Best Quotes from 2011 Academy Awards

Hollywood's big night

"Mister, I don't know any of those names."

That's actually a line from the 1985 western Silverado, a movie my family and I have watched so many times we have lost count.

But since award ceremonies are notorious for speakers who thank a gazillion people no one in the audience at home would know, well, you can see why that quote came to mind.

No big dramatic outbursts last night, the Academy Awards had to resort to replaying scenes from previous acceptance speeches, such as Cuba Gooding, Jr. and his "I love you" to just about everybody in the world.

These quotes from last night's telecast––Even a blind hog gets an acorn once in a while––reveal a few gems that sparkle amidst the gush.

Christian Bale thanked "… my little girl, who's taught me so much more than I'll ever be able to teach her."

David Seidler, who wrote the original screenplay for The King's Speech:

 "The writer's speech: this is terrifying. [a pause that writers can appreciate] My father always said to me I'd be a late bloomer."
         Next he said that as the oldest person to win this award, he hoped the record would be broken quickly and often.
         He thanked, "… Her Majesty, the Queen, for not putting me in the Tower for using the word Melissa Leo used."
         "On behalf of all stutterers, we have a voice, we have been heard thanks to the Academy."

Colin Firth did not stutter as he accepted his award. He began by saying, "I have a feeling my career just peaked."

Lee Unrik, who won in the Best Animated Feature category for Toy Story 3 said, [this was a movie about] "talking toys that had something very human to say."

Randy Newman, who won for Best Original Song, "We Belong Together," from Toy Story 3 spoke about the advice someone had given him if he got the opportunity to thank people, something about doing good television instead.
       "I don't want to thank these people. I want to do good television." And then, of course, he went on to thank people.

Tom Hooper, who won as Best Director for The King's Speech told how the idea for making the movie came from his mother who had seen a stage reading of the the play. His story enriched appreciation for the movie that went on to win Best Picture.
       Hooper concluded his acceptance speech saying, "The moral of the story is: Listen to your mother."


Here's a list of all the winners who got to take home the statuette.

And the NYT slideshow of the best dressed on the red carpet. This shows the best.