gentlemen. and thank you very much. tonight, the president unfiltered like you've never heard him before. >> i made bad choices. i got high. i was not always thinking about the harm it could do. >> and he puts america's young men of color on notice. >> it's ultimately going to be up to these young men and all the young men out there to step up and seize responsibility for their own lives. >> this is a cnn special, "my brother's keeper." good evening, everyone. i'm don lemon. welcome to a cnn special presentation that's called "my brother's keeper." today president barack obama talked very personally about his own upbringing, openly

discussing his struggling as a black kid growing up without a father figure for much of his life. his message for america, everyone should have the opportunities he did. >> i didn't have a dad in the house. and i was angry about it, even though i didn't necessarily realize it at the time. i made bad choices. i got high without always thinking about the harm that it could do. i didn't always take school as seriously as i should have. i made excuses. after i was finished, the guy sitting next to me said, are you talking about you? [ laughter ] i said, yeah. and the point was, i could see myself in these young men. and the only difference is that i grew up in an environment that was a little bit more forgiving. >> the president talking about meeting with a group of youth in chicago last year back in

february. i'm pleased to have a special group joining me to talk about this remarkable speech from the president today. i'm honored to have bernie shaw, and michael skolnik. michael was at the white house with me for the president's speech. professor boyce watkinwatkins, ivory and jim acosta is here with us, as well. so thank you all for joining us. i want to go to you first, bernard shaw. you sat in this seat long before i did and made a way for people like me. now the president wants to make a way for young men like him. what struck you about the president's words and tone today? >> the president, in effect, in his declaration of intent and purpose, sent me all the way back to my chicago roots on the south side, growing up in washington park, hyde park and wood lawn. i thought about a great renowned

community organizer, who inspired many president, those people who worked in the wood lawn organization. the president saying that today's youth must accept responsibility for their actions. and i thought how fortunate i was to have grown up in an environment where i could go to the chicago's boy's club, where i could become a junior lifeguard within the chicago park district system, grow up and be president of my student council in high school at dunbar and become president of the city wide council. and the program that encouraged us. the president is talking about frame work. that frame work does not exist routinely in all the cities across the country. it was a clarion call. it's just the beginning. >> i'm going to talk more about this at the end of the show. i say this, and people -- i want

you to hear me out, the president became the black president today and that is not a bad thing. sitting in that room today, magic johnson said don, i felt like we were in church today. you were there. did you get that same feeling? >> i think it was a family affair. folks around him in that room want him to succeed with this program that we've been waiting for, for many years, to focus on young men of color, latinos, asians as well and the pacific islanders as well. but to see the response from the people in that room, those congressional members and senators there and people from the business community and trayvon martin's family was there and jordan davis' family was there. folks want the president to succeed with this program. >> bernie shaw said it's not going to happen overnight. the president said that this initiative is going to take time and he showed some tough love as well. listen. >> part of our message in this initiative is, no excuses.

government and private sector and all the faith communities, philanthropy, we have the responsibility to help you knock down some of the barriers that you experience. that's what we're here for. but you've got responsibilities, too. i know you can meet the challenge. many of you already are, if you make the effort. >> bernie shaw listening intently there. i want to go to our white house correspondent, jim acosta. you've covered this president for a long time. is this a sign -- this is really a new phase for the president, one of more candor and one of it appears to be coming more into his own. is this a sign do you believe of what is to come later on in the obama administration and even after he leaves office? >> i think so. this is a big part of his legacy, don. he was speaking emotionally and personally in ways we haven't

seen since perhaps the race speech he gave when he was running for president way back in 2008. when i was listening to the president's words today, it was not really a marshaling of resources. yes, he has gotten assurances for about $200 million for at-risk youth. this was a marshaling of presidential power and the bully bull pit to go into those inner city communities and say to these young men not just that you can be president, but i the president was once you. i think that was a very important message. >> jim, speaking to many people who have been at the white house, stationed there for a long time covering the white house, producers, correspondents, i don't get to the white house that off except for the occasional invite to the christmas party. but this according to most was one of the more interesting days at the white house. one of the busier days at the

white house. the press briefing room open late, having interviews with young people from around the country. why was this so different today? >> it's not every day, don, that we have colin powell and magic johnson and all these wonderful young men in the same room. i talked to a senior white house official earlier today who said this show of force from that community, from the african-american community, really touched this president, really connected with him. and i don't know if you noticed, don, but people here at the white house noticed, the president was speaking off the cuff during a large portion of his remarks today. he was ad libbing a lot of those remarks. because a lot of it, this was coming from the heart. this is not the president obama that we see every day tangling with republicans up on capitol hill, warning vladamir putin, no provocative actions when it comes to ukraine. this was a president who had a chance to say to the civil rights community yes, i know

you've been saying to me i need to pay attention to this part of our community, and i think that is what the president wanted to lay out and accomplish today and i think he did it. >> jim, thank you. that's perfect setup now to boyce watkins. i'm going to talk to you a little bit more about that right after the break, because i understand that you have been critical of the president thinking that he should have done this sooner. the congressional black caucus, many in the black community have been saying that. as a matter of fact, i want to play something for you. there are about 6.7 million young black men under the age of 21 and the president spoke today about the challenge they face. listen and then we'll talk. >> as a black student, you are far less likely than a white student to be able to read proficiently by the time you are in fourth grade. by the time you reach high school, you're far more likely to have been suspended or expelled.

there's a higher chance you end up in the criminal justice system. and a far higher chance that you are the victim of a violent crime. and the worst part is, we've become numb to these statistics. we're not surprised by them. we take them as the norm. >> considering the criticism that i spoke about and what the president had to say there, we have become numb and in some says has the president become numb, boyce watkins? why do you believe he should have done this sooner? >> well, you know, i will say that i agree with my friends, michael and father michael pfleger who have advocated for black men for a very long time, that this initiative might call in the category of better late than never. i, like a lot of people, picked up sincerity in the president's voice. i think he's really trying to do

something worthwhile here and deserves tremendous credit for that. at the same time, we have to look at everything in the entirety. we have to realize that six or seven years ago, the black males all throughout many urban areas in america were experiencing unemployment rates unacceptable for any group of people in america. somebody has to make sure that we understand that when you look at incarceration, when you look at the educational system, when you look at what's happening economically, black men have been pushed into the toilet of america. and so i think that this initiative is amazing. i think that the president has a chance to truly make a significant mark in black history. and i really hope that everything that we saw today was sincere. i was very impressed and i'm hopeful that this is the turn of the tide. >> is that a sign that you're willing to meet this president where he is and put the criticism behind and also challenge him to make good of what he said?

