Greatest Oscar Moments

1. The Moment Jeff Bridges accepts his Best Actor Oscar at the 82nd Academy Awards in the style of Jeff Lebowski Mom and dad, yeah, look! Whoo! Thank you, Mom and Dad, for turning me on to such a groovy profession. Why Its Great Because Oscar speeches dont have to be boring, you know. .....

Social Media

2. The Moment Ellen DeGeneres takes time out from hosting the 79th Academy Awards to ask Steven Spielberg to take a snap of her with Clint Eastwood. Why Its Great She actually posted the photo online on her MySpace page. .....

Get The Party Started

3. The Moment Awards specialist Neil Patrick Harris steals the show at the 82nd Academy Awards with a lavish Broadwaystyle musical number. Why Its Great Harris is regarded at the best in the business at awards hosting, and it can only be a matter of time before he does the Oscars, despite his protestations to the contrary. .....

Good Will And Matt And Ben

4. The Moment Twentysomething upandcoming movie stars Matt Damon and Ben Affleck win an Oscar at the 70th Academy Awards .....

Behind The Screen

5. The Moment One of the weirdest and most memorable pieces of interpretive dance occurred at the 79th Academy Awards, where Pilobolus reenacted the years films in shadow dance. Why Its Great Host Ellen DeGeneres quip that the performers were naked behind the screen made it that bit more interesting to watch. .....

Buy One Get One Free

6. The Moment In a unique event, the 41st Academy Awards saw two performers Katharine Hepburn and Barbara Streisand share Best Actress. Why Its Great The unlikeliness of the combo, all the more so because Funny Girl was Streisands film debut. .....

Hi Ho

7. The Moment Walt Disney is rewarded with an honorary Oscar at the 11th Academy Awards for producing cinemas first animated movie, Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs. Why Its Great In a unique moment of wit, the Academy also made seven miniOscars to accompany the real one. .....

Best And Worst

8. The Moment Sandra Bullock completed cinemas quickest ever comeback by winning Best Actress at the 82nd Academy Awards only 24 hours after winning Worst Actress at the Razzies. For different performances, admittedly. Why Its Great Only in Hollywood could this happen. .....

Jack It Up

9. The Moment Host Hugh Jackman does the opening routine at the 81st Academy Awards as a musical spoof about the nominees, complete with cardboard sets. Why Its Great An ironic acknowledgement of the credit crunch that actually shows up how much money is usually wasted on glitzy showstoppers. .....

Heaths Legend

10. The Moment Heath Ledgers family takes to the stage to accept the late stars posthumous Best Support Actor award for The Dark Knight , at the 81st Academy Awards. Why Its Great A fitting sendoff for a talent who died too soon, all the more so because this wasnt a sentimental award he would have won, anyway. .....

Interruption

11. The Moment Producer Elinor Burkett interrupts director Roger Ross Williams as he attempts to accept Best Short Documentary at the 82nd Academy Awards. Why Its Great A surreal, very public bustup that reveals the tensions behind the smiles the two filmmakers were engaged in a bitter court case at the time. .....

Without A Hitch

12. The Moment The honorary Oscar aka, Quick, before they die! is the Academys guilty apology to the ones they missed. When Alfred Hitchcock received one at the 40th Academy Awards, he knew he was being fobbed off. Why Its Great Hitchcocks brief, deadpan speech, Thank you very much indeed, which translates as something unprintable. .....

Turn Off The Music

13. The Moment Oscar protocol says that, when the music starts, the winner cuts short their speech. But Best Actress Julia Roberts was having none of it, ordering conductor Bill Conti to stop the music. Why Its Great Except Roberts got his name wrong, calling him Tom Conti (as in the Shirley Valentine actor). She wryly acknowledged the mistake the next year when presenting Best Actor. .....

Show Me The Funny

14. The Moment Cuba Gooding Jr cant contain his excitement at the 69th Academy Awards after winning Best Supporting Actor for Jerry Maguire. Why Its Great His sheer exuberance. When most winners start to wind down in their acceptance speech, Cuba cranks it up by shouting, I love you, I love you all, Im gonna keep going .....

Rock vs Law And Penn

15. The Moment Chris Rocks pisstaking of Jude Law at the 77th Academy Awards for being in every film released in 2004. If you want Tom Cruise and all you can get is Jude Law, wait. Why Its Great Sean Penn later took the stage to remonstrate with Rock, proving that the comedian was spoton in puncturing Hollywood pomposity. .....

New York New York

16. The Moment Woody Allen famously shunned the Oscars, preferring to stay in New York. But he made an exception at the 74th Academy Awards to introduce a celebration of his city in the wake of 9/11. Why Its Great That rarity at an Oscar ceremony an understated and noble appearance. .....

The Scenic Route

17. The Moment Theres a madman clambering over the seats and invading the stage at the 71st Academy Awards. A gatecrasher? No! Its Best Foreign Language Film winner Roberto Benigni. Why Its Great The punchline a year later, when Benigni returned to present Best Actress and host Billy Crystal stood behind him with a net, just in case. .....

