Christopher Plummer, who at age 82 became the oldest acting award recipient in Oscar history, gave the evening's wittiest, most graceful, and most gracious acceptance speech. But that makes sense as he told us he had been planning the moment literally since birth.

Meryl Streep, who has more nominations than any other actor but who had not won since 1983, charmingly thanked her husband first because she has observed that those who leave their families to the end often get drowned out by the exit music.

And Octavia Spencer, who won Best Supporting Actress for The Help was unforgettably moving as she struggled to control her tears of joy.