77th Academy Awards - 27 February 2005
Kent born filmmaker Andrea Arnold, member of the Close-Up Advisory Board, wins for Best Short Film (Live Action) with WASP
WINNERS
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Don Cheadle - HOTEL RWANDA
Johnny Depp - FINDING NEVERLAND
Leonardo DiCaprio - THE AVIATOR
Clint Eastwood - MILLION DOLLAR BABY
Jamie Foxx - RAY
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Alan Alda - THE AVIATOR
Thomas Haden Church - SIDEWAYS
Jamie Foxx - COLLATERAL
Morgan Freeman - MILLION DOLLAR BABY
Clive Owen - CLOSER
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Annette Bening - BEING JULIA
Catalina Sandino Moreno - MARIA FULL OF GRACE
Imelda Staunton - VERA DRAKE
Hilary Swank - MILLION DOLLAR BABY
Kate Winslet - ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Cate Blanchett - THE AVIATOR
Laura Linney - KINSEY
Virginia Madsen - SIDEWAYS
Sophie Okonedo - HOTEL RWANDA
Natalie Portman - CLOSER
ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
THE INCREDIBLES (Brad Bird)
SHARK TALE
SHREK 2
ART DIRECTION
THE AVIATOR
FINDING NEVERLAND
LEMONY SNICKET'S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT
CINEMATOGRAPHY
THE AVIATOR
HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS
THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT
COSTUME DESIGN
THE AVIATOR
FINDING NEVERLAND
LEMONY SNICKET'S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS
RAY
TROY
DIRECTING
THE AVIATOR
MILLION DOLLAR BABY - Clint Eastwood
RAY
SIDEWAYS
VERA DRAKE
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
BORN INTO BROTHELS
THE STORY OF THE WEEPING CAMEL
SUPER SIZE ME
TUPAC: RESURRECTION
TWIST OF FAITH
DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT
AUTISM IS A WORLD
THE CHILDREN OF LENINGRADSKY
HARDWOOD
MIGHTY TIMES: THE CHILDREN'S MARCH
SISTER ROSE'S PASSION
FILM EDITING
THE AVIATOR
COLLATERAL
FINDING NEVERLAND
MILLION DOLLAR BABY
RAY
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
AS IT IS IN HEAVEN
THE CHORUS
DOWNFALL
THE SEA INSIDE
YESTERDAY
MAKEUP
LEMONY SNICKET'S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS
THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST
THE SEA INSIDE
MUSIC (SCORE)
FINDING NEVERLAND
HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN
LEMONY SNICKET'S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS
THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST
THE VILLAGE
MUSIC (SONG)
"Accidentally In Love" - SHREK 2
"Al Otro Lado Del Río" - THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES
"Believe" - THE POLAR EXPRESS
"Learn To Be Lonely" - THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
"Look To Your Path (Vois Sur Ton Chemin)" - THE CHORUS
BEST PICTURE
THE AVIATOR
FINDING NEVERLAND
MILLION DOLLAR BABY
RAY
SIDEWAYS
SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)
BIRTHDAY BOY
GOPHER BROKE
GUARD DOG
LORENZO
RYAN
SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION)
EVERYTHING IN THIS COUNTRY MUST
LITTLE TERRORIST
7:35 IN THE MORNING
TWO CARS, ONE NIGHT
WASP
SOUND EDITING
THE INCREDIBLES
THE POLAR EXPRESS
SPIDER-MAN 2
SOUND MIXING
THE AVIATOR
THE INCREDIBLES
THE POLAR EXPRESS
RAY
SPIDER-MAN 2
VISUAL EFFECTS
HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN
I, ROBOT
SPIDER-MAN 2
WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)
BEFORE SUNSET
FINDING NEVERLAND
MILLION DOLLAR BABY
THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES
SIDEWAYS
WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)
THE AVIATOR
ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND
HOTEL RWANDA
THE INCREDIBLES
VERA DRAKE
Scorsese and Brit Talent in Oscar Hunt
Nominations are in. It's nearly time for the Oscars again with all the glamour that entails: the frocks, the botox, the diamond studded earrings and fluffed-up cleavage - and that's just the Baldwin Brothers.
This year, now that every man in New Zealand has received his award for The Return of the King, there are some tight contests for the big prizes. In the heavyweight division, three wildly contrasting films have been picking up awards already. The Aviator, Million Dollar Baby and Sideways will be the likely recipient of a Best Picture statuette, as they have the clout and have been recognised in a variety of different categories.
