Jump to content

63rd Academy Awards

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

63rd Academy Awards
Official poster promoting the 63rd Academy Awards in 1991.
Official poster
DateMarch 25, 1991
SiteShrine Auditorium
Los Angeles,California, U.S.
Hosted byBilly Crystal
Produced byGil Cates
Directed byJeff Margolis
Highlights
Best PictureDances with Wolves
Most awardsDances with Wolves(7)
Most nominationsDances with Wolves(12)
TV in the United States
NetworkABC
Duration3 hours, 30 minutes[1]
Ratings42.7 million
28.4% (Nielsen ratings)

The63rd Academy Awardsceremony, organized by theAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences(AMPAS), took place on March 25, 1991, at theShrine AuditoriuminLos Angelesbeginning at 6:00 p.m.PST/ 9:00 p.m.EST.During the ceremony,Academy Awards(commonly referred to as the Oscars) were presented in 22 categories. The ceremony, which was televised in the United States onABC,was produced byGil Catesand directed by Jeff Margolis.[2]ActorBilly Crystalhosted for the second consecutive year.[3]Three weeks earlier, in a ceremony held atThe Beverly HiltoninBeverly Hills, Californiaon March 2, theAcademy Awards for Technical Achievementwere presented by hostGeena Davis.[4]

Dances with Wolveswon seven awards, includingBest Picture.[5]Other winners includedDick Tracywith three awards,Ghostwith two awards, andAmerican Dream,Creature Comforts,Cyrano de Bergerac,Days of Waiting,Goodfellas,The Hunt for Red October,Journey of Hope,The Lunch Date,Misery,Reversal of Fortune,andTotal Recallwith one. The telecast garnered nearly 43 million viewers in the United States.

Winners and nominees

[edit]

The nominees for the 63rd Academy Awards were announced on February 13, 1991, at 5:38 a.m.PST(13:38 UTC) at theSamuel Goldwyn Theaterin Beverly Hills, California, byKarl Malden,president of the Academy, and actorDenzel Washington.[6]Dances with Wolvesled the nominations with twelve total;Dick TracyandThe Godfather Part IIItied for second with seven each.[7][8]

The winners were announced during the awards ceremony on March 25, 1991.[9]Kevin Costnerbecame the fifth person to earn the Best Director Award for his directorial debut and to earn nominations for Best Actor and Best Director for the same film.[10][11]Best Supporting Actress winnerWhoopi Goldbergwas the secondAfrican Americanwoman to win an award.Hattie McDanielpreviously won in the same category forGone With the Wind.[12][13]

Awards

[edit]
Kevin Costner,Best Director winner and Best Picture co-winner
Jeremy Irons,Best Actor winner
Photo of Kathy Bates at PaleyFest 2014.
Kathy Bates,Best Actress winner
Photo of Joe Pesci in 2009.
Joe Pesci,Best Supporting Actor winner
Photo of Whoopi Goldberg at the Talk for Word Peace event in Washington DC on July 9th, 2011.
Whoopi Goldberg,Best Supporting Actress winner
Michael Blake,Best Adapted Screenplay winner
Photo of Barbara Kopple 2015 Montclair Film Festival.
Barbara Kopple,Best Documentary Feature co-winner
Photo of Nick Park at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2007.
Nick Park,Best Animated Short Film winner
John Barry,Best Original Score winner
Stephen Sondheim,Best Original Song Winner
Russell Williams II,Best Sound co-winner
Photo of Doug Drexler at the 2013 Phoenix Comic-Con.
Doug Drexler,Best Makeup co-winner

Winners[14]are listed first, highlighted inboldfaceand indicated with a double-dagger (‡).

