The Beauty of Sarah Polley's Oscar Speech
Monday, March 13, 2023 at 11:58PM 
Women Talking has had a pretty rocky road to the Oscars. From being anointed as one of the early frontrunners to possibly win Best Picture to barely squeaking into the actual nominations - only getting nods for Picture and Adapted Screenplay, the film struggled to find footing during the awards race as more vocal support went towards other films. Believe me, as someone who loves the film dearly, it was hard to watch this film be up in the air for majority of the season.
Coming into the Oscar night, its only real shot at winning was for Adapted Screenplay as Everything Everywhere All at Once's victory lap at Picture seemed secure. The only problem was Adapted Screenplay also contained what was arguably the Best Picture runner-up: All Quiet on the Western Front...
Having won four Oscars before Adapted Screenplay - even in tight races like Original Score and a shocking win for Production Design, I was resigned that Women Talking would go home empty-handed from its meager nomination count.
But then Florence Pugh announced the winner for Adapted Screenplay: WOMEN TALKING. Thunderous applause and cheers from the audience erupted. I screamed too:
YESSSSSSSSSSS WOMEN ARE TALKING THIS IS SARAH POLLEY’S MOMENT #OSCARS #FILMTWITTER pic.twitter.com/83QXppmsKm
— Juan Carlos Ojano 🌷 (@carlosojano) March 13, 2023
As writer-director Sarah Polley rushed to the stage, Hildur Guðnadóttir's haunting (and bafflingly not nominated) music for the film played. Standing ovation from the crowd. It was glorious and cathartic to see the win. Polley then proceeded to give a beautiful speech that stuck with me the following day. I've tried to break down why:
"First of all, I just want to thank the Academy for not being mortally offended by the words "women" and "talking" put so close together like that. Cheers!"
A biting acknowledgment to Oscar's usual aversion to female-centered stories. Polley knew the gravity of the moment and she delivered it with sleek humor. The odds the film had to overcome to even get to this point was huge. Not just her film but female-centered stories during awards season, period. It's simple but it has a subtle sting.
"Miriam Toews wrote an essential novel about a radical act of democracy in which people who don't agree on every single issue managed to sit together in a room and carve out a way forward together, free of violence. They do so not just by talking but also by listening."
Polley goes beyond the rudimentary appreciation of the source material. Instead, she highlights the significance of Toews' work and how it goes beyond just the novel and the film itself. It's an eloquently worded tribute to Toews' storytelling.
"The last line of our film is delivered by a young woman to a new baby and she says, "your story will be different from ours". It's a promise, a commitment, and an anchor and it's what I would like to say with all of my might to my three incredible kids Eve, Isla, and Amy as they make their way through this complicated, beautiful world."
Polley then weaves the thread that connects Toews' work to her own storytelling. Her dedicating this moment to her children highlights the reason why this film will live on beyond the noise and glamor of awards season. It's a moment of humility for Polley, accepting the task of trying to create a better story and world for her children.
"Thank you to the best man I've ever known, David Sandomierski, for giving me the optimism to believe we can and will do better."
As she broaches the subject of family, Polley proceeds to thank her husband. In true spirit of the novel/film, the onus to make things better is not squarely left on a single sex. Rather, it requires that both men and women affect change working together. Of course, it's a personal moment for this couple but it still connects to the film.
"Dede Gardner and Frances McDormand, thank you for letting me stand on your shoulders and making the space for me."
From one family to another, Polley shows her recognition of the two women who shepherded the project from the beginning and gave her the support that she needed to be able to tell this story. If you have seen some of the interviews, you know how the trio of Gardner, McDormand, and Polley connected in a close to serendipitous way.
"We have the most incredible cast and the most incredible crew, some of whom are here tonight. Please stand up if you're there or if you're in the nosebleeds and everybody at home who've worked on this film. Oh, my God. I accept this on all of our behalf. Thank you, thank you! Wow!"
