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68th Academy Awards

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The 68th Academy Awards ceremony, organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 1995 in the United States and took place on March 25, 1996, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles beginning at 6:00 p.m. PST / 9:00 p.m. EST.[1] During the ceremony, AMPAS presented Academy Awards (commonly referred to as Oscars) in 24 categories.[1] The ceremony, televised in the United States by ABC, was produced by David Salzman and Quincy Jones and directed by Jeff Margolis.[1] Actress Whoopi Goldberg hosted the show for the second time, having previously presided over the 66th ceremony in 1994.[2] Three weeks earlier, in a ceremony held at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, on March 2, the Academy Awards for Technical Achievement were presented by host Richard Dreyfuss.[3]

68th Academy Awards
Official poster
DateMarch 25, 1996
SiteDorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Hosted byWhoopi Goldberg
Produced byDavid Salzman
Quincy Jones
Directed byJeff Margolis
Highlights
Best PictureBraveheart
Most awardsBraveheart (5)
Most nominationsBraveheart (10)
TV in the United States
NetworkABC
Duration3 hours, 39 minutes
Ratings44.81 million
30.48% (Nielsen ratings)

Braveheart won five awards, including Best Picture.[4][5] Other winners included Apollo 13, Pocahontas, Restoration, and The Usual Suspects with two awards and Anne Frank Remembered, Antonia's Line, Babe, A Close Shave, Dead Man Walking, Leaving Las Vegas, Lieberman in Love, Mighty Aphrodite, One Survivor Remembers, Il Postino: The Postman, and Sense and Sensibility with one. The telecast garnered almost 45 million viewers in the United States.

Winners and nominees

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The nominees for the 68th Academy Awards were announced on February 13, 1996, at 5:38 a.m. PST (13:38 UTC) at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater by president of the academy, and the music producer Quincy Jones.[6] Braveheart led all nominees with ten nominations; Apollo 13 came in second with nine.[7][8]

The winners were announced during the awards ceremony on March 25, 1996.[9] Braveheart was the ninth film to win Best Picture with no acting nominations.[10] With her Best Supporting Actress win for Mighty Aphrodite, Mira Sorvino became the second consecutive actress to win the aforementioned category for a performance in a film directed by Woody Allen.[11] Best Adapted Screenplay winner Emma Thompson was the first person to win Oscars for both acting and screenwriting. She had previously won Best Actress for her performance in the 1992 film Howards End.[12] This was the first year since the 42nd Academy Awards—and last to date—that none of the acting winners appeared in Best Picture nominees.

Awards

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Mel Gibson, Best Picture co-winner and Best Director winner
 
Nicolas Cage, Best Actor winner
 
Susan Sarandon, Best Actress winner
 
Kevin Spacey, Best Supporting Actor winner
 
Mira Sorvino, Best Supporting Actress winner
 
Christopher McQuarrie, Best Original Screenplay winner
 
Emma Thompson, Best Adapted Screenplay winner
 
Alan Menken, Best Original Musical or Comedy Score co-winner and Best Original Song co-winner
 
Marleen Gorris, Best Foreign Language Film winner
 
Christine Lahti, Best Live Action Short Film co-winner
 
Nick Park, Best Animated Short Film winner

Winners are listed first, highlighted in boldface, and indicated with a double dagger (‡).[13]

Academy Honorary Awards

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Special Achievement Award

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Multiple nominations and awards

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Presenters and performers

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The following individuals, listed in order of appearance, presented awards or performed musical numbers.[17]

