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70th Academy Awards

The 70th Academy Awards ceremony, organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), took place on March 23, 1998, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles beginning at 6:00 p.m. PST / 9:00 p.m. EST. During the show, AMPAS presented Academy Awards (commonly referred to as Oscars) in 24 categories honoring films released in 1997. The ceremony, which was televised in the United States by ABC, was produced by Gil Cates and directed by Louis J. Horvitz.[2][3] Actor Billy Crystal hosted the show for the sixth time.[4] He had first hosted the 62nd ceremony held in 1990, and most recently the previous year's awards.[5] Nearly a month earlier in an event held at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, California on February 28, the Academy Awards for Technical Achievement were presented by host Ashley Judd.[6]

70th Academy Awards
Official poster
DateMarch 23, 1998
SiteShrine Auditorium
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Hosted byBilly Crystal
Produced byGil Cates
Directed byLouis J. Horvitz
Highlights
Best PictureTitanic
Most awardsTitanic (11)
Most nominationsTitanic (14)
TV in the United States
NetworkABC
Duration3 hours, 47 minutes[1]
Ratings57.25 million
35.32% (Nielsen ratings)

Titanic won 11 awards, including Best Picture, a number that is tied with Ben-Hur and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.[7][8] Other winners included As Good as It Gets, Good Will Hunting, and L.A. Confidential with two awards, and Character, The Full Monty, Geri's Game, The Long Way Home, Men in Black, A Story of Healing, and Visas and Virtue with one. The telecast garnered more than 57 million viewers in the United States, making it the most-watched Oscars broadcast in history.[9]

Winners and nominees

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The nominees for the 70th Academy Awards were announced on February 10, 1998, at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, California, by Robert Rehme, president of the academy, and actress Geena Davis.[10] Titanic received the most nominations with a record-tying 14 (with 1950's All About Eve and 2016's La La Land); Good Will Hunting and L.A. Confidential came in second with nine apiece.[11][12]

The winners were announced during the awards ceremony on March 23, 1998. With eleven awards, Titanic tied with Ben-Hur for the most Academy Awards in Oscar history.[13] It also became the first film to win Best Picture without a screenwriting nomination since 1965's The Sound of Music.[14] Jack Nicholson became the fourth performer to win at least three acting Oscars.[15] Both Nicholson and Helen Hunt won for their roles in As Good as It Gets, making it the seventh film to win both lead acting awards.[16] Nominated for their performances as Rose DeWitt Bukater in Titanic, Best Actress nominee Kate Winslet and Best Supporting Actress nominee Gloria Stuart became the first pair of actresses nominated for portraying the same character in the same film.[17][18] At age 87, Stuart also became the oldest performer nominated for a competitive Oscar.[19]

Awards

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James Cameron, Best Picture and Best Film Editing co-winner and Best Director winner
 
Jon Landau, Best Picture co-winner
 
Jack Nicholson, Best Actor winner
 
Helen Hunt, Best Actress winner
 
Robin Williams, Best Supporting Actor winner
 
Kim Basinger, Best Supporting Actress winner
 
Matt Damon, Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen co-winner
 
Ben Affleck, Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen co-winner
 
Curtis Hanson, Best Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published co-winner
 
Marvin Hier, Best Documentary Feature winner
 
Chris Tashima, Best Live Action Short Film co-winner
 
Jan Pinkava, Best Animated Short Film winner
 
James Horner, Best Original Dramatic Score winner and Best Original Song co-winner
 
Anne Dudley, Best Original Musical or Comedy Score winner
 
Rick Baker, Best Makeup co-winner

Winners are listed first, highlighted in boldface, and indicated with a double dagger (‡).[20]

Academy Honorary Award

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Films with multiple nominations and awards

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Presenters and performers

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The following individuals presented awards or performed musical numbers.[22][23]

