the studios to go broke because then we have no one to work with, so we wanted a situation...and we think we're on our way to getting it, where everybody wins, and so that's good for everybody.
    • Q. Hi, Brad...Reelz Channel. Congratulations.
    • A. Thank you.
    • Q. I'm curious if you have a golden rule for movie making that transcends pop animation into live action to take with you.
    • A. I think the greatest special effect is caring about the characters; whether it's a live action, animation or a blend or whatever. And there are a lot of big effects films where the effects are amazing but you don't care about who the fire ball is chasing, so you're kind of bored after about ten minutes. So I think that the most important special effect, because all movies are manipulation and they have been for a hundred years, is caring about what's going on in the screen and anything after that, you know, is...if it's sitting on top of that and that's there, it's in great shape.
    • Q. Hi, Brad, congratulations. Sarah Edwards from Comcast in Boston, I've talked to you in Boston.
    • A. Go Boston.
    • Q. I always hated rats before your movie. You've improved relationships with me and rats. How did you feel about them and did you have a hard time convincing the studio to take on the subject?
    • A. Well, it didn't begin as my idea, it began as the idea of Jan Pinkava who won an Oscar for Geri's Game, it was a short several years ago. And I think what everybody likes about that idea was the impossibility of the character's goal because rat is death to a kitchen and a kitchen is death to a rat. So you have these two things that can't go together and it creates an automatic problem that movies love to solve. So, you know, I think that it's just fun to go into a volatile situation.
    • Q. And are you friendly with rats now as a result?
    • A. I am. You know, if they've washed up, yeah, yeah.
    • Q. Hi, back here. Hey, I have a question about hand drawn animation.
    • A. Yes.
    • Q. It seems computer animation has kind of dominated for many years.
    • A. Hey, "Persepolis" was nominated, is that not cool? That's great, you know.
    • Q. But in box office and kind of perception it's just been overwhelming with a lot of CG there's been all this talk of a glut possible, and now it seems like Disney is coming back and like really focusing on hand drawn animation.
    • A. But that was John Lasseter is the one who kind of said, hey, don't give up hand drawn animation, and because of, you know, Pixar's success, I think they listened to that and they said you have something really special here that's not like computer generated animation. I mean, anyone who has seen "Persepolis" has seen that that movie is great in hand drawn animation and it should be in hand drawn animation and it's cool in black and white, and you don't want to be at all different. And Nick Park's movies are great that they're clay, and Henry Selick's movies are great, that there's puppet animation. I thought it was Henry Selick. Woo hoo, anyway, I think there are a million ways to make a movie and all of them if they're appropriate, are great and I hope they all stay alive.
    • Q. Can hand drawn be successful at the box office?
    • A. Absolutely. Yeah, you still have to care for the characters and have a great story.
    • Q. Allen Silverman. Congratulations.
    • A. Thank you.
    • Q. There are some critics who say that the Academy created the animation category to kind of get off the hook about considering animated films for Best Picture. I think the fact that you have a screenplay nomination kind of is one answer to that, but what do you think about that? Do you think that animation is kind of unfairly segregated to a category?
    • A. Well, I mean, you know, there's no way that I'm going to feel bad about winning an award, but, you know, if you ask me, was "Snow White" one of the five best movies of 1937, I would say yeah, and they should have been up for one of the real Oscars rather than the one with the little, seven little men. But that said, this is all a total honor and I hope one day that another animated film does again, like "Beauty and the Beast" was, get nominated as the Best Picture but it's all good, come on, it's the Oscars.
    • Q. Thank you, congratulations.

    Best Foreign Language Film (Live)

    Thank you very much. There have been some great Austrian filmmakers working here, thinking of Billy Wilder, Fred Zinnemann, Otto Preminger, most of them had to leave my country because of the Nazis, so it sort of makes sense that the first Austrian movie to win an Oscar is about the Nazis' crimes. Making this movie, I had a most brilliant cast, a wonderful crew, the best of all families to support me at home, so actually, it was easy for me. Thank you very much.

    Best Foreign Language Film (Backstage)

    • Q. How are you doing? With all the foreigners winning tonight, how does it feel to be in that company and what does it say about the foreign filmmaking, independent filmmakers?
    • A. It's...of course, it's an extreme honor, also given the fact that the other nominees were really great filmmakers, like Bodrov, Andrzej Wajda, Nikita Mikhalkov, and which makes this even more valuable for me, of course.
    • Q. Hi, congratulations.
    • A. Thanks.
    • Q. Two questions: First of all, this has a kind of personal message, does it not? You were a grandchild of a Nazi sympathizer. If you could talk about that, whether that drove you to make this film. Secondly, there's been a lot of controversy about films that were left out of this category. Have you got any comments on that, although it seems a bit disingenuous? Thank you.
    • A. Yes. First thing is, of course, being in Austria and having been raised in Germany, the Third Reich, the Nazis, the crime of the Nazis, this is part of your history, the country's history, also my family's history. So I always felt I should make a sort of comment or statement about this period of time. For me as a filmmaker, it probably was making a movie. And the controversy, it's difficult for me to say for me, forgive me, it was more important to be nominated than to be worried about those who are not nominated.
    • Q. Andreas. Hello. (German.)
    • A. Deutsche?
    • Q. Deutsche or English, whatever.
    • A. Concerning American filmmakers, I've been adoring growing up, certainly, what do you call it in Hollywood, Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, and one of my favorite heroes, Terrence Malick, who is one of my all time favorites.
    • Q. Hi there. Congratulations.
    • A. Thanks.
    • Q. Very first win for Austria, congratulations. Winning the Oscar here obviously is as good as it gets. What does winning the Oscar mean in Austria?
    • A. A lot. I was surprised to find out, because, really, Austria is all about opera and classical music and theater and Austrians are not really enthusiastic about their movies. But being nominated was really, for the whole country, sort of an exciting thing, as much as I heard. And I hope very much that this award will help us Austrian filmmakers to sort of...yeah, make film in Austria stronger. I have some more pressure on the politicians to support the film industry as well. So that's definitely the important aspect of that as well.
    • Q. Stefan, (German).
    • A. (German).
    • Q. Entertainment media. (German.) The question I have is the special camp that they were working on the currency, was that Sachsenhausen near Frankfurt?
    • A. No. Near Berlin, sort of the...yeah, close to Berlin, one of the first concentration camps for political prisoners and so it was close to the capital because of its importance.
    • Q. Thank you very much and congratulations.
    • A. Thanks.

