How to Accept an Award for "The Wolf of Wall Street"

Hollywood award season is in its full, glorious, absurdly-expensive-outfit bloom, and despite the diversity of this year’s top-tier films – from slave trading to space walking – a common denominator is that many of them are loosely based on true stories (specifically evil true stories), which can have a negative effect when it comes to being recognized for brilliance.

This came to light at last week’s Golden Globes. While the internet was aflutter with long walks to the podium and hilarious presenters, one unfortunate topic seemed to go unnoticed. In his acceptance speech for the role of con-man Jordan Belfort in The Wolf of Wall Street, Leonardo DiCaprio did an eloquent job of graciously congratulating his fellow nominees and cast mates. However, before departing the stage, his last  "thank-you" was the most controversial (starting at 2:01):



This remark seemed a step too far for me. By thanking the real Jordan Belfort (at least, I believe he was referring to Jordan Belfort. After a brief look at the crew of the movie, I did not immediately see a grip or make-up artist named “Jordan”), he was almost saying, “Thank you for living the life that you have because it allowed me to win this trophy.”

This comment is intriguing because it comes on the heels of producers being on thin ice for simply making the film. Recently, all those involved with the greenlighting the project came under harsh criticism for satirizing the story of the individual responsible for swindling thousands of people out of millions of dollars. The defense was immediate from many of those involved with the film, primarily claiming that the movie is telling a story, not glorifying the story. After seeing the movie myself (and then attempting to fit into the shoes of those that were bamboozled), I found the critiques of those promoting a boycott understandable, but still a bit over-the-top.

However, then one of the most famous actors in the world went on national television and thanked the real life Jordan Belfort for detailing his life, which strengthens the case that DiCaprio is indifferent to the plight of those that were victims to Belfort's wrath.

However, award season is, in fact, a season, which means it offers those involved with several more chances to fix the situation. For example, DiCaprio is also nominated for an Oscar, and if he should win (which, I think he deserves to on performance alone), here is my recommendation on how his speech should go:

"Wow…I am tremendously honored. Thank you to the Academy and the other nominees. This year was an amazing year for telling stories and for roles that challenged people on a number of emotional levels.

The movie Martin Scorsese made was extravagant and, in many ways, visual gluttony. It was an amazing experience and, as I always have, I enjoyed the entire experience and learned an immense amount about what it takes to make more than just a film, but a film that impacts everyone that watches it. Thank you, sir, for once again making something of this caliber.

Telling the story of Jordan was amazing. However, while the story and the character seem almost surreal, in truth he is very real and the harm he did was very real. A lot of lives were ruined because of the antics Jordan and his friends pulled. Telling the story of Jordan Belfort does not equate to endorsing what he did, and so, while I graciously accept this award as a storyteller, it is worth remembering that the story we told did have real world consequences. Thank you."