It truly was McConaughey Day. Matthew McConaughey brought home the Academy Award for Best Actor last night and delivered an acceptance speech worthy of six or seven more statues. He gave a touching tribute to his deceased dad, thanked his family in eloquent fashion, worked in some stuff about how God taught him science, and gave us yet another fascinating look at his lifestyle philosophy (his personal hero is HIMSELF IN TEN YEARS).
In short, he was at his McConaughey-est, even working in his signature catchphrase. Every viewer participating in FilmDrunk’s Oscars drinking game is having their stomach pumped right now.
It’s safe to say this one won’t be landing on anyone’s list of Most Cringe-Worthy Oscar Acceptance Speeches.
The academy just let everyone know that anorexia = talent. Good job.
Less is more, even in Hollywood.
This is you, Kazoshay.
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@kazoshay Not even close. In this case, anorexia equals dedication.
I didn’t think he was that great in Dallas Buyers Club but the academy loves gimmicks. He’s so awesome in True Detective though I’m happy for him.
I don’t think anorexia means what you think it means.
McConaughey is perfection. I’m so glad to see him get some meaty roles and definitely glad to see him get the acclaim he deserves.
Hold on a minute, McConaughey has had some meaty roles before. Who can forget this classic . . .
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Atta be, Wooderson!
We all know this award was Academy payback for whiffing on Reign of Fire. (Bale got his a few years ago for the same reason)
Would have been great if he delivered it as Rust Cohle.
Rush Cohle would have pulled the curtain back, exposed the dark underbelly, and let us all know it’s all about nothing. Flat circle, man, flat circle.
How’s this ? [m.youtube.com]
Also, great call on the white tux coat. pretty boss.
The guy is incredible.
Also, thanking God was a great touch. Refreshing.
He should prepare to have another awesome speech ready to go when he wins the Emmy for True Detective.
Yeah. There’s really no point to nominate anyone else.
MM is the best. I am a grown ass man, generally can give a shit about any of these awards, but I am giddy that he won. I am like a 13 year-old schoolgirl about him.
Great speech til he thanked god.
It’s his speech, he can thank whoever he wants.
But leave that aside — an actor thanking God for an award won for a performance in a film that humanized AIDS victims, that kind of cognitive dissonance is going to explode heads on all sides of the equation.
Alright, alright, alright.
*tips le fedora*
These are both of MM’s quotes on God from last night, taken from the beginning and the end of his speech.
“..I’d like to thank God, because that’s who I look up to…”
“…whatever it is we look up to…”
Don’t be an asshole. Thanking God isn’t a problem. Doing evil shit under the guise of “God’s will” is the problem. Faith is in a higher power is just fine, it’s religion that twists shit all kinds of backwards.
@Steve L Yes! How dare he!
@Otto I see no cognitive dissonance between AIDS victims and a belief in God. I actually see it the direct opposite. I believe the compassion that comes with believing in God is what those that suffer need most. AIDS patients are no exception.
@Gen. Fatassery Exactly. Having faith in someone or something is perfectly fine. It’s when you use that faith to judge other people and cram your beliefs down their throats that it’s wrong.
If there’s an omnipotent god, then all suffering is either caused by him or permitted to happen despite his ability to prevent it. He hardly sounds compassionate.
@Mike Keesey …you just won that thread, hands down my good man!!
You ever consider that things like Cancer and Aids could be cured by god but it isn’t in his or our best interest to do so. This planet is over populated as it is…now imagine if people only died of old age. It sounds cold but population control is a necessary evil…whether it is god who is truly behind it or not.
@Bawk, compassion that comes with believing in God? I’ve met plenty of compassionate atheist and quite a few cold as hell religious folk. Compassion and believe in god, do hand in hand.
@Mission I didn’t say believers held some exclusivity to compassion. I was simply stating my belief that there is no, or shouldn’t be, cognitive dissonance between what I would call “true” believers and the ability to be compassionate to AIDS victims.
When he dropped in that “Alright alright alright” towards the end of his speech, I considered it a sign that this would be a good week. That was an awesome acceptance speech and McConaughey is the man.
