69th Academy Awards

The 69th Academy Awards ceremony, organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) took place on March 24, 1997, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles beginning at 6:00 p.m. PST / 9:00 p.m. EST. During the ceremony, AMPAS presented the Academy Awards (commonly referred to as Oscars) in 24 categories honoring films released in 1996. The ceremony, televised in the United States by ABC, was produced by Gil Cates, and directed by Louis J. Horvitz.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Actor Billy Crystal hosted the show for the fifth time. He first presided over the 62nd ceremony held in 1990 and had last hosted the 65th ceremony held in 1993.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Three weeks earlier, in a ceremony held at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, on March 1, the Academy Awards for Technical Achievement were presented by host Helen Hunt.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The English Patient won nine awards, including Best Picture.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Other winners included Fargo with two awards and Breathing Lessons: The Life and Work of Mark O'Brien, Dear Diary, Emma, Evita, The Ghost and the Darkness, Independence Day, Jerry Maguire, Kolya, The Nutty Professor, Quest, Shine, Sling Blade, and When We Were Kings with one.

Winners and nominees

The nominees for the 69th Academy Awards were announced on February 11, 1997, at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, California, by Arthur Hiller, president of the Academy, and actress Mira Sorvino.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The English Patient received the most nominations with twelve; Fargo and Shine came in second with seven apiece.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The winners were announced during the awards ceremony on March 24, 1997.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Saul Zaentz became the third person to produce three Best Picture winners, having previously produced One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Amadeus.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He also became the seventh individual to receive an Oscar and the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award in the same year.<ref name="Thalberg">Template:Cite news</ref> Best Actress winner Frances McDormand was the first person to win for a role in a film directed by their spouse.<ref name="GBWI">Template:Harvnb</ref> Best Original Musical or Comedy Score winner Rachel Portman became the first female winner for composing a musical score.<ref name="GBWI" />

Awards

Winners are listed first, highlighted in boldface, and indicated with a double-dagger (Template:Double-dagger).<ref name="Oscars1997">Template:Cite news</ref>