Multiple nominations and awards

[edit]

Presenters and performers

[edit]

The following individuals, listed in order of appearance, presented awards or performed musical numbers.[18][19]

Presenters

[edit]
Name(s) Role
Charlie O'Donnell Announcer for the 63rd annual Academy Awards
Karl Malden(AMPAS President) Gave opening remarks welcoming guests to the awards ceremony
Michael Caine Presenter of the opening number
Denzel Washington Presenter of the award forBest Supporting Actress
Dianne Wiest Presenter of the award forBest Sound
Jack Lemmon Presenter of the filmGhoston the Best Picture segment
Anne Archer Presenter of the award forBest Makeup
Brenda Fricker Presenter of the award forBest Supporting Actor
Chevy Chase
Martin Short		 Presenters of the awards forBest Live Action Short Film
Woody Woodpecker Presenter of the award forBest Animated Short Film
Anjelica Huston Presenter of theHonorary Academy AwardtoMyrna Loy
Joe Pesci Introducer of the performance of Best Original Song nominee "Somewhere in My Memory"
Annette Bening Presenter of the award forBest Costume Design
Geena Davis Presenter of the segment of theAcademy Awards for Technical Achievementand theGordon E. Sawyer Award
Danny Aiello Presenter of the filmGoodfellason the Best Picture segment
Jack Valenti Presenter of the award forBest Visual Effects
Michael Douglas Presenter of theIrving G. Thalberg Memorial AwardstoDavid BrownandRichard D. Zanuck
Alec Baldwin
Kim Basinger		 Introducers of the special dance number to the tune of theBest Original Scorenominees and presenters of the award for Best Original Score
Danny Glover
Kevin Kline		 Presenters of the award forBest Film Editing
Richard Gere
Susan Sarandon		 Presenters of the award forBest Art Direction
Bob Hope Presenter of the "My First Movie" montage
Phoebe Cates
Ron Silver		 Presenters of the awards forBest Documentary Short SubjectandBest Documentary Feature
Robert De Niro Presenter of the filmDances with Wolveson the Best Picture segment
Andy García
Whoopi Goldberg		 Presenters of the awards forBest Sound Effects Editing
Christian Slater Introducer of the performance of Best Original Song nominee "Blaze of Glory"
Glenn Close Presenter of the award forBest Cinematography
Dustin Hoffman Presenter of the award forBest Foreign Language Film
Jodie Foster
Anthony Hopkins		 Presenters of the awards forBest Screenplay Written Directly for the ScreenandBest Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium
Debra Winger Presenter of the filmAwakeningson the Best Picture segment
Gregory Peck Presenter of theHonorary Academy AwardtoSophia Loren
Ann-Margret
Gregory Hines		 Presenters of the award forBest Original Song
Daniel Day-Lewis Presenter of the award forBest Actress
Jessica Tandy Presenter of the award forBest Actor
Jeff Bridges Presenter of the filmThe Godfather Part IIIon the Best Picture segment
Tom Cruise Presenter of the award forBest Director
Barbra Streisand Presenter of the award forBest Picture

Performers

[edit]
Name(s) Role Performed
Bill Conti Musical arranger and conductor Orchestral
Jasmine Guy
Steve LaChance		 Performers Opening number
Billy Crystal Performer Opening number:
Goodfellas(to the tune of "Goody Goody"),
Dances With Wolves(to the tune of "Dancing in the Dark"fromThe Band Wagon),
Ghost(to the tune of "L-O-V-E"),
The Godfather Part III(to the tune of "Speak Softly Love"fromThe Godfather) and
Awakenings(to the tune of "All the Way")[20]
Madonna Performer "Sooner or Later"fromDick Tracy
Children's choir Performers "Somewhere in My Memory" fromHome Alone
Reba McEntire Performer "I'm Checkin' Out" fromPostcards from the Edge
Bon Jovi Performers "Blaze of Glory"fromYoung Guns II
Harry Connick Jr. Performer "Promise Me You'll Remember (Love Theme from The Godfather Part III)"fromThe Godfather Part III

Ceremony information

[edit]
Photo of Billy Crystal in 2018
Billy Crystalhosted the ceremony.

