If anyone else watched the 80th Annual Academy Awards Oscar Ceremony last night, then I'm not the only one that noticed that this year, the acceptance speeches were said with heavy accents and broken English. But a simple "thank you" is not that hard to say in our language, and a genuine look of gratitude mixed in with a little astonishment is a message that anyone, no matter what language or country you came from, could understand perfectly -- no translation needed.
Foreigners truly dominated Oscars night. With every other category winner announced, one would accept the Oscar humbly with a thick accent -- whether it'd be with a heavy French, Spanish, or British accent. From the Best Supporting Actor (Javier Bardem) to the Best Actress (above, Marion Cotillard), Best Foreign Film wasn't the only category where people of other nationalities won.
Now, I've heard a whole bunch of people comment about last night's ceremony, saying that there were too many foreigners who won last night. "Why'd they win? They're not even from America!" And in my opinion, that's just plain ignorance. Why shouldn't they be able to win? Why should the Academy Award be so limited or expected to choose Americans when prestige is given to the best possible nominee in the category -- regardless of what language they speak or what country they're from? If they're an amazing actress or actor, or an amazing art director or the best conductor of a movie's music score, then they're going to win. Nationality or what language you speak shouldn't, and doesn't matter to the Academy -- talent does, and that's it. End of story.
Before they announced all the prestigous award categories (Best Leading Actress/Actor/Written Adapted Screenplay/Written Original Screenplay/Directing/Picture), they actually showed clips of people who had won in the past 80 years (since it is the 80th anniversary of the annual Oscars night afterall). I've noticed that it has only been recently within the past 15 years (correct me if i'm wrong) where you really notice a difference in winners. You usually see your glamorous, gorgeous All-American actresses and handsome actors -- but in recent years you see people like Denzel Washington, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Halle Berry win best in their respective categories. Halle Berry's acceptance speech in 2002 was said in a joyous burst of sobbing, "This moment is so much bigger than me. This moment is for Dorothy Dandridge, Lena Horne, Diahann Carroll. It's for the women that stand beside me, Jada Pinkett, Angela Bassett, Vivica Fox. And it's for every nameless, faceless woman of color that now has a chance because this door tonight has been opened."
I truly admire the Academy for giving people of different nationalities and of different color the recognition that they deserve. Hopefully last night opened up the minds of Americans everywhere and showed that no, just because Hollywood makes really amazing movies doesn't mean that there aren't other people out there in other countries that do some amazing things as well.
(And for the record -- I really wanted Ellen Page of Juno to win Best Actress just because I love her and the movie. Juno did, however, win Best Written Original Screenplay and it definitely deserves that. I personally believe that Marion Cotillard without a doubt deserved the Best Leading Actress Oscar the most. If you haven't heard of the movie, "La Vie en Rose" I highly suggest checking it out because her acting in it is so amazing, you don't even recognize her. She was very humble in accepting her Oscar and i'm glad she won!)
To check out the winners of last night go here: http://oscar.com/oscarnight/winners/index
I noticed this also. I agree with you. It is good to see the diversity in an American tradition such as the Oscars. And I too wanted Ellen Page to win!!!!