Presenters

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Name(s) Role
Norman Rose Announcer for the 70th annual Academy Awards
Robert Rehme (AMPAS President) Gave opening remarks welcoming guests to the awards ceremony
Cuba Gooding Jr. Presenter of the award for Best Supporting Actress
Elisabeth Shue Presenter of the award for Best Costume Design
Dustin Hoffman Presenter of the 70 years of Best Picture winners montage
Neve Campbell Presenter of the performances of Best Original Song nominees "Journey to the Past" and "Go the Distance"
Arnold Schwarzenegger Presenter of the film Titanic on the Best Picture segment
Mira Sorvino Presenter of the award for Best Supporting Actor
Cameron Diaz Presenter of the award for Best Sound
Mike Myers Presenter of the award for Sound Effects Editing
Sigourney Weaver Presenter of the film As Good as It Gets on the Best Picture segment
Helen Hunt Presenter of the award for Best Visual Effects
Fay Wray Introducer of presenters Ben Affleck and Matt Damon
Ben Affleck
Matt Damon		 Presenters of the awards for Best Live Action Short Film and Best Animated Short Film
Geoffrey Rush Presenter of the award for Best Actress
Antonio Banderas Presenter of the award for Best Original Dramatic Score
Jennifer Lopez Introducer of the special dance number to the tune of the nominees for Best Original Musical or Comedy Score and presenter of the award for Best Original Musical or Comedy Score
Drew Barrymore Presenter of the award for Best Makeup
Alec Baldwin Presenter of the film L.A. Confidential on the Best Picture segment
Samuel L. Jackson Presenter of the award for Best Film Editing
Ashley Judd Presenter of the segment of the Academy Awards for Technical Achievement and the Gordon E. Sawyer Award
Martin Scorsese Presenter of the Honorary Academy Award to Stanley Donen
Matt Dillon Presenter of the film Good Will Hunting on the Best Picture segment
Madonna Introducer of the performances of Best Original Song nominees "How Do I Live", "Miss Misery" and "My Heart Will Go On" and presenter of the award for Best Original Song
Djimon Hounsou Presenter of the Best Documentary Short
Robert De Niro Presenter of the Best Documentary Feature
Whoopi Goldberg Presenter of the In Memoriam tribute
Meg Ryan Presenter of the award for Best Art Direction
Robin Williams Presenter of the 70 Years of Oscars montage
Frances McDormand Presenter of the award for Best Actor
Sharon Stone Presenter of the award for Best Foreign Language Film
Jack Lemmon
Walter Matthau		 Presenters of the awards for Best Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published and Best Original Screenplay/Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen
Denzel Washington Presenter of the award for Best Cinematography
Susan Sarandon Presenter of the Oscar Family Album segment
Geena Davis Presenter of the film The Full Monty on the Best Picture segment
Warren Beatty Presenter of the award for Best Director
Sean Connery Presenter of the award for Best Picture

Performers

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Name(s) Role Performed
Jerry Goldsmith Composer "Fanfare for Oscar"
Bill Conti Musical arranger Orchestral
Billy Crystal Performer Opening number:
Titanic (to the tune of "The Ballad of Gilligan's Isle" from Gilligan's Island),
As Good as It Gets (to the tune of "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" from Shall We Dance),
Good Will Hunting (to the tune of "Night and Day" from The Gay Divorcee),
L.A. Confidential (to the tune of "Fascinating Rhythm" by George Gershwin) and
The Full Monty (to the tune "Hello, Dolly!" from Hello, Dolly!)[24]
Michael Bolton Performer "Go the Distance" from Hercules
Aaliyah Performer "Journey to the Past" from Anastasia
Trisha Yearwood Performer "How Do I Live" from Con Air
Elliott Smith Performer "Miss Misery" from Good Will Hunting
Celine Dion Performer "My Heart Will Go On" from Titanic

Ceremony information

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Billy Crystal hosted the 70th Academy Awards.