>> absolutely. this is a chance for people to really come back to the table. two days ago i hung out with cornell west and father michael pfleger in chicago. these are all people who have always shown tremendous love and sacrifice, real sacrifice for black men. so what i would love to see one day is for us to put the politics behind and understand that this is -- this can't be a gimmick. this can't just be a ploy for votes. this has to be something that is sustainable. and we also have to realize if you want to learn how to grow flowers, you find the gardeners, and you help them buy more seeds. you find those individuals who will put their lives on the line like a father pfleger and help them get the money he needs. >> you're talking about father michael pfleger, the pastor on chicago's south side, who has been a soldier for civil rights

in that city and fighting against violence, as well. >> and a friend and supporter of the president by the way. >> it's very interesting when you mention those people, you said where farrakhan lived, where the president's home is, jesse jackson is around the corner. it's an amazing neighborhood within a few blocks of affluent african-americans that live in that neighborhood. mo ivory, i want to go to you. you really have the ear of the people and one of the most successful radio shows in atlanta. you will be listening -- i'm not sure if you were on the air at the time the president was giving his speech, but you will be talking about this tomorrow on your radio show. what do you expect to hear from the people who will no doubt give you feedback tomorrow? >> i think they'll be happy that president obama seemed to speak right to the people that needed to hear from him most. i mean, that was one of the most sincerest, sort of reaching out moments that i've seen in a long

time, and i just loved it. i felt so connected to what he was talking about. he told the story about a gentleman named mo from the bronxes. i'm mo from the bronx, as well and is now working in the white house. i feel very connected to that story. i'm female, but there's a bunch of african-american males that can relate to that story. but so many that need to believe that can happen to them. so i want to talk to my listeners whether or not they believe they could stick in there like he talked about and it's going to be hard work, but you have to go against the stereo types and put the hard work in and do we really believe if the resources are there and the plan is there, can the people really do the work that it takes to make things better? that's what i want to hear. >> you set me up for the next block, because we'll hear from mo. next, a warning the president gave today to the young men of color. plus, the extraordinary story of a young man who went from the

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judge glenda hatchet now joins us. president obama announced his new initiative to help young men and boys of color succeed. it's called "my brother's keeper." president obama noted he was one of the lucky ones. he grew up in a forgiving environment, he had encouragement, support. he said every child deserves the same chances he had and he warned these young men that they are ultimately responsible for their own success. >> none of this is going to be easy. this is not a one-year proposition. it's not a two-year proposition. it's going to take time. we're dealing with complicated issues that run deep in our history and society, and are entrenched in our minds. and in addressing these issue also have to be a two-way bargain. no matter how much the community chips in, it's ultimately going

to be up to these young men and all the young men out there to step up and seize responsibility for their own lives. [ applause ] and that's why i want to close by speaking directly to the young men who are here today and all the boys and young men watching at home. part of my message, part of our message in this initiative is, no excuses. government and private sector and philanthropy, all the faith communities have a responsibility to provide you with the tools you need, to knock down some of the barriers you experience. that's what we're here for. but you've got responsibilities, too. i know you can meet the challenge. many of you already are, if you make the effort.

it may be hard, but you will have to reject the cynicism that says the circumstances of your birth or society's lingering injustices necessarily define you and your future. it will take courage, but you will have to tune out the naysayers that say the deck is stacked against you, you might as well give up. or settle into the stereotype. it's not going to happen overnight, but you're going to have to set goals and work for those goals. nothing will be given to you. >> bernie, you're listening intently there. how do we now convince or the president, all of us collectively, convince these young men to step up, seize responsibility, that their lives are in their hands ultimately? how do we do that? >> i was listening intently. i was listening intently because this president was paraphrasing

my young life growing up in chicago on the south side. when i was 13, walter cronkite was my idol and i wanted to be like him. how did i get from the south side to a career of more than 40 years? but one way you convince our young men, be they black, be they white, brown, is that what our guest in atlanta said, the gardeners. you convince them that the gardeners -- this president is not only commander in chief, but i think of him as also national morale officer for all americans. there are people in the trenches right now, coaches, teachers, professors, community leaders, this speech today will so energize them. that will radiate across this great land to convince these young people that the people in the trenches, the gardeners do

care. >> i want to turn to you. when many hear that, when the president is saying this is ultimately up to you, why is the president talking respectability and pull yourself up by your boot straps. when you do that, you forget about institutional and systematic racism. >> he didn't say pull your pants up. >> pull yourself up -- but yes, in a way he is. when everyone gets into that pull your pants up, that is a metaphor for pull your attitude up. >> the president didn't just say -- >> what is wrong with saying that, by the way? >> the president didn't just say -- >> no, no, hold on, this is not a different conversation. the president is saying to take responsibility for yourself and for your actions. >> but like he said -- like he said, dr. king didn't say it's either or, but it's an and.

so what president obama did today is not just pull yourself up and i'm going to create programs. we're going to tackle third grade reading levels and juvenile justice reform. we're going to tackle school discipline. we're going to look at the systematic problems that you have in your life and help you tackle those as well while you also have to pull yourself up and have responsibility. so the president says it's a combination of both. we are here as mentors, as teachers, coaches, professors to help you pull yourself up. it's not just you but a combination of both. >> guess what? in the year 2025, the year 2045, the year 2050, the problem will remain. >> exactly. >> hopefully, hopefully, the intensity will have lessened. >> hopefully it will have gotten better and people will understand and these young

man -- >> who themselves will be fathers. >> hopefully they will have gotten the message is talking about. let's talk about too little too late. some people have said a day late and a dollar short. this is very challenging, judge hatchet. you heard the criticism. you heard dr. boyce watkins voice that criticism, as well. what do you make of that? >> first of all, i am thrilled that the president did what he did. i felt the passion. but don, it really comes down to would you just rather criticize him for not doing anything? so i'm not going to say too little too late. i'm saying we're here now, let's dig in. there's an anchor in the ground on this day that we have collectively got to move together. let me also say this whole thing about responsibility, you know, top, because you were in atlanta, that for years i sat on the juvenile court and for years

i saw young boys who were coming through that courtroom who needed to know that people believed in them. and to have the president of the united states stand today and passionately say, we are committed and you have got to do your part, and so it's like we're cheering them on. we're cheering them on, and i believe that our responsibility collectively is that we've got to guaranty safe passage from here to their future, because it's not just this generation of young boys and young men that we're investing in, but by doing so, we have a wonderful head start. i started to say something else, and i remembered we're on the way, of head start on their children's children's children's children, long after we're all gone. and i think that's worth celebrating and we have to get behind this president and all be on this team. >> let me read some of this to you. in some cities, 80% of

african-american men have a criminal record. >> yes. >> 1 in 3 black boys born today will spend time in prison if this cycle continues. >> and that is outrageous. that is absolutely outrageous. that is the prediction, that does not have to be their future. and i think today marks a significant part in this nation's history, when we can say we're not going to have this happen and we're going to reclaim our children. quickly, don, when i first went on the bench, there was an old gentleman and he said, i heard you were the new juvenile court judge. he said, you know what's wrong, judge? no one is calling these boys "son" anymore. and i've never forgotten that, don. when i was a kid, the guy would say, son, i heard you were on your way to college.

