Usually actors try to find the perfect balance of sincere, hilarious and warm when delivering an acceptance speech. It’s a plus if they can marry something personal to them with something meaningful to a room full of their colleagues and to the audience at home. It’s very rare that someone takes the stage and proceeds to be confrontational, but that’s exactly what Renée Zellweger did Sunday night while accepting the trophy for best performance by an actress in a drama...
She starts with a bit of self doubt “wow I’m really up here,” then proceeds to remind the audience that it’s been a while since she’s been invited to one of these events “Y’all look pretty good seventeen years later.” And that it might have been their fault for ignoring her and her work all this time "thank you for welcoming me back to the family reunion.”
Zellweger was not going to let things go unmentioned, certainly not the years she was ignored.
It's a weird choice and the speech proceeds to get weirder with her qualifying why she’s starting with mentioning her agents and managers. Though she doesn’t forget to mention her fellow nominees in general and her collaborators on Judy by name, it’s a rambling speech with no structure or message. Not the kind that seals an Oscar win.
Only when she gets to pay tribute to Judy Garland does her speech cohere:
"The conversations that I have had with people internationally, they just want to express their love of Judy Garland and tell [me] about the great personal significance of her legacy. Her humanity has been a great reminder that the choices we make matter. What we make matters, and how we choose to honor each other in our lifetimes can matter a great deal down the road."
On social media people were perplexed by her accent, that Texas drawl she drifted in and out of. People have begun speculating if this speech might affect her chances at the Oscars, even though no one questioned Joaquin Phoenix's equally eccentric speech.
Zellweger has always been peculiar and that didn't stop her the last time she won every televised award, and it won’t stop her this year. Who’s going to step in for the win should she falter? Charlize Theron was mentioned earlier in the season as strong competition but has faded with her film’s lackluster box office and reviews. Scarlett Johansson doesn't seem to want it badly enough as her campaign has been quiet and no one appears to be in a rush to award her yet. Saoirse Ronan’s film is cresting at the right moment for her to possibly get nominated, but win? It might be too late for that and she’s someone, like Kate Winslet, who they are comfortable nominating many times before they finally win. I wish that Alfre Woodard had a real chance at the win as she gives without question, in my opinion, the best performance of the year.
I liked Zellweger’s speech. It was totally her; singular and a bit odd. I hope we get to see a few more curious speeches. What did you think?