Molly Shannon, Real Life Superstar Delivers Tearful and Joyful Acceptance Speech at Spirit Awards
2016 was not a big year for award-winning or even award nominated films in comedy, but Saturday afternoon’s Film Independent Spirit Awards on the beach were a blast with plenty of comedy throughout the ceremony. Hosts Nick Kroll and John Mulaney really delivered, there was an odd reverse-In Memoriam segment from Andy Samberg proclaiming which stars were “still alive” while doing an Eddie Vedder impression, and plenty of comedy-world award presenters like Danny McBride, Aubrey Plaza, Fred Armisen, Jon Hamm, Jenny Slate and Hank Azaria.
For the most part, comedies were not a part of the nominees at the Film Independent Spirit Awards with the exception being the dark comedy which deals with a family handling a terminal cancer diagnosis, Other People, written and directed by Saturday Night Live head writer Chris Kelly.
The film picked up a major award yesterday with Molly Shannon winning Best Supporting Actress and delivering an unforgettable acceptance speech. In a move reminiscent of Sally Field’s joyful “you like me” Oscar acceptance. Shannon’s speech had it all, a rapid fire list of people to thank, a message that connected to the movie, reaction shots from a teary-eyed Chris Kelly, and a joyful wrap up complete with a reference to her most famous Saturday Night Live character- and a Superstar! pose, followed by a victory run/dance off the stage.
“Cancer has become a part of so many people’s lives,” Shannon told the crowd. “There can be a risk now in telling these kinds of stories, but when you get to the details of the real personal connection to it, the way Chris Kelly did with Other People, I think these stories can be the most necessary kind of stories to tell. Full of messy, crazy, maddening relatable real life moments that do the essential thing, I love most about movies. They magnify the human comedy and tragedy. It binds us as a kind of family together,” she said urging others to keep telling these kinds of stories. She dedicated the movie to all the moms that would go to the ends of the Earth for their families, and danced around before shouting that she really truly in this moment feels like “a supah star!”
Watch the clip of her acceptance speech to see how she earned the biggest audience reaction of the night.
