In my profession that I affectionately call "show-off" business, I love that everybody on a film set acts like a grownup.

I mean, for the most part, they act like grownups.

And I will not name names, but you all know who you are.

But you know what I mean.

I love that everybody loves their job.

Just the enthusiasm of someone answering you in a really positive way thrills me.

That everyone is building together towards something, toward the same goal.

To make art, to make the day, to make the schedule, to make the release date, and then to bring it to people all over the world.

It really flips my grownup switch.

I love movies and TV shows like "Tar" and "Living" and "Women Talking" and "Everything Everywhere All at Once," and "Banshees of Inisherin" and "Till" and "Top Gun" and "The Fabelmens," "Elvis."

"She Said," "The Odd Man" -- sorry -- "The Old Man."

"Abbott Elementary," "Blackbird."

They all make me proud of all of the grownup artists working this field.

Now, I've been doing this for a long enough time now I'm a grownup and I've made a lot of films that have delighted a lot of grownups and for all of the thousands of people who I collaborated with and for all the legions of fans who pay their good after-tax dollars to see them, to all of them and to all of you in this room, grownup movie-lovers.

I'm grateful for this creative life, and I'm grateful to AARP tonight for this beautiful recognition.

God Bless you all.