When we talk about Oscars it's almost as a symbol of excellence and the American public and the worldwide public accept that symbol. So a movie like 'The Artist' that costs $14 million has to go out and compete with movies that cost $140 million. How does David deal with Goliath?

We can now have action movies with two stars where one might be African American and one might be Asian American. One of them doesn't have to be white and the other one doesn't have to be the ethnic sidekick. We're way over that. And I think it's happening in society too.

I was sick and tired of being an English actor who did a lot of American movies because I was cheap and good.

I look at American movies the big muscles and try to apply that to Chinese film-making.

The whole world loves American movies blue jeans jazz and rock and roll. It is probably a better way to get to know our country than by what politicians or airline commercials represent.

Citizen Kane is perhaps the one American talking picture that seems as fresh now as the day it opened. It may seem even fresher.

I get up at an unholy hour in the morning my work day is completed by the time the sun rises. I have a slightly bad back which has made an enormous contribution to American literature.

Congressman Berg will repeatedly talk about Harry Reid and Barack Obama and I find it interesting because this morning when I woke up and brushed my teeth I looked in the mirror and I did not see a tall African-American skinny man. So let's make it clear that my priorities are North Dakota priorities.

This morning in the Washington Post there was a statistic about how 85% of Americans are Christians.

Probably millions of Americans got up this morning with a cup of coffee a cigarette and a donut. No wonder they are sick and fouled up.