i'm proud of you. that's what we've got to do. we've got to call these young boys -- >> son, i need you to be home when the street lights come on. s son, i need you to listen to your mom. >> don, you remember, or you don't need to be doing what you're doing. they may not have known your name, but they called your son. i think that's what this is about. >> what of that, then? i think what you're saying is that there are very few male role models in the home. we're talking about single parenthood here and lack of fathers. that's what we're talking about here. that's what the judge is talking about, michael skolnik. >> i think we have to look at these young men as our sops and brothers. when we look at trayvon martin and jordan davis as people, not just as a number, they're people with families and friends who lost their loved ones. we look at them as human beings.

we still have 15 young people behind the president -- >> i understand, but when i spoke to the boys yesterday, no one had a male role model. even the president said that. he said that today. he had never signed a father day's card, and they had never signed a father's day card. men need male role models. >> that's an issue for us men to challenge each other. i'm a new part. i have to challenge fellow young men to step up and be fathers for their children. next, the president today told the story of a young black men who went from a rough and tumble neighborhood all the way to the white house. you'll meet mo owens. plus, is the quote ganger

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welcome back, everyone, to this cnn special presentation, "my brother's keeper." today when president obama kicked off what is a personal cause, helping young black and

latino men succeed, he spoke about a man who went from the streets of the bronx to the halls of the white house. >> when mo was 4 years old, he moved with his mom from south carolina to the bronx. his mom didn't have a lot of money and they lived in a tough neighborhood. crime was high. a lot of young men ended up in jail or worse. but she knew the importance of education. so she got mo into the best elementary school that she could find. and every morning she put him on a bus. every night when welcomed him when he came home. she took the initiative. she eventually found a sponsorship program that allowed mo to attend a good high school. and while many of his friends got into trouble, some of them pretty serious, mo just kept on getting on the bus and working hard and reaching for something better. he had some adults in his life that were willing to give him advice and help him along the way. he ended up going to college and

serving his country in the air force. and today, mo works in the white house. just two doors down from the oval office as the special assistant to my chief of staff. [ applause ] >> that deserves a round of applause. earlier i spoke to that young man mo, and his mother, and i asked them about what it meant to be acknowledged by the president of the united states. >> i'm so, so proud of him. i can't describe how proud of him i am. and him acknowledging us like that, it was -- it was really, really a wonderful experience that i won't ever forget. >> what do you think about when you look at him? what do you see when you look at that guy? >> a strong, positive black role model. >> yeah. >> yes. because i told him earlier today that he needs to start speaking to his peers more. i know he does it through the

white house, but to do it on his own, to let people know like the president said, if mo can do it, anybody can. >> tell us about mo, your experience. you grew up and the president said you lived in the bronx. a tough neighborhood. did you have a male role model? was your dad involved? >> my dad wasn't involved. i didn't know my dad until i was 19. >> so you got on that bus every day. what was your experience like? why did you do it? >> it was a choice my mother made to actually take me from the environment where i wouldn't have the best chances in succeeding in, which is my immediate neighborhood. so she found other programs that bussed me to a school. i went to a school that was in little italy. which is a very predominantly italian neighborhood. so my elementary school, i was maybe one of five black kids in the school.

it was in another neighborhood, so it showed me if i can succeed in another neighborhood, another environment, i can succeed anywhere. >> what was your environment that you lived in like that you had to get on the bus and go away to school? >> immediate best friends were drug dealers. throughout my years of growing up in the bronx, i lost over 16 friends to gun violence and drugs and jail. it was just a norm not to be conducive to somebody achieving higher goals than what's immediately around them, which is not -- it's just an urban nightmare i guess you could call it, of a society that -- it's a society of a circle that creates young boys to commit crime and lead lives of drugs. because to be the biggest drug dealer is the only way to have money in your pocket or to be that person in your neighborhood

that somebody respects. so i thought if i become a lawyer, people respect lawyers, not just drug dealers. i played basketball my whole life, but i knew education would take me security than basketball if i didn't succeed in basketball. >> what made you different? what was different for you, that environment sucked some of those people in, they dropped out of school, became drug dealers, may have gotten involved with the criminal justice system, what was different about you? >> the biggest difference is my mother believing in me. i would say another difference is what the president is trying to do with this initiative, my brother's keeper, those critical moments i've seen those critical moments happen in my best friend's life where the day he decided to sell drugs. or a buddy of mine, he had a scholarship to play basketball and his idea of saving up for college was to sell drugs. so he had money when he got to

college. long story short, he had an altercation and he shot a guy and he's incarcerated for seven years. so those critical moments when he's about to approach college, no one was there to mold him and guide him in the way that would take him to higher and higher heights. >> so you got past the sellout thing, you're trying to be white, did you hear that kind of thing? >> when i had aspirations of college, it was more of -- not necessarily -- it was like they saw that what they -- saying to me trying to deter to me, just that when that arose, i would always -- i would also say inspirational things to them like, come to clemson with me. >> how did you get to the white house? >> i got to the white house via the military actually.