The English Patient – Saul Zaentz, producerTemplate:Double-dagger Fargo – Ethan Coen, producer Jerry Maguire – James L. Brooks, Cameron Crowe, Laurence Mark and Richard Sakai, producers Secrets & Lies – Simon Channing Williams, producer Shine – Jane Scott, producer	Anthony Minghella – The English PatientTemplate:Double-dagger Joel Coen – Fargo Miloš Forman – The People vs. Larry Flynt Mike Leigh – Secrets & Lies Scott Hicks – Shine
Geoffrey Rush – Shine as David HelfgottTemplate:Double-dagger Tom Cruise – Jerry Maguire as Jerry Maguire Ralph Fiennes – The English Patient as László Almásy Woody Harrelson – The People vs. Larry Flynt as Larry Flynt Billy Bob Thornton – Sling Blade as Karl Childers	Frances McDormand – Fargo as Marge GundersonTemplate:Double-dagger Brenda Blethyn – Secrets & Lies as Cynthia Rose Purley Diane Keaton – Marvin's Room as Bessie Kristin Scott Thomas – The English Patient as Katharine Clifton Emily Watson – Breaking the Waves as Bess McNeill
Cuba Gooding Jr. – Jerry Maguire as Rod TidwellTemplate:Double-dagger William H. Macy – Fargo as Jerry Lundegaard Armin Mueller-Stahl – Shine as Peter Helfgott Edward Norton – Primal Fear as Aaron Stampler James Woods – Ghosts of Mississippi as Byron De La Beckwith	Juliette Binoche – The English Patient as HanaTemplate:Double-dagger Joan Allen – The Crucible as Elizabeth Proctor Lauren Bacall – The Mirror Has Two Faces as Hannah Morgan Barbara Hershey – The Portrait of a Lady as Madame Serena Merle Marianne Jean-Baptiste – Secrets & Lies as Hortense Cumberbatch
Fargo – Joel Coen and Ethan CoenTemplate:Double-dagger Jerry Maguire – Cameron Crowe Lone Star – John Sayles Secrets & Lies – Mike Leigh Shine – Jan Sardi and Scott Hicks	Sling Blade – Billy Bob Thornton based on his short film Some Folks Call It a Sling BladeTemplate:Double-dagger The Crucible – Arthur Miller based on his play The English Patient – Anthony Minghella based on the novel by Michael Ondaatje Hamlet – Kenneth Branagh based on the play by William Shakespeare Trainspotting – John Hodge based on the novel by Irvine Welsh
Kolya (Czech Republic) in Czech – Jan Svěrák, directorTemplate:Double-dagger A Chef in Love (Georgia) in French, Georgian, Russian – Nana Jorjadze, director The Other Side of Sunday (Norway) in Norwegian – Berit Nesheim, director Prisoner of the Mountains (Russia) in Russian – Sergei Bodrov, director Ridicule (France) in French – Patrice Leconte, director	When We Were Kings – Leon Gast and David SonenbergTemplate:Double-dagger The Line King: The Al Hirschfeld Story – Susan W. Dryfoos Mandela – Jo Menell and Angus Gibson Suzanne Farrell: Elusive Muse – Anne Belle and Deborah Dickson Tell the Truth and Run: George Seldes and the American Press – Rick Goldsmith
Breathing Lessons: The Life and Work of Mark O'Brien – Jessica YuTemplate:Double-dagger Cosmic Voyage – Jeffrey Marvin and Bayley Silleck An Essay on Matisse – Perry Wolff Special Effects: Anything Can Happen – Susanne Simpson and Ben Burtt The Wild Bunch: An Album in Montage – Paul Seydor and Nick Redman	Dear Diary – David Frankel and Barry JossenTemplate:Double-dagger De tripas, corazón – Antonio Urrutia Ernst & lyset – Kim Magnusson and Anders Thomas Jensen Esposados – Juan Carlos Fresnadillo Senza parole – Bernadette Carranza and Antonello De Leo
Quest – Tyron Montgomery and Thomas StellmachTemplate:Double-dagger Canhead – Timothy Hittle La Salla – Richard Condie Wat's Pig – Peter Lord	The English Patient – Gabriel YaredTemplate:Double-dagger Hamlet – Patrick Doyle Michael Collins – Elliot Goldenthal Shine – David Hirschfelder Sleepers – John Williams
Emma – Rachel PortmanTemplate:Double-dagger The First Wives Club – Marc Shaiman The Hunchback of Notre Dame – Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz James and the Giant Peach – Randy Newman The Preacher's Wife – Hans Zimmer	"You Must Love Me" from Evita – Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber; Lyrics by Tim RiceTemplate:Double-dagger "I Finally Found Someone" from The Mirror Has Two Faces – Music and Lyrics by Barbra Streisand, Marvin Hamlisch, Bryan Adams and Robert John "Mutt" Lange "For the First Time" from One Fine Day – Music and Lyrics by James Newton Howard, Jud J. Friedman and Allan Dennis Rich "That Thing You Do!" from That Thing You Do! – Music and Lyrics by Adam Schlesinger "Because You Loved Me" from Up Close and Personal – Music and Lyrics by Diane Warren
The Ghost and the Darkness – Bruce StamblerTemplate:Double-dagger Daylight – Richard L. Anderson and David A. Whittaker Eraser – Alan Robert Murray and Bub Asman	The English Patient – Walter Murch, Mark Berger, David Parker and Chris NewmanTemplate:Double-dagger Evita – Andy Nelson, Anna Behlmer and Ken Weston Independence Day – Chris Carpenter, Bill W. Benton, Bob Beemer and Jeff Wexler The Rock – Kevin O'Connell, Greg P. Russell and Keith A. Wester Twister – Steve Maslow, Gregg Landaker, Kevin O'Connell and Geoffrey Patterson
The English Patient – Art Direction: Stuart Craig; Set Decoration: Stephenie McMillanTemplate:Double-dagger The Birdcage – Art Direction: Bo Welch; Set Decoration: Cheryl Carasik Evita – Art Direction: Brian Morris; Set Decoration: Philippe Turlure Hamlet – Art Direction and Set Decoration: Tim Harvey Romeo + Juliet – Art Direction: Catherine Martin; Set Decoration: Brigitte Broch	The English Patient – John SealeTemplate:Double-dagger Evita – Darius Khondji Fargo – Roger Deakins Fly Away Home – Caleb Deschanel Michael Collins – Chris Menges
The Nutty Professor – Rick Baker and David LeRoy AndersonTemplate:Double-dagger Ghosts of Mississippi – Matthew W. Mungle and Deborah La Mia Denaver Star Trek: First Contact – Michael Westmore, Scott Wheeler and Jake Garber	The English Patient – Ann RothTemplate:Double-dagger Angels & Insects – Paul Brown Emma – Ruth Myers Hamlet – Alexandra Byrne The Portrait of a Lady – Janet Patterson
The English Patient – Walter MurchTemplate:Double-dagger Evita – Gerry Hambling Fargo – Roderick Jaynes Jerry Maguire – Joe Hutshing Shine – Pip Karmel	Independence Day – Volker Engel, Douglas Smith, Clay Pinney and Joe ViskocilTemplate:Double-dagger Dragonheart – Scott Squires, Phil Tippett, James Straus and Kit West Twister – Stefen Fangmeier, John Frazier, Habib Zargarpour and Henry LaBounta