    Best Original Score (Live)

    Well, that was a very long walk, it felt like. I feel like -- I'm a very lucky man. Thank you very much, Academy. I'm very lucky because I was part of a fantastic group of people that made a fantastic film. It's called "movie" because it's a moving film. I'm really grateful, above all to Joe Wright, the director, to have included me in this fantastic group of gifted people. I'm very grateful to my good friends for supporting me through lots of things, through these years, and my family, who I love very much. My girls, and my father and my mother. Thank you for passing on a very deep and strong love of music. Thank you.

    Best Original Score (Backstage)

    • Q. Dante and Francesca just won an Oscar. How proud do you feel right now?
    • A. It makes me feel proud to be Italian, but more than that, I feel very proud to be in the same place and at the same time as Dante and Francesca. They are amazing, really. They work (unintelligible). And just being here with them and being mentioned with them is a great honor.
    • Q. Congratulations.
    • A. Thank you.
    • Q. The one thing that people...the features that people talk about with the score, is the use of the typewriter keys and the clicking throughout. What was your inspiration for that and was it from reading the novel or is just from literature as music?
    • A. I think it started life in Italy with a conversation with the director at the beginning. As we started the very opening of the film, with the typewriter as a (unintelligible)...and so it came out almost as a dare, let's see what we can do with the typewriter sound. And from there we had several discussions and tests...we used some music with solo typewriters, and (unintelligible) the orchestra. It just developed from there.
    • Q. Thank you very much and congratulations.

    Best Original Song (Live)


    Glen Hansard:

    Thanks! This is amazing. What are we doing here? This is mad. We made this film two years ago. We shot on two Handycams. It took us three weeks to make. We made it for a hundred grand. We never thought we would come into a room like this and be in front of you people. It's been an amazing thing. Thanks for taking this film seriously, all of you. It means a lot to us. Thanks to the Academy, thanks to all the people who've helped us, they know who they are, we don't need to say them. This is amazing. Make art. Make art. Thanks.

    Marketa Irglova:

    Hi everyone. I just want to thank you so much. This is such a big deal, not only for us, but for all other independent musicians and artists that spend most of their time struggling, and this, the fact that we're standing here tonight, the fact that we're able to hold this, it's just to prove no matter how far out your dreams are, it's possible. And, you know, fair play to those who dare to dream and don't give up. And this song was written from a perspective of hope, and hope at the end of the day connects us all, no matter how different we are. And so thank you so much, who helped us along way. Thank you.

    Best Original Song (Backstage)

