Adam Sandler's performance in Uncut Gems won the actor the Film Independent Spirit Award for "Best Male Lead," and he delivered a biting, hilarious, and often self-deprecating acceptance speech. Sandler's win comes on the heels of a snub from the Academy Awards for his performance in the film, which was directed by brothers Joshua and Benjamin Safdie. While Sandler's performance didn't make the cut at the Oscars, he's been nominated for - and won - several Critics awards for his harrowing portrayal of a Jewish-American jeweler in Uncut Gems.
Uncut Gems, co-written by Ronald Bronstein and the Safdies, follows Howard Ratner (Sandler), a gambling addict in New York City's Diamond District, who must retrieve an Ethiopian Opal worth $1 million before he's killed by his loan shark brother-in-law, Arno (Eric Bogosian). The crime-thriller relentlessly stacks the deck against Ratner as he places increasingly risky bets to dig himself out of a massive amount of gambling debt. Sandler's natural warmness makes it easy to fall in love with Ratner in spite of his addiction-fueled delusions of grandeur, and the performance earned the Happy Gilmore actor accolades from critics and moviegoers.
Oscar voters may have snubbed Sandler, but he pulled in a win for Best Male Lead at the 35th Film Independent Spirit Awards. Sandler, sporting a handlebar mustache, accepted the award by delivering an epic acceptance speech, posted to YouTube by Film Independent. Adopting the same vocal pattern and tone as some of his dumbest characters, Sandler read the profanity-laced, four-minute speech to the delight of the entire celebrity-studded room. First, the Uncut Gems actor acknowledged the fact that his fellow nominees (Chris Galust, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Robert Pattinson, and Matthias Schoenaerts) will "now and forever be known as the guys who lost to f***ing Adam Sandler." The 53-year old actor turned his attention to the Academy Awards next. "A few weeks back when I was ‘snubbed’ by the Academy, it reminded me when I briefly attended high school and was overlooked for the coveted yearbook superlative category: 'best looking,'" Sandler joked. "That accolade was given to a jean-jacket wearing, feather-haired d****ebag by the name of Skipper Jenkins." He continues to explain that his classmates honored him in a different way, with the "allegedly less-prestigious designation of best personality," which he says is the Hollywood equivalent of the Independent Spirit Awards. "So let all of those feather-haired d****ebag motherf****rs get their Oscars tomorrow night," the former SNL star continued, "Their handsome good looks will fade in time, while our independent personalities will shine on forever."
After sarcastically reminding the audience that "independent films have been a big part of the Adam Sandler ecosystem," the actor thanks Uncut Gems producer Scott Rudin and the Safdie Brothers. "I really had the best time getting to know you guys, I love you guys and I am glad we are tight now," the actor told the New York-born siblings. "Two years ago, Scott said the words that would forever change my life. ‘No, those aren’t homeless rabbis, those are the Safdie brothers,’" Sandler quipped. He closed out the speech by thanking his kids for reading the script and telling him, "Dad, you gotta f***ing do this movie," and his wife of 17 years, Jackie Sandler, for helping him rehearse his lines and "hanging out."
Adam Sandler's electrifyingly dramatic performance in Uncut Gems certainly earned the actor his victory lap at the Spirit Awards, but it's nice to see he hasn't lost his sense of humor.
Source: YouTube