“I’d Like To Thank the Academy…”

This past Sunday night the Academy Awards were on and, as usual, I was glued to the screen for all of it. I didn’t watch more than 30 minutes or so of the Red Carpet interviews beforehand, but I did catch a handful. To me, the stars looked nervous out there. Distracted, jittery, nearly feverish…and who could blame them? They might be mega-famous and ultra-wealthy, but this was still Hollywood’s “Biggest Night,” and a time when their work was held up alongside their peers to see who’d get to take home that coveted golden Oscar statuette.

I want one of those, too! (If not a real metal one, at least one of those cute chocolate miniatures.) But then, I still love to fantasize about winning a Grammy Award someday as well, along with an Olympic Gold medal in ice skating…never mind that my piano playing is dreadful and I couldn’t do a sit spin — let alone a triple toe loop — to save my life.Β  πŸ˜›

But being a writer is synonymous with being a dreamer. In watching the awards show this weekend, I laughed aloud in recognition when, just before introducing the nominees in the “Best Screenplay” (both Original and Adapted) categories, Robert DeNiro said:Β β€œThe mind of a writer can be a truly terrifying thing. Isolated, neurotic, caffeine-addled, crippled by procrastination and consumed by feelings of panic, self-loathing and soul-crushing inadequacy. And that’s on a good day.” LOL.

I knew even our beloved Jane Austen, with her brilliant mind and sheer narrative genius, would have laughed and completely understood these feelings as well. I can only imagine the isolation she must have experienced on many occasions and the inevitable sense of inadequacy when her earliest attempts at publication were rejected. I don’t know ANY writers who are immune to neurotic tendencies or bouts of pure panic, and I know A LOT of writers!

And, yet, the imagination of writers, actors, artists, and creative people of all kinds is universally celebrated on nights like the Oscars. To simply be nominated is one of the most impressive honors anyone involved with the world of film and screenwriting could receive. So why all the insecurities?

This is something I’ve talked with my son about at length — the flipside of creativity and, more specifically, the need to accept the challenges that come with any ability, not just its gifts. I was plagued with a highly overactive imagination as a kid, which made it easy for me to conjure up lots of fun story ideas but equally easy to scare myself silly with frightening mental scenarios. My son has definitely been prone to similar nightmares, just as I’d always been, not to mention inheriting my tendency toward getting really stressed out and hitting a state of information overload rather quickly. For years now, we’ve had to discuss how important it is to understand both sides of the creative coin. To recognize that we don’t get to have one side without the other.

One of my favorite actresses and screenwriters, Emma Thompson, showcased both her own cleverness and the penchant writers have for being astute observers with her fantabulous acceptance speech in 1996, when she won the Golden Globe (and the Oscar that year, too, by the way!) for her adaptation of “Sense and Sensibility.” If you’ve never seen this clip, you’re in for a treat. If, like me, you’ve seen it numerous times, you know it’s worth watching again:

Are you a fan of awards shows? If so, which ones do you enjoy watching? Is there a particular actor, actress, director, etc. that you feel should be recognized for his or her excellence? A recent film that you wish you could give an award to because you loved it so much? Please share!

A Summer in Europe--smallp.s. If anyone here enjoys online book clubs, my novel A Summer in Europe is the Women’s Fiction Book Club pick for March and we’ll be discussing it on Goodreads HERE!! (Check out the Q&AΒ if you get a chance.Β πŸ˜‰ ) It’s the story of one woman’s grand journey of self-awakening, amidst the classic architecture and stunning vistas of Italy, Austria, France, England, and more… The book club open to the public, so anybody who’d like to join us is most welcome!

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  1. I hadn’t seen Emma Thompson’s speech before. I loved it!! Thank you for sharing it and also for your insight into the ups and downs of being a writer! The lesson you are teaching your son about the double face of creativity is very valuable. He’s lucky to have you.

    1. Monica,
      Isn’t Emma T. awesome??!! I’m so glad you enjoyed her speech as much as I did! And thank you for the kind words you said about my son and me… I hope I’m being of help as he navigates the journey to adulthood but, really, he’s often the one teaching me new things. He inspires me every day πŸ˜‰ .

  2. Another one who hasn’t seen her speech for winning the Golden Globe but heard it was fantastic. Thanks for sharing the clip here, Marilyn. Now that I’ve watched it, it was definitely funny and amusing. But her acceptance speech for the Oscars is more poignant where she tells of her visit to Jane Austen’s grave but still manage to make a joke of it.

