65th Academy Awards


The 65th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, honored films released in 1992 in the United States and took place on March 29, 1993, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles beginning at 6:00 p.m. PST / 9:00 p.m. EST. During the ceremony, AMPAS presented Academy Awards in 23 categories. The ceremony, televised in the United States by ABC, was produced by Gil Cates and directed by Jeff Margolis. Actor Billy Crystal hosted the show for the fourth consecutive year. In related events, during a ceremony held at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles on March 6, the Academy Awards for Technical Achievement were presented by host Sharon Stone.
Unforgiven won four Oscars including Best Picture, Best Director for Clint Eastwood, and Best Supporting Actor for Gene Hackman. Al Pacino and Emma Thompson won lead acting honors for Scent of a Woman and Howards End, respectively. Marisa Tomei won Best Supporting Actress for My Cousin Vinny. The telecast garnered 45.7 million viewers in the United States.

Winners and nominees

The nominees for the 65th Academy Awards were announced on February 17, 1993, at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, California, by Robert Rehme, president of the Academy, and actress Mercedes Ruehl. Howards End and Unforgiven led all nominees with nine nominations each.
The winners were announced during the awards ceremony on March 29, 1993. Best Director winner Clint Eastwood became the seventh person nominated for lead acting and directing for the same film. Best Actor winner Al Pacino was the sixth performer to receive nominations in the lead and supporting categories in the same year. He also became the first person to win in the lead acting category after achieving the aforementioned feat. By virtue of his second straight win in both music categories, Alan Menken became the third person to win two Oscars in two consecutive years.

Awards

Winners are listed first, highlighted in boldface, and indicated with a double dagger.

