“Somebody told me that we are the first sequel that was nominated for best picture without the benefit of one of the earlier films [in its franchise] being nominated, and that’s an amazing thing, really.”
“I really think the Academy members -- they’re such a large group that they’re hard to corral and sway one way or another. They’re going to be more independently minded -- because of their size. The other groups -- except for the producers guild -- were all critics. And the critics want to look like they’re hip and cool. And ‘The Social Network’ [which beat out ‘The King’s Speech’ in several categories at the Globes] had positioned itself that way. And we were regarded as more -- well, not as hip and cool. The Academy -- they simply vote according to their instincts and what moved them. And I hear from Academy members that they were very emotionally moved. And that’s helped us a great deal.”
“I wish I could say I was cool and detached enough not to care. But I went to bed at 11 and woke up at 3 [on the East Coast], and of course I turned on the TV. And I was nervous. I felt like I had sprinted 100 miles per hour.”
--On where he was when he learned about his nomination
“I’ve been through this kind of embrace when ‘American Beauty’ came out. The incredible confluence of events when something does well across the board, today is just a great embrace for the film and the filmmakers and the kind of movie it is.”
“It’s been two years since we shot [‘Animal Kingdom’]. In that time I’ve done six plays. I’ve pretty much wiped the slate clean in my mind. People keep coming up to me quoting dialogue about which I have no recollection.”
“I’ve never been before. But it’s going to be a little bit of a whirlwind. We’re shooting “The Ides of March” with George Clooney in Detroit right now. It will be like the PGA’s, where we flew in Friday and then flew right back out. I’m getting to know Delta very well.”
“I do not believe that of the 6000 plus Oscar members that everybody saw the movie. We have to get them all to see the movie.” (Michael Buckner / Getty Images)
Im really looking forward to [‘127 Hours’ star James Franco] introducing me as an adapted screenplay nominee. (Jason Merritt / Getty Images)