Riding on the critical praise fromlast year's ceremony,the Academy rehired former film producer and formerDirectors Guild of AmericapresidentGilbert Catesto oversee production of the Oscar ceremony for the second straight time.[21]Two months before the awards gala, Cates selected actor and comedianBilly Crystalto host the show for the second consecutive year.[22]Crystal made light of the honor by saying, "It's a great honor, and I hope to bring the show in under nine hours."[22]

As with last year's theme of "Around the World in 3 1/2 Hours," Cates centered the show around a theme. He christened the ceremony with the theme "100 Years of Film" in celebration of the centennial of the development of both thekinetoscopebyThomas Edisonand celluloid film byEastman Kodak.[23]In tandem with the theme, the show featured an ambitious opening segment. ActorMichael Caineintroduced the segment live via satellite from theSalon Indien du Grand CaféinParis,where the short filmL'Arrivée d'un train en gare de La Ciotatmade its debut in 1895.[24]After a brief clip of the film, the show cut back to the Shrine Auditorium stage, where actressJasmine Guyand other dancers performed while a montage of film clips was projected in the background.[25]FilmmakerChuck Workmanfilmed a vignette featuring actors such asSally Field,Andy García,andAnjelica Hustondiscussing the first movie the actors watched.[26]

Several other people participated in the production of the ceremony. Film composer and musicianBill Contiserved as musical director for the ceremony.[27]DancerDebbie Allenchoreographed a dance number showcasing the Best Original Score nominees.[28]Despite losing eight members of her band in a plane crash, a visibly emotionalReba McEntireperformed the Best Original Song nominee "I'm Checkin' Out" from the filmPostcards from the Edge.[29]At the beginning of the ceremony, wrangler Lisa Brown escorted host Crystal, and Beechnut, a horse that was prominently featured in the upcoming filmCity Slickers.[30]

This ceremony was the last year in which there were no official nominees forAcademy Award for Best Visual Effects.Back to the Future Part III,Dick Tracy,GhostandTotal Recalladvanced to a second stage of voting, but onlyTotal Recallreceived the requisite average, and it was given a special achievement Oscar.[31]

Box office performance of nominees

[edit]

At the time of the nominations announcement on February 12, the combined gross of the five Best Picture nominees at the US box office was $458.2 million with an average of $41 million per film.[32]Ghostwas the highest earner among the Best Picture nominees, with $213.5 million in domestic box office receipts. The film was followed byDances with Wolves($104.3 million),The Godfather Part III($62.5 million),Goodfellas($41 million), and finallyAwakenings($36.7 million).[32]

Of the top 50 highest-grossing films released in 1990, 51 nominations went to 12 films on the list. OnlyGhost(2nd),Pretty Woman(3rd),Dances with Wolves(8th),Dick Tracy(9th),The Godfather Part III(17th),Goodfellas(30th), andAwakenings(34th) were nominated for Best Picture, directing, acting, or screenwriting. The other top 50 box office hits that earned nominations wereHome Alone(1st),The Hunt for Red October(5th),Total Recall(6th),Days of Thunder(12th), andEdward Scissorhands(22nd).[33]

Critical reviews

[edit]

The show received a mixed reception from media publications. Some media outlets were more critical of the show. Rick DuBrow of theLos Angeles Timeswrote, "It was a long day's journey into night for Oscar, one of the most effective sleeping pills of the year." He also added that while host Crystal started out strong, his jokes fell flat as the night progressed.[34]The Washington Posttelevision criticTom Shalesnoted that Crystal, "followed many gags by instantly rating the reaction of the audience, as if it were up to them to please him instead of the other way around." In addition, he commented, "The Oscars seemed more of a fizzle than usual this year."[35]Columnist Dan Craft ofThe Pantagraphremarked, "The Oscar show has become innocuously hip and yuppified. Kitsch and nostalgia have given way to efficiency and upward mobility. Everyone is tiresomely well-behaved and, worse, well-dressed." He also commented that host Crystal's insider showbiz jokes fell flat and were confusing to television audiences.[36]

Other media outlets received the broadcast more positively. ColumnistHarold SchindlerofThe Salt Lake Tribunewrote, "Billy Crystal kept things moving Monday night in such a manner that the extra quarter-hour was scarcely noticeable." He also said of the telecast's theme of film history, "The Academy used its film library to excellent advantage."[37]Film criticLeonard Maltinremarked, "Emotions ran high and they gave us all a chance to feel vicariously what it might be like to win this kind of award...good guys finishing first and the part of Hollywood we like best, a happy ending."[25]Orlando Sentinelfilm critic Jay Boyar complimented Crystal for invigorating the gala, noting that his "clever remarks at the academy's 63rd annual awards presentation struck an entertaining balance between inside-Hollywood quips and general-audience jests."[38]

