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93rd Oscars Backstage Interview Transcript: WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)

SPEECH BY: Emerald Fennell

FILM: "PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN"

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Q. Hello from The Morning Show here in Los Angeles, and congratulations to you.  Good for you.  You described it as so tiny ‑‑ or so heavy and so cold.  Now that you are better acquainted with Oscar several hours later, how would you describe it?
A. I mean, it's pretty amazing.  It is very heavy.  But maybe I just need to go to the gym or maybe I can use him as a weight.  No, it's just ‑‑ I don't know what I expected.  I think I've only ever held a pretend one.  So it's very exciting.

Q. Hey. 
A. You are on mute.
 
Q. Can you hear me now?   I hope you can hear me. 
A. I can hear you.

Q. Okay.  It's so wonderful to see you again, and congratulations on this big win.  Two things:  First of all, Zack Morris is trending on Twitter because of you. 
A. No.  How embarrassing.  Really?  No.  Oh, no.  Okay.  Well...

Q. And now that you have an Oscar in your hand ‑‑
A. No, no, no.  Nothing.  I'm listening.  I'm just ‑‑ can't believe it.  Can't ‑‑ can't ‑‑

Q. Yeah.  And because you have an Oscar in your hand and you are pregnant, will that now become one of the names that you could potentially call your child?
A. Well, you know, actually, if Zach Morris doesn't mind, you know, this situation, I think ‑‑ I think maybe we should just give it a go.

Q. I'm calling in from London.  So huge congratulations. 
A. You are just so tired.  You're just so tired.

Q. I'm enlivened by the great success of celebrating British women; so yourself, Daniel, Anthony, Christopher.  What do you think the future looks like for the UK film industry?
A. God.  I mean, that's a big question.  I think it's amazing.  Every ‑‑ you know, what an amazing place, what an amazing place to come from.  And it's so supportive of the arts, and there are so many incredibly talented people.  And yeah, I think it's getting better and better, I hope.  And, yeah, and it's just so exciting this year to see so many ‑‑ to see British people succeed in such a huge international forum.  So, yeah, I feel very proud and grateful.

A. Hi.

Q. Congratulations.  I am just so happy for you and proud of you.  And you described this film as a "poison popcorn film."  Can you explain what that means exactly?  And will you continue to make these "poison popcorn" movies? 
A. Uhm, I ‑‑ I don't know.  I mean, I think ‑‑ I think I always hoped to make something that would, yeah, that would ‑‑ that people would want to go and see that even if it's about something difficult and troubling, that, yeah, that it would still be a movie that you would go and watch with your friends, with your boyfriend, and you would talk about it afterwards.  And so part of it was that ‑‑ that it felt kind of glossy and feminine and poppy and that, yeah, but it was disgusting, some very difficult and dark subject matter.  So I think probably that is something I will do in the future a little bit, but, yeah.  Amazing.

Q. Thank you. 
A. Thank you.

Q. Congratulations to Emerald.  Thank you all. 
A. Thank you, guys.

 


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