    • Q. Good to see you. Congratulations, both of you. When you were busking, could you imagine, what would it be like if you had that statue when you were there on the streets? Is this something that ever was in your imagination?
    • A. Not at all, and this is not...when we were kids, we would get really excited, we'd watch the Oscars every year and she'd sit there and talk about what the people wear and what they said and how it was all a fix and she would go on about all these things. And it's amazing for her to be here. And Bono, getting a text from Bono is the biggest thing that can happen to an Irishman and tonight (unintelligible)...it was one of those moments, getting praise from the high chieftain of our culture.
    • Q. I have had some friends back in Boston and they want to know if you are going to do a tour in the U.S.? Performing?
    • A. Yes. We booked a tour April through May and all over the country and the tour is, like...to give you some perspective, two years ago we played...just over a year ago we played in a piano bar in New York which is like, 75 people. And we had a great gig and this year we are going back to the Radio City Music Hall, which is like 6,000 people, so just to show you what this film has done for me and Markéta's career as musicians is off the charts and we are happy about all of that and this is just an incredible, weird bonus and the best kind ever. It's amazing.
    • Q. Congratulations?
    • A. Thank you.
    • Q. Hi. I noticed you were on the red carpet earlier with your guitar and I have seen it before and it's a little weather worn. Is there a little story behind this guitar?
    • A. Actually, I bought the guitar when I was in a movie, (unintelligible) and I got paid a few grand and bought the guitar because I needed it and (unintelligible) I basically wore a hole through it all these years. It's been with me all the way and when John was casting, he said in the script, beat up guitar and a guy with a woolly hat. I told him, well, I have the guitar and so he just used it in the film and I just carry it with me everywhere I go and it made sense to walk on the carpet with it and it's my guitar and I don't want to change who I am just because I'm somewhere else, if that makes sense.
    • Q. Hi. Over here on your left. Markéta, that was pretty unprecedented to see Jon Stewart call you back out. Did you know it was happening and the microphone was cut and what did you do once you went back stage?
    • A. I didn't know the microphone was cut. I watched the scene. I did not want to offend anybody by going over time, so (unintelligible) I thought it was near the end when I finished, so I just went to say thank you and I was walking on stage which is what I did, but I didn't realize the microphone was off. And when I came back stage they told me they would bring me out to do the speech and didn't mean to cut me off and that didn't make sense to me, but it was great to get that chance and I'm grateful to them for doing that.
    • Q. Hi. You came and performed in Boston and congratulations. You guys have a great underdog story. What went through your mind when you heard your name read?
    • A. Just my mother, my mother. She's so nervous and has been so nervous all year ever since we got the nomination and it was just...I guess I don't know. I just...it's just like welling up, I don't know what to do and when we made Boston it was Thanksgiving eve and the quietest night of the tour.
    • Q. Hi there. Congratulations to both of you on your award and congratulations to you for remembering the lyrics, because I know you were worried about that. What was it like performing that song in front of so many people?
    • A. It's this thing you have to do. I don't know, I guess probably a lot of people do it. You have to sort of keep going...we are in a room, the band knows what they are doing and it's almost, if you think about what's going on, it's insane, and you get swept up and the butterflies take over and you are gone. So I had to keep saying, be in the room and look at the people (unintelligible) and focus and you kind of sit there and (unintelligible) and oh, my God, it's amazing. So it was really, really hard.
    • Q. Hi. Have you got a message for all the people that you see busking on the streets of the UK and is it something that you might have another go at?
    • A. Actually, it doesn't matter, because even a few months ago, we in Barcelona we both were there for a week and it's a great way to get to know a city. And for me, busking has never really been about...I think in your life, if you do things for a reason...for instance, especially with "Once," you reach a point in your life where you are trying to get successful and you are trying to work and do it and do it, and then sometimes you have to turn away from it almost, 180 degrees away from it all, because you are not penetrating it. And you find yourself walking around the whole world and then you find yourself here on the other side of the world and that's what's kind of happened to us.
    • I spent all my career trying to be successful and then said, you know what? It doesn't matter. And turned around and went into myself and actually, I think, when you are in yourself that's where you finally realize and that's (unintelligible) and that can resonate with other people. So really the journey (unintelligible) and ended up at this point, and so I can't believe we are here. It's just fantastic.
    • Q. Congratulations. We have been with you since the beginning, we've been such fans. One of our producers gave me a tip off last week and she says that you guys told her last week you ran into Melissa Etheridge and you thought it was sort of a very serendipitous moment. Can you talk about that?
    • A. We were in a restaurant and we sat down and I recognize...that's Melissa. She won last year and I went over and I said hey, I just wanted to introduce myself and I'm a big fan and I heard that you won last year and we were nominated this year. And she said you'll be fine, and just go up there and be yourselves. And it was just an amazing thing to do and I was just...can I hold the hand that won last year. And it was an just an amazing moment for us.
    • Q. Congratulations both of you. Just thrilled. What is it about this movie do you think that made it the little train that could. Why did it touch so many people all over the world?
    • A. Well, I think that me, Glen and John hooked up one January and we set out on a trip to make something that was true to us and that we felt, you know, we could share with other people. And the thing is, nowadays, a lot of the films are being made for different reasons. And (unintelligible) such a great artistic form and most of the time nowadays, they are being made for money and for career and, you know, art is being compromised by how much money a film is expected to gross.

      And I think people have this inner intelligence inside that points them at things that resonate with them and I think that for my film, definitely people could feel that I was going for kind of a pure point of mind, which was an artistic one. And I know for myself, I always enjoy movies and art that is made in that way. And I also think that it's a story of love which everybody can somehow connect with because we have all been there, we've all been low or we've all been disappointed and everybody can find something in that. We don't want to take everything by assuming what people liked about it, but at least that's what I liked about the film when I watched it the first time.

    • A. I think believability, as much as any film, even if the film is not that good if you believe in the characters it helps and I think somebody said...somebody made an awful comment.
    • Someone said that, individuals are really intelligent but people are stupid and so, therefore, you can treat people...you can kind of (unintelligible) and you can dictate what they want, but actually, if you believe that, there's no hope for the world at all. You actually have to believe that people are intelligent, because we as individuals are intelligent and we as people are intelligent and if you don't believe that then there's no hope for art (unintelligible) or for your country or for yourself, you know. So it's very important. Believability is everything and if you go on and do something with the right intention, because the intention is everything. It's not about making money and it's not about winning these, even though this is great. It's about making something real and if you do that then these become available to you (indicating) if that makes sense. It's a weird irony.
    • Q. Thank you very much and congratulations.

    Best Film Editing (Live)

    Forty-eight years ago, my father was privileged enough to receive an Oscar, and I'm deeply, deeply honored that you put me in his company tonight. To the brilliant Paul Greengrass, to Frank Marshall, thank you, thank you, thank you. To everybody in post-production, led by my good friend and colleague, Mark Fitzgerald, each and every one of you share in this award with me. To Universal Pictures, to the Academy, my deepest, deepest thanks. To the amazing Matt Damon, thank you. And to my family, especially Anne, Anno, Ava and Fiona. My kids, I love you. Thank you so, so much.

    Best Film Editing (Backstage)

    • Q. How many edits did you finally wind up with the in final version?
    • A. Excuse me?
    • Q. How many edits did you wind up with in the final version?
    • A. I wish I knew. Generally, we keep track, but a heck of a lot them.
    • Q. Can you talk about the animated process and the rapid pace throughout.
    • A. I just think it's a style that we initiated in The Bourne Identity and (unintelligible) Supremacy and took us to another level in Ultimatum, and it's something kinetic and supports the story in the Bourne character and looks pretty cool as well.
    • Q. Thank you.
    • A. Thank you so much.
    • Q. Congratulations.
    • A. Thank you.
    • Q. You mentioned your father on stage. And can you tell us about his work and how he influenced you?
    • A. Yeah. Glad I'm working that out, but my father was the biggest inspiration to me and he won an Oscar in 1959 for Pillow Talk, a Doris Day film, and first and foremost he taught me about stories, and I approach editing and everything I do and every decision I make is informed by...I'm attempting to tell the story in the most effective way possible.
    • Q. Congratulations.
    • A. Thank you very much.
    • Q. Out of curiosity, I would be really impressed if you know this, but how many hours of raw footage did you have to contend with?
    • A. Gosh, I don't know. I think we shot near 900,000 feet of film or something like that, I believe. But my assistants would know but I'm not too sure about that, a heck of a lot of film.
    • Q. Thanks. Hi. Are you taking editing to the next level visions in evolution (sic)? This is way different.
    • A. It is. I mean, again, I think we try to push the envelope and where that goes from here, I'm not sure, but I think, again, it completely supported the story, and it supports you know the Bourne franchise so, you know I think there are already some films that are starting to sort of work in that garden and my suspicion is there will be more work like that.
    • Q. Thank you. Congratulations.
    • A. Thank you guys very much.

