AceShowbiz -

Reese Witherspoon received American Cinematheque Award at a gala dinner at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles. She was feted by Jennifer Aniston, Matthew McConaughey, Kate Hudson, Sofia Vergara, and Jennifer Garner among others.

"I really thought if I worked hard and did my very, very best, one day I could get Matthew McConaughey to come on a big public stage and say really nice things about me," she joked after given the award by the actor. "I actually think that's pretty much every Southern woman's dream."

"This whole experience is just overwhelming and unbelievable because I'm really just a girl from Nashville who had a dream," she said. "I grew up on backlots and on locations. I had my entire childhood on film. I went through puberty on film, which is something I don't feel totally great about, but I don't regret it at all. It's preserved forever."

"Women make up 50 percent of the population and we should be playing 50 percent of the roles on the screen," the actress continued. "We need more female surgeons, supreme court justices and soldiers - but on screen. Not just as the girlfriends to famous men."

Reese Witherspoon brought her two kids, Ava, 16, and Deacon Phillippe, 12, to the event. Her husband Jim Toth was also there. She joined another honoree, DreamWorks Animation honcho Jeffrey Katzenberg. Isla Fisher and Laura Dern were among the attendees. Kenny Chesney performed a rendition of "Wild Child".