After the Oscars mix-up heard round the world (I still think it was you and your perfect eyebrows Leo — kidding), we're still reeling about Moonlight's win for Best Picture. The emotional, artful, and stirring soon-to-be classic film from Barry Jenkins and A24 has made history for a few reasons (its subject matter, it's insanely good-looking cast, and its diversity), but the film and Jenkins have been deprived of one very fundamental and essential element to winning an Oscar: an acceptance speech.
In all the chaos that was happening onstage during the final minutes of the production on Sunday, the microphone was occupied by Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty, then the falsely announced La La Land team, then that film's producer Jordan Horowitz, then Beatty again, and then finally Jenkins. By that time, he was still in complete and utter shock (as were we) and only able to muster up a few words. He said: "Very clearly, even in my dreams this could not be true. But to hell with dreams, I'm done with it. 'Cause this is true." The semi-confusing statement basically meant, "follow your dreams, but never let them hinder you because you can always surpass them." Now, via Entertainment Weekly, Jenkins is finally sharing the (still brief) speech he wish he had planned on saying if things had gone as planned.
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"[Moonlight playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney] and I are this kid. We are Chiron. And you don’t think that kid grows up to be nominated for eight Academy Awards. It’s not a dream he’s allowed to have. I still feel that way. I didn’t think this was possible. But now I look at other people looking at me and if I didn’t think it was possible, how are they going to? But now it’s happened. So what I think of possibility, let’s take it off the table. The thing has happened."
The final version of the speech shares the same message as the impromptu one he recited at the Oscars stage, but with a little bit more detail. Needless to say, we love it. And frankly, we would've loved it even if he just got up there and raised his little gold man to the ceiling — the movie spoke for itself enough.
Additionally, Jenkins made it a point during his interview with EW to shout-out Horowitz a couple of times. He shared with the site that his initial thought was that he wanted to find Horowitz to thank him. He added of the memorable evening: "I know one thing. I’m never going to forget Jordan Horowitz. I just won’t."
Talk about a perfect ending.
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