Since they weren’t playing anyone off he should’ve just started with “Eveyone at home flip over to HBO, I’ll wait..” that’s a win/win
poor Leo he was up against gays and aids and black slaves he never had a shot!
My wife said “aww, I feel bad for him”. To which I retorted “the guy is worth hundreds of millions of dollars and has been inside nearly every Victoria’s Secret model in the past 15 years. He’ll be ok.”
Lol, the academy has their trophies, Leo has his.
Speech was boss, and have nothing but respect for the man (mostly because he’s a father, and he seems like a good one at that), but he pulled a bit of a James Cameron here.
Not a word about AIDS or HIV. : /
To my eternal shame, I was not participating in the Oscar drinking game last night, so I have to ask . . . was McConaughey’s “alright alright alright” during a J-Law lightning round?
OMG! He mention God in his speech. Sue him!
Great speech though. Seems like a really nice guy. Fantastic actor. Nice that he stands up for what he believes in.
“It truly was McConaughey Day
McConuaghDay?
With the run that McConaughey is on right now I am really looking forward to all his upcoming roles. Not that I have any doubt since Nolan is directing, but I think Interstellar is going to be a freaking awesome flick and I can’t wait until November of this year to see it!
And it all happened on Texas Independence Day
After he wins his Emmy later this year, perhaps next year he’ll do a Broadway show and put out an independent bongo album. Go for EGOT
I’m still trying to puzzle out of this is serious or sarcastic…with the exception of his shoutout to his kids as the people he most wants to make proud, the whole thing was Epic Cringe. Including the forced and awkwardly delivered “alright, alright, alright.” I was pissed my wife made me DVR True Detective to watch Oscars first…
It was not sarcastic. He had previously promised to say “Alright, alright, alright” if he won. He knows what the (non-dickheaded) people want.
The fact that he still quotes that line from a movie he was in for 10 minutes 20+ years ago is awesome. It is completely genuine just like McConaughey. Dazed and Confused was his first movie ever and many of his fans will always remember him as Wooderson and we love the fact that he doesn’t forget how he got started.
My list of celebrities I want to be best friends with (which formerly included only Paul Rudd, the Uproxx staple best friend) needs to be updated to include MM. Regardless of what you think about who he did or didn’t thank (unbunch your panties), dude seems like a really nice, genuine guy.
lol…cracks me up when rappers do this. They’re accepting an award for a song that had to be bleeped when performed on national tv because it’s full of #(*_ and *&^% ir ()__()**&^ in the name of god. all that aside – i thought he was being sincere and authentic. You don’t have to believe in god to pick up on that.
We’re all allowed one single man tear for that.
Excuse me Mr. McConnaughey but I believe it was the noted philosopher Chalmers who said “scientific fact has no place in organized religion.” Let’s keep this straight sir.
/very much enjoyed his speech
Watched Killer Joe, True Detective, and Dallas Buyers Club and I must say he plays the hell out of the Texan role. His Reliant commercials are always gold as well.
Actually Ryan, this speech was so long ( and worse than cringe-worthy) it can compose a whole list of top ten worst speeches, numbers one thru ten.
Jared Leto and Lupita Nyong demonstrated how to give the truly heartfelt and sincerely thankful acceptance speeches without rambling on and on like self-absorbed idiots ! I hope to see more films with these type of actors
I don’t know why but I have the distinct feeling that MM wasn’t thanking God, in the Judea-Christian sense but in whatever haze of weed-induced spirituality MM no doubt subscribes to and that’s alright alright alright.
He’s from Texas…pretty sure it was the Judea-Christian sense.
I wonder how many people pulled off the double MM is to about to pull off when he’s back for another award for TV the next year. Also he doesn’t believe in the same things I believe in so GRRR, rabble-rousing, kill, hate, seethe, froth.. pass out… zzzz
I damitni sort of rolled my eyes when he mentioned god but the rest of the speech was on point. You can tell how he has gotten roles over the years because he owned that entire room. Im sure he does the same during auditions.
*Admit I *