How to make a memorable
Oscar speech

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December movies
James Cameron’s spectacle “Avatar” hits theaters, along with George Clooney, who is “Up in the Air,” and Robert Downey Jr. as “Sherlock Holmes.”

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Be honest (to a point)
Composure isn’t a necessity. The year after her win, Berry landed on the receiving end of every man’s dream — to kiss Halle Berry — when a shocked Adrien Brody (“The Piano)” reacted to his best actor win by planting a wet one on her. “There comes a time in life when everything seems to make sense,” he went on to say. “And this isn’t one of those times.”

“The English Patient’s” Juliette Binoche was so stunned in her 1997 best supporting actress upset over Lauren Bacall (nominated for “The Mirror Has Two Faces”) that she said what everyone in the room was thinking: “I thought Lauren was going to get it.” In a gracious move, she added: “And I think she deserves it.”

Whether or not he believed he deserved best director for “Saving Private Ryan,” Steven Spielberg made like a giddy schoolboy by stammering, “Am I allowed to say I really wanted this?” — a welcome relief from the many who pretend it’s just an honor to be nominated, then frown when they lose (that means you, Burt Reynolds).

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Feeling possibly a little reluctant, best supporting actress Judi Dench admitted in her win for “Shakespeare in Love”: “I feel that for eight minutes of screen time, I should only get a little bit of him.”

And perhaps composer Randy Newman said it most candidly when, after 16 consecutive losses, finally won best song for “Monsters, Inc.” he stated, “I don’t want your pity … I want to thank the music branch for giving me so many chances to be humiliated.”

But there’s a fine line between being yourself and being, well, too real. Who can forget Angelina Jolie’s 2000 declaration that “I’m so in love with my brother right now,” which gave a new tabloid twist to creepy love (that is, until Billy Bob came along).

Or “Titanic” director James Cameron, who did nothing to quash his arrogant reputation by declaring, “I’m king of the world! Woo hoooooo!” This is not only one of the cheesiest delivered speeches in Oscar history, but reminded us that borrowing the most maligned line from your movie may not be the wisest way to be remembered.

Take note, Hilary.

Ellen A. Kim has written for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, The Seattle Times and Hollywood.com. She likes it when winners spend more time thanking their family than their publicists.

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