British hopes rest, as is often the case, with some of our pedigree actors. Clive Owen has a good chance of Best Supporting Actor after his Golden Globe for Closer. Imelda Staunton also has a shot for Best Actress as the titular Vera Drake; a film that has also given Mike Leigh a nomination for Best Director. Leigh, iconoclast and committed filmmaker, is unlikely to win, but the shy Hampstead resident will cut a contrasting figure next to fellow nominees Clint Eastwood and Martin Scorsese. If Scorsese doesn't win for his bold, and entertaining Aviator, after a lifetime of snubs, then he will surely end his career without ever reading a tedious list of "thanks yous" at the Academy podium.
With host Chris Rock, things shouldn't be too dull this year.
Here are the runners and riders for the main awards:
Best Picture
The Aviator: A glitzy version of Hollywood 's past, with solid Di Caprio, which will appeal to the academy voters.
Finding Neverland: Hollywood loves a Peter Pan fantasy, but this won't win.
Million Dollar Baby: Eastwood's boxing flick has real heart and considerable backing-could land the knockout punch.
Ray: Jamie Foxx is the star of this celebration of Ray Charles, but the film doesn't have overall momentum for Best Picture.
Sideways: If only small, modest films won Best Picture.
Close-Up Predictions: JM - The Aviator.
Best Actor
Don Cheadle - Hotel Rwanda: Worthy but not Don's year.
Johnny Depp - Finding Neverland: Johnny is more likely to find Tinkerbell at the bar.
Leonardo DiCaprio - The Aviator: Return to form as the tortured Billionaire: close but no big cigar.
Clint Eastwood - Million Dollar Baby: Clint won't win, but he's an institution anyway.
Jamie Foxx - Ray: Foxx's other nomination tells you what Hollywood thinks about him. Winner and new star.
Close-Up Predictions: JM - Jamie Foxx
Best Actress
Annette Bening - Being Julia: Has been rewarded before, but not this time.
Catalina Sandino Moreno - Maria Full of Grace: Quirky nomination is reward in itself for Catalina.
Imelda Staunton - Vera Drake: Considerable performance in a weighty film that is both controversial and a dark horse.
Kate Winslet - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: Great movie. Ms Winslet is lovely in it, but it came out in March which is a long time ago for Academy bods.
Hillary Swank - Million Dollar Baby: Pound-for-pound she could take this award, but will the academy want to reward her so soon after Boys Don't Cry ?
Close-Up Predictions: JM - Imelda Staunton
Best Supporting Actor
Alan Alda - The Aviator: Top class without the gong.
Thomas Haden Church - Sideways: Great performance, but could a small-time actor win?
Clive Owen - Closer: Return to form for the Brit who could be James Bond. And a winner on the night.
Morgan Freeman - Million Dollar Baby: The legend is a lovely man and would win for Best Narrator every year.
Jamie Foxx - Collateral: Second acting nomination equals Hollywood flavour of the month. Damn good film too.
Close-Up Predictions: JM - Thomas Haden Church
Best Supporting Actress
Cate Blanchett - The Aviator: Lovely turn as Katherine Hepburn, all too brief though.
Laura Linney - Kinsey: Not enough heat on this film, she'll have other years.
Virginia Madsen - Sideways: Nice job, but is there enough ooomph for glory?
Sophie Okonedo - Hotel Rwanda: Fine British actress, the nomination is a good boost for her career.
Natalie Portman - Closer: Natalie Portman lights up the screen as she did in Garden State, this could be her year (of many).
Close-Up Predictions: JM - Natalie Portman
Best Director
Martin Scorsese - The Aviator: The Directors' Director has never won an Oscar.
Clint Eastwood - Million Dollar Baby: CE is the Mount Rushmore of American Cinema, 20 plus films in and he's getting better. If someone pips Marty; it will be him.
Taylor Hackford - Ray: Industry veteran makes good movies but won't win here.
Alexander Payne - Sideways: Great talent, smashing film. Too small to win here, but brilliant career to watch.
Mike Leigh - Vera Drake: A British institution and makes his own, unique films. It would be perverse if he won, but he won't mind anyway.
Close-Up Predictions: JM - Martin Scorsese
Johnny Messias
The 77th Academy Award nominations will be presented on Sunday, February 27, 2005, telecast live from the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland by the ABC Television Network at 5 p.m. PST, beginning with a half-hour arrivals segment. Every January, when the calendar has turned to a new year, the attention of the entertainment community and of film fans around the world turns to the upcoming Academy Awards. Oscar Fever hits, building to the crescendo of the annual presentation of golden statuettes, when hundreds of millions of cinema lovers glue themselves to their television sets to learn who will receive the highest honour in filmmaking.
After three-quarters of a century of recognizing excellence in cinema achievement, the annual presentation of the Oscars has become the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' most famous activity. The annual Oscar presentation has been held since 1929.
