Why the Powerful Messages From the Oscars Could Be Game-Changing
Social issues took center stage at last night's Oscars and ET looked into how these powerful moments turned the broadcast into a game changer.
Oscar winners John Legend and Common brought the audience to its feet during their performance of "Glory" from the film Selma. When it came time to accept their award, the focus was on more than just their big win.
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"For me at this time I want it to be beyond just me," Common told ET's Nischelle Turner. "I want it to be like, 'Look, we all care about each other. People care about each other.'"
Selma actress and producer Oprah Winfrey shed insight on what the moment meant to the cast.
"It's been a journey," Oprah said. "From the very first moment that David Oyelowo asked me to help him with his film, we started doing our little film and we never expected to be at the Oscars."
Oprah wiped away a tear from David's face during Legend and Common's moving performance, which she described as a maternal moment between the two.
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"Watching him cry made me want to cry." said Oprah. "It was a very special night."
The winners' speeches had a clear collective message: Be proud of who you are.
Oscar-winning screenwriter Graham Moore (The Imitation Game) spoke of how he nearly took his own life at 16, because he "felt like [he] did not belong."
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"I would like for this moment to be for that kid out there who feels like she's weird or she's different or she doesn't fit in anywhere. Yes you do," Graham said when accepting the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar. "I promise you do. Stay weird. Stay different."
And Best Supporting Actress Patricia Arquette (Boyhood) spoke up on behalf of all women.
"It's our time to have wage equality once and for all," she said onstage, prompting Meryl Streep and Jennifer Lopez to applaud her speech. "And equal rights for women in the United States of America."
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Watch the video for more.
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