What they said at the Oscars...

Halle Berry: Sobbed openly for minutes

Some of the best quotes from the 74th Academy Awards ceremony.

Halle Berry, best actress - Monster's Ball: "This is for every nameless, faceless woman of colour who now has a chance tonight because this door has been opened.

I was just taking pictures with Halle Berry, and she doesn't know where she is

Denzel Washington

"I'm so honoured and I thank the academy for choosing me to be the vessel.

"I thought I wasn't going to make it up those steps. I just said, 'don't let me embarrass my mother.'"

Denzel Washington, best actor - Training Day: "I feel calm. I've been to the dance a few times. I knew that it was out of my hands.

Double winner Catherine Martin and husband, Baz Luhrmann

"I was just taking pictures with Halle Berry, and she doesn't know where she is."

Jim Broadbent, best supporting actor - Iris: "Stone the crows."

"I'd like to thank John Bayley for allowing us to plunder and misrepresent his life with Iris."

Ron Howard, best director - A Beautiful Mind: "Before my mom passed away about 18 months ago she predicted this was going to happen for me on this film.

The grammar in it is very bad

Randy Newman on his winning song

"She also made that prediction on every movie I have directed since 1983."

Randy Newman, best original song for Monster's Inc: "I don't feel it makes the song any better - the grammar in it is very bad."

Jennifer Connelly, A Beautiful Mind: "It's fantastic and I love the movie and I loved doing it. I just really love to work and for me I dream more of those great roles."

Double winner Catherine Martin, Moulin Rouge, to husband and director Baz Luhrmann: "It was your vision. This is your Oscar, Baz."

Robert Redford, honorary Oscar winner: "In keeping diversity alive, it will help keep our industry alive. One word that emerges is the word freedom, its importance, its rarity and how fortunate we are to have it, to be part of a freedom of expression that allows us to tell our stories in our own way.

So much mud was thrown this year, all the nominees look black

Host Whoopi Goldberg

"As an artist I just can't think of a better life than the one I've been blessed with. It's just a great ride."

Tom Cruise: "What about a night like tonight? Should we celebrate the joy and magic movies bring? Dare I say it? More than ever."

Tom Wilkinson, In the Bedroom: "I'm cucumber cool."

Whoopi Goldberg, Oscars host: "So much mud was thrown this year, all the nominees look black."

Julian Fellowes, best screenplay - Gosford Park:"The big thing was whether it would get made not whether it would get an Oscar."

Julia Roberts, 2001 Oscar winner: "Today's the day. My reign is over. No more supermarket openings. I have to pass it on to the next gal."