'Moonlight' Director Barry Jenkins Reveals His Real Best Picture Acceptance Speech

To say that "Moonlight"'s thunder was stolen during Sunday night's Oscars ceremony is an epic understatement. But while the film's Best Picture achievement may have been eclipsed by the colossal mix-up that initially had fellow nominee "La La Land" mistakenly crowned the winner, director Barry Jenkins isn't bitter, and has revealed what he had initially planned to say had he had his proper moment in the spotlight.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Jenkins reflected on the chaos that occurred at the end of the ceremony, and how it immediately blocked out any sort of prepared statement he had wanted to deliver should his film have nabbed the night's top prize. While the director -- who also co-wrote the film's screenplay, which also took home an Oscar -- did make a brief acceptance speech, he told EW, "It was an imperfect situation and it was an imperfect statement that didn't come out the right way but it is what it is."

Now that he's had some time to reflect on his film's achievement, he told the magazine what he had wanted to say all along. Here's how he explained it to EW:

"[Moonlight playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney] and I are this kid. We are Chiron," he says, referring to his background as a child from Liberty City, Miami, whose mother once struggled with drug addiction. "And you don't think that kid grows up to be nominated for eight Academy Awards. It's not a dream he's allowed to have. I still feel that way. I didn't think this was possible. But now I look at other people looking at me and if I didn't think it was possible, how are they going to? But now it's happened. So what I think of possibility, let's take it off the table. The thing has happened."

Jenkins also had more complimentary things to say about "La La Land" producer Jordon Horowitz, who was the one to announce the mistake, and insist that the "Moonlight" filmmakers take the stage to accept their rightful awards. The director said that that moment in particular helps soften any sort of hard feelings about Sunday night.

"It will be remembered and I think in a beautiful way," he told EW of the odd confluence of events.

We applaud Jenkins for revealing himself to be such a gracious, classy person in the midst of such an surreal ordeal. (His brand new status as an Oscar winner probably doesn't hurt his optimistic attitude, either.)

[via: Entertainment Weekly]

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