Polley probably understood, given the less-than-expected recognition given the cast and crew, that this was the best (and probably last) time for her to shine a big light on the family that she has fostered in the making of this film. In the audience are Sheila McCarthy cheering, Rooney Mara and Jessie Buckley hesitant to stand up while laughing, and some crew members in the bleachers.
In a speech that lasted for less than two minutes, Oscar winner Sarah Polley was able to encapsulate gratitude to everyone involved, from the genesis of the project up to the Academy that voted on the film. It is a fitting tribute to one of 2022's best films which, despite a weird awards run, persisted and persevered until everything led to this great Oscar moment.
Reader Comments (14)
Thank you for highlighting this win and her speech. I think we were all holding our breaths until her name was announced. Really happy for her and really for all us since I hope this means she will do another film sooner than a decade from now.
This winning made the night for me, and papered over a lot of the other odd choices from the ceremony. All Quiet would’ve been such an easy thing to reward, and yet the Academy gave the more “difficult” and unheralded film a major win. (It’s also my #1 movie of the year.)
Polley doesn’t make movies often, but every one of them is a gem.
That was the win that made me fucking happy. I'm glad Polley has her moment as I await for what she does next.
The beauty of Sarah Polley!
Loved her since Away from her that is one my fovourtie movies
This is The Win, The Highlight and The Surprise of the night (despite the CC and WGA wins, it was far from a done deal). As mentioned in and under other posts as well, it is astonishing what Polley has achieved, defying the usual fate of a child star and win a category against some of the most visible films of the year and a literature Nobel prize writer. Her speech opener line was spot on and much needed, despite of a female led picture sweeping!
Women Talking is the best movie among the winners and as discussed in relation to the CC awards, these films are only able to thrive if they get awards attention so kudos for the Academy to get this one right and give the attention to both Women Talking and Sarah Polley.
Wish she would have shot it in color.
Sarah Polley expressed gratitude to the Academy for "not being terribly offended by the phrases Women and Talking" as she accepted the Best Adapted Screenplay award.
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Sarah Polley's win was the highlight of the night for me, and to see such a talented and down to earth person get a standing ovation was a surprise. (to her as well)
Obviously the appeal of this film and Polley's great charm in interviews had won a lot of respect from the crowd. Her speech was deft and thoughtful as usual.
Follow her on Twitter for more of the same.
One of my Top 5 films of the year.
Well written piece on what makes every moment of this speech special,richly deserved,probably the most satisfying win on the night and hands down the best speech,wish some of the actors who won had prepared a bit more,they had months.
The entire cast was great but special mention to Ben who some found weepy.
Yes, it was a pivotal moment of the ceremony for me because it stopped the AQOTWF momentum that I feared might eventually overtake EEAAO to the top prize.
It was also the most deserved from that set of nominees by far.
Great speech. Polley has been great this season, ever since that tweet when she drew with JACKASS FOREVER!
Sincerely, "All Quiet on the Wester Front" deserved Adapted Screenplay.
Maybe the most deserved victory, after International Film and Cinematography.
Not nice. Really not.
@ Fabio Dantas Flappers:
No.
Loved her speech. One of the best of the night. A great mix of humour and relevance, no long list of names, yet still felt inclusive of the entire production.
I maintain that the issue with WOMEN TALKING as an awards season movie was that too many people were watching it on a screener. I know I did! It's really not a film that benefits from sitting down while eating dinner or "oh I can cram one more before bed" and I think that hurt it because people who saw it at festivals and since its release have been really strong on it from where I have been sitting.
@ Glenn Dunks:
I think I will have to agree. After a few rewatches, I had a "what I would give to be able to watch this in the cinemas" feeling that crept up on me. The disconnect between the people who watched it in the festival setup and its eventual reception is one of this award season's mysteries. Also, watching interviews from McDormand, Gardner, and Polley, they said they wanted to have an epic feeling to this film. That would have transpired better in a theatrical setup.