    My favourite awards show is the Oscar where I used to watch it live. Now that I’m working and I’m staying 13 hours ahead of US’s east coast, I’ll just watch it later. I’m thinking of doing it right now.

    1. Luthien,
      I really liked her Oscar acceptance speech as well, and I know just what you mean about the tone. This is one of the reasons I admire her so much. She’s such a creative person and always seems to shape her performance to fit the venue πŸ™‚ . I’m hoping you’ll enjoy this year’s show, by the way!! I thought it was a good one overall.

      1. I got to watched it last night just after I left my comment. It has many enjoyable and unforgettable moments particularly the tweets, pizza and some of the acceptance speeches by the winners. What I was looking forward to was the musical monologue as shown in previous years but overall it is still good.

        1. Luthien,
          I was wondering about that segment, too! Maybe they’ll bring it back next year…
          And, yes, LOL about that pizza! And the photo tweet… I actually retweeted it just to help out the cause!! It was record breaking πŸ™‚ .

  3. I absolutely love Emma Thompson’s speech. There’s a copy of it on the DVD of Sense and Sensibility, too.

    1. Susan,
      I didn’t know it was on the DVD! I have a copy of it in the house (of course… πŸ˜‰ ), but I don’t think I’ve ever watched the special features. I’ll have to pull it out to see that!!

  4. “I don’t know ANY writers who are immune to neurotic tendencies or bouts of pure panic, and I know A LOT of writers!”

    So true!!!! πŸ™‚

    1. LOL, Abigail!
      And yet…would we choose to do anything else?! Usually, no πŸ˜‰ .

    • Deborah on March 4, 2014 at 2:30 pm
    • Reply

    That’s a wonderful insight into the writer’s world. I actually tend to have the same insecurities and procrastinations when writing report cards for my students or having to meet with parents to talk about their child. And for some of these I nearly panic as well. I feel for you but envy the ability to write a truly wonderfulo story. Also, Emma Thompson’s speech was wonderful!

    1. Deborah, thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed the post, and I truly appreciate your kind comments, too!
      As for the writing of report cards and those parent/teacher conferences, I hear you and agree they can be anxiety-creating as well. (I used to teach elementary school… πŸ™‚ ) I think that anytime we put ourselves “out there” and try to express something clearly and uniquely, there’s a persistent fear that we might not succeed. The report cards may be shorter in length than a story, but they are still pieces of writing, which we want to be well-crafted and, above all, meaningful. So, a sense of pressure when writing them is definitely present!

  5. The Oscars are my Super Bowl,so I was glued to the tube on Sunday night! Emma Thompson’s GG speech is one of my favorites and why she doesn’t write more screenplays is beyond me(her acting is superb but her wit is truly award winning,imo).

    1. Tara,
      Oh, yes!! You expressed it so well! The Oscars are my Super Bowl, too πŸ˜€ .
      And I agree with you about Emma T’s tremendous writing ability. She is just crazy-clever with such a comedic gift of perfect timing. I’d love for her to write more, too!!

  6. Thanks, Marilyn, I loved this! Haven’t seen it before either, and it was superb! I adore Emma Thompson, off the top of my head I can’t think of anything I liked her more than in ‘Love, Actually’. I think she’s one of those fabulously versatile and clever actors there aren’t enough of! As fro Robert de Niro, he was spot on πŸ™‚

    1. Joana,
      Glad I got to share the clip with you!! I think it’s such a gem!
      As for Emma in various roles, I really liked her in “Love, Actually” as well, and she did a superb job as Beatrice in “Much Ado About Nothing.” But my all-time favorite so far is as the novelist in “Stranger Than Fiction.” I just love her part in that film! And I’m looking forward to seeing her in “Saving Mr. Banks,” which I’ve heard is quite good, too πŸ™‚ .

  7. I usually don’t watch the Oscars b/c I don’t get out to see the films, but this year, I was interested because of the girl who won the award for best supporting actress. She is drop dead gorgeous! And her gowns!!

    I thought DeNiro’s quote was a hoot. Maybe I’m not neurotic b/c I started writing so late in life, and it gives me perspective. I’m not a tortured soul, and that’s probably why I love JA.

    My favorite line in Emma’s speech was about the Dashwood sisters “just getting a job.” Loved it.