i enlisted in the air force in 2003. first assignment was in japan. i was there for four years. when that assignment didn't work out, i had to figure out where i wanted to. a special duty the airs to has was at the white house. i applied, did an interview sitting in iraq over the phone. got the nod saying i could come to the white house. that following year i came to the white house and i've been here ever since. >> you would not be denied. you were persistent. so how did you become the assistant to the chief of staff? >> that role is one i asked -- with the situation room.view - i interviewed for the situation room, was played there as a communicator. i was there for three years. your job in the situation room

is to support the president and vice president and the deputy national security adviser securely on the road. i did that a lot for the chief of staff. >> do you realize what your life is like? do you realize who you are? >> i'm still living the dream, living the american dream. i know what i have to do every day and that is support the president and immediately support the chief of staff and i try to do that. >> what did today mean to you, that this president did what he said, him acknowledging you and your mom and making an initiative for young men of color across the country, what did that mean to you? >> it definitely sings praises to my mother and the way he raised me and what she wanted out of my life. so that's foremost. i can only thank god for that. and it means to me that the

president cares. he's invested in people like me and people like him. the promise and the challenge that he's putting in the world or immediately in the united states to challenge mentors and fathers and challenge that young male to do more than what's expected of them, to change that expectation is the biggest thing that i think is going to make this initiative work and the president put that on the table. >> have you seen him this emotional? >> the president? this is definitely a different perspective that i have seen the president project to the world. he cares about someone that's like him, and it's not about him, it's about young boys and men of color, and also he wants that -- i know he wants that relationship to strengthen other relationships, when that young man becomes a better map, he's a better father, a better husband and so on and so on.

that environment breeds success, if one thing empowers the other. >> what do you want to be when you grow up? >> i want to be a young man that continues to make my mother proud. >> and he does, every day. >> remarkable young man. up next, what role does the so called gangster culture play, if any, on young black men? spokesperson: we decided to settle this. a steel cage death match of midsize sedans. the volkswagen passat against all comers. turbocharged engines against...engines. best in class rear legroom against other-class legroom. but then we realized. consumers already did that. twice. huh. maybe that's why nobody else showed up. how does one get out of a death cage?

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can i watch it in glimmering lake? yep. here, too. what about the dark castle? you call that defense?! come on! [ female announcer ] watch live tv anywhere. the x1 entertainment operating system, only from xfinity. welcome back to a cnn special presentation. after president obama announced his new initiative for young men of color today, his senior adviser appeared on fox news with bill o'reilly. as you might expect, the two of them clashed over how to fix the problems facing these young men and according to o'reilly, the problem is what he called gangstas. >> you have to attack the fundamental disease if you want to cure it. i submit you have to get people

like jay zee, kanye west, all of these gangster rappers to knock it off. >> these boys need positive role models. >> listen to me, listen to me. you've got to get where they live, all right? they idolize these guys with the hats on backwards and the terrible rap lyrics and the drugs and all that. you've got to get these guys. i think president obama can do it. >> all right. back with me now again, michael skolnik and bernie shaw. michael, does bill o'reilly have any idea what he's talking about? >> jay zee and kanye west are gangsters? to respond to that -- >> but he's talking about a culture that he believes perp perpetuates -- >> it's like michael dunn calling jordan davis a thug because four kids are in a car

listening to rap music. the fact that this perpetuation of young black men, because you listen to rap music? rap music is a reflection of our society. what i liked about president obama today, he didn't blame thug culture for our problems. he looked at the systemic problems. >> but the president did say that they had negative reinforcements and take that for what it is. >> the thug culture did not create low third grade reading levels, or kids who can't have -- >> does it help those people? >> it's a reflection. the mirror doesn't help anything. >> bernie shaw? >> it's a reflection of culture. o'reilly is uncomfortable with this culture, that's understandable. he did not come from this culture. that culture has some validities, if you will. i'm thinking about before my generation, people condemned

people wearing zute suits or having afros or bell bottom trousers, slicked back hair. you know, unless and until all americans in this great country realize that this is a national problem, not a black problem, not a brown problem, that this problem involves and ensnares native americans, asian americans, unless and until we realize this is a national problem awaiting critical attention, a national problem that will go on for generations until we have that realization and not cherry pick and not denounce one element within the subculture as despicable. >> he also challenged the president and first lady about having sex, what he said, bringing lives into the world that don't have resources, and i'm paraphrasing here, that was the worst thing you can do is

bring another life in the world when you don't have the resources to take care of that life. >> how long has that been going on? wake up, o'reilly. >> as a white person, it's highly offensive, to also white people, to categorize one group as despicable or negative. there are more white people on food stamps in this country than black people. we're not attacking them for being lazy. that conversation is old. we're off that conversation. that conversation is 15 years ago. we're on to a new 21st century america. this president has said we're going to take care of the most vulnerable. as a white american, we need them to be successful for this country to prosper. period. >> if you succeed, we all succeed. >> that's right. >> simple as that. >> i think it's interesting that we've had -- when you hear -- when you see what's happened in

arizona and you see many other places that we are moving into a place in this country where people no longer accept bigotry and you can't use an excuse. there are fewer and fewer excuses for bigotry and for people out of touch with the way the world is going. agree or disagree? >> for the governor of arizona last night to have to veto a bill she maybe wanted to pass because the people said we're not going to accept this is a step in the right direction. >> i have to run, bernie. you understand that. listen, thanks to both of you. to all my guests. next, why today the president became the black president. honestly? i wanted a smartphone that shoots great video. so i got the new nokia lumia icon. it's got 1080p video, three times zoom, and a twenty-megapixel sensor. it's got the brightest display, so i can see what i'm shooting -- even outdoors, and 4 mics that capture incredible sound.

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side effects may include headache, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. if you have persistent diarrhea, contact your doctor right away. other serious stomach conditions may exist. avoid if you take clopidogrel. for many, relief is at hand. ask your doctor about nexium. he finally said it. finally. that was a collective sigh today from many in the east room at the white house, and beyond. all across america. president obama became the black president today. and not in the sense that he is the president just for black americans. but as a president who happens to be black, he finally had the courage to step up and meet his responsibility to the people who

are most like him. the people who need his help the most, young men of color. hear me out here. there was a time when the auto industry needed him the most, and that didn't make him just the president for the auto workers. today, president obama realized that right now, in this time of need, being the black president isn't a bad thing. he committed today to helping the people he could help the most. but in the end, young men of color just might end up helping him more than he helped them, because they might just end up catapulting him further into his destiny by becoming his lasting legacy. i'm don lemon. thanks for joining me. cnn films "and the oscar goes to" is next. announcer ] hey, look at you! you're an emailing, texting, master of the digital universe. but do you protect yourself? ♪ apparently not. when you access everything, you give everyone access to everything about you.