    Best Cinematography (Live)

    John Toll won this a number of years ago said that the production designer on his movie, that 50% of it belonged to him. Well, 80% belongs to Jack Fisk and his production crew. And David Crank and Dylan Tichenor. But it really, we all know it really, really belongs to Paul. That this is his imagination and his energy and his extraordinary vision. It sort of enabled us to create the world of "There Will Be Blood." Thank you, Paul. We're really all standing on the shoulders, we know this, of Daniel Day-Lewis, who isn't here right now, but thank you all so much. Thank you. And Helen. Thank you so much.

    Best Cinematography (Backstage)

    • Q. Do we have questions for Mr. Elswit?
    • A. I hope not. Okay. Does that mean I can leave?
    • Q. Jacky, hit below the line.
    • A. Okay.
    • Q. What was the easiest part about doing this movie?
    • A. About what?
    • Q. The easiest part. No. What was...you credited Jack Fisk and David
    • A. I credited the art department; Jack Fisk, production designer; David Frank, the art director; the costumer; everybody else. It was a very collaboratively made movie. As a period film, the film was made with all the sets having to be built on location. Production designers were the key, and Jack Fisk is brilliant, and he did an extraordinary job.
    • Q. I've one question.
    • A. Uh huh.
    • Q. The oil. Was that oil black ink? What were you filming with?
    • A. It was industrial material used by McDonald's to thicken their milkshakes, and I'm not kidding. That's actually true.
    • Q. Congratulations.
    • A. Thank you.
    • Q. Last month we saw you win the ASC, now this. How does this feel now having the second win under your belt?
    • A. It feels great. It's a wacky...awards are silly in that sense that all the other people nominated are so extraordinary. Roger Deakins has seven nominations and no Academy Awards. He joins a long list. Owen Roizman has five nominations. Gordon Willis with I think three, no Academy Awards. It's, you know, in our little world, it's...it's just luck. Thank you.
    • Q. Thank you very much and congratulations.

    Best Art Direction (Live)


    Dante Ferretti:

    Thank you to the Academy. And thank you to Tim Burton, fantastic director. Thank you to Richard Zanuck. Thank you to everybody, thank you to my team, all the department, everyone. Thank you, Johnny. And I'm sorry, i forgot something, but I'm very -- thank you anyway.

    Francesca Lo Schiavo:

    Just i would like to say, this time, thank you, thank you to the Academy. I'm so happy, so grateful. And thank you to Tim Burton. Great director. Johnny Depp and all the actors, Everybody, for this fantastic movie.

    Best Art Direction (Backstage)

    • Q. Jackie Eagan. Dante. You were originally going to do Sweeney Todd in CGI, I understand, but you ended up building real sets. How do you think this changed the movie in terms of concept?
    • A. The concept actually is the same, we use CG because it was complementary to most of the sets. It was good for the actor, too and it's real set (unintelligible). But the people on the visual effects did a fantastic job because they completed the sets which I did design.
    • Q. Hello. You were talking about constructing these real sets. How much is historical study or fantasy? I mean, how did you create them, a lot of research or imagination?
    • A. Of course, we did many research for the movie. You know, it's Victorian period but at the same time and we have some freedom, just the most important thing was to give the feeling, the right feeling, so it's London, so it's very dark. The only thing we discussed about to make a couple colors, to the movie is almost always in black and white, and the only color was red. Red was for the blood and also for the judge and house. All of those things. And then we have many research, this is the way we did the movie.
    • Q. Congratulations. Could you tell us a little bit about working with Tim Burton.
    • A. Like I say in Italian before, I'd like to say in English, it was fantastic, and Tim Burton is a fantastic, fantastic, and I have to do to improve my knowledge, he opened my mind more. He's such a great artist and really, working with him, it was an award.

    Best Costume Design (Live)

    Wow. Thank you to the Academy. Thank you to Working Title and Universal. To Shekhar and Cate. And a huge thank you to my brilliant team and to my family.

    Best Costume Design (Backstage)

