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Year: 1998 (71st) Academy Awards
Category: Directing
Film Title: Saving Private Ryan
Winner: Steven Spielberg
Presenter: Kevin Costner
Date & Venue: March 21, 1999; Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
STEVEN SPIELBERG: Thank you. Am I allowed to say I really wanted this? This is fantastic. Let me just turn my eyes to Mr. Hanks who from the very, very beginning said to me, this is going to be something extraordinary. We weren't really talking about the film, we were talking about the experience of making "Saving Private Ryan," and he was right. It is one of the most extraordinary events of all of our lives, and the lives of all of our families, we were all in it together. Katie, for putting up with how much I've worried about this movie for the last eighteen months. Thank you for letting me be a neurotic at home. And all my children. I have two kids here tonight and they've never been to the Oscars before and I'm really happy I had a chance to make Max and Theo proud of their dad, and they're sitting up there somewhere. Thank you, kids, very, very much. And my other kids at home, Mikaela and Destry and Sasha and Sawyer, and Jessica who is here, too. This has just been an amazing experience and what I'd like to do is just thank very, very sincerely the families who lost sons in World War II. I want to thank the Niland family and the Sullivan families, and I want to thank all the families who incurred these tremendous losses. In this war we tried to show a story of one such family, and it turned up there were many such families, unfortunately. And Dad, you're the greatest. Thank you for showing me that there is honor in looking back and respecting the past. I love you very much. This is for you. Thank you.
© Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences[Note: All winners are present except where noted; NOT all winners may have spoken.]
