Greta Gerwig Made Quentin Tarantino Cry At The Palm Springs International Film Festival Film Awards

It's Friday, we're all still a bit hungover from the holidays, and the entire world appears to be going to hell. How about a nice, easy-going story to lift your spirits? Last night, Greta Gerwig presented Quentin Tarantino with the Director of the Year award at the 31st Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival Film Awards Gala, and her speech was so touching and kind that it made Tarantino cry. Aww.

Don't let anyone tell you Quentin Tarantino isn't a bit of a softie. The Once Upon a Time in Hollywood director got all verklempt the other night when Little Women filmmaker Greta Gerwig delivered a touching speech honoring Tarantino's work. "Quentin Tarantino makes movies as if movies could save the world," Gerwig said (via IndieWire). "Movies can kill Hitler, free slaves, and give Sharon Tate one more summer ... he makes movies like movies themselves matter, like they are both high art — which they are — and that they are populist art — which they are. They're speaking the most profound truths to the biggest crowds with the bravado that comes with the confidence that collectively everybody will be changed for the better by the experience."

Gerwig is, of course, referring to the alternative history theme Tarantino has adopted in his late career, with films like Inglourious BasterdsDjango Unchained, and the recent Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. You can see some of Gerwig's speech below.

Tarantino was noticeably touched when he took the stage, wiping away a tear or two. "She literally said about me how I can only imagine somebody could ever talk about me in my wildest self-possessed dreams," he said. "Thank you. I mean my god, thank you so much. I joke that when people are going to talk about me, I say, 'Speak about me as if I were dead.' And they never do. And you did!"

Here's Tarantino's reaction.

See, isn't that nice? Let's all try to stay positive, folks. For as long as we can.