Honorary Award

• To Michael Kidd in recognition of his services to the art of the dance in the art of the screen.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award

• Saul Zaentz<ref name="Thalberg" />

Films with multiple nominations and awards

Template:Col-begin Template:Col-1-of-2 The following seventeen films received multiple nominations:

Nominations	Film
12	The English Patient
7	Fargo
	Shine
5	Evita
	Jerry Maguire
	Secrets & Lies
4	Hamlet
2	The Crucible
	Emma
	Ghosts of Mississippi
	Independence Day
	Michael Collins
	The Mirror Has Two Faces
	The People vs. Larry Flynt
	The Portrait of a Lady
	Sling Blade
	Twister

Template:Col-2-of-2 The following two films received multiple awards:

Awards	Film
9	The English Patient
2	Fargo

Presenters and performers

The following individuals, in order of appearance, presented awards or performed musical numbers.<ref name="MFEO">Template:Harvnb</ref>

Presenters

Name(s)	Role
Template:Sortname	Announcer for the 69th annual Academy Awards
Template:Sortname (AMPAS president)	Gave opening remarks welcoming guests to the awards ceremony
Template:Sortname	Presenter of the award for Best Supporting Actor
Template:Sortname	Presenter of the award for Best Art Direction
Template:Sortname	Presenter of the film Jerry Maguire on the Best Picture segment
Template:Sortname	Presenter of the award for Best Costume Design
Beavis Butt-Head (Voiced by Mike Judge)	Presenters of the award Best Sound Effects Editing
Template:Sortname	Presenter of the award for Best Makeup
Template:Sortname	Presenter of the "Togetherness and the Movies" montage
Template:Sortname	Presenter of the award for Best Supporting Actress
Template:Sortname	Introducer of the performance of Best Original Song nominee "That Thing You Do!"
Template:Sortname	Presenter of the film Fargo on the Best Picture segment
Template:Sortname David Spade	Presenters of the awards for Best Live Action Short Film and Best Animated Short Film
Template:Sortname	Presenter of the Academy Honorary Award to Michael Kidd
Template:Sortname	Presenter of the segment of the Academy Awards for Technical Achievement
Template:Sortname Will Smith	Presenters of the award Best Documentary Short Subject and Best Documentary Feature
Template:Sortname	Presenter of the award for Best Visual Effects
Template:Sortname	Presenter of the award for Best Sound
Template:Sortname	Presenter of the Best Film editing montage and dance number and the award for Best Film Editing
Template:Sortname	Presenter of the award for Best Original Musical or Comedy Score
Template:Sortname	Presenter of the award for Best Original Dramatic Score
Template:Sortname	Presenter of the film Shine on the Best Picture segment and introducer of the musical performance by David Helfgott
Template:Sortname	Presenter of the award for Best Cinematography
Template:Sortname	Introducer of the performance of Best Original Song nominee "For the First Time"
Template:Sortname	Presenter of the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award to Saul Zaentz
Template:Sortname	Presenter of the film The English Patient on the Best Picture segment
Template:Sortname Jack Valenti	Presenter of the award Best Foreign Language Film
Template:Sortname	Introducer of the performance of Best Original Song nominee "Because You Loved Me"
Template:Sortname	Presenter of the In Memoriam tribute
Template:Sortname Diane Keaton Bette Midler	Presenters of the award for Best Original Song
Template:Sortname	Presenter of the "Shakespeare and the Movies" montage
Template:Sortname	Presenter of the award for Best Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published and Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen
Template:Sortname	Presenter of the film Secrets & Lies on the Best Picture segment
Template:Sortname	Presenter of the award for Best Actress
Template:Sortname	Presenter of the award for Best Actor
Template:Sortname	Presenter of the award for Best Director
Template:Sortname	Presenter of the award for Best Picture