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>> coming up on 3 1/2 minutes to air, 3:30. >> ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats. >> ladies and gentlemen, anthony hopkins for "silence of the lambs." >> first time i've ever been backstage with all of you delightful press and network people. my goodness. i'd like to win it sometime. >> little less than two minutes, everybody, to air. diane? >> yes. >> you really acted surprised. >> well, it wasn't hard! it wasn't hard! [ laughter ] [ applause ] >> thank you very much, debbie. >> well, thank you. good seeing you again. >> could you hear the round of applause that you got from that

audience? >> sure. and i felt it from my heart. it can't beat fast enough for goodness sakes. talk to me tomorrow. >> we are making the transition switch from preshow to main show. >> i was always taught growing up that i should never expect anything. i've never expected the nomination. i've never expected to win an academy award. >> i sort of didn't think english people could win oscars. i thought it was just for americans. >> you have to understand, i'm the daughter of a man who didn't believe in competition. >> 30 seconds to air. >> this is my lovely daughter angelina. >> actors? >> i don't know yet.

you have to ask them. what do you think, ang? >> not really. >> my first academy award. i haven't won anything. do you know something i don't? >> brilliant. mr. clooney. i win an oscar it's mr. clooney. the vision i had of what hollywood was like before i came to hollywood. >> it's very intimidating. it's always like, oh, my god, i'm a part of this! it's a room full of excitement. it's a room full of sweat. everybody's really eager. >> 9, 8, 7, 6. >> it's a huge deal. no matter how calm everybody says they are, it's the oscars for crying out loud. >> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome our host, her majesty whoopi goldberg. >> good evening, loyal subjects. i am the african queen. [ cheers and applause ]

>> the first images of the oscars i had was a black and white television set in long beach, long island in the 50s. bob hope was the host. >> thank you very much. good evening, ladies and gentlemen. welcome to chance of a lifetime. >> i'd have to go to sleep somewhere around sound effects editing. some things never change. and i'd get up in the morning and in my cereal bowl before school would be a list. my mom would write a list of who won what. >> i was a kid, and here was the people that had already been huge big massive stars for 20 or 30 years. i mean, even bob hope had been bob hope since 1932. >> i actually thought he was always going to be the host. it never occurred to me there would be anybody else. >> i just thought that was the height of sophisticated humor was bob hope at the oscars. >> it's a gay, handsome crowd here tonight. with an undercurrent of nervousness. the whole thing is like a big maternity ward [ laughter ] >> everybody's expecting. [ laughter ] >> oscar traditions didn't

invent themselves. >> i see a lot of new faces, especially on the old faces. >> they were created and changed year after year in a process of trial and error. >> wow. >> at the very first oscar ceremony, no one knew what to expect. it was may, 1929. and hollywood's finest arrived for a banquet at the roosevelt hotel. "wings" a world war i epic, won best picture. there were only 12 awards that evening, including one for best title writing, a skill about to disappear. change was in the air. the first sound film "the jazz singer" was a hit that year. but it was ineligible to qualify for best picture. instead, it won a technical achievement award. everyone knew it marked a turning point from the second

award ceremony on all competing films would have sound. ♪ she's an angel of joy >> i talked to janet gaynor who won the best actress award the very first year. she said it was very exciting to get an award but it had no tradition. they announced the winners in advance. so they went to the banquet knowing who won. the next day they kind of forgot about it, they moved on. ♪ >> good morning. i'm bob ramey, president of the academy. we're here to unveil our nominees for the 70th academy award. >> when nominations are going to be announced, it's early in the morning. the whole city is awake, tuned

into their tv or their radio to hear who's nominated. >> i thought, how am going to sleep until 5:35 tomorrow morning when the announcements are made? i went out with some friend, went to a sushi bar and we drank a lot of saki. i thought this will help me sleep. when i went home ways in bed by midnight. i woke up 12:52, 1:37 -- 4:30 i got up. this is ridiculous. i'm not sleeping. >> turned on the tv, i was listening and they said my name three times. george clooney. >> george clooney. >> george clooney. >> i just sat there in front of the tv going i can't believe it. >> i saw my face on tv. >> jason wrightman for ""juno". >> i realized i had been nominated for an academy award. >> where i grew up? i didn't expect to hear my name. did they just say my name. >> i was on an indian

reservation, an shoshone reservation i think in utah when i got word that i'd been nominated. >> benecio del toro in "traffic". >> you get nominated and go on that carousel? it's like a drug. it's like a painkiller. >> when it happened, the world explodes. you're excited. i mean, i certainly was. i never thought anything like that could ever happen. but then the crush that comes to you from everybody you know all around the world. >> it's your bar mitzvah times a million. >> from the beginning, the academy awards were about more than just winning an oscar. two of the founding mention, actors douglas fairbanks and mary pickford, were looking forward the future. they wanted the academy of motion picture arts and sciences to promote the finest possible movies.

>> they were people who thought they were working on a serious art form, and their main motive was to get the word out that it has earned the right to be regarded along with the other arts that have been studied for centuries. >> nikelodeon viewing arcades grew into movie palaces. actors became movie stars. a new kind of celebrity. and the public couldn't get enough of them. every day people arrived in hollywood with big dreams of being in the movies. >> all the hard work of just saying i'm going to stay in los angeles. i'm going to do ten auditions today. i'm going to get rejected on 9.7 of them.

i'm going to drive home. i'm going to get up tomorrow and i'm going to go to acting class and i'm just going to like do this little job here so i can get a little bit of money. and then one day, boom, you get a little job and another little job. suddenly another bigger job. and suddenly you're like, we like what you do. [ applause ] >> nominations for best original dramatic score are -- >> actually getting a job was -- it was years. and it was a no one wanted me. no one wanted to take a chance. i didn't even get the opportunity to do auditions. >> and marvin hamslishmish for "the way we were". >> who? >> marvin hamlish. sorry about that, marvin. >> people said i wasn't a serious actress, i was a crazy dresser, i dated younger men. and i just wasn't serious. [ cheers ]

>> mike the director said, how would you like to be in a movie with meryl streep? i went, sure. >> you made enough noise there, dolly? >> you two ain't exactly a silent movie yourself. >> then he went, i just want to tell you you play a lesbian but she's an adorable lesbian. >> this here is angela. she's a beautician. >> well, hi there. >> and then he kept going, cher, get in there. cher lay on the couch. cher be in the kitchen. finally i was just kind of all the way through it. >> you know, a lot of people can't handle me. >> i get a call saying, steven spielberg would like you to come to los angeles. and i thought, oh, okay. i'd like to meet him. i could be in "raiders of the lost ark" sure. they need some black people. that's how i would think.

