Great Acceptance Speeches: Allison Janney, "I, Tonya"
Friday, February 22, 2019 at 3:33PM We asked Team Experience to share their favourite Oscar acceptance speeches as we countdown to Hollywood's High Holy Night. Here's Dancin' Dan...
PERFECTION.
Look, I was rooting for Laurie Metcalf, too, but how can you deny this moment?
It's not just that it's funny. It's that ONLY Janney could get away with saying it. It takes an actor with her insouciant persona to say something everyone imagines is what actors really want to say and have it come across as genuinely funny and not at all serious. She didn't need to follow it up with thanks to all the people who brought her to Oscar glory for everyone to know how grateful she was, but she did, and in wonderful fashion.
After gracefully acknowledging her fellow nominees as "everything that is good and right and human about this profession", she first thanks her good friend Steven Rogers for "the gift of LaVonna", fully acknowledging that the first step to winning an award for acting is a great part. In just under 90 seconds, she manages to thank her parents, her teachers, her co-stars (including the most important, that damn bird), her team, the producers and distributors of I, Tonya, and (most importantly, to the actressexuals of the world) her inspiration Joanne Woodward.
All due respect to Steven Soderbergh, but THIS is the speech this year's Oscar producers should have shown to this year's nominees as a guide for how to do it. Janney manages to be funny, heartfelt, and thoughtful, and thanks everyone she needs to while not overstaying her welcome AND holding for applause and laughter twice. And most importantly, even while going through a list of people, she doesn't feel like she's reading a list of names. She remains her inimitable self, injecting her trademark wit at just the right moments to keep her speech watchable. It's this perfect threading of the acceptance speech needle that makes this one an all-timer in my book, even if she wasn't my pick for the win.
Reader Comments (29)
Gr8 speech but how did a performance this showboaty and unnuanced beat Metcalf and Manville,we shouldn't be rewarding people on likeability alone,I didn't like I Tonya anyhow so maybe i'm biased.
I do so love her, it felt bad to root against her. Maybe she can put in a great turn in another movie then graciously let someone overdue beat her since she won this one.
@markgordonuk: omg, I feel like the academy falls for showboaty and unnuaced like at least 50% of the time! I really otherwise like Allison Janney, but I didn't like her win in any way, shape or form. Laurie Metcalf was fantastic in Lady Bird and should have gotten this - either her or Lesley Mainville.
It irked me people rooted for Metcalf without insisting Ronan join her. I hated McDormand winning a 2nd Lead Oscar. But like Nathaniel R has said about Swank getting number two when there are too many worthy nominees they go with the safest and most familiar choice.
There is no acceptance speech that comes close to Louise Fletcher's.
@/3rtful McDormand was waaaayyyy better than Ronan.
I was happy she won as she was awesome in that film.
didn't like I, Tonya at all!
what started off so well transformed into a "do we want this to be a biopic, a farcical comedy, or a suspense story about a crime? Let's aim for all three."
It feels like Robbie has actually given a wonderful performance that was lost during the transition period between the editing room and the final cut,
shame
Yavor and 3rtful totally agree
I couldn't get over the fact that everything was a skit with Janney the worst offender,if she had been nominated ok but winning when even unnominated people Chau,Nicholson,Pfeiffer were all superior,the 4 winners last year for me are the worst 4 winners for a long time,all doing caricatured subpar things we know they can do but keeping it all on 1 note.
I like Allison Janney, and am not upset that she has an Oscar, I just wish it hadn't been at the expense of wonderful actresses who are unlikely to have another shot at the gold. If only 'I, Tonya' had been a 2018 release, Laurie Metcalf could have had her moment in the sun last year.
This win reminds me of when Angelina Jolie won for 'Girl, Interrupted'--a flashy performance triumphing over a stronger, subtler performance by an actress who dominated the critics' prizes (Chloe Sevigny for 'Boys Don't Cry). In both cases, I think politics played a significant factor--Angelina Jolie is Hollywood royalty, and Allison Janney is a beloved industry insider who knows how to campaign and self-promote. Metcalf did not seem to derive the same pleasure from working the campaign circuit, and confessed after her loss that she was relieved awards season was over ("It's not fun.")
The industry seems to favor big personalities. Janney is an actress as well as a personality, whereas Metcalf and Manville are actresses--period.
I'm happy Janney won but I was rooting for the understated performance of Leslie Manville. I do like Janney's style, a real pro.