Performers

Name(s)	Role	Performed
Template:Sortname	Musical arranger and conductor	Orchestral
Template:Sortname	Performer	Opening number: Secrets & Lies (to the tune of The Brady Bunch theme song), The English Patient (to the tune of "Wouldn't It Be Loverly" from My Fair Lady), Jerry Maguire (to the tune of "Victory March"), Shine (to the tune of "Flight of the Bumblebee"), and Fargo (to the tune of "My Kind of Town" from Robin and the 7 Hoods)<ref>Template:Harvnb</ref>
Template:Sortname	Performer	"You Must Love Me" from Evita
Template:Sortname	Performers	"That Thing You Do!" from That Thing You Do!
Template:Sortname Template:Sortname	Performers	"I Finally Found Someone" from The Mirror Has Two Faces
Template:Sortname Cast of Lord of the Dance	Performers	Best Film Editing montage
Template:Sortname	Performer	"Flight of the Bumblebee" by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Template:Sortname	Performer	"For the First Time" from One Fine Day
Template:Sortname	Performer	"Because You Loved Me" from Up Close & Personal

Ceremony information

Photo of Billy Crystal in 2012.

Billy Crystal hosted the 69th Academy Awards.

After taking a year off, Gil Cates was selected by AMPAS in November 1996 to oversee production of the ceremony for the seventh time.<ref>Template:Harvnb</ref> Immediately, he chose actor and comedian Billy Crystal to host the 1997 telecast, stating, "Billy is quick and agile and bright, and he plays the unexpected events of the live telecast like a Stradivarius. He's become the standard against which all other hosting performances are measured."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Crystal expressed his excitement on hosting the ceremony for the fifth time joking, "Once Barry Scheck turned it down, I had a feeling they'd come to me."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Furthermore, he set up a website with the address www.whyistheshowsolong.com asking the public to send in jokes that would eventually be used during the gala.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

As with previous ceremonies he produced, Cates centered the show around a theme. This year, he christened the show with the theme "Togetherness of Moviegoing" commenting, "The thing that's kind of wonderful about movies is that you watch them with other people. The only other areas where you do that, when you think about it, are religion and sports." He concluded by noting that the movie theater is "a wonderful place where you come together to laugh, to cry."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In tandem with the theme, actress Winona Ryder presented a montage featuring film clips from Casablanca (1942), Matinee (1993), and A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) depicting audiences inside a movie theater.<ref>Template:Harvnb</ref>

Several other people and elements were also involved with the production of the ceremony. Documentary filmmaker Arnold Schwartzman designed the official ceremony poster featuring the titles of the previous 68 Best Picture winners superimposed in the shape of an Oscar statuette.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Film composer and musician Bill Conti served as musical director of the ceremony.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Choreographer Otis Sallid supervised the "That Thing You Do!" musical number.<ref>Template:Harvnb</ref> Michael Flatley and the cast of the musical Lord of the Dance performed a dance number during a montage saluting the art of Film Editors.<ref>Template:Harvnb</ref> Pianist David Helfgott, whom Best Actor winner Geoffrey Rush portrayed in the film Shine, played a rendition of "Flight of the Bumblebee" by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov during the telecast.<ref>Template:Harvnb</ref>

Natalie Cole was initially scheduled to sing the nominated song "I Finally Found Someone" from The Mirror Has Two Faces on the show after its songwriter and original performer Barbra Streisand declined to do so.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Harvnb</ref> However, after Cole contracted the flu, she withdrew for her performance duties and was eventually replaced by Celine Dion who also sang "Because You Loved Me" later in the broadcast.<ref>Template:Harvnb</ref><ref>Template:Harvnb</ref>

Box office performance of nominees

At the time of the nominations announcement on February 11, the combined gross of the five Best Picture nominees at the US box office was $209 million, with an average of $41.9 million per film.<ref name=BoxOfficeOscars>Template:Cite news</ref> Jerry Maguire was the highest earner among the Best Picture nominees with $121.5 million in domestic box office receipts. The film was followed by The English Patient ($42.3 million), Shine ($16.1 million), Fargo ($24 million) and finally Secrets & Lies ($5.9 million).<ref name=BoxOfficeOscars />