Ratings and reception

[edit]

The American telecast on ABC drew in an average of 42.7 million people over its length, which was a 6% increase from theprevious year's ceremony.[39]An estimated 76 million total viewers watched all or part of the awards.[40]The show also drew higherNielsen ratingscompared to the previous ceremony, with 28.4% of households watching over a 48 share.[41]It was the most watched Oscars telecast since the56th ceremonyheld in 1984.[42]

In July 1991, the ceremony presentation received nine nominations at the43rd Primetime Emmys.[43]The following month, the ceremony won three of those nominations for Outstanding Variety, Music, or Comedy Program (Gil Cates), Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program (Billy Crystal), and Outstanding Writing for a Variety or Music Program (Hal Kanter,Buz Kohan,Billy Crystal,David Steinberg,Bruce Vilanch,andRobert Wuhl).[44]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^Wiley & Bona 1996,p. 809
  2. ^"Credits".Jeff Margolis Productions. Archived fromthe originalon October 5, 2013.RetrievedOctober 4,2013.
  3. ^Kleid, Beth (January 24, 1991)."Awards Update".Los Angeles Times.Archivedfrom the original on July 14, 2014.RetrievedNovember 29,2010.
  4. ^"Past Scientific & Technical Awards Ceremonies".Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.Archived fromthe originalon February 13, 2014.RetrievedJuly 31,2013.
  5. ^Rother, Larry (March 26, 1991)."Kevin Costner and 'Dances With Wolves' Win Top Oscar Prizes".The New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on July 14, 2014.RetrievedJuly 9,2014.
  6. ^Wiley & Bona 1996,p. 795
  7. ^Fox, David J (February 14, 1991)."Oscar Dances With 'Wolves': Costner Film Leads Pack With 12 Nominations".Los Angeles Times.Archivedfrom the original on July 14, 2014.RetrievedJuly 9,2014.
  8. ^Ryan, Desmond (February 14, 1991)."Oscar's Choices In The Academy Award Nominations, Kevin Costner's Epic," Dances With Wolves, "Did What No Movie Had Done Since" Reds "- Get A Dozen Nods".The Philadelphia Inquirer.Archivedfrom the original on March 28, 2015.RetrievedMarch 25,2015.
  9. ^Rickey, Carrie (March 26, 1991)."Kevin Costner's Night To Howl" Dances With Wolves "Takes Home Seven Oscars From 12 Nominations, While Kathy Bates And Jeremy Irons Take Top Acting Awards".The Philadelphia Inquirer.Archivedfrom the original on April 2, 2015.RetrievedFebruary 25,2015.
  10. ^Lyttelton, Oliver (February 20, 2013)."Oscar Trivia: 50 Fun Facts To Prepare You For The 85th Academy Awards".IndieWire.Snagfilms.Archivedfrom the original on March 30, 2013.RetrievedJuly 5,2013.
  11. ^Wiley & Bona 1996,p. 1166
  12. ^Wiley & Bona 1996,p. 798
  13. ^Lewis, Claude (March 27, 1991)."Whopee for Whoopi Goldberg".The Philadelphia Inquirer.Archivedfrom the original on July 14, 2014.RetrievedJuly 9,2014.
  14. ^"The 63rd Academy Awards (1991) Nominees and Winners".Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.Archivedfrom the original on October 20, 2014.RetrievedOctober 20,2011.
  15. ^abKinn & Piazza 2002,p. 269
  16. ^Puig, Claudia (January 28, 1991)."Movies".Los Angeles Times.Archivedfrom the original on July 14, 2014.RetrievedNovember 26,2010.
  17. ^Silver, Edward (March 25, 1991)."The Highs and Lows of Future Special Effects: Movies: Character-driven stories are dominating due to a recession mentality. But summer releases will pack plenty of visual ingenuity".Los Angeles Times.Archivedfrom the original on July 14, 2014.RetrievedJanuary 16,2014.
  18. ^Wiley & Bona 1996,p. 800
