In this YouTube video, speech coach Tom Krieglstein provides a detailed, moment‑by‑moment analysis of Kieran Culkin’s Oscar acceptance speech. He interleaves excerpts from Culkin’s remarks with his own commentary, highlighting both strengths and weaknesses. Krieglstein explains the importance of a smooth handoff and praises Culkin’s use of a “humble acknowledgement” toward Robert Downey Jr. He critiques the presence of profanity, noting that censored swearing disrupts the flow and loses content. The reviewer commends Culkin’s ability to ad‑lib after losing his prepared notes, and he points out how Culkin skillfully times audience laughter, catches the “crest” of applause, and uses the classic “tension balloon” technique—building emotional tension with compliments and releasing it with jokes. Krieglstein identifies several rhetorical devices: callbacks to earlier jokes, personal gratitude toward his manager, co‑stars, parents, and wife, and a strategic request to the producers to hold off on music for a story. He concludes that the speech feels natural, emotionally varied, and humorous, but is marred by excessive side comments and censored profanity, resulting in a 3.5‑out‑of‑5 mic rating.
Chapters
This whole section here is unfortunate. He swears stuff gets cut out. He shouldn't have sworn. It distracts. If you are someone who is not familiar with Kieran Culkin, I can tell you that he is typically unpredictable and slightly awkward and an odd person. So you never quite know what he's gonna say when you give him that mic. So let's do a review of his big Oscar winning speech.
Oh, my God. That's crazy. I don't even know. Mr. Downey, sir, this. Thanks for handing this to me. This means a lot coming from you. Thank you.
When I work with executives that are about to do a keynote, I tell them that the handoff is a critical moment in the speech, which is what happened here, because it's the period between the person who introduced you and then you taking over the stage or the mic. And there are several ways in which you can do this successfully, one of which is what Kieran did here, which is called the humble acknowledgement. And the humble acknowledgement happens when the person taking over the stage, Kieran, gives a compliment to their introducer, Robert Downey Jr. In this case, this not only is creating a smooth handoff by acknowledging the person, which is what you should do always, but it also creates humility for yourself with the compliment because you elevate your introducer up to a higher level and that's gonna build a connection between you and the audience, and that's critical for the start of your speech.
He's right, by the way. Jeremy, you're amazing in the Apprentice. It's fine. I'm not supposed to single anyone out. It's favoritism.
This whole section here is unfortunate because he swears and stuff gets cut out. And even though he said several nice things, we're not going to hear it and most tapes won't because it all gets cut out, all the words around it. When you're giving a speech, know the rules of the game and stick within those. He shouldn't have sworn.
It distracts anyway. But you were great. And I've already lost whatever speech I prepared, 20 seconds or whatever.
Considering he says he lost his speech that he prepared, I have to say he does a really good job overall on remembering it in the moment and ad libbing.
I have no idea how I got here. I've just been acting my whole life. It's just been a part of what I do. So this is. I felt like this is never my trajectory, but however I got here, I know that Emily Gerson Saenz, my manager of 30 years, is because of you. Thank you for being there. I lean on you for everything, so please don't go anywhere. I'd be completely lost without you. I love you and the movie. Jesse Eisenberg, thank you for this movie.
If you do something to make the audience react with a laugh or a clap, listen for the crest of that wave because you want to allow the time for them to laugh or clap, but you don't want it to totally die down before you jump back in, catch the crest like he did on its way down and continue talking.
You're a genius. I would never say that to your face. I'm never saying it again. So soak it up.
Every great speech needs to go from express expanding the balloon of tension to releasing that balloon of tension for the audience. And what Kieran did here is he blew up that balloon with that compliment to Jesse, but then he released it quickly with a joke. Audiences love this kind of roller coaster of emotions.
Thank you for this movie. Thank you. Searchlight Topic Studios. M. Dave and Alley at Fruit Tree. I'm gonna speed this up because I don't want Lithgow to get disappointed and give the look. You look fine right now.
What he did there is called a callback where he called back to a joke that happen prior in the show during Conan o' Brien's opening monologue. Try to use callbacks in your own speech because they can be funny like it was here, or they can help tie your message into the bigger message of what's going on for the overall event.
I should. Oh, I should thank my mom and Steve for trying to raise me. You're really good people. You gave it your best shot. I love you, Mom.
There's another example of expanding the balloon attention with his compliment to his parents, but then quickly releasing it with a joke.
I want to really. I love you, Jazz. This is. I have to thank my wife, Jazz for absolutely everything, for giving my favorite people in the world. This is. Please don't play the music because I want to tell a really quick story about Jazz.
This was so smart of him to tell the producers to not play the music that he was going to be telling a quick story because, you know, the producers then are there in the. In the back room and they have their finger on that button waiting to press it so the music plays. But what they're really looking for is to see is it actually a good story and I should let this go and sure enough ends up being a great story.
About a year ago, I was on a stage like this, and I Very stupidly, publicly said that I want a third kid from her because she said if I won the award, I would. She would give me the kid. Turns out she said that because she didn't think I was gonna win, but. And people came up to her and were like, you know, really annoying her, I think. I think it got to her. But anyway, after the show, we're walking through a parking lot, she's holding the Emmy. We're trying to find our car. Emily, you were there, so you're a witness. And she goes, oh, God, I did say that. I guess I owe you a third kid. And I turned to her and I said, really? I want four. And she turned to me. I swear to God, this happened. It was just over a year ago. She said, I will give you four when you win an Oscar. I held my hand out, she shook it. And I have not brought it up once until just now. You remember that, honey. You do. Okay, then. I just have this to say to you. Jazz, love of my life, ye of little faith. No pressure. I love you. I'm really sorry I did this again. And let's get cracking on those kids. What do you say? I love you. I love you, Zissy And Boob. I love you, 52.
And there it is. Great job on the award, Kieran. And also, nice speech. It felt natural. It was emotional. It was a roller coaster of emotions. It was personal while also being hilarious. Only because the bleep parts and the too many random side comments that distracted. I'm going to give it 3.5 mics out of 5. Until next time, this is Tom.