Of the top 50 grossing movies of the year, 37 nominations went to 17 films on the list. Only Jerry Maguire (9th), Primal Fear (27th) and The English Patient (35th) were nominated for directing, acting, screenwriting or Best Picture.<ref name="boxofficemojooscars">Template:Cite news</ref> The other top 50 box office hits that earned nominations were Independence Day (1st), Twister (2nd), The Rock (4th), The Nutty Professor (7th), The Birdcage (8th), Eraser (13th), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (14th), Star Trek: First Contact (15th), Sleepers (29th), Dragonheart (30th), The Preacher's Wife (32nd), Evita (36th), The Ghost and the Darkness (39th), and Daylight (48th).<ref name="boxofficemojooscars" />

Critical response

The show received a mixed reception from media publications. Some media outlets were more critical of the show. Television critic Joanne Ostrow of The Denver Post commented "Billy Crystal had a smashing first 10 minutes at the Oscars last night," but she later went on to say that inevitable sweep by The English Patient created a dull atmosphere that even sucked the energy out of Crystal's performance.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Columnist Brian Lowry wrote in Los Angeles Times, "This year the mystery far outweighed the magic, in a telecast that proved less compelling--indeed, during stretches more downright dull--than recent predecessors." He also quipped that even though Crystal was mildly entertaining, some of his jokes "felt a bit forced and stale."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Star-LedgerTemplate:'s Alan Sepinwall noted, "Crystal was a bundle of energy, but his jokes had less zing than in the past." He also observed that the Film Editing dance number and "That Thing You Do" musical performance were hideously bloated.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Other media outlets received the broadcast more positively. Film critic Carrie Rickey of The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote, "Crystal sparkled as the host of the annual awards at the Shrine Auditorium." She also noted, "The mood of the evening was elegant and gracious."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Chicago Tribune columnist Steve Johnson commented, "Billy Crystal returned as host of the Academy Awards on Monday night and proved that even if mainline Hollywood is nearly shut out in the trophy dispensing, one of its representatives can at least make a television broadcast entertaining."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Television critic Kinney Littlefield of the Orange County Register quipped, "In his fifth stint as host, Crystal served up the sense of inclusive, insider movie community that had been missing during his three-year absence." In addition, she observed, "For most of the evening, Oscar seemed newly energized, upbeat and full of splashy fun."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Ratings and reception

The American telecast on ABC drew in an average of 40.08 million people over its length, which was a 9% decrease from the previous year's ceremony.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> An estimated 73.83 million total viewers watched all or part of the awards.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The show also drew lower Nielsen ratings compared to the previous ceremony with 27.49% of households watching over a 46.31 share.<ref name="TVB Oscars">Template:Cite news</ref> In addition, it also drew a lower 18–49 demo rating with a 16.55 rating over a 34.32 share among viewers in that demographic.<ref name="TVB Oscars" /> It was the least watched ceremony in a decade and the lowest rated telecast since the 58th awards gala held in 1986.<ref>Template:Harvnb</ref>

In July 1997, the ceremony presentation received seven nominations at the 49th Primetime Emmy Awards.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Two months later, the ceremony won one of those nominations for Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Variety or Music Series or Special (Edward J. Greene, Tom Vicari, Robert Douglass).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

"In Memoriam"

The annual "In Memoriam" tribute, presented by actress Angela Bassett, honored the following people to the score of Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde (1995):<ref>Template:Harvnb</ref>

• Jo Van Fleet
• Tupac Shakur
• Brigitte Helm
• Dorothy Lamour
• Stirling Silliphant – Writer
• Saul Bass – Designer
• Steve Tesich – Writer
• Juliet Prowse
• Murray Spivack – Sound
• Joseph Biroc – Cinematographer
• Howard E. Rollins Jr.
• Jack Weston
• Krzysztof Kieślowski – Director
• Fred Zinnemann – Director
• Ben Johnson
• Gene Nelson
• Edward C. Carfagno – Art Director
• Joanne Dru
• John Alton – Cinematographer
• Greer Garson
• Albert R. 'Cubby' Broccoli – Producer
• Lew Ayres
• Pandro S. Berman – Producer
• Sheldon Leonard
• Claudette Colbert
• Marcello Mastroianni

See also

• List of submissions to the 69th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film

Bibliography

• Template:Citation
• Template:Citation

External links

Official websites

• Academy Awards Official website Template:Webarchive
• The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Official website Template:Webarchive
• Oscar's Channel Template:Webarchive at YouTube (run by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences)

Analysis

• 1996 Academy Awards Winners and History Template:Webarchive Filmsite
• Academy Awards, USA: 1997 Awards Template:Webarchive Internet Movie Database

Other resources

• Template:IMDb title