Oscars 2013 Acceptance Speeches: Most Memorable Moments at the Mic

Now that the 2013 Oscars are over, who took home the award for Best Acceptance Speech? Every year, Oscar winners deliver heartfelt speech after heartfelt speech. Each is delivered with sincerity, emotion, and, sometimes, humor. Some celebs run long and are played off the stage, others keep it short and sweet. There are standouts, and then there are those we don’t remember at all. So who made the list of this year’s most notable acceptance speeches? Let’s find out. Grant Heslov & Ben Affleck, Best Picture (“Argo”) After an introduction by Heslov, Affleck delivered a quick-tongued speech full of humor and heart. He made us laugh, and he ended with an inspirational quote. He then dedicated his award to his kids, Seraphina, Violet, and Sam. A class act. Daniel Day-Lewis, Best Actor (“Lincoln”) Lewis teared up as he accepted the award, and we cried along with him. He also made a hilarious joke about being cast as Margaret Thatcher and Meryl Streep being originally cast as Lincoln. Day-Lewis was funny, accessible, and downright adorable. He gave the most acceptance-speech time to his wife, who has endured living with all of the personas he’s inhabited over the years. And then, to top it all off, he dedicated the award to his mother. Without a doubt, he delivered the most memorable speech of the night. Jennifer Lawrence, Best Actress (“Silver Linings Playbook”) The most memorable part of Lawrence’s speech didn’t involve talking (that part was actually pretty forgettable). The actress fell on the steps leading up to the stage before accepting her award for Best Actress. But, like the classy lass she is, she walked it off and delivered her thanks with efficiency. Anne Hathaway, Best Supporting Actress (“Les Miserables”) We know you saw this one coming. Honestly, we couldn’t rightfully give the night to anyone but Hathaway. She elicited more Oscar intrigue than any other attendee, winner or nominee. But she did win, and she won us over a little with this line: “It came true.” Twitter, however, did not agree. Ang Lee, Best Director (“Life of Pi”) Lee’s speech isn’t so much memorable for its content as it is for its existence. Lee’s win was unexpected (odds-on favorite was Spielberg), so, when his name was announced, all that followed became a standout in an otherwise predictable awards ceremony. And added points for ending his speech with “namaste.” Adele, Best Original Song (“Skyfall”) Adele just started crying, which is what Adele does best when she wins awards. She was overwhelmed and grasped the award and rambled a bit about how grateful she was to have won. She, smartly, turned it over to her producer and collaborator, Paul Epworth. Quentin Tarantino, Best Screenplay (“Django Unchained”) Somehow, Tarantino managed to thank himself along with everyone in the room, as well as every writer who’s ever lived. With someone as wild and unpredictable as we presume the director to be, he really proved himself a class act, even wrapping up his speech in good time to keep the night moving. Visual Effects Team From “Life of Pi” (“Life of Pi”) A spokesman for the Oscar-winning team was played off by the theme music to “Jaws,” for better or worse. The music got louder and louder, until all that was left was Jeremy Renner’s knowing smirk caught by the camera in the background. One of the night’s most memorable moments. Chris Terrio, Best Adapted Screenplay (“Argo”) This guy was so nervous that he was sweating before he even got to the stage. We really felt for him. He kept his speech short, but it seemed to us that he got everyone he needed to thank in there. Claudio Moranda, Best Cinematography (“Life of Pi”) Moranda had long, flowing white hair. But that’s not the only thing that made him stand out in his speech: He became so overwhelmed by the win that he cut his speech short and walked off the stage. He was also endearing and earnest, two qualities that make for great acceptance speeches. Cristoph Waltz, Best Supporting Actor (“Django Unchained”) Waltz bowed. Yes, he bowed to his fellow nominees. What else? He thanked Quentin Tarantino and his fellow “Django Unchained” stars. He kept it short, which likely left the Oscars producers feeling pretty good. Was there anything particularly memorable? Not really, but we give Waltz a hardy congratulations on his well-earned win. Michael Heneke, Best Foreign Language Film (“Amour”) The Academy loves Heneke, and they probably fell even harder for him after his short and sweet acceptance speech. He was gracious, grateful, and kind of hard to understand. But we’ll forgive his accent because he delivered one hell of a Best Foreign Language Film winner with “Amour.” PHOTOS: