Unofficial Academy Awards Discussion Board

A sobering account - Barkhad Abdi is broke:

http://www.thewrap.com/oscar-nominee-ba ... -phillips/

Between Jared Leto and Matthew McConaughey, I find an interesting (did I say interesting? I mean repugnant) disparity between pointed vilification and empty enthusiasm.

Clearly before he went on, somebody sat Jared Leto down and said "Look, just write down what's important to you and say that." And I have no doubt that these things are as important to Jared Leto as they can be, but as a person, he's clearly not far off from the numbnuts that he always plays, not really know what he's doing one minute to the next. This is certainly his best speech but there's really not a whole lot there. McConaughey on the other hand has given three completely different identical speeches, which veer from tribute to the craft of acting (yes, Matthew, we appreciate your insights) to tributes to the craft of McConaugheying, which I found amusing as the awards season began and tiresome as it ends. I mean, honestly, how could one explain why it is insensitive to spend more time extolling the virtues of faith in God than anybody involved one way or another in the AIDS crisis?

So, really, what we have here are two heteronormative actors singled out for praise, despite some of the queasy ideologies innate in Dallas Buyers Club, and blatantly demonstrate that they have little awareness of the world outside themselves they were portraying.

I'll take a rehearsed, prepared, egotistical speech acknowledging the plight of AIDS victims and transgender people over bloviating, bask-in-the-spotlight ass-hattery from a major star who made the moment about him and not the people his film was supposed to help and inform. You don't win Oscars for these types of performances because you're a good guy. You win because they mean something to people. When you completely ignore that, you come off as a douche. As much as I was annoyed by Leto's in-on-everything moments last night, at least he TRIED to say something important. Fuck McConaughey.

If you aggregated every word in the acceptance speeches by the Best Supporting Actors from 1937 to say 1967 the sum total would probably be less than what Jared Leto said tonight.

FilmFan720 wrote:

mlrg wrote:

dws1982 wrote:I'm sure less substantial actors have won Oscars. But other than George Chakiris, it's hard to think of any.

Haing S. Ngor?

I don't think Harold Russell or Haing S. Ngor quite fit here...their stories and lack of a career were a factor in their winning.

Timothy Hutton?

Hutton was only 20 when he won so that would be fair.
I thought his speech rang false and was merely another good acting job - after his insensitive and tasteless speech at the Golden Globes, you could literally see the PR people mould him over into the Voice of the Silenced, the victims of AIDS and their Suffering. Less talk about Brazilian bubble butts and waxing, and more about pain and lost dreams. What a hack, go back to 30 Seconds on Mars.

mlrg wrote:

dws1982 wrote:I'm sure less substantial actors have won Oscars. But other than George Chakiris, it's hard to think of any.

Haing S. Ngor?

I don't think Harold Russell or Haing S. Ngor quite fit here...their stories and lack of a career were a factor in their winning.

Timothy Hutton?

I thought he was brilliant in Requiem for a Dream.

dws1982 wrote:I'm sure less substantial actors have won Oscars. But other than George Chakiris, it's hard to think of any.

Haing S. Ngor?

I'm sure less substantial actors have won Oscars. But other than George Chakiris, it's hard to think of any.

Start the night with a great speech. Hopefully the rest of them will be as good.

Jared Leto - Dallas Buyers Club