In December 1997, the academy hired veteran Oscar telecast producer Gil Cates to oversee the 1998 ceremony.[25] "Gil has become the consummate Oscar show producer, consistently garnering top television ratings for the telecast," said AMPAS President Robert Rehme in a press release announcing the selection. "His shows are full of wit, charm and surprise."[25] A few days later, actor and comedian Billy Crystal was chosen to emcee the upcoming telecast. Cates explained his reason to bring back the veteran comedian saying, "Billy's performance last year was spectacular. There is nobody like him."[26] In an article published in USA Today he initially requested to Cates and AMPAS five months after the previous year's ceremony that he would like to take a break from hosting duties. However, pressure from the academy, Cates, and several friends and family members made him reconsider his decision.[27] His sixth stint would make him second only to Bob Hope in number of ceremonies hosted.[28]

To commemorate the seventieth anniversary of the Academy Awards, 70 actors who have received both competitive and honorary awards appeared seated onstage together during a segment called Oscar's Family Album.[29] Each former winner was acknowledged by announcer Norman Rose with the films he or she won for. At the end of the segment newly minted winners Kim Bassinger, Helen Hunt, and Robin Williams joined them. This marked the largest gathering of former winners since the 50th ceremony held in 1978.[30]

Several others participated in the production of the ceremony. Bill Conti served as musical director for the telecast.[31] Dancer Daniel Ezralow choreographed a dance number showcasing the nominees for Best Original Comedy or Musical Score.[32] Bart the Bear made a surprise appearance during the presentation of the Best Sound Effects Editing award with Mike Myers.[33]

Box office performance of nominees

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At the time of the nominations announcement on February 10, the combined gross of the five Best Picture nominees was $579 million with an average of $116 million per film.[34] Titanic was the highest earner among the Best Picture nominees with $338.7 million in domestic box office receipts.[34] The film was followed by As Good as It Gets ($92.6 million), Good Will Hunting ($68.9 million), L.A. Confidential ($39.7 million), and finally The Full Monty ($38.7 million).[34]

Of the top 50 grossing movies of the year, 40 nominations went to 15 films on the list. Only Titanic (1st), As Good as It Gets (16th), Good Will Hunting (20th), and In & Out (24th) were nominated for directing, acting, screenwriting, or Best Picture.[35] The other top 50 box office hits that earned nominations were Men in Black (2nd), The Lost World: Jurassic Park (3rd), Air Force One (5th), My Best Friends Wedding (7th), Face/Off (9th), Con Air (12th), Contact (13th), Hercules (14th), The Fifth Element (25th), Anastasia (30th), and Starship Troopers (34th).[35]

Critical response

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The show received a positive reception from most media publications. Television critic Howard Rosenberg of the Los Angeles Times lauded Crystal's performance writing that he "would earn top billing as that unusual comedian as artful at doing musical comedy as jokes."[36] San Francisco Chronicle columnist John Carman raved,"It was the best Oscar show in two decades." He also gave high marks for the host, commenting, "But last night, Crystal was back in razor form."[37] The Seattle Times television editor Kay McFadden praised Crystal commenting that "he possesses nearly impeccable timing and judgment." In addition, she noted that while the ceremony dragged on, "Last night was one of television's smartest live ceremonies in recent memory."[38]

Some media outlets were more critical of the show. Ray Richmond of Variety complained that the ceremony proved to be a "Yawner of an Oscarcast." He added that Crystal's "off-the-cuff one-liners sank faster than the great ship herself."[39] Boston Globe television critic Matthew Gilbert bemoaned,"There was hardly a spontaneous moment during last night's Oscarcast."[40] Film critic Carrie Rickey from The Philadelphia Inquirer lamented that the inevitable Titanic sweep "sank a telecast loaded with montages of previous years' Oscar highlights."[41]

