I have always had a very high regard for Forrest Whittaker, the Hollywood actor who won Best Actor this year for his performance as Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland. I was especially impressed by his acceptance speech.
I will try to recreate it here, from memory.
"Whoa! Okay. Wow. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for this! Thank you for this opportunity. That someone like me, from east Texas, with a dream, could have that dream become real -- what can I say?"
"Anything's possible. Anything can happen!"
"And thank you, God, for making this possible. In this life. Wow! Before going on to the next life. Thank you."
"I really believe that we can take hold of that spark inside each of us and reach out and touch the spark in others. And once that happens, everything changes. Nothing stays the same once that happens. I really believe that. Thank you."
I respect his Christian faith, his belief in an afterlife, his encouragement to other artists not to give up on their dreams, his belief that anything is possible, and his conviction that we can make a profound difference in the lives of others. What a refreshing change from the politicized pap that passes for conviction in Hollywood.
Congratulations, Forrest!