  • Clint Eastwood – Unforgiven
  • * Neil Jordan – The Crying Game
  • * James Ivory – Howards End
  • * Robert Altman – The Player
  • * Martin Brest – Scent of a Woman
  • Al Pacino – Scent of a Woman as Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade
  • * Robert Downey Jr. – Chaplin as Charlie Chaplin
  • * Clint Eastwood – Unforgiven as William "Will" Munny
  • * Stephen Rea – The Crying Game as Fergus
  • * Denzel Washington – Malcolm X as Malcolm X
  • Emma Thompson – Howards End as Margaret Schlegel
  • * Catherine Deneuve – Indochine as Éliane Devries
  • * Mary McDonnell – Passion Fish as May-Alice Culhane
  • * Michelle Pfeiffer – Love Field as Lurene Hallett
  • * Susan Sarandon – Lorenzo's Oil as Michaela Odone
  • Gene Hackman – Unforgiven as Little Bill Daggett
  • * Jaye Davidson – The Crying Game as Dil
  • * Jack Nicholson – A Few Good Men as Colonel Nathan R. Jessup
  • * Al Pacino – Glengarry Glen Ross as Ricky Roma
  • * David Paymer – Mr. Saturday Night as Stan Young
  • Marisa Tomei – My Cousin Vinny as Mona Lisa Vito
  • * Judy Davis – Husbands and Wives as Sally Wainwright
  • * Joan Plowright – Enchanted April as Mrs. Fisher
  • * Vanessa Redgrave – Howards End as Ruth Wilcox
  • * Miranda Richardson – Damage as Ingrid Fleming
  • The Crying Game – Neil Jordan
  • * Husbands and Wives – Woody Allen
  • * Lorenzo's Oil – George Miller and Nick Enright
  • * Passion Fish – John Sayles
  • * Unforgiven – David Webb Peoples
  • Howards End – Ruth Prawer Jhabvala based on the novel by E.M. Forster
  • * Enchanted April – Peter Barnes based on the novel by Elizabeth von Arnim
  • * The Player – Michael Tolkin based on his novel
  • * A River Runs Through It – Richard Friedenberg based upon the story by Norman Maclean
  • * Scent of a Woman – Bo Goldman based on the previous film Profumo di donna by Ruggero Maccari and Dino Risi and the novel Il Buio E Il Miele by Giovanni Arpino
  • Indochine in French – Régis Wargnier, director
  • * Close to Eden in Russian – Nikita Mikhalkov, director
  • * Daens in Dutch – Stijn Coninx, director
  • * Schtonk! in German – Helmut Dietl, director
  • The Panama Deception – Barbara Trent and David Kasper
  • * ' – David Haugland
  • * Fires of Kuwait – Sally Dundas
  • * ' – Bill Miles and Nina Rosenblum
  • * ' – Margaret Smilow and Roma Baran
  • Educating Peter – Thomas C. Goodwin and Gerardine Wurzburg
  • * ' – Geoffrey O'Connor
  • * ' – Wendy L. Weinberg
  • * ' – Richard Elson and Sally Bochner
  • * ' – Dorothy Fadiman
  • Omnibus – Sam Karmann
  • *Contact – Jonathan Darby and Jana Sue Memel
  • * Cruise Control – Matt Palmieri
  • * The Lady in Waiting – Christian M. Taylor
  • * Swan Song – Kenneth Branagh and David Parfitt
  • Mona Lisa Descending a Staircase – Joan C. Gratz
  • * Adam – Peter Lord
  • * Reci, reci, reci – Michaela Pavlátová
  • * The Sandman – Paul Berry
  • * Screen Play – Barry Purves
  • Aladdin – Alan Menken
  • * Basic Instinct – Jerry Goldsmith
  • * Chaplin – John Barry
  • * Howards End – Richard Robbins
  • * A River Runs Through It – Mark Isham
  • "A Whole New World" from Aladdin – Music by Alan Menken; Lyrics by Tim Rice
  • * "Friend Like Me" from Aladdin – Music by Alan Menken; Lyrics by Howard Ashman
  • * "I Have Nothing" from The Bodyguard – Music by David Foster; Lyrics by Linda Thompson
  • * "Run to You" from The Bodyguard – Music by Jud Friedman; Lyrics by Allan Rich
  • * "Beautiful Maria of My Soul" from The Mambo Kings – Music by Robert Kraft; Lyrics by Arne Glimcher
  • Bram Stoker's Dracula – David E. Stone and Tom McCarthy
  • * Aladdin – Mark Mangini
  • * Under Siege – John Leveque and Bruce Stambler
  • The Last of the Mohicans – Chris Jenkins, Doug Hemphill, Mark Smith and Simon Kaye
  • * Aladdin – Terry Porter, Mel Metcalfe, David J. Hudson and Doc Kane
  • * A Few Good Men – Kevin O'Connell, Rick Kline and Robert Eber
  • * Under Siege – Donald O. Mitchell, Frank A. Montaño, Rick Hart and Scott D. Smith
  • * Unforgiven – Les Fresholtz, Vern Poore, Dick Alexander and Rob Young
  • Howards End – Art Direction: Luciana Arrighi; Set Decoration: Ian Whittaker
  • * Bram Stoker's Dracula – Art Direction: Thomas E. Sanders; Set Decoration: Garrett Lewis
  • * Chaplin – Art Direction: Stuart Craig; Set Decoration: Chris A. Butler
  • * Toys – Art Direction: Ferdinando Scarfiotti; Set Decoration: Linda DeScenna
  • * Unforgiven – Art Direction: Henry Bumstead; Set Decoration: Janice Blackie-Goodine
  • A River Runs Through It – Philippe Rousselot
  • * Hoffa – Stephen H. Burum
  • * Howards End – Tony Pierce-Roberts
  • * The Lover – Robert Fraisse
  • * Unforgiven – Jack N. Green
  • Bram Stoker's Dracula – Greg Cannom, Michèle Burke and Matthew W. Mungle
  • * Batman Returns – Ve Neill, Ronnie Specter and Stan Winston
  • * Hoffa – Ve Neill, Greg Cannom and John Blake
  • Bram Stoker's Dracula – Eiko Ishioka
  • * Enchanted April – Sheena Napier
  • * Howards End – Jenny Beavan and John Bright
  • * Malcolm X – Ruth E. Carter
  • * Toys – Albert Wolsky
  • Unforgiven – Joel Cox
  • * Basic Instinct – Frank J. Urioste
  • * The Crying Game – Kant Pan
  • * A Few Good Men – Robert Leighton
  • * The Player – Geraldine Peroni
  • Death Becomes Her – Ken Ralston, Doug Chiang, Douglas Smythe and Tom Woodruff Jr.'
  • * Alien³ – Richard Edlund, Alec Gillis, Tom Woodruff Jr. and George Gibbs
  • * Batman Returns'' – Michael L. Fink, Craig Barron, John Bruno and Dennis Skotak
    		• -
    ;Academy Honorary Award
    ;Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Awards
    The award recognizes individuals whose humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the motion picture industry.
    NominationsFilm
    9Howards End
    9Unforgiven
    6The Crying Game
    5Aladdin
    4Bram Stoker's Dracula
    4A Few Good Men
    4Scent of a Woman
    3Chaplin
    3Enchanted April
    3A River Runs Through It
    3The Player
    2Basic Instinct
    2Batman Returns
    2The Bodyguard
    2Hoffa
    2Husbands and Wives
    2Indochine
    2Lorenzo's Oil
    2Malcolm X
    2Passion Fish
    2Toys
    2Under Siege

