1. DO be impeccable, appropriate, and delightful. Colin Firth, always understated, accepting for Best Actor, “I have a feeling my career has just peaked.” You just can’t help rooting for him.
2. DON’T get too excited and lose control of yourself. Spontaneity is important but poise is a winner. Melissa Leo forgetting where she is and becoming the first Oscar winner to drop an F-bomb in her acceptance speech.
3. DO be a true gentleman, so secure in yourself, that you can let your lady shine. James Franco standing calm and strong and allowing his “lady” for the evening, Anne Hathaway, to be the queen of the show.
4. DON’T be too obsequious and give your power away. Own your worth. Wally Pfister accepting for Cinematography for “Inception” calls Christopher Nolan his “master.” I know that he was trying to give Nolan some honor, but he takes it much too far.
5. DO be gracious and thank all the right people, especially your mother or your spouse. Everyone did well here, especially Natalie Portman (Best Actress) thanking her parents for showing her how to be a good person every day, and her fiancé for the role of her life – she is expecting, and Tom Hooper (Best Director) who thanked his mother for finding him “The King’s Speech.”