All voting for Academy Awards is conducted by secret ballot and tabulated by the international auditing firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers. Secrecy is maintained by the auditors - the results of balloting are not revealed until the now-famous envelopes are opened on stage during the live television program. Because the Academy numbers among its members the ablest artists and craftsmen in the motion picture world, the Oscar represents the best achievements of the year in the opinion of those who themselves reside at the top of their craft.
Gilbert Cates will produce the telecast for the 12th time since 1990. He has produced more telecasts than any other producer. His shows have collected 85 Emmy nominations and 21 Emmy Awards. Cates won the Emmy himself in 1991 for producing the 63rd Awards Presentation telecast.
It will be the fourth time the Awards have been presented at the Kodak Theatre in the heart of Hollywood.
Highlights of the 76th Academy Awards 2004
The Oscar Verdict: Return of the One That Takes Them All - Close-up takes a look at Tinseltown's night of the year
It was another triumph this year for Peter Jackson at the 76th Oscar Annual Award Ceremony in Hollywood. The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King won all of the 11 Oscars it was nominated for including Best Motion Picture, Best Director and Best Visual Effects. Peter Jackson's epic almost made Oscar history but will have to settle for a level pegging status along side the mammoth Oscar winners Titanic (1997) and Ben Hur (1959). It finally brings to a close the three years of Oscar grabbing that the trilogy has spanned in which time it has clocked up an astounding 21 golden statues, more than many entire careers in the business can boast. It was an unsurprising though much deserved result for what has been the greatest, most expensive and most elaborate creation in film history.
The Oscar ceremony itself seemed to pass off with the usual Hollywood pomp and circumstance but sadly with little of its usual enthralling combination of politics and controversy. The choice of Billy Crystal for this year's presenter (his eighth so far) was, as ever, a wise choice bringing together his unique style of humour, song, dance and jokes at the expense of all your favourite stars - many of them sitting in the front row. Crystal has an unusual ability in a live show not often seen since perhaps the late great Bob Hope, a touching homage to whom was made during the ceremony.
Best Actor went to the heavily favoured Sean Penn for his stunning performance in Clint Eastwood's moving Mystic River and it seems very likely that this great director will not be far behind him on the Oscar stage. Penn's prize unfortunately denied the great Bill Murray much needed recognition and again raised a burning question about the often unfairly unrecognised great comedy performance. Best Supporting Actor meanwhile went to Penn's co-star Tim Robbins which was generally considered to be a long overdue and much needed recognition of this hard-working and dedicated Hollywood star. Ironically Penn was the one to make what turned out to be a rare WMD reference in this year's acceptance speeches, whilst the normally outspoken Robbins remained uncharacteristically quiet on the subject.
No surprises were to be had in the female categories either - Charlize Theron walking away with Best Actress for her captivating role in Monster and Renee Zellweger for her performance in the surprisingly under-nominated American epic Cold Mountain. But, as the audience was often reminded, who wants to be up against the great Peter Jackson in his grand Oscar winning year.
The great event of the evening was sure to be whether Sophia Coppola would be duly awarded for her amazing work on the film Lost in Translation. Recognition was made for her writing if not her directing when she scooped the award for Best Original Screenplay. It must indeed have been a difficult journey for Ms. Coppola to find her own voice in a movie industry haunted by the spectre of her great father. Not only that but she is in fact the first American female director to have been nominated for Best Director and only the third woman (the other two being Jane Campion for The Piano in 1997 and Lina Wertmuller for Pasqualino Settebellezze in 1976.)
Best Animated Feature, a relatively new Oscar Award and more coveted than it used to be, went (again perhaps unsurprisingly) to the Pixar creation Finding Nemo. In their acceptance speech it was revealed that it was originally written in the eighth grade for a first love - and the movie has all the charm and sweetness of such a gesture. Unfortunate perhaps that the wonderful The Triplets of Belleville received nothing, but there are hopes for great films from that quarter in the future and it's probably not the last we've heard from the trio.
Oscar frocks went for lighter colours than last year's statement in black chosen by many as sartorial tact in light of America 's at war status. Now this has apparently been lifted, beige, aquamarine, cream and gold were in abundance, or purple swirls if you're Samantha Morton. As was the brassiness of blonde most surprisingly in Julia Roberts, Scarlett Johansson, Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan. Top designers such as Gucci, Armani, Versace, Marc Jacobs and Stella McCartney all got their red carpet time, finished off with a glittering array of understated diamond jewellery.
Though there were many measured emotional responses to this year's awards ceremony none of them can top the recent Gwyneth Paltrow flood of tears and this year's ceremony all in all seemed to be a more restrained affair. Neither was there a Michael Moore to inspire us with his anti-establishmentarianism and loud-mouthed antics and there seemed to be a less political atmosphere to the event in general. Perhaps all eyes are on Mel Gibson's Passion of the Christ and Hollywood has done controversy for the moment. The red carpet of the 'dream factory' still holds its appeal however and it managed to captivate a bigger audience world wide this year than ever before, making quite literally the film event of the year.