Shenanigans

18. The Moment Weird enough that South Park boys Trey Parker and Matt Stone should be nominated for an Oscar at the 72nd Academy Awards .....

Anne Frank Remembered

19. The Moment Best Documentary winner Jon Blair takes to the stage at the 68th Academy Awards with Miep Gies, the Dutch woman who helped harbour Anne Frank. Why Its Great A reminder that sometimes something more than movie glamour reaches the Oscars worldwide audience. .....

Text Dolphin

20. The Moment Dolphin activist and star of The Cove Ric OBarry unfurls a banner saying Text Dolphin to 44144 to raise awareness at the 82nd Academy Awards. Why Its Great A modern update on acceptance speech protest fast, memorable and (despite efforts by the TV producers to cut away) viral. .....

The Mourning Club

21. The Moment A generation weeps as John Hughes stars (including Matthew Broderick, Molly Ringwald and Macauley Culkin) present a special memorial to the late writer/director at the 82nd Academy Awards. Why Its Great A lovely tribute that, unusually, falls outside the traditional In Memoriam section. .....

Stuntwoman

22. The Moment Jennifer Garner has the moment all celebs dread, as she tripped walking the steps to present at the 79th Academy Awards. Why Its Great Garners unflappable response I do all my own stunts! made it look like a gag rather than an accident. .....

F Bomb

23. The Moment Melissa Leo forgets shes on primetime when accepting Best Supporting Actress at the 83rd Academy Awards. When I watched Kate [Winslet] two years ago, it looked so fucking easy! Why Its Great Despite ABC bleeping the offending word thanks to a live delay, theres no mistaking the look of shock when Leo realises what shes done. .....

That ll Be The Day

24. The Moment Cancerstricken John Waynes appearance at the 51st Academy Awards to present Best Picture allowed Hollywood to give the Duke a rousing sendoff a mere two months before his death. Why Its Great A genuinely emotional moment, not least for Waynes characteristically defiant promise to stick around for a whole lot longer. .....

In And Out

25. The Moment Tom Hanks takes to the stage at the 66th Academy Awards to accept Best Actor for Philadelphia and, in his rush to show his understanding of gay rights, accidentally outs his high school teacher. Why Its Great The only moment on this list to inspire its own movie, the Kevin Kline comedy In And Out . .....

Where Are The Comedians

26. The Moment At the 79th Academy Awards, Will Ferrell and Jack Black sing a song bemoaning the lack of recognition for comedians. Basically, its them having a go at the dramatic actors threatening to break Ryan Goslings hip, that sort of thing. Why Its Great The punchline, as John C. Reilly breaks things up by advising Ferrell and Black to do both drama and comedy. .....

The Brits Are Coming

27. The Moment Colin Welland gets carried away at the 54th Academy Awards as he wins Best Screenplay for Chariots Of Fire and announces, The British Are Coming! Why Its Great Its the perfect soundbite that can be dusted off and reused every time a British film does well ( Slumdog Millionaire , The Kings Speech , yada yada). .....

Coronation Of the King

28. The Moment The Return Of The King storms the 76th Academy Awards, with a record equalling 11 wins. BenHur and Titanic were the others. Why Its Great Peter Jacksons metaphorical coronation crowned a superb three years at the Oscars, in which the Academy finally ditched its aversion to fantasy cinema. .....

Come and get it Frank

29. The Moment Presenter Will Rogers leaves it ambiguous at the 6th Academy Awards when he announces Best Director by shouting, Come and get it, Frank! Shame that two Franks have been nominated. Why Its Great Frank Capra dashes onto stage, only to find that the winner was actually Frank Lloyd. .....

Championship Contenders

30. The Moment By the end of the night, Rocky would win Best Picture at the 49th Academy Awards, but while presenting the award for Best Supporting Actress Sylvester Stallone faces the real deal in Muhammad Ali. Why Its Great The two iconic boxers square off as Ali insists with mock anger that Stallone stole my script. .....

Thread Carpet

31. The Moment Cher steps out at the 58th Academy Awards looking like a Disney villainess. Why Its Great This is the costume that set the bar for outrageous Oscar fashion. Its never been beaten. .....

Bring On The berg

32. The Moment Steven Spielberg wins a belated Best Director award for Schindlers List at the 66th Academy Awards. Why Its Great Steven Spielberg had been shunned both for his 5* blockbusters and his lessthan5* serious dramas. But when he directed a 5* serious drama, there was no ignoring him. .....

Zionist Hoodlums

33. The Moment Vanessa Redgrave learns that its a tough crowd at the 50th Academy Awards when she uses her Best Supporting Actress acceptance speech to rail against Zionist hoodlums. Why Its Great The retort from writer Paddy Chayefsky later that night Im sick and tired of people exploiting the Academy Awards for the propagation of their own personal propaganda. .....

Palances Push Ups

34. The Moment 73yearold Jack Palance feels the need to prove his manhood doing onearmed pushups, after winning Best Supporting Actor at the 64th Academy Awards. Why Its Great Host Billy Crystal spends the rest of the ceremony making wisecracks about Palances strength. .....