  19. ^"Prelude to the Oscars: Awards: The nominees and other party-goers had another race to contend with--going from a publicists' luncheon to a Scorsese tribute to the independent filmmakers awards".Los Angeles Times.March 25, 1991.Archivedfrom the original on March 13, 2014.RetrievedJuly 10,2014.
  20. ^Wiley & Bona 1996,p. 802
  21. ^"Short Takes: Dates for '91 Oscars Scheduled".Los Angeles Times.September 21, 1990.Archivedfrom the original on July 14, 2014.RetrievedFebruary 27,2011.
  22. ^ab"Crystal Will Again Be Host Of Academy Awards Show".Orlando Sentinel.January 25, 1991.Archivedfrom the original on July 14, 2014.RetrievedFebruary 27,2014.
  23. ^Sloan, Eugene (March 25, 1991). "Movies Are the Star of the Show".USA Today.p. 5D.
  24. ^Scott, Jay (March 26, 1991). "Oscar awards".The Globe and Mail.p. C1.
  25. ^abWiley & Bona 1996,p. 812
  26. ^Wiley & Bona 1996,p. 806
  27. ^"Events".Bill Conti. Archived fromthe originalon January 9, 2015.RetrievedJune 22,2014.
  28. ^Wiley & Bona 1996,p. 805
  29. ^MacCambridge, Michael (March 26, 1991). "Wolves' leads the pack with seven awards".Austin American-Statesman.p. D1.
  30. ^Wilson 2007,p. 150
  31. ^Cohn, Lawrence (February 17, 1991)."Oscar Choices/Omissions Reflect Quirky Voting Rules".Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.Archivedfrom the original on September 14, 2022.RetrievedMay 25,2019.
  32. ^ab"1990 Academy Award Nominations and Winner for Best Picture".Box Office Mojo.Archivedfrom the original on July 9, 2014.RetrievedJuly 10,2014.
  33. ^"1990 Box Office Grosses (as of February 12, 1991)".Box Office Mojo.Archivedfrom the original on July 14, 2014.RetrievedJuly 10,2014.
  34. ^DuBrow, Rick (March 26, 1991)."Oscar Endures Another Hard Day's Night".Los Angeles Times.Archivedfrom the original on July 15, 2014.RetrievedJuly 11,2014.
  35. ^Shales, Tom (March 27, 1991). "The Show Doesn't Make A Spectacle of Itself".The Washington Post.p. B1.
  36. ^"New Academy Awards version isn't much fun".The Pantagraph.Lee Enterprises. March 29, 1991. p. C2.
  37. ^Schindler, Harold (March 27, 1991). "Academy Gives Its Best Performance As Crystal Sparkles on Oscar Night".The Salt Lake Tribune.p. A5.
  38. ^Boyar, Jay (March 29, 1991)."Oscar Night's Improvements Are Crystal-clear".Orlando Sentinel.Archivedfrom the original on July 14, 2014.RetrievedJuly 14,2014.
  39. ^Johnson, Greg (March 18, 1999)."Call It the Glamour Bowl".Los Angeles Times.Archived fromthe originalon September 28, 2013.RetrievedAugust 26,2013.
  40. ^Margulies, Lee (April 3, 1991)."TV Ratings: The Ratings Award Goes to Oscar".Los Angeles Times.Archivedfrom the original on July 15, 2014.RetrievedFebruary 27,2014.
  41. ^DuBrow, Rick (March 27, 1991)."Ratings Up Slightly for ABC's Oscar Telecast".Los Angeles Times.Archivedfrom the original on July 15, 2014.RetrievedJuly 11,2014.
  42. ^Gorman, Bill (February 26, 2011)."1-Featured With No 'Avatar' Expect 'Academy Awards' Viewership To Fall; Ratings History + Your Guess For This Year (Poll)".TV by the Numbers.Tribune Company. Archived fromthe originalon July 14, 2014.RetrievedFebruary 28,2014.
  43. ^"Primetime Emmy Award database".Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.Archivedfrom the original on July 14, 2014.RetrievedJuly 11,2014.
  44. ^"Emmy Awards: The Other Winners".Los Angeles Times.August 26, 1991.Archivedfrom the original on July 14, 2014.RetrievedJuly 11,2014.

Bibliography

[edit]
[edit]

Official websites

Analysis

Other resources

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=63rd_Academy_Awards&oldid=1240936030"