Eleri Evans
And the Oscar goes to ...
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Johnny Depp - PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL
Ben Kingsley - HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG
Jude Law - COLD MOUNTAIN
Bill Murray - LOST IN TRANSLATION
Sean Penn - MYSTIC RIVER
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Alec Baldwin - THE COOLER
Benicio Del Toro - 21 GRAMS
Djimon Hounsou - IN AMERICA
Tim Robbins - MYSTIC RIVER
Ken Watanabe - THE LAST SAMURAI
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Keisha Castle-Hughes - WHALE RIDER
Diane Keaton - SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE
Samantha Morton - IN AMERICA
Charlize Theron - MONSTER
Naomi Watts - 21 GRAMS
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Shohreh Aghdashloo - HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG
Patricia Clarkson - PIECES OF APRIL
Marcia Gay Harden - MYSTIC RIVER
Holly Hunter - THIRTEEN
Renée Zellweger - COLD MOUNTAIN
ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
BROTHER BEAR
FINDING NEMO
THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE
ART DIRECTION
GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING
THE LAST SAMURAI
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING
MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD
SEABISCUIT
CINEMATOGRAPHY
CITY OF GOD
COLD MOUNTAIN
GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING
MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD
SEABISCUIT
COSTUME DESIGN
GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING
THE LAST SAMURAI
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING
MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD
SEABISCUIT
DIRECTING
CITY OF GOD
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING
LOST IN TRANSLATION
MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD
MYSTIC RIVER
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
BALSEROS
CAPTURING THE FRIEDMANS
THE FOG OF WAR
MY ARCHITECT
THE WEATHER UNDERGROUND
DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT
ASYLUM
CHERNOBYL HEART
FERRY TALES
FILM EDITING
CITY OF GOD
COLD MOUNTAIN
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING
MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD
SEABISCUIT
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
THE BARBARIAN INVASIONS
EVIL
THE TWILIGHT SAMURAI
TWIN SISTERS
ŽELARY
MAKEUP
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING
MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL
MUSIC (SCORE)
BIG FISH
COLD MOUNTAIN
FINDING NEMO
HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING
MUSIC (SONG)
"Into the West" - THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING
"A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow" - A MIGHTY WIND
"Scarlet Tide" - COLD MOUNTAIN
"The Triplets of Belleville" - THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE
"You Will Be My Ain True Love" - COLD MOUNTAIN
BEST PICTURE
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING
LOST IN TRANSLATION
MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD
MYSTIC RIVER
SEABISCUIT
SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)
BOUNDIN'
DESTINO
GONE NUTTY
HARVIE KRUMPET
NIBBLES
SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION)
DIE ROTE JACKE (The Red Jacket)
MOST (The Bridge)
SQUASH
TORZIJA (Torsion)
TWO SOLDIERS
SOUND
THE LAST SAMURAI
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING
MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL
SEABISCUIT
SOUND EDITING
FINDING NEMO
MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL
VISUAL EFFECTS
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING
MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL
WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)
AMERICAN SPLENDOR
CITY OF GOD
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING
MYSTIC RIVER
SEABISCUIT
WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)
THE BARBARIAN INVASIONS
DIRTY PRETTY THINGS
FINDING NEMO
IN AMERICA
LOST IN TRANSLATION
Oscar Trivia
1. Which director has won the most awards for directing?
2. Who is the youngest Oscar winner and for which film?
3. The Oscars were postponed in 1968. Why?
4. Who is the oldest winner of the Best Actor Oscar, and for which film?
5. Who became the first married couple to receive Oscar nominations at the same time, and for which film?
6. Who celebrated his Best Supporting Actor Oscar by doing one-handed push-ups on the stage?
7. Which three films have won the 'big five' awards for best picture, director, actor, actress, and screenplay?
8. Which two films have won the most awards - 11 each?
9. Which was the first animated film to be nominated for the 'best picture' award?
10. Which is the only film sequel to win the 'best picture' award?
Answers
1. John Ford, 2. Tatum O'Neal in Paper Moon, 3. For the funeral of Dr Martin Luther King, 4. Henry Fonda, On Golden Pond, 5. Richard Burton & Elizabeth Taylor. 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?', 6. Jack Palance, 7. 'It Happened One night' (1934), 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' (1975), 'The Silence of the Lambs' (1991), 8. 'Ben Hur' (1959), 'Titanic' (1997), 9. Disney's 'Beauty & the Beast', 10. 'Godfather II' in 1974
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