Presenters

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Name(s) Role
Les Marshak Announcer for the 68th annual Academy Awards
Pierce Brosnan
Naomi Campbell
Claudia Schiffer		 Presenters of the award for Best Costume Design
Dianne Wiest Presenter of the award for Best Supporting Actor
Alicia Silverstone Presenter of the award for Best Makeup
John Travolta Presenter of the film Apollo 13 on the Best Picture segment
Emma Thompson Presenter of the award for Best Art Direction
Chris O'Donnell Introducer of the performance of Best Original Song nominee "Moonlight"
Robin Williams Presenter of the Honorary Award to Chuck Jones and the Special Achievement Award to John Lasseter who comes onto the stage with a Sheriff Woody doll and a Buzz Lightyear action figure. As they come to life, Tom Hanks and Tim Allen reprise their respective voice roles.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Jackie Chan		 Presenters of the awards for Best Live Action Short Film and Best Animated Short Film
Sandra Bullock Presenter of the award Best Sound Effects Editing
Jeremy Irons Presenter of the film Braveheart on the Best Picture segment
Steven Seagal Presenter of the award Best Sound
Martin Landau Presenter of the award for Best Supporting Actress
Jim Carrey Presenter of the award for Best Cinematography
Goldie Hawn
Kurt Russell		 Presenters of the award for Best Film Editing
Richard Dreyfuss Presenter of the segment of the Academy Awards for Technical Achievement and the Gordon E. Sawyer Award
Winona Ryder Introducer of the performance of Best Original Song nominee "Dead Man Walking"
Will Smith Presenter of the award for Best Visual Effects
Nicolas Cage
Elisabeth Shue		 Presenters of the awards for Best Documentary Short Subject and Best Documentary Feature
Nathan Lane Introducer of the performance of Best Original Song nominee "Colors of the Wind"
Mel Gibson Presenter of the award Best Foreign Language Film
Anjelica Huston Presenter of the film Sense and Sensibility on the Best Picture segment
Steven Spielberg Presenter of the Honorary Award to Kirk Douglas
Quincy Jones
Sharon Stone		 Presenters of the awards for Best Original Musical or Comedy Score and Best Original Dramatic Score
Liam Neeson Presenter of the film Il Postino: The Postman on the Best Picture segment
Arthur Hiller (AMPAS President) Presenter of the "In Memoriam" tribute
Jimmy Smits Introducer of the performance of Best Original Song nominee "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?"
Susan Sarandon Presenter of the award for Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen
Anthony Hopkins Presenter of the award for Best Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published
Christopher Reeve Presenter of the montage on films that address social issues
Angela Bassett
Laurence Fishburne		 Presenters of the award for Best Original Song
Robert Zemeckis Presenter of the award Best Director
Nicole Kidman Presenter of the film Babe on the Best Picture segment
Tom Hanks Presenter of the award for Best Actress
Jessica Lange Presenter of the award for Best Actor
Sidney Poitier Presenter of the award for Best Picture

Performers

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Name(s) Role Performed
Tom Scott Musical arranger Orchestral
Gloria Estefan Performer "Moonlight" from Sabrina
Lyle Lovett
Randy Newman		 Performers "You've Got a Friend in Me" from Toy Story
Stomp Performers Best Sound Effects Editing montage
Bruce Springsteen Performer "Dead Man Walkin'" from Dead Man Walking
Savion Glover Performer "Singin' in the Rain" tap-dance tribute to Gene Kelly
Vanessa Williams Performer "Colors of the Wind" from Pocahontas
Bryan Adams Performer "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?" from Don Juan DeMarco
Take 6 Performers Best Original Song medley

Ceremony information

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Whoopi Goldberg hosted the 68th Academy Awards.

As a result of the negative reception of David Letterman's stint as host from the preceding year's ceremony, veteran film and television director Gil Cates declined to helm the upcoming festivities.[18] In November 1995, AMPAS recruited music producer and Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award recipient Quincy Jones as producer of the 1996 ceremony.[19] Jones immediately selected actress and comedian Whoopi Goldberg to host the ceremony.[19] In an interview with Los Angeles Times writer Susan King, Jones explained the decision to hire Goldberg saying, "She has all the qualifications to move on a dime, to carry the elegance and the dignity of the show and is very funny. She understands the street. She has everything."[20]

One segment that was staged during the ceremony was an elaborate fashion show showcasing the nominees for Best Costume Design.[21] Produced by fashion photographer Matthew Rolston, the production featured models such as Cameron Alborzian, Tyson Beckford, Tyra Banks, Marcus Schenkenberg and Joel West sporting various costumes from the five films nominated in the category.[22] Initially, actor Jack Nicholson was approached to introduce the segment along with models Naomi Campbell and Claudia Schiffer. However, actor Pierce Brosnan accepted the role of presenter of the segment and award after Nicholson declined those respective duties.[21]