Green Screen

35. The Moment Ben Stiller arrives on stage in a green leotard at the 78th Academy Awards believing hes been greenscreened out by the FX bods. Trouble is, he hasnt been. Why Its Great Its the finest example of Ben Stillers oneman mission to make presenting more interesting than reading a bunch of names off an envelope. .....

Homemade Oscar

36. The Moment Bob Hope is interrupted by superfan Stan Berman, a New York cabbie who gatecrashes the 34th Academy Awards to hand Hope a homemade Oscar. Why Its Great Its the kind of watercooler moment itd take Will Ferrell, a crack team of comic writers and endless rehearsals to come up with nowadays. .....

Bo S Lecter

37. The Moment Host Billy Crystal captures the Zeitgeist at the 64th Academy Awards by being wheeled on stage in Hannibal Lecterstyle mask and restraints. Why Its Great Crystal clocks Anthony Hopkins in the crowd and asks him, Im having some of the Academy over for dinner. Will you join me? .....

Double Celebration

38. The Moment Not content with becoming the youngest ever winner of the Best Actor Oscar at the 75th Academy Awards, Adrien Brody decided to give presenter Halle Berry a lingering snog. Why Its Great Sometimes, you just gotta celebrate. Plus Brody was witty enough to play on his rep by showing up to present the Best Actress prize the next year with a breath spray. .....

Fictitious Times

39. The Moment Michael Moore wins Best Documentary at the 75th Academy Awards, the month the Iraq War began, and proceeds to use his acceptance speech to blast fictitious President George W. Bush to mixed boos and cheers. Why Its Great The kind of tensionwithaknife controversy that you hardly ever get at the wellbehaved, mediamanaged Oscars of contemporary times. .....

Tears Of A Clown

40. The Moment All is forgiven as Charlie Chaplin, hounded from America two decades earlier for alleged Communist sympathies, returns to Hollywood to receive a Lifetime Achievement award. Why Its Great Proof that its never too late for a comeback, and the 12minute standing ovation set a record that has never been broken. .....

Shes a Woman

41. The Moment The Hurt Locker helmer Kathryn Bigelow becomes the first woman to be awarded Best Director. About time! It took until the 82nd Academy Awards. Why Its Great In her acceptance speech, Bigelow staunchly and rightly refuses to make a big deal out of being a woman, and concentrates on talking about the film she won for. .....

Black Power

42. The Moment Until 2002, only one black actor Sidney Poitier had won an Oscar in a leading role. It took until the 74th Academy Awards to triple that figure in a single night, with Denzel Washington and Halle Berry both winning. Why Its Great A welcome, if belated sign of the times. Since then, Jamie Foxx and Forest Whitaker have joined Denzel, although Halle remains the only black woman in her category. .....

Patton Makes A Stand

43. The Moment George C. Scott wins Best Actor at the 43rd Academy Awards, despite advising the Academy in advance he would refuse his nomination. Why Its Great Scotts memorable summation of the ceremony as a twohour meat parade, a public display with contrived suspense for economic reasons. .....

Ubiquitous Crystal

44. The Moment The dominant host of modern times made his name with a regular running gag in which hes inserted into footage from nominated films. Why Its Great New hosts often struggle to find their identity but Crystal succeeds by imposing his on the films. Theyre only around for a year; Crystal is for life. .....

The Big Five

45. The Moment It Happened One Night storms the 7th Academy Awards by claiming the Big Five Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, Screenplay. Why Its Great The Big Five is a rare elite to date, only two other films ( One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest and The Silence Of The Lambs ) have equalled the achievement. .....

Bad Motherfucker

46. The Moment Samuel L. Jackson breaks protocol to whisper Aww, shit! when he learns hes been beaten (by Martin Landau) to the Best Supporting Actor Oscar at the 67th Academy Awards. Why Its Great Because its so in character. .....

Showing Off His Shortcomings

47. The Moment 34yearold streaker Robert Opel flashes the peace sign and a whole lot more as he runs across the stage at the 46th Academy Awards. Why Its Great The immortal putdown from cohost David Niven, The only laugh that man will ever get in his life is by stripping and showing off his shortcomings. .....

Check The Envelope

48. The Moment At last! The Departed finally wins Martin Scorsese his Best Director Oscar. Why Its Great Even with pals Coppola, Spielberg and Lucas on hand, Scorsese cant quite believe the Academy has honoured him. Check the envelope, he quips. .....

Brando Says No

49. The Moment Native American Sacheen Littlefeather turns up at the 45th Academy Awards on behalf of Marlon Brando, to announce hes not accepting Best Actor for The Godfather because of Hollywoods mistreatment of Native Americans. Why Its Great Brando in the 1970s was a oneman war on orthodoxy, but he achieves his most eccentric moment by not even showing up. .....

Shaken and Stirred

50. The Moment The ceremony producers go mad as Sheena Easton performs Best Song nominee For Your Eyes Only at the 54th Academy Awards Jaws! Oddjob! Lasers! Why Its Great A contender for the most (literally) Jawsdropping performance of a Best Song nominee. .....