he said i want to do "the color purple" and i want you to play seeley. i said i don't think so. i think i would be better in another part because i've never made a movie. >> he said let me think about it but i'm pretty sure that's the part i want you to do. i'm just like okay. but if it's really bad, don't be mad at me. >> it was always daniel day-lewis. but daniel didn't make it easy. >> i had actually been committed to play margaret thatcher. and meryl was steven's first choice for lincoln [ laughter ] >> none of us heard what daniel's voice sounded like until the first day of shooting. so the minute he opened his mouth in that first scene, i mean, it was just -- took your breath away. >> i am the president of the

united states of america, clothed in immense power! >> i think with certain movies -- and it's happened i think over the course of time -- that certain movies do come in to being when the right person is there to play a significant part. >> why do they pick me for my photographs? because they want to see me, norma desmond. >> wherever there's a fight so hungry people can eat, i'll be there. >> it's sunday afternoons i think of most. >> i feel it all the time like a cat on a hot tin roof. >> it's chinatown. >> how are things going so far? >> fasten your seat belts. it's going to be a bumpy night. ♪

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>> i'm going to use number one. keep your eye on that thumb, baby, and see what happens. >> clark gable didn't want to make "it happened one night." but in the 1930s, actors took the roles their studios gave these. his co-star, claudette colbere, wasn't thrilled to be in the movie, either. the only person who wanted to make the movie was director frank kappa. that was the backdrop for the seventh academy awards. >> the film-making community suspected that some dirty dealing was going on because bette davis didn't show up on the nominees' list for best actress. and one of the people who was most cynical was claudette colbert. she did not think she was going to win, so while the ceremony was going on she was boarding a train to go back to new york.

she did win, and they had to send somebody to get her off the train. she showed up all fluttery and accepted her oscar and went back to the train which had been held for her. >> "it happened one night" ended up winning oscars in all the top categories. best picture, best screenplay, best director, best actress. and clark gable for best actor. >> i do want to take this opportunity of expressing my thanks and sincere gratitude to mr. frank kappa, director of "it happened one night" and miss claudette colbert who was gracious enough to co-star with me in that same picture. thank you. >> for years, the academy gave newspapers the names of oscar winners early. 1940 was a banner year for oscar. all ten nominated films would become classics.

the "l.a. times" jumped the gun and published the list of winners prematurely. the academy was furious, and from then on price waterhouse has delivered oscar results in sealed envelopes to be opened only onstage. >> these votes are all tabulated by price waterhouse. they're counted in a sealed room. then a secretary types them out. then she is taken out and shot and here we are [ laughter ] >> i'd like to introduce you to mr. bill miller of price waterhouse and company, the guardian of oscar secrets. >> mr. bill miller of price waterhouse. >> mr. miller is a representative of price waterhouse. >> i'm bill miller of price waterhouse. >> no, i didn't know that by george. >> may i have the envelope. >> and the envelope, please? >> the envelope, please? >> may i have the envelope, please?

>> where is it, the envelope? oh, i have the envelope. all right. >> next the presentations to outstanding motion picture writers. of course, i'm not too familiar with them because i outlive most of my stuff. and i never -- what's wrong with the teleprompter? >> the following pictures were nominated for the best screenplay. >> nominated for the best motion picture story are the following. >> the nominees for the best screenplay based on material from another medium. >> the nominees for best story and screenplay. >> the nominees for the best story and screenplay. >> if you were lucky enough to get in some of the positions that i'm in, you're going to be held responsible for the film, not for the role. so you're not looking for oh, this is a great part for me. you're looking for a screenplay that you feel like works on every level. and a director that knows what

he's doing. and those are the elements first and foremost it's the screenplay. it has to be screenplay. you cannot make a good film out of a bad screenplay. it's never been done. >> "juno" stopped me in my tracks. i'd never read anything like it. it was so innovative in its language but also in its structural devices. in the decisions the characters made, in its point of view on every character. >> i'm pregnant. >> oh, god. >> i remember i asked diablo cody, how did you figure out how to write a screenplay? she said, i bought the published script of "ghost world" and realized -- >> who's the father, juno? >> um it's pauly bleaker? >> pauly bleaker? >> what? >> i didn't think he had it in him. >> i know, right? [ laughter ]

>> and she said, i wrote it in the mcdonald's section of a target on my 15-minute breaks from my job at an advertising agency. >> the key thing in adapting it was treating it as if it were a mystery. in the book, really on page 2 or 3, shoeless joe shows up. and the farmer says to him, my father used to play ball. could he come and play with you guys? and shoeless joe says yes, finish building the field and he can come with us. so two-thirds of the way through the book, the father shows up, a surprise to neither the farmer nor to the reader. what i did was move that to the end and made it a surprise. >> oh, my god. it's my father. >> i loved the screenplay.

i loved the story. and i thought that was as good a role as i was going to get. maybe ever. it had such deep down anger. daddy's little girl. all the things that were working against him unfairly. and yelling at a woman in a coma i think is not something you're going to get to do very often in a film. >> tell me again that i'm too out of touch with my feelings, and i need to go to therapy. isn't the idea of marriage to make your partner's way in life a little easier? for me it was always harder with you. and you're still making it harder. >> your father and i were just discussing his day at work. why don't you tell our daughter about it, honey? >> janie, today i quit my job. and then i told my boss to go [ mute ] -- >> i thought the screenplay was great. it was very clear to me that there was something to play, and that it was something that had a lot of truth in it but it also

was on a very odd knife edge of being very serious and very funny. >> excuse me. what is this? let's bring in the laugh man and see how loud it gets on that one. >> it was just like an instinctive thing. you read it and you think, oh, no, that's something to do. >> don't interrupt me, honey. >> the oscar goes to allen ball for "american beauty." [ cheers and applause ] >> the oscar goes to "king's speech". >> i believe i am the oldest person to win this particular award. my father always said to me i would be a late bloomer [ laughter ] >> just really two young guys who were fortunate enough to be involved with a lot of great people who it's incumbent upon

us to -- there's no way we're doing this in less than 20 seconds. upon who it was incumbent on us to thank. robin williams. my brother casey who's brilliant in the movie. cole haaser. my mother and one of the most beautiful women here. chris moore produced the movie. patrick rice the best agent in hollywood. and for showing us how to give our acceptance speech. all our friends and family. and everybody back in boston watching us tonight. >> thank you so much the city of boston. and i know we're forgetting somebody. >> whoever we forgot we love you. >> thank you so much! [ cheers and applause ] >> diablo cody. [ cheers and applause ] >> what is happening? i want to thank jason wrightman who i consider a member of my family. i'm in awe of his talent as a

filmmaker. most of all i want to thank my family for loving me exactly the way i am. [ applause ] >> and then i'm proud to receive this objet d' art on behalf of mr. spellman who writes he cannot be here for a variety of reasons, all of them spicy. [ laughter ] >> he's dumbfounded, absolutely flummoxed. he never expected any recognition for writing "around the world in 80 days." [ laughter ] >> and in fact, only did so on the express understanding that the film would never be shown. [ laughter ]

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during the academy's early years, its most powerful figures were the studio heads. >> the academy was not founded to give awards. it was really founded to step in and keep unions from coming into hollywood. >> the studio executives hated unions. but as the great depression wore on, actors, writers and directors began organizing just as the technical workers had. and the academy got caught in the middle.