Several other people and elements were also involved with the production of the ceremony. Jeff Margolis served as director for the program.[23] Actress and talk show host Oprah Winfrey interviewed several nominees and other attendees during a seven-minute red carpet arrival segment shown at the beginning of the telecast.[24] Musician and saxophonist Tom Scott served as musical director for the ceremony.[25] Choreographer Jamie King supervised the performances of the Best Song nominees and two dance numbers.[26] Babe, the pig from the eponymous film, and Miss Piggy participated in a comedy sketch during the proceedings.[25] Actor Christopher Reeve, who was paralyzed in a horse riding accident nearly a year earlier, made a surprise appearance on the telecast urging filmmakers to make movies that face the world's most important issues head-on.[27]

Rainbow Coalition protest

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Several days before the ceremony, activist group Rainbow Coalition, led by Reverend Jesse Jackson, planned a protest regarding African Americans and other racial minorities in the film industry.[28] The group was voicing its objections to unflattering portrayals of minorities in film and television and the fact that minorities were underemployed in the entertainment industry.[28] Jackson further pointed out the disparity in racial minorities in Hollywood by noting that Best Live Action Short Film nominee Dianne Houston was the only African American nominated that year.[29] Although the group initially planned to demonstrate outside the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, an agreement between Jackson and producer Jones caused the protest to be moved adjacent to the broadcast facilities of the local ABC affiliate KABC-TV.[30] Nevertheless, Jones remarked that the Academy Awards were not the appropriate venue for such protest declaring "Why should the movie business be different from anything else in America? It's a problem that permeates everything in the country. Every facet of America discriminates."[31]

Division of Best Original Score category

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Beginning with this ceremony, the AMPAS music branch divided the category of Best Original Score into two categories: Best Dramatic Score and Best Musical or Comedy Score.[32] This was seen as a response to the dominance of Walt Disney Feature Animation films in the Original Score and Original Song categories in recent years.[33] Four years later, the two scoring categories were merged back into one category.[34]

Christopher Reeve appearance

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At the ceremony, Christopher Reeve presented a montage of films which tackled social issues. His appearance was a surprise to the majority of those present and occurred less than a year after the horse-riding accident in which he was paralyzed. Reeve's appearance was kept secret in part so that if any physical issue came about, he could drop out quietly. He attended an early morning closed-door rehearsal, during which he vetoed the idea of using John Williams' 1978 Superman Theme as entrance music. Reeve, along with Jones, had chosen the film clips used in the montage.[35] Reeve received a two-minute standing ovation at during his appearance.[36]

Box office performance of nominees

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At the time of the nominations announcement on February 13, the combined gross of the five Best Picture nominees at the US box office was $333 million, with an average of $66.5 million per film.[37] Apollo 13 was the highest earner among the Best Picture nominees with $172 million in domestic box office receipts.[37] The film was followed by Braveheart ($67 million), Babe ($58.2 million), Sense and Sensibility ($24.6 million) and finally Il Postino: The Postman ($10.7 million).[37]

Of the top 50 grossing movies of the year, 47 nominations went to 14 films on the list. Only Toy Story (2nd), Apollo 13 (3rd), Braveheart (23rd), Babe (29th), 12 Monkeys (31st), Casino (38th) and Mr. Holland's Opus (39th) were nominated for directing, acting, screenwriting, or Best Picture.[38] The other box office hits that earned nominations were Batman Forever (1st), Pocahontas (4th), Seven (9th), Crimson Tide (10th), Waterworld (12th), The Bridges of Madison County (21st), The American President (27th) and Sabrina (34th).[38]

Critical reviews

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The show received a positive reception from most media publications. The New York Times film critic Janet Maslin raved, "Mr. Jones pointedly turned this year's ceremony into a showcase for Hollywood's new guard." She also praised host Goldberg's opening monologue, remarking that it "established the sharpness of this year's gag writing."[39] People columnist Janice Min wrote that "the most egregious crime at the 68th Academy Awards on March 25 was–egad!–the relentless elegance and good taste that deprived viewers of genuine, Grade A snicker fodder.[40] Television critic Howard Rosenberg of the Los Angeles Times applauded Goldberg's performance, noting that her "confident performance [...] was symbolic of her whopping improvement as host over her showing on the 1994 Oscars."[41]

