He wasn't really robbed. I just thought that would make a good headline. I did see 'The Wrestler', so I was rooting for Mickey Rourke to win the Academy Award for Best Actor. It went to Sean Penn for 'Milk', which I haven't seen. I expected Sean Penn to win, just as I expected 'Brokeback Mountain' to win in 2005 (it did), because Hollywood loves it when straight actors play gay.
On the other hand, Mickey Rourke did win a Golden Globe, as well as the Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Actor on Saturday, and gave a long, ranging acceptance speech thanking everything from his dead dog to "Melissa Marissa Tomei" who "can really climb that pole." That came after he asked someone to give his friend Eric Roberts a job. While many in Hollywood no doubt felt Mickey deserved an Oscar, they may have worried that in voting for him, if he actually won, his acceptance speech might have gone something like this (He dropped a lot of expletives, so be warned):
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73 comments:
Mickey is one of the greats! He's equally fascinating in real life. You never know what he'll do next. In his mid thirties he decides to become a boxer. So he becomes a good one, but really fucks up his pretty face. Then in his mid forties he decides to get into body-building and look at that physique!
Mickey is a man's man.
True Old School.
he's a 'woman's man" also.
and a few dogs.
he's like a mix between a longshoreman and a hobo.
it's wonderful to have him back.
The guy's a >little< rough around the edges.... seems like he embarrassed everyone he named.
Absolutely superb movie, and the performance of a lifetime from Mickey. But from this spirit award acceptance, don't you worry he's going to self-destruct again? It seems to be in his DNA. Enjoy it while you can, big fella.
no, come on...let's thing POSITIVE...he WON'T self-destruct...it's been practically a LIFETIME of self-destruction (in Hollywood terms)...and with all that (and his dog gone), i think Mickey will RISE ABOVE IT ALL...
let's keep our fingers crossed
anyway, Penn won...so what the hell!
That's the way to do it.
WoW!
Funny, funny, funny!
Great! Hillarious. I was looking forward to his acceptance speech last night, and like doc feel I was robbed!
The new definition for "acceptance" speech. Go Mickey go! The cinderella man of the new depression.
wonderful analogy, he'd be flattered!
he proved in 'The Wrestler' what an unbelievable TALENT he is and i love the fact that he's still showing everyone what an amazing spirit he has -- despite all the hard times and struggles... at least no one can deny --he's an ORIGINAL! go Mickey!! this speech was hilarious --
I agree. And his speech was hilarious. My sides still hurt.
For Mickey to give PROPER PROPS TO ERIC ROBERTS (the most GIFTED OF THE ROBERTS) speaks VOLUMES!
you go, boy!
Definitely one of the most gifted of the Roberts family....Eric's gotten a raw deal....he's a brilliant actor.
Some of Mickey's movies back in the day: Diner, The Pope of Greenwich Village, 9 1/2 weeks - he was the hottest man in the world at the time.
One of the best actors in Hollywood ... good to see him back, same as Robert Downey Jr. !!!
Don't forget "Angel Heart" I thought Micky was terrific in that one - One of his best!
Congratulations to Mickey ...
On acting with his soul and heart in 'The Wrestler', great wins & nominations!
Did you catch Barbara Walters interview before the Oscars? This is a man with courage, who spent ten plus years with a therapist and a priest working at depth on his issues of shame and abandonment.
...this man is real!
I actually didn't think Milk was Sean Penn's best work. Ever see Racing with the Moon?
I also thought Milk was overrated. Your standard biopic.
Penn's already got one undeserved Oscar. Not only was the best performance that year turned in by Depp, but the best performance turned in in Mystic River was BY FAR that of Tim Robbins.
For anyone who wondered what happened to his face, Mickey Rourke had plastic surgery to fix injuries to his face he experienced as a professional boxer, not as a vanity ploy.
As far as his behavior goes, I've known many men who overtly display grace and decorum in regards to women, then expose the measure of their misogyny during a divorce. I've also known tactless men to pat women on the ass and call them "honey," who quietly support women in profound ways.
what's with Philip Seymour Huffman's outfit ?? Was he planning to go rob a bank after the awards show was over ?
You just can't help but love his man. He has a big heart. I hate profanity, but was not offended even a little bit by his hilarious speech, considering what he's been through in is life. Completely agreed with him on Eric Roberts. God bless you Mickey!
I completely agree with you.
I saw Sean Penn in "Milk" and Frank Langella in "Frost/Nixon" - they were both wonderful but I saw "The Wrestler" and Mickey Rourke's performance was just on another whole level. I don't care if he is a jerk, or not,personally - the truth of his talent is up on the screen. "The Wrestler" is as good as anything Brando did. Mickey was robbed along with doc and the rest of us that saw these films.
He certainly has changed since his movie 9 & 1/2 Weeks; yet I guess we all have changed a bit since 1986.