>> gradually you began to get a hostility toward the academy on the part of the actors and the directors and the screenwriters. the academy almost died because the membership shrunk drastically. and then in 1935, frank kapra became the president of the academy and the president of the directors' guild at the same time. the crucial thing he did was oversee the a revision of the academy by laws which said from that point on the academy would take no role in labor issues or political issues or religious issues. >> instead, its focus turned to awarding and preserving great movies and recognizing the people who made them. >> and the winner, "hamlet." >> the winner "all the king's men". >> and the winner is burt lancaster. >> humphrey bogart!

>> steven spielberg was the perfect person for me to start with. because i loved movies. and he loves movies. so he would say, well, you know that feeling that you had just before scout sees booradley? just as the door opens? >> yeah. yeah. >> that's what i want. >> so that i could do. i understood it. >> any time i see actors that are nominated, i just think about the work. the glamour and all that is fun. but -- >> i always say the real work of an actor is an inside job.

because what you do is all inside. >> some people think about acting as though you are wearing a mask. but actually, most of the time you're taking away a mask. there's something that the camera sees that no matter what you do the camera finds. >> actors that i loved growing up, i loved spencer tracy. you always knew where he stood in everything. >> because in the final analysis, it doesn't matter a damn what we think. >> you look at his mark down on the ground where you have to stand so that you're in focus. but if the lens catches you, then everyone who's watching you realizes that you're lying to them, you're cheating. well, he would look right at his mark and he wouldn't cheat. he wouldn't go like that. he would look at his mark and go -- literally do this and he'd walk over and stand there. then he'd sit up like that and

hook you in the eye and keep talking. you never for a moment thought he was looking at his mark. >> the movie's called for kind of acting that had never existed before. if you don't hit your mark you're out of focus. there may or may not be rehearsals. stories aren't filmed in sequence. you're acting for an audience of one, the camera. >> i had never acted before. even entertained the idea of acting. never thought about it. all of these people and all these cameras and lights. ♪ no, no >> the director took every inch of me out of me. ♪ telling you i'm not going >> i was like, oh, my god, what do y'all want from me? what else can i give you? i've given you everything. they're like all right cut. now action. action again? are you kidding me?

♪ you're going to love me >> one day i saw this man going to work. when i wrapped he was going back to work. i'm like this is the same man going back to work. oh, my god, that's how long i was on the set. >> nominees for best performance by an actress in a supporting role are rita moreno, judy garland. >> what's do you admit to? what else? >> nothing. there's nothing like you're trying make it sound. >> what else? >> there's nothing. nothing. stop it! >> my mom, she on gave me one acting lesson. i showed her the script. i said, can you help me with this? i don't think i'm very good. so we sat on the floor. and i showed her the script. and then she said, "i'll be the other girl. now you do what you do" and i did it. and she said, all right. let's do that again.

and all these other thoughts and lines to say. then we go back and she said, now think that and say the line. >> i'll see. >> she said yeah, you're going to be good. >> liza minnelli. [ cheers and applause ] >> i was nuts about doing "the queen." i watched quite a lot of film. obviously you read history. but i started looking at the portraits of elizabeth. that's always very interesting. because there's as much of the artist in the portrait as there is of the person themselves. that sort of suddenly liberated me. because i thought, i don't have to be the queen, i have to be my perception of the queen. which was sort of what i did.

>> oh, you're a beauty. >> when i find that key in a character, it's very empowering. >> what are you doing? >> i have a ticket. >> in "gandhi" the moment he's racially abused and thrown off a train. i realized that he converted a moment of supreme indignation and rage into a piece of pure intelligence that freed a whole nation. >> we must defy the british. >> interesting that that was the key. not being denying gandhi but "don't ever do that again." >> oh, my angel. >> i played the prostitute. i spent time with a series of

prostitutes and madams right down to -- i didn't go with them when they turned tricks, but i was with them when they were cutting their cocaine. and i was with them in the after hours clubs. and when i was done i went to the director and said, i can't do it, allen. you should get faith dunaway. and he burst out laughing. he just said that's absolutely ridiculous and sent me out of the room. so i had to really think, how do i get myself into this? i went to a police station. and i looked -- phew -- and i looked at hundreds of photographs of women who had been beaten and killed. >> i don't consider myself a terrible man. no more than others. >> a few weeks later we were

shooting the last scene, and i decided i wasn't going to plan or prepare or anything. i just was going to sit there. >> obviously i would not be telling you these things if my intentions weren't honorable. >> it slowly dawned on her that he was the one that killed her friend. something totally unexpected happened. >> be comfortable. nothing's going to happen. >> she cried for all the women that had been victims of that kind of violence. and i realized that it was the first time that feminism manifested in me. you stopped by the house? uh-huh. yea. alright, whenever you get your stuff, run upstairs, get cleaned up for dinner. you leave the house in good shape? yea. yea, of course. ♪ [ sportscaster talking on tv ] last-second field go--

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[ applause ] [ laughter ] i am here tonight to explain why no black people will ever be nominated for anything. [ laughter ] [ applause ] >> black people love to act. [ laughter ] >> we can cry at the drop of a hat. [ laughter ]

or laugh. these are some of the things black people can do [ laughter ] >> miss scarlet, come on in the house. >> i didn't see "gone with the wind" growing up. it's a sensitive issue in the black community, no question. my mother was just adamant. so i didn't see the movie until i was in my 20s. >> but i didn't fetch you here on miss scarlet's account. what that child's got to stand the good lord gave her strength to stand. it's mr. rev i'm worried about. >> she was the smartest person in the entire movie. i thought she was spectacular. and the idea that the academy recognized that talent. that was amazing. >> listen. hattie mcdaniel, man, she was the first. think about that. that's wild.

she almost didn't get even invited. they put her way in the corner. way in the corner in the back. and then she won. >> academy of motion picture arts and sciences, fellow members of the motion picture industry and honored guests, this is one of the happiest moments of my life. and i want to thank each one of you who had a part in selecting me for one of the awards. [ applause ] >> i sincerely hope i shall always be a credit to my race and to the motion picture industry. my heart is too full to tell you just how i feel. and may i say thank you. [ applause ] >> she was the first. and sidney was the second. >> the winner is sidney poitier. [ applause ] >> a lot of white people in between. you know what i mean? it's a long time.