    • Q. How does Shekhur Kapur describe his vision for the look of the costumes to you?
    • A. When Shekhur talks about clothes, he never talks about them in a naturalistic sense. He talks about the emotion of the character or the emotion within the story, and that's the starting point. In this film, he wanted to tell the story about Elizabeth's journey towards immortality, and that was his dream for the film.
    • Q. Did you bring the old man Simon with you?
    • A. I did.
    • Q. And the kids?
    • A. No, not the kids. There at home. We had a treat. No kids. Just the husband.
    • Q. How are you celebrating tonight?
    • A. In a big way, I think.
    • Q. Beautiful costumes; details, gorgeous. I'm curious how you maintained the balance between the style of the period and what modern audiences would relate to and appreciate?
    • A. It is a balance. Basically, I start by researching appearance so thoroughly that I know it inside out, so that I'm in control of decisions of what to use and then what not to use. And then I look at a very eclectic reference from anything, contemporary period, couture, and it's like spinning plates. You leap between the two, but go backwards and forwards and keep in touch with the historical periods.
    • Q. There are two sequences on the movie that Cate Blanchett looks like an angel?
    • A. Yes.
    • Q. What was the idea because after all, Elizabeth, according to history, was anything but an angel. What was the idea of the costume?
    • A. Okay. Really, the brief came from Shekhur in, as I said his story, he wants to tell the story of her journey towards inmortality and divinity. And he's not interested in the historical accuracy and indeed the script is not historically accurate so it was all about telling the story that he felt was his journey towards her toward being divine.
    • Q. There have been so many Elizabeth movies, where did you draw the inspirations for this?
    • A. Everywhere. It's very...it is a very eclectic look. I mean, as I said, I started with historical research, and by reading accounts of her ambassadors at court, she was very aware of her appearance, the power of her appearance, and she used that. And then the balance of the portraiture of the period, which is very symbolic, means that I wanted to reinterpret that such as it was relevant to an audience today as opposed to being historically overaccurate and therefore distracting.
    • Q. Can you tell us where Shekhur is tonight?
    • A. No, I don't know, actually. Last time I spoke to him, he was in New York, but he travels a lot, so I don't know.
    • Q. Did you approach this Elizabeth differently than the first film?
    • A. Totally. And, again, that came from Shekhur. His starting brief was that he he wanted it to be completely different from the last film. And he also said he felt instinctively he saw Elizabeth wearing the color blue, which meant that it was immediately out of the comfort zone of the first film, and I had to find a way of making blue Elizabethan and English and royal. So, yes.
    • Q. Thank you very much and congratulations.

    Best Makeup (Live)


    Didier Lavergne:

    Thank you very much. Thank you to the Academy and what can I say? I'm really happy and proud to be here with you. Bye.

    Jan Archibald:

    Thank you to the academy for this huge honor. I'm overwhelmed. It's just amazing. I have a lot of people to thank. My assistants, particularly, my Czech crew that worked with us in Prague and in Paris, they were amazing. They worked very hard and I owe a lot to them. And just, it's so exciting to be here. I don't know what to say. Thank you.

    Best Makeup (Backstage)

    Following interviews conducted in Spanish.

    • Q. This is a question for Jan Archibald. Congratulations. There are a few of you ladies working in France on the film. How did it work?
    • A. It worked very well. Every job is the same and we got along well. We were a good team. We came together, and sometimes the language was a bit of a barrier, and my French is very poor, but we communicated with one another. And it was a challenge and a wonderful challenge.
    • Q. Hello. Congratulations. I want to know exactly how much convincing it took to ask Marion Cotillard to shave her eyebrows.
    • A. She shaved her eyebrows and hairline going back a couple of inches and she was...um, it wasn't a problem. She was out free and wanted to look as good as possible, and there was no problem. And it was discussed and we just did it.
    • Q. And whose suggestion was it? Yours?
    • A. Yes. There was a collaboration. You discuss the look and how to achieve it before you discuss it with the actress. So it was a kind of an obvious thing to do, to shave the eyebrows and also take the hairline back. So it's just part of the job.
    • Q. Thank you. Congratulations.
    • A. Thank you.

    Best Sound Mixing (Live)


    Scott Millan:

    Would it be all right to kiss Halle Berry now? We'd like to thank the Academy, certainly, Per and Karen, just thank you, principally everybody, Frank Marshall, Pat Crowley. Our director, Paul Greengrass. Chris Rouse, our picture editor. Everybody at Universal, Per and Karen, of course. Everybody at Todd AO, our team there.

    And I'd like to add one thing, kind of a somber note, this last week we lost a colleague and a friend, who was also a member of the Board of Governors here at the Academy, his name is Paul Huntsman. I would like to dedicate this to Paul. So, thank you very much.

    David Parker:

    Thanks to everyone who worked on sound for the film and thanks to the Academy. Thank you very much.

    Best Sound Mixing (Backstage)

    • Q. Hi, guys. Congratulations.
    • A. Thank you.
    • Q. Now, two of you are in uniform and one of you is not, correct?
    • A. Yeah.
    • Q. So I'm wondering did...you had to have won before?
    • A. Not personally.
    • Q. So did you get any advice on what to expect? Were you briefed on this experience from your partners?
    • A. Not really, no. Not really, no. I got two BAFTAs before, so I was impressed across the pond. And it's all very nice and I thank everyone concerned.
    • Q. Can you hear me now? I'm the Verizon man. This must have been one of the most rapid fire sound editing jobs. Can you talk about the process of coordinating with the film editing and
    • A. We are the mixers, you know, and we know a lot about it. We know all about it.
    • This particular company has a very compressed schedule, and you are right. We had...all categories of postproduction were under tremendous time pressure concerns: music, sound editorial, picture editorial, and mixing.

      We are kind of at the end of that pipeline and, of course, as each of those other disciplines were quickly trying to accomplish their goals, it made our time even shorter. It was a challenge but a great group of people. And everybody around us on this particular project, you couldn't have asked to be in the trenches with anybody more as part of this group.

    • Q. Congratulations. Could you comment on your categories as a whole this year including Kevin O'Connell and others? And also, can you tell us about the lei on your Oscar.
    • A. Well, it's my crew. I'm working on a movie now, and my crew is so happy to kno that I might be getting one of these and they gave me a miniature Oscar with a lei on it and I brought it and here it is. Aloha.
    • Q. Hi. We briefly talked about it, but I wanted to find out what that Hawaii lei was about.
    • A. That was just it.
    • Q. Oh. Thanks.
    • Q. Hi. Last year the winners in this category showed no mercy for Kevin O'Connell. Do you have anything to say or do you understand why he's not (unintelligible) anymore.
    • A. Kevin is an esteemed colleague of ours and what he's accomplished is a pretty amazing task. And I think, in general, our community is very supportive of one another, and I'm sure Kevin's work speaks for itself. So we are very supportive.
    • You asked us to comment on the other films this year. I think No Country is interesting that they turned the music off and that impressed us, and I think Hitchcock did it once in The Birds. I was impressed by that.
    • Q. Thank you and congratulations.
    • A. Thank you.