Some media outlets were more critical of the show. Chicago Tribune television critic Steve Johnson lamented that Goldberg "settled into bland script reading that made one long for David Letterman's cranky unpredictability in the role last year." He also stated that the "Best Costume Design fashion show" was the silliest opening Oscar production number since Rob Lowe and Snow White sang "Proud Mary" in 1989.[42] Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly bemoaned that the dominance of Best Picture winner Braveheart and the lack of fashion glamour "had the makings of a tiresome evening."[43]

Ratings and reception

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The American telecast on ABC drew in an average of 44.81 million people over its length, which was a 9% decrease from the previous year's ceremony.[44][45] The show also garnered lower Nielsen ratings compared to the previous ceremony, with 30.48% of households watching over a 48.88 share.[46] It also earned a lower 18–49 demographic rating with an 18.76 rating over a 35.27 share among viewers in that demographic.[46]

In July 1996, the ceremony presentation received seven nominations at the 48th Primetime Emmys.[47] Two months later, the ceremony won one of those nominations for Greg Brunton's lighting design and direction during the telecast.[48]

"In Memoriam"

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The annual "In Memoriam" tribute was presented by Academy President Arthur Hiller. The montage featured an excerpt of the main title of The Prince of Tides composed by James Newton Howard.[49]

A separate tribute to actor, dancer and veteran Oscar host Gene Kelly featured tap dancer Savion Glover dancing to the song "Singin' in the Rain" from the 1952 film of the same name.[50]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Lowry, Brian (March 26, 1996). "Review: "The 68th Annual Academy Awards"". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on October 23, 2013. Retrieved August 26, 2013.
  2. ^ "Whoopi Goldberg To Be Oscars Host". The New York Times. November 1, 1995. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved October 1, 2013.
  3. ^ "Past Scientific & Technical Awards Ceremonies". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. AMPAS. Archived from the original on February 13, 2014. Retrieved July 31, 2013.
  4. ^ Welkos, Robert W. (March 26, 1996). "'Braveheart' Is Top Film; Cage, Sarandon Win". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 9, 2012. Retrieved October 2, 2013.
  5. ^ Hartl, John (March 25, 1996). "One More Victory For 'Braveheart' – Mel Gibson's Epic About A Battle For Freedom Tops The Oscars". The Seattle Times. The Seattle Times Company. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved October 1, 2013.
  6. ^ Bona 2002, p. 31
  7. ^ Welkos, Robert W.; Claudia Puig (February 14, 1996). "Gibson's Epic Gets 10, 'Babe' Ties for Third". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved October 1, 2013.
  8. ^ Weinraug, Bernard (February 14, 1996). "Oscar Nominations Are Just One Surprise After Another". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved October 1, 2013.
  9. ^ "The 1996 Academy Awards: And the Winners are..." Chicago Tribune. Tribune Publishing. March 26, 1996. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved October 1, 2013.
  10. ^ Dawes, Amy (March 26, 1996). "'Braveheart' Conquers:Gibson's epic wins Best Picture\Sarandon, Cage take acting honors". Los Angeles Daily News. MediaNews Group. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved October 1, 2013.
  11. ^ Boyar, Jay (March 24, 1996). "Predictions And Personal Favorites Of A Movie Fan". Orlando Sentinel. Tribune Publishing. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved October 1, 2013.
  12. ^ Saner, Emine (March 7, 2011). "Emma Thompson: Top 100 Women". The Guardian. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved October 2, 2013.
  13. ^ "The 68th Academy Awards (1996) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. AMPAS. Archived from the original on November 9, 2014. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
  14. ^ Herman, Jan (March 23, 1996). "Hollywood Is Playing Chuck Jones' Toon". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved October 1, 2013.
  15. ^ Champlin, Charles (March 22, 1996). "Countdown to the Oscars : Always a Champion : Despite recent setbacks, Kirk Douglas plans to be there to receive an honorary Oscar for being 'a creative and moral force' in film". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved October 1, 2013.
