Best Original Screenplay: Milk by Dustin Lance Black

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Tina Fey and Steve Martin did a very funny opening for the Best Original Screenplay category, awkwardly acting out a script. Steve also warily cautioned Tina – who looked gorgeous tonight – not to fall in love with him. Tina quoted an unnamed source who said, “‘To write is to live forever’” to which Steve replied, “’The man who wrote that is dead’” There was also a slight Scientology slam based on an alien king who planted millions of tree seeds.

The winner for best original screenplay was Dustin Lance Black for Milk. The nominees included Frozen River, written by Courtney Hunt; Happy-Go-Lucky, written by Mike Leigh, In Bruges, written by Martin McDonagh, and Wall-E, written by Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon and Pete Docter. Milk seemed to get the loudest audience applause, so the award was no surprise.

Dustin Lance Black’s speech was truly touching. He was visibly shaken and his voice was cracking while he barely held back tears. It was impossible not to feel emotional while hearing him speak about growing up in a conservative Mormon town, then moving to California and encountering other gay people. He thanked “all the real life people who shared their stories with me” and said it gave him hope that someday he “could fall in love and even get married.”

Black closed his speech by saying, “No matter what anyone tells you, God does love you. Very soon, you will have equal rights across this great union of ours. Thank you, thank you God for giving us Harvey Milk.”

Congratulations.

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6 Responses to “Best Original Screenplay: Milk by Dustin Lance Black”

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  1. Ned says:

    That was indeed a beautiful moment.

  2. doodahs says:

    Beautiful speech. Well deserved win.

  3. Chiara says:

    We who have gay family members couldn’t be happier.

    Dustin deserved the win, but this is both a sweet and appropriate time for a win in California … legal briefs to be heard in March.

  4. TL says:

    The problem is, Milk WASN’T the best screenplay. It won for political reasons, not because it was the best.

  5. Jane says:

    I was so happy Milk won. It was great. I can’t believe Wall E was even considered.

  6. Paul says:

    Milk was such a great movie with a deep layered screenplay