Ratings and reception

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The popularity of Titanic greatly increased television ratings for the ceremony.[42] The American telecast on ABC drew in an average of 57.25 million people over its length, which was a 29% increase from the previous year's ceremony.[43] An estimated 87.50 million total viewers watched all or part of the awards.[44] The show also earned higher Nielsen ratings compared to the previous ceremony with 35.32% of households watching over a 55.77 share.[45] In addition, it garnered a higher 18–49 demo rating with a 24.90 rating over a 44.30 share among viewers in that demographic.[45] It overtook the network's own telecast of the 1983 Academy Awards to become, as it remains to date, the highest viewership for both an Academy Award telecast (since figures were compiled beginning with the 46th ceremony in 1974) and any live awards show airing in U.S. television history.[46][42]

In July 1998, the ceremony presentation received eight nominations at the 50th Primetime Emmys.[47] Two months later, the ceremony won five of those nominations for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program (Billy Crystal), Outstanding Directing for a Variety or Music Program (Louis J Horvitz), Outstanding Lighting Direction (Electronic) for a Drama Series, Variety Series, Miniseries, or Movie (Bob Barnhart, Robert Dickinson, Matt Ford, Andy O'Reilly), Outstanding Music Direction (Bill Conti), and Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Variety Series or Special (Patrick Baltzell, Robert Douglass, Edward J. Greene, Tommy Vicari).[48][49]

"In Memoriam"

