Oscars 2015: Passionate Speeches And Suprises
There were some moments that went against the usual Oscar formula of tears and gratitude. Patricia Arquette’s feminist call to arms at the end of her acceptance speech for supporting actress was unexpected and fierce. “We have fought for everybody else’s equal rights. It’s our time to have wage equality once and for all, and equal rights for women in the United States of America,” she said.
“Citizenfour,” about the National Security Agency leaker Edward J. Snowden, won best documentary, and its makers thanked Mr. Snowden, who is still in Russia, for his courage. Mr. Harris joked that Mr. Snowden “couldn’t be here for some treason.”
Oscar nights usually do have their share of political posturing, but this was a particularly passionate evening.
This year, in addition to Ms. Arquette’s speech, the question of race in Hollywood was addressed with both humour. In his opening monologue, Mr. Harris made a barbed allusion to the lack of diversity among the Academy by saying, “Tonight we honour Hollywood’s best and whitest, sorry, brightest” — and emotion.
The latter came at the hands of actors, musicians and others who wanted to express indignation that the director of “Selma,” Ava DuVernay, wasn't nominated and neither was David Oyelowo, who played the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. When the audience applauded Mr. Oyelowo, who participated in a bit with Mr. Harris, the host said with a smirk, “Oh sure, now you like him.”
As John Legend and Common accepted the Oscar for their song, “Glory,” from “Selma,” Mr. Legend urged the audience to join the struggle to protect voting rights and called the United States “the most incarcerated country in the world,” saying that there are now more “black men under correctional control than were under slavery in 1850.
Oprah Winfrey and David Oyelowo reacts emotionally to Oscar Speech by Common and Johny Legend
“Citizenfour,” about the National Security Agency leaker Edward J. Snowden, won best documentary, and its makers thanked Mr. Snowden, who is still in Russia, for his courage. Mr. Harris joked that Mr. Snowden “couldn’t be here for some treason.”
Oscar nights usually do have their share of political posturing, but this was a particularly passionate evening.
This year, in addition to Ms. Arquette’s speech, the question of race in Hollywood was addressed with both humour. In his opening monologue, Mr. Harris made a barbed allusion to the lack of diversity among the Academy by saying, “Tonight we honour Hollywood’s best and whitest, sorry, brightest” — and emotion.
The latter came at the hands of actors, musicians and others who wanted to express indignation that the director of “Selma,” Ava DuVernay, wasn't nominated and neither was David Oyelowo, who played the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. When the audience applauded Mr. Oyelowo, who participated in a bit with Mr. Harris, the host said with a smirk, “Oh sure, now you like him.”
As John Legend and Common accepted the Oscar for their song, “Glory,” from “Selma,” Mr. Legend urged the audience to join the struggle to protect voting rights and called the United States “the most incarcerated country in the world,” saying that there are now more “black men under correctional control than were under slavery in 1850.
Oprah Winfrey and David Oyelowo reacts emotionally to Oscar Speech by Common and Johny Legend
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