I wish Mickey had won the Oscar, because the show was so boring... I would love to hear another acceptance speech like the one doc posted of the Spirit Awards! THAT is what's missing from the Oscars.
Best acceptance speech ever. And he was wearing a little picture of his late dog on on a cord around his neck. One of Hollywood's true characters and great actors.
Very funny stuff.
But dude, thank the WRITER of the film. Robert Siegel.
Without his work there'd be no comeback for you.
Mickey Rourke should have won the Oscar for this role, people keep saying that Sean Penn deserves it because of his career of good roles. However, this is not about a career, the award is for best actor in a specific role. Mickey Rourke should have won last night. The Wrestler was amazing!
'Thanks for the money', ha ha, LOVE it!
eric roberts' new movie, Pinkville, looks good based on its trailer. rourke doesn't have to worry about him.
Before everybody runs out there and takes their date to see the Wrestler, they need to know that this movie is not for everyone.
I saw the Wrestler. It was gritty and realistic and probably hard for a lot of people to watch. If you are squeamish about violence or nudity, this movie is one to pass on, but if you can take it you would probably appreciate Mickey Rourke's performance. But like I said, it's an incredible role in a rough film to watch.
If you love Mickey Rourke and Eric Roberts, go watch "Spun."
It's one of the funniest movies in years showcasing both of them.
World would be a better place with more honesty like his.
The Spirit Awards might not have all the glam, but they are a lot more entertaining than the Oscars. If Rourke had won the Oscar, and given the same speech, it would have been bleeped down to about 5 words. Doc got it right, as usual.
I won't say that The Wrestler is the best movie of the year (although most excellent), but Mickey Rourke gave the best performance of the year hands down. I can't think of any other actor who could have done it.
Besides "Diner", I thought he was great in "The Year Of The Dragon".
Add Pope of Greenwich Village and Spun and 15 other movies.
How about "Barfly"?
9 1/2 Weeks anyone? I thought both he and Kim Bassinger were very good and sexy in that movie.
How about him being the only decent part of "Sin City" in 2005, so "The Wrestler" is hardly a comeback.
he's teamed up again with Kim Bassinger in The Informer due out this year.
Also coming out: Iron Man 2 (2010)
Broken Horses (2010)
The Expendables (2010)
Sin City 2 (2010)
St. Vincent (2010)
13 (filming now) ...
The Wrestler is hardly a comeback...he's working steady.
Good to know. Thanks, Nostro. I just saw The Wrestler, and there were parts that were too violent and heartbreaking for me, but it was well worth it to be able to see his amazing performance. It made seeing this acceptance speech all the more entertaining and hilarious.
That was one of the greatest screen performances of all time.
loved his spirit award speech. i was laughing the whole time. honest and refreshing to hear someone in hollywood not get up there and kiss ass.
LOL, he's great. I love that he has a little necklace of his dog.
I too was rooting for Mickey, but Sean Penn won...and I really liked what he said during his acceptance, we have "an elegant President."
I don't think Mickey really cared one way or the other if he won. He told Barb Walters: I would be honored to win the Oscar, but you can't eat it and you can't sleep with it. So he would be honored. He just wants to keep working and he's campaigning hard more for the glory and for the next acting job than he was for the Oscar.
Besides he's won so many major awards, this might not have meant a lot to him.
this guy is an original... lol....
In his next bid for an guaranteed Oscar, Penn is going combine two Academy beloved character types by playing a mentally challenged gay man.
You go, Mickey!! Laughed all the way through - thanks for a great acceptance speech, and thanks to doc for posting it.
Watch him in Body Heat, Diner or the Pope of Greenwich Village. He steals every movie he's ever been in. The guy is a great actor.
You can measure the worth of another person's heart by how far they are willing to do the most labor intensive tasks. If someone told me that Mr. Penn and Mr. Rourke would love to help Habitat for Humanity I'd expect Mr. Penn to go on CNN and make a long speech, and Mr. Rourke to drive a tractor from Mr. Karl Malone's company and actually clear out the destruction from Katrina.
Congrats to Sean Penn but here's to Mickey Rourke - The People's Champion! Thanks for your sublime work this past year and for the hands down best acceptance speech I've ever heard anywhere...
The quick cut to Anne Hathaway was brilliant!
That was hilarious. It's nice to see actors being REAL for a change. In the Oscars they were all still acting.
LOL, welcome back Mickey! We can all use a little more laughter and hi-jinx in this somber time.
Penn can act, sure. But Rourke deserved it more. Hollywood makes gays out to be some oppressed group. Last I knew, educated rich white guys were not an oppressed minority, except maybe in Zimbabwe.
Penn's award was a prejudiced one. Especially because the 'everyman' - working class man down on his luck with a life in tatters around him as in the Wrestler - just didn't appeal to the snobby elitism of Hollywood.
well said. I agree 100 percent. When Mickey didn't win, I almost cried. The man deserves it more than anyone else. The Wrestler is such a good movie, it still haunting me.