    Best Sound Editing (Live)


    Karen Baker Landers:

    Oh my God, I went blank. It's such an honor to be here. I want to thank, we want to thank the Academy. We want to thank Universal Studios.

    Per Hallberg:

    And the pleasure of doing something like this with filmmakers like Paul, and I'm blanking out, too.

    Karen Baker Landers

    Frank Marshall

    Per Hallberg

    Pat Crowley

    Karen Baker Landers

    Pat Crowley

    Per Hallberg

    Chris Rouse

    Karen Baker Landers

    Chris Rouse. Paul Greengrass.

    Per Hallberg

    You said that already.

    Karen Baker Landers

    Mixers. Scott Millan, David Parker. We planned this and we blew it.

    Per Hallberg

    And, anyway, most of all, we want to thank the crew that works with us every day.

    Karen Baker Landers

    Yes, gosh, Chris Assells, Dan Hegeman, I know, I know, music. Thank you so much.

    Per Hallberg

    Thank you, thank you.

    Best Sound Editing (Backstage)

    • Q. Hi, Congratulations. Now, Per, you've won before, but Karen, you have not, correct?
    • A. Correct.
    • Q. I'm going to ask the question I asked the other guys. Did you brief...did you brief Karen on what to expect if you made it to the podium?
    • A. I did kind of brief her. Then we practiced, and then we got up there and everything froze. That was it. It was done. So, not much was said, I think.
    • I had to help him out. He blanked on all the names. So, it's very surreal when you are up there.
    • Q. Are there other questions? Okay. Thank you and congratulations.

    Best Visual Effects (Live)


    Michael Fink

    We just want to say "Thank you!" We just brought a small quote from Walt Disney, who said "It's kind of fun to do the impossible."

    And along with that, I want to extend some thanks to Phil Pullman, Chris Weitz, Susan MacLeod, our producers, our incredible crew from all over the world. And to especially to our families and to my wife, Melissa, my handsome son Alex.

    Bill Westenhofer

    And to my family, Rhythm & Hues, Sue Rose out there watching this, Thank you.

    Ben Morris

    Thank you to my family and my wonderful crew at Framestore CFC. Trevor Wood:
    A great crew and a great family. Thank you very much indeed.

    Ben Morris

    Thank you!

    Best Visual Effects (Backstage)

    • Q. Congratulations guys.
    • A. Hi, Bill.
    • Q. Mike, you talked about recently with me the great achievement here which was intimacy. And Brad Bird talked about the best special effect being characters. Would you all talk about the challenge of creating intimacy for visual effects.
    • A. Whoa. Uhm, I...you know, it's all about performance. So, it's...the problems are the same problems anybody has acting in a scene, performing a scene. So...and it's the small moments that count, and actors are well known for doing less, being more. And that's what we are striving for with Golden Compass. Did that answer it, Bill?
    • Q. For any of you, especially for Michael, you said on stage that you quoted Walt Disney, "It's great to do the impossible." When you look back on this movie, what effects in this film make you grin and say: That is so fantastic; it looks so great. We can't believe we did that.
    • A. Whew. Pan (sic) at the high tables, Ben Rishi, York (sic) being hugged by Lyra after the bear fight. The bear fight itself. The sky ferry, London. Those are some highlights. But the character stuff more, more importantly. Dialog scenes meant everything to me.
    • Q. Congratulations. Were you surprised? And what do you think in this very competitive year for visual effects made the difference?
    • A. I am surprised, but I'm extremely happy as well. This was an amazing year. There were three huge films there, and I think to go back to the first question, there was a lot of spectacle in the other films and there's an awful lot of delicate intimacy and character performance in this film. And I think that sort of stood out in a very quiet way which played to our strengths when we had a wonderful story behind it as well. Philip Pullman has written an incredible trilogy. So I think it played to our favor and think we are all very happy.
    • Definitely the world that was created, the richness of his universe that you see with people's demons running around, and the tremendous amount of character that was shown in the film with demons portraying their humans and York doing his performance, I think that...that perhaps is what tipped the scale in our favor.
    • Q. Congratulations to the Brits. So, were you Brits responsible primarily for creating the armored bears? Is that my understanding? And tell us how that went about.
    • A. We...the group of Brits...something I should say, four people standing up here represent over a thousand artists. So, it's kind of a strange award. It's not like best actor. We have hundreds and hundreds of people working with us, but we created the armored bears in London. And very tricky character performance, a large fight sequence where the entire frame is generated in the computers. But the key...the key for it is, the scene certainly with the bears that were there, although they are created in the computer, they had to exist within a beautiful live action film.
    • We weren't breaking the rules of live action film making, and that was something that we spent a lot of time integrating our scene into the rest of the film. Creating the character performances, the director and Mike, when they came in to speak to us early on, said, "You guys, along with Rhythm and Hues, are all costars of the film. That's a great responsibility. We are casting you as a team of hundreds of artists to create costars for this film. You got to sing like Nicole Kidman, Dakota, and all the other actors who are there." So, it's a big responsibility.
    • I would like to say it was a fantastic team effort on all their parts. I represented the mechanical effects side and a lot of the work that we do you don't even see on the screen. There's a lot of visual references for the actors and actresses. There's a lot of rigs and everything built to support some of the animation that's done. By these guys here. And I was...I'm really, really pleased to work with this, and it's a great honor to be here to night. Thank you.
    • Q. Thank you very much. And congratulations.