>> it is a long journey to this moment. >> the fact you are a negro, did that make this particularly significant tonight? >> you're going to have to let me mull that one for awhile. it's a very interesting question. and i would prefer not to answer it in my present anxiety. i'd rather be much more collected to deal with such a delicate question. >> and then came lou gossett. then denzel. and then me. >> whoopi goldberg. [ cheers and applause ] >> i come from new york. as a little kid i lived in the projects. and you're the people i watched. you're the people who made me want to be an actor. i'm so proud to be here. i'm proud to be an actor. and i'm going to keep on acting. and thank you so much. >> it was a short list. >> and the oscar goes to halle

berry. >> the handing out of oscars at the oscar show through the years has shown social change. i know for some maybe not fast enough. but it has definitely moved in that direction. ♪ >> tom hanks in "philadelphia." >> there was this thing that was tearing us apart which was the aids crisis. the pandemic that was aids. [ applause ] >> it was not just ripped right

out of today's headlines, but it was getting into this more specific question of how do you respond to aids? >> i would not be standing here if it weren't for two very important men in my life. two that i haven't spoken with in awhile but i had the pleasure of just the other evening. mr. raleigh farnsworth was my high school acting teacher. one of my classmates under him, john gilkerson. two of the finest gay americans, two wonderful men. and there lies my dilemma here tonight. i know that my work in this case is magnified by the fact that the streets of heaven are too crowded with angels. we know their names. they number 1,000 for each one of the red ribbons that we wear here tonight. there's this kid.

coach calls her a team player. she's kind of special. she makes the whole team better. he's the kind of player that puts the puck, horsehide, bullet. right where it needs to be. coach calls it logistics. he's a great passer. dependable. a winning team has to have one. somebody you can count on. somebody like my dad. this is my dad. somebody like my mom. my grandfather. i'm very pround of him. her. them.

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freedom of speech was not always welcome in the movie business. in the 1950s, hollywood joined the rest of the nation in the hunt for communists. names of those suspected were added to something called the blacklist. >> the motion picture industry council reaffirms its consistent opposition to communism, its works, its members, its methods. >> it was a real list. it wasn't just some theoretical thing. there were lists of directors, well-known writers. the blacklist period was one of the dark chapters in american history. i'm sad to say that the academy didn't really behave any better

than anybody else did. >> i've never read karl marx and i don't know the faces of communism. from what i've heard, i don't like it. >> in 1955, the academy passed a bylaw that prohibited any blacklisted writer from being nominated for an oscar. when the "bridge on the river kwai" won best screenplay in 1957, the original novelist collected the oscar but he didn't write the script. >> for the best writing of a motion picture -- >> the two writers who did, michael wilson and carl foreman, were on the blacklist. so for the academy, they didn't exist. >> some people committed suicide when they were on that list. there were people that moved to europe and never came back.

>> some blacklisted writers continued working under pseudonyms. >> the nominations for best picture motion picture story are robert rich. >> when they won oscars for best screenplay, there was no one to walk up the aisle. >> vice president of the screen writers association will accept the award. >> much later, the academy welcomed back those it had shunned. >> i was once upon a time a respectable member of this community. respectable didn't necessarily mean more than i took a daily bath when i was sober, didn't spit except when i meant to and mispronounced a word or two. then suddenly before senator joseph mccarthy reached for that rusty ax, i and many others were no longer acceptable to those in the industry.

certainly, they confronted the wild charges of joe mccarthy with a force and courage of a bowl of mashed potatoes. i have no regrets during that period. maybe you never do when you survive. but i have a mischievous pleasure being restored to respectability, because i never thought it would happen. i hope the rest of my life will not be too respectable. spokesperson: we decided to settle this.

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visit vwdealer.com today. ♪ [ applause ] here are the scholarly, and dignified miss martha ray and mr. james durant. >> will you do me a favor? >> certainly. what is it? >> tell me, what does documentary mean? >> jimmy, you mean you don't know the meaning of the word documentary? >> that's one of the few. [ laughter ] >> is any oscar category reflects changing times, it's documentaries. the academy established the category during world war ii. early oscars went to government sponsored films.

by the 1970s, documentaries were approaching war from a very different point of view. >> i remember watching the oscars when "hearts and minds" won and the producers came on the stage and for a speech they decided to read a telegram they received that day from the wrong side of vietnam. >> it says, please transmit to all our friends in america our recognition of all that they have done on behalf of peace. >> most of my being was involved in trying to end the war in vietnam. it was raging and i felt how could i be in front of all these people and not say something? >> the winner is jane fonda. [ applause ] >> thank you. thank you very much, members of the academy. and thank all of you who applauded.

there's a great deal to say, and i'm not going to say it tonight. i would just like to thank you very much. [ applause ] >> what were you thinking? >> i was thinking while we're all sitting there giving out awards, there are murders being committed in our name in endo china. everyone is aware of it as i am, and everyone wants it to end as much as i do. i didn't think i needed to say it. i think we've had it, i really do. i think everyone feels that way. i just didn't think it needed to be said. >> marlon brando in "the godfather." >> i'm representing marlon brando this evening, and he's asked me to tell you that he very regretfully cannot accept this very generous award, and the reasons for this being are the treatment of american indians today by the film

industry -- excuse me. [ applause ] >> i do not think that this academy awards evening was an inappropriate place. but of course, i speak only as an american indian. i cannot answer for the conscience of america. >> you're not going to get me to say anything. this is our only chance to contact the public as an industry. now, don't try to get me to say something against it. go get brando. >> and the oscar goes to -- "bowling for columbine." >> i remember tonya on stage, and it was like i had golom in my heard where this voice is going, precious, be nice, don't