    AwardsFilm
    4Unforgiven
    3-
    3Bram Stoker's Dracula
    3Howards End
    2Aladdin
    2-
    2-

    Presenters and performers

    The following individuals presented awards or performed musical numbers:

    Presenters

    NameRole
    Announcer for the 65th annual Academy Awards
    Gave opening remarks welcoming guests to the awards ceremony
    Presenter of the "Women in the Movies" Montage
    Presenter of the award for Best Supporting Actress
    Presenter of the film Unforgiven during the Best Picture segment

    Susan Sarandon    		Presenters of the award for Best Film Editing
    Presenter of the award for Best Supporting Actor

    Marisa Tomei    		Presenters of the award for Best Makeup
    Presenter of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award to Audrey Hepburn

    David Paymer    		Presenters of the award for Best Live Action Short Film
    Presenter of the award for Best Animated Short Film
    Presenter of the film A Few Good Men on the Best Picture segment
    Introducer of presenter Glenn Close
    Presenter of the award for Best Foreign Language Film
    Presenter of the segment of the Academy Awards for Technical Achievement and the Gordon E. Sawyer Award
    Presenter of the award for Best Art Direction
    Presenter of the film Howards End on the Best Picture segment
    Presenter of the award for Best Visual Effects
    Presenter of the award for Best Sound Effects Editing

    Denzel Washington    		Presenters of the awards for Best Documentary Short Subject and Best Documentary Feature

    Marcello Mastroianni    		Presenters of the Academy Honorary Award to Federico Fellini
    Presenter of the award for Best Original Score

    Dustin Hoffman    		Presenters of the awards for Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen and Best Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published
    Presenter of the film The Crying Game on the Best Picture segment

    Alfre Woodard    		Presenters of the award for Best Sound

    Quincy Jones    		Presenters of the award for Best Original Song
    Presenter of the award for Best Actress

    Gene Hackman    		Presenters of the award for Best Cinematography
    Presenter of the award Best Costume Design
    Presenter of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award to Elizabeth Taylor
    Presenter of the award for Best Actor
    Presenter of the film Scent of a Woman on the Best Picture segment
    Presenter of the award for Best Director
    Presenter of the award for Best Picture