    Best Documentary Feature (Live)


    Alex Gibney

    Wow. Thank you very much, Academy. Here's to all doc filmmakers. And, truth is, I think my dear wife Anne was kind of hoping I'd make a romantic comedy, but honestly, after Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib, extraordinary rendition that simply wasn't possible. This is dedicated to two people who are no longer with us, Dilawar, the young Afghan taxi driver, and my father, a Navy interrogator who urged me to make this film because of his fury about what was being done to the rule of law. Let's hope we can turn this country around, move away from the dark side and back to the light. Thank you very much.

    Best Documentary Feature (Backstage)

    • Q. Hi, Eva.
    • A. Hi.
    • Q. When I last spoke to you, you said you weren't expecting to win. So, how do you feel now that you have?
    • A. We are so pleased and so surprised and so impressed. And I just want to shout out to Alex Gibney, the amazing director and producer who had the courage to have me make this film.
    • Q. Hi, Alex. When we last spoke in San Francisco for a press junket, you had mentioned that your wife wasn't very happy about you and concerned about you doing this movie. But now that you've won for such an outstanding documentary, are you going to listen to her and chill out and go back to maybe doing some music type videos that she wanted?
    • A. Yeah. Back to the romantic comedies. It's a must now.
    • Q. And I think that was the last question. Thank you. Congratulations.

    Best Documentary Short Subject (Live)


    Cynthia Wade

    Thank you. It was Lieutenant Laurel Hester's dying wish that her fight for, against discrimination would make a difference for all the same sex couples across the country that face discrimination every day. Discrimination that I don't face as a married woman. Sheila Nevins and HBO for making this film have a broadcast and a home on Cinemax later this year. To my husband Matthew Syrett, who took care of our children and held down a full-time job so that we could make this film. And to our incredible team in New York, thank you so much.

    Vanessa Roth

    And to all our supporters and families who believe that even a 38-minute movie could change minds and lives and our children who remind us about what's really important. And to Stacie, who's here tonight, who's really auto mechanic by day but hero in life who always did what was right. And she's here tonight. So thank you so much.

    Cynthia Wade

    Thank you.

    Vanessa Roth

    Thank you.y all standing on the shoulders, we know this, of Daniel Day-Lewis, who isn't here right now, but thank you all so much. Thank you. And Helen. Thank you so much.

    Best Documentary Short Subject (Backstage)

    • Q. Congratulations. What are the next projects you are on to now?
    • A. Both Vanessa and I make very heavy duty social issue documentaries, and I'm researching a film about immigration and penalty based (sic), and they tend to be heavy social issues ending up in some cases living with the subjects in our films.
    • To me this means so much because getting funding for a film is nonstop and endless and goes until the production of the film is over. So to be validated, not only by the people that see the film, and then the Academy, as well as the people in this community, is really important to us, and now the next film I'm working on is something about education.
    • Q. Congratulations. All the way back here in the back. I saw you ladies out on the red carpet and I'm excited for you. Share the story that you were telling me about, the subject of this film and how important it really is.
    • A. Lieutenant Laurel Hester, Police Officer, New Jersey, served 25 years, was diagnosed with terminal cancer and told she could not pass her pension to her female life partner who was going to lose the house they bought and renovated together, and had been together six years and were domestic partners.
      And I was so moved by the story that I asked my husband to juggle two children, one four months, one five years, and his full time job so I could live with Laurel and Stacie for the last ten weeks of life.
      Laurel and Stacie helped changed laws in six counties in New Jersey, the ability to win the right for Stacie to have the pension. And nine months after, New Jersey passed the Civil Unions Act ensuring that all couples received the rights.
    • Q. Hi. Congratulations. What advice do you have for aspiring film makers and documentarians?
    • A. I think the biggest thing is that if you get involved in a documentary, you have to be really passionate about what you are doing, and it takes a lot of hard work and a lot of vision, and mostly you are living with it day and night. So if you find something that you are interested in and passionate about...
    • I would say getting involved with a documentary is a marriage. You look at the best subject matter in the face and you say, "in sickness and in health, for better or worse. I will be completely committed to you." You film the subject matter and you live, breathe, eat, and sleep it for years, and it becomes one of your most valued relationships.
    • Q. Thank you. Congratulations.

    Best Animated Short Film (Live)


    Suzie Templeton

    This is for everyone. This for our fantastic crew and this for everybody who worked so passionately on our film to make our dream come true.

    Hugh Welchman

    Yeah, no this really is a fairy tale ending for us, but hopefully it's only the beginning for Peter and this amazing award, and it will help keep Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf" in the hearts and minds of children all over the world. So, the Academy, thank you so much. it's been amazing.

    Best Animated Short Film (Backstage)