@Mike
Metcalf's acting style is heightened and mannered. She may not have big personality off camera but she's unmissable when the director says action.
Lesley Manville gave the greatest acting performance of that entire year in my opinion. And Laurie Metcalf was not far behind. I was not a fanny of Janney's work in the film, but I don't begrudge her an Oscar I guess - if only because I want to see every single actress in The Hours Oscared at some point.
*Freudian slip I guess - I was not a *fan
It's a great speech, and her confidence and humour remind me a little of Emma Thompson.
As for other great speeches, I think Ingrid Bergman accepting for best supporting actress in 1974. "It's always nice to get an Oscar..." and then she goes on to basically give her Oscar to fellow nominee Valentina Cortese. "Please forgive me Valentina, I didn't mean to" (win)
I have never seen another winner say anything so totally self-deprecating and be so laudatory towards another nominee.
But then that's why Ingrid Bergman was so beloved, she really was a totally class act.
I loathed I, Tonya, and felt Janney was not at her best. Metcalf should have had that Oscar. But I do love this write-up, Dan. You are right about this speech. Maybe Janney should’ve won the Oscar for that.
Some of these "great" acceptance speeches seem just...competent to me. This one and Julianne's -- even though I was happy to see her win -- are they "great acceptance speeches??
Halle was historic, and she seized the moment to make sure we knew it...yes, it went too long, but at least that was a GREAT moment for the Academy.
My hard 5 of the lineup, but I’ve loved Janney since I was a 7 year old. Lol. A right actress/wrong role win which I can make peace with.
Great speech.
Great acceptance speech and great dress.
I won't shit on Janney for this win, as I really do love her. Probably my favorite moment in movies w/her in it comes from 'Drop Dead Gorgeous' (that movie has come around and we all love it, right?):
Janney (as Loretta): Can one of yous boys give me a ride home?
Ellen Barkin (as Annette): Don't fall for it. She lives two trailers down.
Loretta: So? Be real easy.
Rebecca - DROP DEAD GORGEOUS definitely found its devoted following. It’s more beloved than not. Janney’s my Supporting Actress winner that year. I’ll pretend her Oscar is actually for that.
@Roger - yes, thank you let's pretend.
I would have been pleased to to see Laurie Metcalf win too but I was really happy for Janney. Yes a great speech and damn do I miss CJ.
BTW I was named after Joanne Woodward :)
Ugh, Laurie Metcalf, Willem Dafoe, and either Sally Hawkins or Saoirse Ronan should have Oscars right now. And I don't fight Gary Oldman's win, but obviously also not a truly inspired choice. I hate when I'm not excited for any of the acting winners. Those are my least favorite Oscar years.
I really don't understand the upset about last years winners - all wonderful seasoned actors in juicy roles (althought - Chalamet with his astonishing, layerd & refined performance would have been my pick instead of Oldman behind latex) BUT I loved Janney's win ! I had a view supporting parts she should have been in the run for but never got the chance as the movies where to small... (so worthy & fun to see her in "Away We Go"). Was she the best ? No but I agree with Mike she won for her large personality - showy yes but great fun... Manville was a whole different calibre - and Metcalf somehow brilliantly in-between - loved these 3 choices so much - and it did put Metcalf & Manville on a different level. We ill see them again in the race ! And then they put in Spencer & Blige which ...sorry ... really NOTHING to offer - thats what I don't understand and gets me when it all gets political. But it were ALL supporting parts - thats why it's so muddled this year... but I'm still routing for Weisz ... who could just get away with "supporting"
@Joanne - that is so cool! I love to hear it.
Talk about PERFECT acceptance speeches: Laurence OLIVIER accepting his special Oscar. There's a reaction show of Jon Voight who can't believe the eloquence.
I agree with Hustler. Other than Halle's speech (which rose to the occasion and will forever be deservedly a part of Oscar montages), these speeches are just fine. I don't really remember them, though I was overjoyed to see Julianne win.
The two most memorable Best Actress speeches of the last 20 years, to me, are Meryl's speech (as always, she was incredibly articulate, graceful and humble) and Julia's speech (funny and somehow made narcissism charming, which is not at all criticism).
Why is everyone bitching about Janney’s win? It was well deserved. SPILT MILK, baby!
Chau didn't make the cut, so meh, she can have the Oscar.