    Performers

    Ceremony information

    After the success of the previous year's ceremony which won several Emmys and critical acclaim, the Academy rehired producer Gil Cates for the fourth consecutive year. In February 1993, actor and comedian Billy Crystal was chosen by Cates as host also for the fourth straight time. Cates justified the decision to hire him saying, "He is a major movie star with a talent for moving the evening's entertainment along." According to an article by Army Archerd published in Variety, Crystal initially declined to host again citing his busy film schedule that included Mr. Saturday Night and . However, after Cates sent him a funeral wreath with a poem declaring "The show and I are dead without you" followed by a head of a fake dead horse similar to one featured in the film The Godfather, Crystal accepted the role as emcee.
    As with previous ceremonies he produced, Cates centered the show around a theme. Inspired by the Year of the Woman in which a record four women were elected to the United States Senate, Cates christened the 1993 show with the theme "Oscar Celebrates Women and the Movies". In tandem with the theme, AMPAS gathered 67 female Oscar winners of every category for a photo that was later shown at the start of the telecast. Actress and singer Liza Minnelli performed "Ladies' Day", a song written by Fred Ebb and John Kander specifically for the broadcast. Oscar-winning documentarian Lynne Littman assembled a montage highlighting women in film.
    Several other people participated in the production of the ceremony. Bill Conti served as conductor and musical supervisor for the ceremony. Choreographer Debbie Allen supervised the Best Song nominee performances and the "Ladies' Night" musical number. Voice actress Randy Thomas served as announcer of the telecast becoming the first woman to do so.

    Box office performance of nominees

    At the time of the nominations announcement on February 17, the combined gross of the five Best Picture nominees at the US box office was $252 million, with an average of $50.4 million per film. A Few Good Men was the highest earner among the Best Picture nominees with $120 million in domestic box office receipts. The film was followed by Unforgiven, Scent of a Woman, The Crying Game, and finally Howards End.
    Of the top 50 grossing movies of the year, 38 nominations went to 13 films on the list. Only A Few Good Men, Unforgiven, Malcolm X and Scent of a Woman were nominated for directing, acting, screenwriting, or Best Picture. The other top 50 box office hits that earned nominations were Aladdin, Batman Returns, Basic Instinct, The Bodyguard, Under Siege, Bram Stoker's Dracula, The Last of the Mohicans, Death Becomes Her, and Alien³.

    Critical reviews and ratings

    The show received a negative reception from most media publications. Associated Press television critic Frazier Moore lamented that Crystal "seemed incredibly listless". He also questioned the purpose of the "Year of the Woman" theme writing, "The Oscar show itself seemed at odds with its own feminist theme." Robert Bianco from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette derided Allen's musical production numbers, comparing them to the disastrous opening number at the 61st ceremony held in 1989. Columnist Matt Roush of USA Today complained, "Crystal, in a by-now-familiar performance, has, in four years, taken a plum assignment and, by repetition, reduced it to shtick." He also wrote that, "The song medley is getting old hat," and the "smug references to his flop Mr. Saturday Night were out of an improv amateur night."
    The telecast also received unfavorable reaction from various public feminist figures. In an interview with Los Angeles Daily News author and activist Betty Friedan condemned the "Year of the Woman" theme commenting, "It had no basis in reality. On behalf of women directors, cinematographer, and producers, I resent the travesty of calling that a tribute." Likewise, President of the National Organization for Women's Los Angeles chapter Tammy Bruce chastised ceremony's feminist tribute as "one of the most hypocritical, patronizing things I saw in my whole life." In response, Gil Cates responded towards the criticism of the theme stating, "The theme developed and raised consciousness in a way that I think is positive, not only for the individual in general but for individual women specifically." He also quoted an ancient Chinese proverb later made famous by former U.S. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt saying, "It is better to light one candle than to curse the darkness"
    Despite the adverse reception, the ABC broadcast drew in an average of 45.7 million people over its length, which was a 3% increase from the previous year's ceremony. The show also drew higher Nielsen ratings compared to the previous ceremony with 31.2% of households watching over a 51 share. It also drew a higher 18–49 demo rating with a 20.1 rating among viewers in that demographic.