    • Q. Nice to see you again. What's it like to get on that stage and be given the Oscar and how do you feel? And what does it mean for BreakThru in the future?
    • A. Well, I mean, it just...I was actually just grinning from ear to ear, so...it's easy to say that. It actually felt just exciting. I thought it was going to be scary, but it was just exciting. And for BreakThru Films and for the film, you know, Peter & the Wolf. It means this film will be seen by, you know, many millions more. So that's why we made the film, to get Peter & the Wolf and...you know, surviving and being appreciated by children all over the world for many generations more. So, it couldn't be better.
    • Q. Congratulations. How long did you work on this film and now that you are...did you ever imagine you would be here during all that time you were working on it?
    • A. Well, I'm actually still working on this film, and I resigned myself to working on it for many years more, but over five years now. And so that's how long I was working on it.
    • I am...I was working on it for five years. Two years writing, one year on animatic and just over a year, actually, in production, and then compose.
    • But we actually managed to make 25 percent of the film in two months just before the royal premiere.
    • Q. First I wanted to ask you how it was going on the AWN tour this last week or two; and second, I showed Peter & the Wolf to my seven year old son and he was spellbound and was constantly asking questions about it. And so I wanted to know, what was the biggest challenge in adapting this into a story that is timeless and yet still relevant?
    • A. Yes. It's an interesting question. The biggest challenge for me was actually writing to the musical score to actually fit each beat of the story and each arc to the music.
    • Well, I mean, I knew it was such an impossibly difficult task and that's why I actually approached Suzie to do it, because she's a fantastic writer and has an amazing vision. In terms of the toll, it was a real buzz to meet people like Ed Catmull, and Brad Bird. And for them to come up to us and say that they've watched the film and to wish us the very best, and just to have such, you know, experienced and brilliant animators watch our film and share their experience of how they felt about our film gave us a lot of confidence, I think.
    • Q. Congratulations. I am curious being here tonight is...who have you seen or talked to or who do you hope to see or talk to whose work you really, really admire?
    • A. Well, the first person I went up to was Roger Deakins because I think that he is a legendary filmmaker. He thoroughly deserves to have his two Oscar nominations this year, and I was absolutely thrilled to meet him.
    • I am just trying to have some fun, and I would like to have, like, a lovely time now with my boyfriend.
    • Q. Thank you and congratulations.

    Best Live Action Short Film (Live)

    Thank you, thank you very much. I don't really speak English. I'm very bad student. I can say I'm very happy and I want to thank my producer Fabrice Goldstein and Antoine Rein and my wife Gaby and my son Sebastien. And merci beaucoups& [speaking French] &Merci au revoir.

    Best Live Action Short Film (Backstage)

    Interviews were conducted in French.

    Honorary Oscar (Live)

    Oh, thank you all.

    That's the good part of getting old. I don't recommend the other.

    It's not possible for me to express my appreciation to the countless people who helped me on this great trip, this wonderful journey of being in the movies.

    But I can thank the members of the Board of Governors of the Academy and to Nicole Kidman who so graciously introduced me.

    I would like to remember some of the old folk, like Hans Dreier who took a chance and gave me my first job in the movies, and to "Hitch" who also took a chance and gave me my first big film. And I also would like to remember that Hitch introduced me to the screenwriter Bess Taffel, who became my wife and my companion throughout this wonderful journey. I also would like to thank my children and grandchildren who supported me with their love and support, thank them.

    To Norman Jewison who made moviemaking fun and much laughter while dealing with real subjects. And to Don Siegel, who cut to the chase and gave us truth.

    And with all of these, there was my beginning at the USC School of Architecture and my great colleagues in the Art Directors Guild who supported me, and, finally, to Jean Firstenberg who introduced me to the American Film Institute and the opportunity to give back to the next generation of storytellers.

    Since I've been around here for almost a century, I've noted a lot of conflicts, but there was one bright image in this whole life of ours, and that was the arts, and particularly the art of the moviemakers, of the moving image that we all love.

    So I have, I have had the good fortune to be a part of this and I thank you all for being there for me. Thank you.

    Honorary Oscar (Backstage)

    • Q. Mr. Boyle, congratulations. You've seen so many changes in this business and in this town, I'm wondering if there's anything that you especially miss from the business that you knew when you were younger or that you especially like about the business today.
    • A. Well, there's nothing to like or dislike about the business today for me because actually, I...I didn't keep up with the business. I'm an absolute dummy with a computer. I have one, but I don't really know how to use it. And I...I'm...I've come from the...the old studio system with kind of hands on work and that was my background. And most of the films that people know about were done without benefit of computer generation. So, I can't speak to what's happening today so much, but I do think that I miss the community that we had then. People seemed to be working together more in those days. They are more separate these days, and that's what I regret, is that the community we had seems to be getting more separate.
    • Q. Hi, Bob. I had the great pleasure of interviewing you 30 years ago as my first professional interview, and you told me a lot about some of this...the roots of the business. I understand, though, that you still keep in touch with the Art Directors Guild, and what advice would you give to young art directors, production designers, working today and faced with different technological challenges but still the same as far as telling the story visually?
    • A. Well, I think you have the tools now that you can do anything. Unfortunately, very often you do everything. I think what you need is to remember that discipline in art is also very important. The things you don't say are sometimes as important as what you do...do say. And if you do too much, you destroy the point you are trying to make. I am...that's...I just would like to see more discipline in the general construction of films and theatre, generally.
    • Q. Hi. Congratulations. When we see those clips of your work go by, you can hear people gasping and the memories they have just as seeing them in movies. With each of those clips, do you have stories that play in your head? When you see Cary Grant, do you have memories of people like that, working with them?
    • A. Oh, I...you were speaking of Cary Grant. That was with Hitchcock films, and those were always exciting and wonderful to revisit, and they still seem to hold up. They haven't been denigrated by the passage of time, and some of them like North by Northwest, for instance, or The Birds, still have the energy to entertain. And that's what we are up to.
    • Q. It's often said that Alfred Hitchcock planned everything and started his films in advance and didn't deviate from that while filming. Could you comment on that?
    • A. Oh, he would deviate, but you are correct in saying he...his preparation time was very important to him and to all of us who worked with him. We tried to get all the kinks worked out very early in the preparatory stage of filming, and...
    • Q. They are not laughing at you, they are listening to the show.
    • A. Okay. And that was about it. It was...he did prepare thoroughly, and he enjoyed the preparation period more than...in a way, I think, than the shooting period. It was ideas that...and ideas for scenes that he loved, and those of us who worked with him enjoyed that too.
    • Q. Thank you very much, Mr. Boyle. Congratulations.