Go see the Wrestler.
If it's not playing in your area, look for it when it comes out on DVD. Rourke proves that he is one of the most honest and soulful actors in Hollyweird.
He deserved an Oscar, and is now rightly focusing on his career.
Go, Mickey!!!!!!
Wrestler is the talk of the town. Even Terry Gross of NPR had an hour exclusive. Not until this movie did I learn of Rourke's acting background. Actually I'd seen movies where he was just a minor role - that familiar credible performance, but I never really even watch the credits.
Mickey Rourke has been acting since before I was born. And to my astonishment, was quite at the top of his game. But like many familiar tragedies in Hollywood, Rourke came crashing down. Thereafter, his was a tragedy of the worst kind.
Rourke garnered positive reviews, but the one I like the most was Terry Gross - Aranofsky said no one in this business wanted to finance Rourke, not one. He was shunned by Hollywood. But what bowled me over was Aranofsky's description of Rourke - the tragic figure. Rourke shuns the light, always wears sun glass. He also rejected the offer. On rare occasions Rourke removes his blinders, Aranofsky said, you can see the once upon a time glory, the tragic, the pain, sadness, the honesty and unadulterated kindness and compassion in those eyes. I would love to see Rourke's eyes !
So the story goes, Aranofsky was determined more than ever that Rourke was the right man for the job. He was was right.
Maybe, just maybe Rourke is on his way to redemption, not to please societal demands but to make peace with his past and embrace the future.
Here's to Second Chances
Reminds me of his fully involved acting in "Barfly." He must be a method actor, because he lived and breathed that part: Charles Bukowski, interested in drinking and fighting and living life on the edge, and damn the circumstances!
I think that Micky should wrestle Rush Limbaugh on Meet the Press.
I thought Mickey was great as the meth cook in 'Spun'. No one ever mentions that movie, but it captured what it must be like to be on meth very well. Mickey adds a sparkle to whatever he does, even if it's an obscure role. There's no one like him, other than Johnny Depp, who's a chameleon character actor as well.
I have spoken to two friends about this performance, one an actor who has been in 15-20 serious films - mostly very well known films, and to a Pulitzer prize winning/New York Drama Critics Circle winning play write/screenwriter - they both felt Rourke's was one of the finest performances ever caught on film.
This will be a cult classic, mark my words.
Excellent acting is physically inhabiting a role. That is what Mickey did on The Wrestler...I have never witnessed such an immersion of actor and character. Should have won the Oscar.
Is anyone else keeping up with this? "The Expendables," starring: Mickey Rourke, Jason Statham, Sylvester Stallone, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, and now...
Arnold Schwarzenegger. Testosterone overload!!!
Mickey Rourke's swear-filled acceptance speech at the Spirit Awards includes talking about banging chicks in the bathroom, swearing at directors to give Eric Roberts a 2nd chance and threatening to kick some guys butt. All incredibly brilliant and moving
Nice to find so many fellow Mickey Rourke fans on here. :)
We come here because we think like you, doc. I'm a grown, middleaged man and I cried like a baby during "The Wrestler". This is NOT typical behavior for me. In fact, for about a week after viewing the film, if i thought about the Ram character the tears would start to come again. This is a heartbreaking performance because its so real and deals with real human weakness. The wrestler character is self-destructive and addicted to his own pain. Mickey Rourke transcends acting in this role - it looks, sounds and feels like reality. His relationship with his daughter, the emotional moments they spend together on screen, is something I'll never forget. All of us either know someone, or, in our own lives, have wrestled with similar demons. Many of us feel shame and hunger for respect and acceptance - no matter what the cost.
When an actor is exceptional, the audience CAN'T tell whether it is the actor or the person, as in Jaoquin Phoenix's latest antics, but here I'm specifically referring to Mickey Rourke's performance in 'The Wrestler'. That is the way you can tell a magnificent performance. As soon as you stop "watching the actor", and when you relate to your own experience, then you are at the highest level of a great experience.
If people could simply "play" their lives onscreen, then why use actors? Use a real wrestler. A real stripper would do an experienced, professionally sexy job, as the role requires.
The reason is, real people can't simply act out their lives. They can't act at all. Not usually. For any actor to play out a similar experience to their own lives, on screen; is both easy and hard. Easy, because you don't have to dig, emotionally, to find something relevant to play emotionally. Hard, because it hurts almost too much and is too vulnerable to work with, to navigate, to manage, to weave according to the specific needs of a script.
Imagine how hard it is to tell, even a friend, about something in your own life that is deep and hurting. Do you really think that it's easy to show that to the world, then? Or to mold it, like clay, so as to fit tiny little shooting scenes, with a 100 person crew surrounding you.
No, that's Rourke's amazing talent. Irrepressible ability. He was born to do this, and he was bound to "come back" . We are all lucky for that, aren't we?
Amen
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