Monday, March 22, 1999
Lots of Oscar laughs, surprises
BY MARGARET A. McGURK
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Academy Award voters broke with tradition twice Sunday. First, they gave best-picture and best-director Oscars to different films. And they voted a romantic comedy the best picture.
Shakespeare in Love collected six Oscars, including best picture. That is one more than Saving Private Ryan, which earned Steven Spielberg his second Oscar as best director.
Shakespeare in Love scored its first major award when Judi Dench took the Oscar for supporting actress with her six-minute portrayal of Queen Elizabeth I. Despite the brevity of Ms. Dench's part, Beatrice Straight still holds the record for shortest performance to win an Oscar. She was on screen for less than five minutes in Network.
Gwyneth Paltrow then won for best actress.
Roberto Benigni delighted the audience at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles with a jubilant reaction when he won best actor and best foreign-language Oscars for his film, Life Is Beautiful, which also won for dramatic score.
“This is a terrible mistake,” he said when the acting award was announced. “I have used up all my English.”
James Coburn picked up Sunday's first Oscar as best supporting actor, for his role as a brutal alcoholic father in Affliction.
“I've been doing this work for over half my life. I finally got one right, I guess,” he said.
Mixed reactions greeted the announcement of the evening's most controversial award, a special Oscar for 89-year-old director Elia Kazan. Warren Beatty and Meryl Streep stood and applauded. Jim Carrey and Steven Spielberg clapped, but kept their seats. Nick Nolte and Ed Harris pointedly did not move.
Mr. Kazan, under fire for 47 years for abetting the infamous Hollywood blacklist, thanked the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for its courage, then said, “Thank you very much. I think I can just slip away.”
Also on the evening's agenda: presentation of the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award to producer-director Norman Jewison, whose works include The Cincinnati Kid, Fiddler on the Roof, Moonstruck and best-picture winner In the Heat of the Night.
Mr. Jewison saluted institutions such as the National Film Board of Canada and tthe American Film Institute that nurture new filmmakers. “My advice to all those new filmmakers is, find some good stories,” he said, to thunderous applause. “Don't worry about the top 10, the bottom 10, the demographics.”
Among the night's tributes, best director winner Steven Spielberg saluted the recently deceased Stanley Kubrick. Val Kilmer presented a tribute to cowboy stars, including Cincinnati native Roy Rogers, and John Travolta introduced a salute to the films of Frank Sinatra.
Ms. Goldberg saluted the late film critic Gene Siskel by turning a thumb skyward and saying, “Gene, wherever you are, honey, here's to you.”
Retired Ohio Sen. John Glenn, introduced by Tom Hanks, presented a segment honoring movies about heroes, including The Right Stuff, in which he was portrayed by Ed Harris. Colin Powell later took the stage to introduce best-picture nominees Saving Private Ryan and The Thin Red Line.
Host Whoopi Goldberg opened the show in elaborate makeup and costume as Queen Elizabeth I, a character in two of the best-film nominees, Shakespeare in Love and Elizabeth.
Later, Ms. Goldberg made reference to the dispute over Mr. Kazan's award. “Why is it every time I do the show I get the year with the controversy?,” she said. “I thought the blacklist was me and Hattie McDaniel.”
They are the only black women to win Oscars.
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Cincinnati may approve charter school policy tonight
Kasich tries to drum up support in New Hampshire
Tigerlilies take long road back
Her tires are walking boots
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Fort Wright might rein pets
Free parking possible for High Street
Jobless rate just 3.4% in Warren
Kenton County cities that limit pets
Lots of Oscar laughs, surprises
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Mason girls get warm homecoming
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