Spielberg steals Oscar award show
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See the article in its original context from March 1994.
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In two decades of turning out Hollywood's biggest hits from "Jaws" to "E.T. the ExtraTerrestrial," Spielberg had never won for best picture or director. With "Schindler's List" he was favored finally to break that jinx. "Schindler," which led all other movies at the 66th annual Academy Awards with 12 nominations, won for screenplay adaptation, art direction, film editing, John Williams' original score and its mostly black-and-white cinematography.
"Jurassic Park," Spielberg's science-fiction fantasy that recreated dinosaurs with dazzling realism and record boxoffice success, won awards in all three categories for which it was nominated - visual effects, sound and sound effects editing. Eleven-year-old Anna Paquin was a surprise winner for best supporting actress as the precocious daughter who interprets for her mute mother in "The Piano." Jane Campion, who also directed the film, won for her original screenplay.
Tommy Lee Jones, the lawman who doggedly pursues Harrison Ford in "The Fugitive," was best supporting actor.
Paquin's eyes lit up with amazement when she heard her name. The actress, who said earlier she had not prepared a speech because she doubted she would win, stood trembling and shaking after being handed her statuette, then rushed through a series of "thank yous." She is the youngest Oscar winner since 10-year-old Tatum O'Neal won in the same category for "Paper Moon" 20 years ago. The favorites in that Cont'd on page A15 Winners at Monday night's 66th annual Academy Awards: PICTURE "Schindler's List," Steven Spielberg, Gerald R. Molen and Branko Lustig, producers.
ACTOR: Tom Hanks, "Philadelphia."
ACTRESS: Holly Hunter, "The Piano."
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Tommy Lee Jones, "The Fugitive."
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Anna Paquin, "The Piano."
DIRECTOR: Steven Spielberg, "Schindler's List."
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Jane Campion, "The Piano."
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Steven Zaillian, "Schindler's List."
FOREIGN FILM: "Belle Epoque," Spain.
ART DIRECTION: Allan Starski and Ewa Braun, "Schindler's List."
CINEMATOGRAPHY: Janusz Kaminski, "Schindler's List."
COSTUME DESIGN: Gabriella Pescucci, "The Age of Innocence."
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: "I Am A Promise: The Children...," Susan Raymond and Alan Raymond.
DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT: "Defending Our Lives," Margaret Lazarus and Renner Wunderlich.
FILM EDITING: Michael Kahn, "Schindler's List."
MAKEUP: Greg Cannom, Ve Neill and Yolanda Toussieng, "Mrs. Doubtfire."
MUSIC ORIGINAL SCORE: John Williams, "Schindler's List."
MUSIC ORIGINAL SONG: "Streets of Philadelphia," Bruce Springsteen, "Philadelphia."
ANIMATED SHORT FILM: "The Wrong Trousers," Nicholas Park.
LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM: "Black Rider," Pepe Danquart.
SOUND: Gary Summers, Gary Rydstrom, Shawn Murphy and Ron Judkins, "Jurassic Park."
SOUND EFFECTS EDITING: Gary Rydstrom and Richard Hymns, "Jurassic Park."
VISUAL EFFECTS: Dennis Muren, Stan Winston, Phil Tippett and Michael Lantieri, "Jurassic Park."
JEAN HERSHOLT AWARD: Paul Newman for his humanitarian efforts.
HONORARY AWARD: Deborah Kerr for career achievement.
GORDON E. SAWYER TECHNICAL AWARD: Petro Vlahos, for his technical contributions to the motion picture industry. from page A14
category this year had been Winona Ryder ("The Age of Innocence") and Rosie Perez ("Fearless").
Jones, his head shiny and his face ebullient, came to the stage and cracked, "The only thing I can say at a time like this is that I'm not really bald. I'm happy to be working." He had shaved his head for a movie role.
Among those Jones defeated was Ralph Fiennes, the brutal concentration camp commander in "Schindler's List."
Rock star Bruce Springsteen won the best song award for his haunting "Streets of Philadelphia" from the movie "Philadelphia." "This is the first song I ever wrote for a motion picture; I guess it's all downhill from here," Springsteen joked as he accepted the award.
"Mrs. Doubtfire," starring Robin Williams as a rejected husband who disguises himself as a nanny to be near his children, won for best makeup. "The Age of Innocence" was cited for costume design.
"Belle Epoque,” a Spanish romantic comedy, took the Oscar for best foreign picture.
Holly Hunter, the mute mail-order bride of "The Piano," appeared the favorite for best actress. Tom Hanks, a lawyer with AIDS in "Philadelphia," was considered the front-runner for best actor. But a landslide for "Schindler's List" could place the Oscar in the hands of Liam Neeson, who portrayed the savior of more than 1,000 Polish Jews during World War II. "We're here to celebrate excellence," Neeson said before he entered the pavilion. "It's an honor and a delight to be here and to be recognized. "I think 'Schindler's List' is going to be around for many, many years."
The ceremonies were held at the Dorothy Chandler Music Pavilion a day after a strong aftershock to the 17 January Northridge quake shook the auditorium but left no apparent damage. Host Whoopi Goldberg, succeeding Billy Crystal who declined to return after four years, peppered her remarks with raunchy humor that drew laughter and some gasps from the star-studded audience. "So they went and gave me a live microphone for three hours. There haven't been so many show business executives sweating and so nervous over one woman since Heidi Fleiss," Goldberg said in her opening monologue, referring to the alleged Hollywood madam who claimed to have a book of movie executive and celebrities who were her clients.
Oscar presenters included past winners Anthony Hopkins, Al Pacino, Gene Hackman, Clint Eastwood, Geena Davis, Goldie Hawn, Jeremy Irons and Emma Thompson, as well as Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Glenn Close, Elijah Wood, Johnny Depp, Jeff Bridges, Harrison Ford and Alec Baldwin.
