Tom Hanks`s AFI Life Achievement Award Speech, 2002

thank you thank you um there's a a place on the moon we've all heard of the Sea of Tranquility maybe the ocean of storms the fura highlands there's an area of the Moon called the lake of dreams to have you all here tonight to be placed up with the names the other honores turns out I've walked on the moon I explored the lake of Dreams it's a good place because they all come true you folks are just so swell you're all nice you know hey I got an idea let's go to the movies I want to go to the movie I want to take you all the movies let's let's go and experience the the of the cinema Let's uh let's begin with a scream of fear and we're going to have it haunt us for the rest of our lives and then uh let's go see the Great Escape and spend our summer jump on our bikes just like Steve McQueen over barbwire and then let's catch the Seven Samurai for some reason on PBS and uh and we'll feel like we speak Japanese because we can read the subtitles and hear the language at the same time and then um let's lose sleep the night before we see 2001 of Space Odyssey because we have this idea that's going to change forever the way we look at films and then let's go see it four times in one year and let's see Woodstock three times in one year and let's see Taxi Driver twice in one week and let's see Close Encounters of the Third Kind just so we can freeze there in mid popcorn yeah and when the kids are old enough let's sit them together on the sofa and Screen city lights and Stage Coach in the best years of our lives and on the waterfront and Midnight Cowboy and five EZ pieces in The Last Picture Show and Raging Bull and Schindler's list so that they can understand how the human condition can be captured by this amalgam of light and sound and literature we call the cinema what a great job if you're fortunate you're a part of cultural events more immediate more lasting and even more enlightening than most anything else that man has ever created you get to make movies the truth is I have been blessed beyond the definition of Good Fortune for a long long while for most of my life I've made friends like you all I become a better artist by collaborating with each and one of you and if we haven't worked together I've seen your stuff and I've stolen from you ripped you off and I've been rewarded for my Larsen with longevity see when you work in the movies part of you gets to live forever the idea that you can single out one's life achievement in work of course cannot be considered a substitute for one's achievements in life and there already my friends I have been blessed Beyond deserving since 1988 I have been happy in the warm embrace of a Big Fat Greek family who are here tonight I have friends here from Oakland and Sacramento Cleveland Manhattan I get to share this moment with my mom right here in the room with my sister Sandra and my two brothers Jim and Larry with whom I share a secret language I have four kids Colin Elizabeth Chester and Truman each one of them more accomplished and centered at their ages than their father ever was each more [Applause] as you can see each one is more entertaining and inspiring than any of their father's jobs but each one is a very special example of how gloriously good people can be and I'm here because of my wife Rita Wilson as you've seen again and again just in tonight she is the motivation of my best work I wish everyone could share their life with as good a friend as passionate a lover as close a partner and as beautiful a woman as I have been able to with the made of my soul Rita Wilson in order to cap off this once in a-lifetime beer bust you've thrown for me I had to choose between two distinctive quotes from a lesser example of the art of Cinema but a movie nonetheless two quotes from the film that Thing You Do somewhere in I don't know the third or the fourth I don't know where it was somewhere in there one quote is Skitch how did I get here and the other quote is Table 19 your pizza is ready I have great reason to say God bless you all God Bless America thank you and good night [Music]

Channel: CelebChatSnaps

Views: 8,939

Keywords: Tom Hanks, AFI Life Achievement Award, Hollywood, Cinema, Movie Industry, Film Legacy, Acting Career, Inspirational Speech, Movie Memories, Storytelling, Movie Magic

Id: pjFqteYfFQ4

Length: 6min 22sec (382 seconds)

Published: Wed May 01 2024