  16. ^ "Here's Complete List Of Oscar Nominees". Chicago Tribune. Tribune Publishing. February 14, 1996. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved October 1, 2013.
  17. ^ Bona 2002, p. 39
  18. ^ Pond 2005, p. 100
  19. ^ a b Puig, Claudia (November 1, 1995). "An Oscar Duet for Quincy and Whoopi : Television: The noted composer and arranger will produce the 68th annual Academy Awards show, and the actress-comedian will host for a second time". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved October 1, 2013.
  20. ^ King, Susan (March 24, 1996). "Quincy Jones: 'Pushing the Envelope'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 22, 2013. Retrieved October 2, 2013.
  21. ^ a b Pond 2005, p. 114
  22. ^ Pond 2005, p. 122
  23. ^ Pond 2005, p. 106
  24. ^ Pond 2005, p. 121
  25. ^ a b Pond 2005, p. 118
  26. ^ Kleid, Beth (February 19, 1996). "Movies". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved October 1, 2013.
  27. ^ Pond 2005, p. 127
  28. ^ a b Braxton, Greg (March 17, 1996). "Jackson Plans Oscar Protest". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved October 2, 2013.
  29. ^ Trescott, Jacqueline (March 24, 1996). "You Are Dealing with a Three-Headed Beast". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 6, 2016. Retrieved October 2, 2013.
  30. ^ Bona 2002, p. 38
  31. ^ Kleid, Beth (March 25, 1996). "Oscar Watch". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 5, 2013. Retrieved October 2, 2013.
  32. ^ Levy 2003, p. 55
  33. ^ Pond 2005, p. 99
  34. ^ Burlingame, Jon (January 20, 1999). "Sweet sounds of success". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on May 11, 2013. Retrieved October 2, 2013.
  35. ^ Brew, Simon (February 22, 2019). "When Christopher Reeve Surprised The World at The Oscars". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on June 20, 2022. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  36. ^ "Christopher Reeve at the Oscars". YouTube. Archived from the original on March 18, 2016. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  37. ^ a b c "1995 Academy Award Nominations and Winner for Best Picture". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved October 1, 2013.
  38. ^ a b "1995 Domestic Grosses". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on December 26, 2015. Retrieved February 26, 2014.
  39. ^ Maslin, Janet (March 27, 1996). "Television Review: Energy, Gallantry, Graphics And Glamour at the Oscars". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved October 1, 2013.
  40. ^ Min, Janice (April 8, 1996). "An Affair To Remember". People. Time Warner. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved October 1, 2013.
  41. ^ Rosenberg, Howard (March 26, 1996). "Real Drama? It Didn't Come From Ribbons". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 5, 2013. Retrieved October 1, 2013.
  42. ^ Johnson, Steve (March 26, 1996). "Whoopi Rises Above The Bland, But Not For Long". Chicago Tribune. Tribune Publishing. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved October 2, 2013.
  43. ^ Tucker, Ken (April 5, 1996). "Oscars 1996: The Show". Entertainment Weekly. Time Warner. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved October 2, 2013.
  44. ^ Gorman, Bill (March 8, 2010). "Academy Awards Averages 41.3 Million Viewers; Most Since 2005". TV by the Numbers. Tribune Media. Archived from the original on March 10, 2010. Retrieved March 12, 2010.
  45. ^ Johnson, Greg (March 18, 1999). "Call It the Glamour Bowl". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved August 26, 2013.
  46. ^ a b "Academy Awards ratings" (PDF). Television Bureau of Advertising. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 15, 2013. Retrieved June 27, 2013.
  47. ^ "Primetime Emmy Award database". Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved October 1, 2013.
  48. ^ "Who Won What: The Winners of Television's Nighttime Emmy Awards". Los Angeles Times. September 9, 1996. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved October 1, 2013.
  49. ^ Bona 2002, p. 51
  50. ^ Marks, Peter (March 22, 1996). "On Stage, and Off". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 26, 2015. Retrieved October 1, 2013.

Bibliography

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Official websites
Analysis
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