Matthew McConaughey
 

Anybody catch him on the Oscars tonight? WTF? Strangest acceptance speech I've ever heard.

He lost something like 50 lbs to play that role. Holy crap, yeah that takes some serious discipline but I have to wonder if you just spring right back from something like that. He looks a bit gaunt and aged ever since IMO. Not that I follow him closely. I've seen him in a couple of good films. Oh well.

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That was a very strange acceptance speech. The stuff about god showing him scientific facts was weird. Nothing about the film or the role either as I recall. Film was great and his acting was superb. He deserved the award.

I would say it was a refreshing acceptance speech. Actors tend to be awful without a writer's help, but this year's Oscar class seemed to do well. Over the years, agents, attorneys and even accountants have made into the thank you's and I'm still baffled why there's some need to thank "the kids" during the speeches . . .

When you realize the short time they have to say their thank you's, it makes you wonder why they choose to say some of the things they say. Some seem pretty well prepared. Some act like it's a complete surprise that they won or like they have gone blank once they get up there.

I'm with MTI on this, (sorry MTI,) I thought that it was something refreshing to hear from one of the Hollywood folks. He basically just made the point that it was extra special to be recognized by his peers for a career that he takes seriously. Nice message.

He is from Texas. I used to work with a guy who told me about him looking to buy a good size piece of pasture and meadow land from this persons uncle. He told me that Mathew had called his uncle and wanted to see the place. The uncle was evidently an elderly gentleman that had never seen any of Mathews movies, and at the time had no idea who he was.

The way he told the story, Mathew came to his uncles and spent a good part of the day riding around with the gentleman in his pickup looking over the place. The uncle invited him to eat a home cooked lunch and then they rode around the place some more, spending time just visiting as much as discussing the purchase. They then finished up the day with some dove hunting.

I don't remember if Mathew bought the place, but I remember that afterwards the uncle told his nephew about the nice young man that came to look at the place and that he did not know he was famous. The uncle talked about how respectful, polite and pleasant Mathew was.

It was a really neat story to hear. I don't know just how valid it was, but it certainly did impress me the way it was told.

I imagine that someone with such a high profile and public recognition would totally enjoy several hours away from pavarazzi's and autograph seekers, just enjoying some time away from all that.

It's very endearing when the wealthy, famous, and powerful act with humility and compassion towards people in their lives. It seems pretty rare sometimes. I once had occassion to do business with a very wealthy Texas oil man. As we walked around Midland, Texas, he greeted nearly everyone we met by name, asked about their families, etc. He did not act the least bit prententious or like he felt any better than anyone we met. I liked him already, but really liked him even more after that experience.

Tommy Lee Jones has a ranch in San Saba. He is from there but he grew up in Dallas and attended St. Marks. The story I heard was that he left San Saba as a child to live with his Aunt in Grand Prairie and she sent him to St. Marks.

But after he had made it big he returned to San Saba and bought a good sized place so he could build a polo field. Being a local boy and all everyone thought it was interesting he had become a big movie star, but he was more local boy than movie star and everyone who remember him as a little child called him Tommy Lee.

And they still do. When he is in San Saba no one pays any special attention to him; he is just another beat up old cowboy in a city that is full of them.

McConaughey is considered odd even by Hollywood standards but I think he is odd is a good way. Very down home, very nice to be around, very weird. He was always getting into trouble with his neighbors for playing his bongo drums at all hours of the night while sitting in his backyard, but I heard he was always very understanding of their wishes when they would tell him to knock it off.

The bongo drums are important to him as they help him to think. He operates on a very high mental level. Most actors operate on a very high party level.

He has a lot of storyteller in him which is something you don't find in actors too much. They may carry on about how important the story is, but when they are on the set they will read the screenplay for that day's shooting and then party all night. And then there are those that want to know the story from beginning to end and just how every little they they do drives the story. This makes small actions the actor makes at the beginning of the film mesh with actions they take at the end.

Usually actors rely on the Director to do this for them. McConaughey is known for wanting to get it right on his end, too, and not standing around later and blaming the Director for a flop.

His acceptance speech was different, but then he is different, so for the folks there that have worked with him, well, I doubt that anyone was shocked at what he said.

I know San Saba very well. My grandmother owned a small, ornate Victorian house there until I was about 13 years old. The story of her existence there could fill a novel.

San Saba is a beautiful little town that is totally out of the way, quiet and peaceful. My wife and I go there every fall and spend a few days just enjoying the town and the area, and bring back fresh pecans from one of the many orchards there.

The last couple of years we have enjoyed visiting with the current owner of my Grandma's house who is in the midst of a long, loving restoration of the place.

We have driven by Tommy Lee's place where he has his polo field. If you do not know what to look for, you won't find it. He owns several million dollars worth of ranching and hunting property in the area. Not all of it contiguous.

I always wondered how someone from San Saba High School made it to Harvard. We googled and found a high school picture from San Saba. I have heard and read various different stories about his ties to San Saba, so I don't know which one to believe.

Anyway, I expect that if you bumped into him on the streets of San Saba, he would treat you like anyone else.

I listened to an interview of McConaughey on NPR maybe a year ago - was struck with just how gentle and sincere he came across.

The stories he told of his mother upstaging him, and the pranks the entire family plays on each other - sounded very much like a grounded, brilliant, and solid family.

I have one of those stories!

Back in the late 80's early 90's I visited my Mom at her home in North Louisiana. I hadn't lived there in a decade or so and didn't know but a handful of older folks. Mrs B and I accompanied Mom to her Episcopal church in that small town. Part of the worship ritual is to acknowledge the people around you with a friendly handshake and a few words.

So before we got to that point I kind of scoped-out the folks to see if I could remember their names. One guy, about my age was standing next to me who looked awfully familiar but I couldn't remember his name. So when the time came, I stuck out my hand and said, "You look familiar, did I go to high school with you?" He said no, he was just visiting but he gave me a really friendly smile and I could see a glint of humor in his eye. We passed a few friendly words and went back to the ritual.

Turns out the guy was an actor shooting, "The Man in the Moon". Sam Waterston. I didn't recognize him until I saw the movie. The Man in the Moon (1991) - IMDb Good movie.

I like that. I like Tommy lee too.

My youngest sister's husband's family has a cottage on Isleboro in Maine. We went up there for a week one summer. A lot of stars have places there. They blend in with the locals and nobody bothers them....just treating them like everybody else. We ran into Kirste Alle one day standing in line at the ice cream parlor/real estate/ building contractor office owned by my BIL's uncle. this was back when she (and I) was slim.

I like that. I like Tommy lee too.

The first time I read this post, I enjoyed it so much that somehow I missed the last sentence. Apparently you have never been to San Saba, Texas. If you had, you would know that there are VERY few cowboys there. What little commerce they have there consists of the Pecan business due to the soil conditions being PERFECT for them, and hunting. There is not even a cattle sale barn in San Saba.

I also would not categorize Tommy Lee Jones as a cowboy. A horse person and enthusiast, yes. Cowboy, no.