Requiem for a Dream - Ellen Burstyn's Monologue

Ellen Burstyn's much-lauded monologue from Darren Aronofsky's Requiem for a Dream. I've also included the reaction of Harry (Jared Leto) afterwards in the cab because it's entirely appropriate and just perfect.

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[SulfurMonkey]

Normally, I do not believe an actress should win an Oscar based on one scene alone. Of course she was amazing the whole movie but this one scene is so heartbreaking... So human. Ellen Burstyn 's performance in this scene was one of the most beautifully tragic things I have I have seen in cinema. In short, yes, she deserved the Oscar.

[poontang3zizo]

And the Oscar goes to...Julia Roberts in Erin Brockovich!

Fuck you Academy, Fuck you -_-

[G Hayes]

That scene where she's at the television studio office, and by that time she's completely lost it is ingenious. She's the crazy lady everyone's seen at one point or another in their life. She told their story. Its so so so SAD and what makes it so sad is that its so true. Ellen Burstyn was incredible in Requiem. Darren Aronofsky should be given a medal for giving our society this movie. Its not one of my personal favorites, but I truly believe its one of the best films ever made. Truly.

[G Hayes]

I seriously don't really care about the Oscars anymore. I think they're fun to watch and try to predict, but the older I get and the more movies I watch, I've realized that they are completely political. Normally I don't get too worked up about winners, but Julia Roberts winning Best Actress was a huge letdown for me. Ellen Burstyn.... was AMAZING. Her portrayal of Sara is one of the greatest performances of all time in the history of cinema. Julia was good, but Ellen was great. A damn shame.

[vokills420]

the second this scene stops having an impact on me when i watch it is the second i know i've lost the ability to feel anything. still one of the most powerful performances i've ever seen.

[lulu la rue]

This scene is so amazing. I think she reflects most women as they grow old. Who is left to take care of. Why do the dishes or make the bed.

[jainra]

Perfect constellation of story, writing, acting, and actor.

What have we got, Harry? Something more from watching this.

[Adam Hagevall]

True dat

[diego9774]

During Ellen Burstyn's impassioned monologue about how it feels to be old, cinematographer Matthew Libatique accidentally let the camera drift off-target. When director Darren Aronofsky called "cut" and confronted him about it, he realized the reason Libatique had let the camera drift was because he had been crying during the take and fogged up the camera's eyepiece. This was the take used in the final print.

[PhantasmagoriaFP]

total academy snub.

[Sungtae Lim]

The morons who voted to give Julia Roberts the Academy award that year need to sit down and see this movie again, particularly the scene with her and Jared Leto. I'm not film expert, but it's one of the finest acting performances of all time.