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The annual "In Memoriam" tribute was presented by actress Whoopi Goldberg. The montage featured an excerpt of "Appassionata" from The Passage composed by Michael J. Lewis.[50]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Osborne 2008, p. 337
  2. ^ Snow, Shauna (December 12, 1997). "Arts and entertainment reports from The Times, national and international news services and the nation's press". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved January 26, 2014.
  3. ^ "Horvitz to helm Academy broadcast". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. January 8, 1998. Archived from the original on November 7, 2013. Retrieved November 1, 2013.
  4. ^ "Crystal set for sixth Oscar stint". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. December 21, 1997. Archived from the original on February 23, 2014. Retrieved January 22, 2014.
  5. ^ Crowe, Jerry (December 20, 1997). "Arts and entertainment reports from The Times, national and international news services and the nation's press". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 6, 2013. Retrieved November 1, 2013.
  6. ^ "Judd named presenter at 70th Oscars". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. February 20, 1998. Archived from the original on February 26, 2014. Retrieved January 24, 2014.
  7. ^ Harden, Mark (March 24, 1998). "Epic film sails away with Oscar boatload". The Denver Post. MediaNews Group. p. A-01.
  8. ^ Weinraub, Bernard (March 24, 1998). "'Titanic' Ties Record With 11 Oscars, Including Best Picture". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 26, 2013. Retrieved January 25, 2014.
  9. ^ Scanton, Julian (January 27, 2010). "Could Avatar Boost Oscar Ratings to Record Heights?". Vanity Fair. Condé Nast. Archived from the original on March 12, 2014. Retrieved March 12, 2014.
  10. ^ "'Titanic' cruises into Oscars lead". CNN. Time Warner. February 10, 1998. Archived from the original on November 3, 2013. Retrieved November 1, 2013.
  11. ^ Ebert, Roger (February 10, 1998). "Oscar hopefuls"Titanic' ties a record; DiCaprio misses boat". The Denver Post. MediaNews Group. p. F-01.
  12. ^ "'Titanic' lands 14 Oscar nominations; ties 1950 record". San Diego Union-Tribune. Tribune Publishing. February 11, 1998. p. A-3.
  13. ^ Goldsten, Patrick (March 24, 1998). "'Titanic' Snags 11, Ties for Record". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 5, 2013. Retrieved January 25, 2014.
  14. ^ Guthmann, Edward (March 24, 1998). "'Titanic' Rides an Oscar Tidal Wave / But Hunt and Nicholson take the top acting awards". San Francisco Chronicle. Hearst Corporation. Archived from the original on November 3, 2013. Retrieved November 1, 2013.
  15. ^ Glaister, Dan (March 25, 1998). "Titanic sinks British Oscar hopes". The Guardian. p. 5.
  16. ^ Symons 2004, p. 138
  17. ^ Osborne 2008, p. 396
  18. ^ Germain, David (September 27, 2010). "Gloria Stuart, 'Titanic' co-star, dies at 100". The Seattle Times. The Seattle Times Company. Archived from the original on November 5, 2013. Retrieved November 1, 2013.
  19. ^ Bona 2002, p. 397
  20. ^ "The 70th Academy Awards (1998) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. AMPAS. Archived from the original on November 9, 2014. Retrieved November 19, 2011.
  21. ^ Anderson, John (March 25, 1998). "Stanley Donen: Just Dancin' and Singin' of His Reign". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 6, 2013. Retrieved November 1, 2013.
  22. ^ "List of Presenters". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. March 20, 1998. Archived from the original on January 16, 2014. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
  23. ^ Bona 2002, p. 163
  24. ^ Bona 2002, p. 168
  25. ^ a b Hindes, Andrew (December 11, 1997). "And Cates makes eight". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on April 4, 2015. Retrieved January 23, 2014.
  26. ^ "News Lite Veteran DJ Will End Storied Career". Los Angeles Daily News. MediaNews Group. December 20, 1997. p. N2.
  27. ^ Bona 2002, p. 156
  28. ^ Bona 2002, p. 157
  29. ^ Pond 2005, pp. 185–186
  30. ^ Bona 2002, p. 177
  31. ^ "Conti named musical director of 70th Academy Awards". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. January 14, 2014. Archived from the original on February 26, 2014. Retrieved January 24, 2014.
  32. ^ Pond 2005, p. 170
  33. ^ Pond 2005, p. 168
  34. ^ a b c "1997 Academy Award Nominations and Winner for Best Picture". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on November 3, 2013. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
  35. ^ a b "1997 Domestic Grosses". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on November 3, 2013. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  36. ^ Rosenberg, Howard (March 24, 1998). "Crystal Persuasion". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on February 21, 2014. Retrieved January 23, 2014.
  37. ^ Carman, John (March 24, 1998). "Oscar Polishes Up His Image / Crystal clearly a winner for best show in decades". San Francisco Chronicle. Hearst Corporation. Archived from the original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved January 23, 2014.
  38. ^ McFadden, Kay (March 24, 1998). "Ceremony Shapes Up As A Night To Remember". The Seattle Times. The Seattle Times Company. Archived from the original on February 1, 2014. Retrieved January 23, 2014.
  39. ^ Richmond, Ray (March 23, 1998). "Review: 'The 70th Annual Academy Awards'". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on February 25, 2014. Retrieved January 23, 2014.
  40. ^ Gilbert, Matthew (March 24, 1998). "Telecast Sinks Under TIred Bits, Little Spark". Boston Globe. p. D1.
  41. ^ Rickey, Carey (March 24, 1998). "'Titanic' Ties Record With 11 Oscars; 'Good As It Gets' Takes Acting Honors". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia Media Network. p. A1.
  42. ^ a b Keegan, Rebecca (2019-02-20). "The Politics of Oscar: Inside the Academy's Long, Hard Road to a Hostless Show". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 2019-02-25. Retrieved 2019-02-25.
  43. ^ Crupi, Anthony (February 6, 2013). "ABC Strikes Gold With the Oscars". Adweek. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on November 3, 2013. Retrieved November 1, 2013.
  44. ^ Pond 2005, p. 187
  45. ^ a b "Academy Awards ratings" (PDF). Television Bureau of Advertising. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 8, 2016. Retrieved June 27, 2013.
  46. ^ 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.
  47. ^ "Primetime Emmy Award database". Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. ATAS. Archived from the original on October 1, 2012. Retrieved November 1, 2013.
  48. ^ "The Emmy Winners Announced on Saturday". Los Angeles Times. August 31, 1998. Archived from the original on November 6, 2013. Retrieved November 1, 2013.
  49. ^ "1998 Emmy Winners". The New York Times. September 15, 1998. Archived from the original on November 14, 2013. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
  50. ^ Bona 2002, pp. 173–174

Bibliography

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Official websites

Analysis

Other resources

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