    1. Mary,
      I’m glad you’re one of the saner writers among us!! And I agree with you on that De Niro line — he probably didn’t write it himself, but he delivered it perfectly!! πŸ™‚

    • TLeighF on March 4, 2014 at 9:34 pm
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    I also and not seen that speech, so thank you for sharing it (I’m going to look up her Oscar speech, too). She is so wonderful! We just read S&S in my JA book club, and I am sure the mother members will enjoy seeing this too. Thanks for the insights into writing. I can’t imagine being a writer and I admire what you all do so much. I am a voracious reader, so I am very thankful there are people out there called to write!

    Saving Mr. Banks is a wonderful movie so go see it! Emma is wonderful in it.

    1. TLeighF,
      Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed the post and I’m thrilled you liked Emma’s speech as well!
      How fabulous that you’re part of a JA book club!! I would LOVE to be in a club like that… Sadly, there aren’t too many Austen fans that live local to me (when I go to regional JASNA meetings, I have to drive 1.5 – 2.5 hours each way…so I don’t get to go often), but I can only imagine what fun you all must have together. Please tell your book club members hello from me and that I think it’s SO COOL that you’re all a part of it!! πŸ˜€

        • TLeighF on March 5, 2014 at 1:57 pm
        • Reply

        That is too bad you are so far away from kindred spirits. I actually started the club last year because no one was doing anything in my town to recognize the 200th anniversary of P & P. So I asked the local library if I could create a club and they said yes! They helped advertise so it brought in people I never knew before. It’s been fun making new friends through it. We are actually reading one of fellow Austen Variations author Shannon Winslow’s books right now. :).

        1. TLeighF,
          Shannon is a fabulous writer, so I think your club chose well! πŸ™‚
          As for your idea to create the club through the library, I think that’s inspired!! I used to work at our local library and still know a number of the program librarians there… I may just have to suggest something like that to them! Thank you so much for telling me about this πŸ˜€ .

            • TLeighF on March 5, 2014 at 10:54 pm
            • Reply

            You are welcome! I hope it works out!

            1. πŸ™‚ πŸ™‚ !!!

    • Lauren King on March 4, 2014 at 10:02 pm
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    I hadn’t seen Emma’s speech before so thanks for sharing!! Great post πŸ˜‰

    1. Yay!!
      Delighted to hear you enjoyed it, too, Lauren!
      πŸ˜‰

    • GraceR on March 4, 2014 at 10:38 pm
    • Reply

    oh I love, love love watching award shows!! My top 3 must watch are the emmys, golden globes, and the oscars. When I was in high school and then college, I tried to watch all nominated films for best picture but alas, I no longer do so. My favorite part of the award shows is watching the hosts/emcee ‘s opening monologue and what jokes they have to move the show along in between.

    1. Grace,
      We are awards show sisters!!
      I never miss the Golden Globes and the Oscars, and I try to catch the Emmys and, on occasion, the Tonys, too. I used to really look forward to the Grammys and the American Music Awards when I was in high school and college…but, although there are lots of current songs I like, there are many groups I don’t know now, so I find myself asking my son a lot of questions, LOL. He usually rolls his eyes when I say things like, “Wait — is there REALLY a group called Swedish House Mafia?!” Then he drags me into his room, forces me to listen to stuff and laughs at me for not recognizing it… So, watching the music shows tends to lead me into dangerous territory πŸ˜€ .

    • Kathy on March 5, 2014 at 12:45 am
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    I haven’t been watching as many award shows such as the Oscars or Golden Globes especially when I haven’t seen too many of the movies in a given year. I seem to be watching the Grammys more because I’m more exposed to music than movies. I am also a fan of Emma Thompson – I don’t think I’ve seen anything she’s been in that I didn’t like. Sense and Sensibility was so well done and she really did such a great job bringing it to a modern audience and making everyone see how timeless the story was.

    1. Kathy,
      I very much agree with you on what Emma T. did with Sense and Sensibility in making it so accessible to a modern audience. She brought out the comic notes and played Elinor so well that she felt real to me. The whole production was so well done… As for seeing the nominated movies, I’ll admit that I hadn’t seen many of them this year either — although there are a few that I’m hoping to watch soon. I was impressed with Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence in “Silver Linings Playbook, so I’m curious about their performance together in “American Hustle.” And one of my best friends thinks we need to see “Her” with our group of women pals & then discuss it from a sociological standpoint (my friend’s a social psychologist πŸ˜‰ ). I’ll probably get talked into that, too!

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