Hooray for Holy-wood!

My blog neighbor Tony Rossi watched the Oscars last night so the rest of us didn’t have to—and caught some inspiration and some religion, to boot:

One sweet moment occurred during Jared Leto’s Best Supporting Actor acceptance speech when he spoke about his mother’s past and shared a story that could give hope to other young women in the audience facing an unplanned pregnancy, a story that showed that choosing to have that child doesn’t have to stand in the way of a bright future for anyone.

Leto said, “In 1971 in Louisiana, there was a teenage girl who was pregnant with her second child. She was a high school dropout and a single mom. Yet somehow she managed to make a better life for herself and her children. She encouraged her kids to be creative, to work hard and to do something special. That girl is my mother and she’s here tonight. I just want to say, ‘I love you, Mom, and thank you for teaching me to dream.’”…

…The other surprising God reference came in Matthew McConaughey’s acceptance speech for Best Actor in “Dallas Buyers Club.” If you only remember McConaughey from his antics like getting arrested for playing the bongos naked some years back, the more mature actor will be a shock to you. In the ensuing years, he’s gotten married and become a father. And while he still retains the air of a sweet-talking charmer, he seems a little more grounded than in his young days.

McConaughey began by saying, “There are three things, by my count, that I need each day: one is something to look up to, another is something to look forward to, and another is someone to chase. Now first off, I want to thank God because that’s who I look up to. He has graced my life with opportunities that I know are not of my hand or any other human hand.”

Amen. Read the rest.