All About Oscar
Dateline: 3/27/00
Hilary Swank won. Hilary Swank won.
The independent film directed by Kimberly Peirce has catapulted a little-known actress to stardom. Here in indiefilm land, we can give a small thanks to the Academy for recognizing the profound work created in the independent film community.
We can give thanks to the Academy for recognizing the Best Documentary winner One Day in September. Oscar gold gets it a distributor, so look for it in theaters this May. We also thank the Oscars for recognizing world film. The eccentric director Pedro Almodovar took home Best Foreign Film for the already widely praised All About My Mother.
And we can rejoice, because the Oscars are now a full year away, and the glitz and glamorama is out of the spotlight. Welcome back some serious discussion about film. Film is about the experience of watching it--not the awards.
So here's my recap the big night, and what it means to independent and world film.
Best Picture
Dreamworks, American
Beauty
Though American Beauty was produced by major studioDreamworks, it's nonetheless a good movie with the feel of an independent picture.
Best Director
Sam Mendes, American Beauty
Sam Mendes, ironically enough, is from England.
Best Actor
Kevin Spacey, American Beauty
I can't argue with this one. But if you haven't seen Sean Penn in his nominated performance as Emmet Ray you better see Sweet and Lowdown.
Best Actress
Hilary Swank, Boys
Don't Cry
Yes. Yes. Yes. Her performance deserved nothing less. She gave a socially aware acceptance speech, too. "I think this movie opens the door to letting people know what's going on in society and putting an end to intolerance in the future. It is a very big night in history because of this,'' said Swank.
Best Supporting Actor
Michael Caine, The
Cider House Rules
The film was sentimental, yes, but Michael Caine, a fine British actor, was fine in his performance as a doctor who performs abortions long before they become legal. Screenwriter John Irving thanked the National Abortion Rights Action League and Planned Parenthood in his acceptance speech.
Best Supporting Actress
Angelina Jolie, Girl Interrupted
No offense, Angelina, but I was pulling for indie queen Chloe Sevigny (Boys Don't Cry) and British phenom Samantha Morton (The Sweet and Lowdown).
Best Documentary
Kevin MacDonald, One
Day in September
This documentary about the slaughter of Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics in 1972, beat the widely popular ``Buena Vista Social Club,'' a documentary that fueled world-wide interest in Cuban jazz and was a major commercial and critical success. Producer Arthur Cohn said his film had yet to find a distributor and he praised the Academy for giving it the award even though it had no box office record.
Best Foreign Film
Pedro Almodovar, All About
My Mother
He felt like a character in his 1988 movie Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown as he waited for the winner to be announced. He did another Robert Begnini, all exultation, and was dragged off the stage by Penelope Cruz before he could finish giving thanks. It's an excellent film, though my favorite film critic, Bickering Beck, called it a bore.
For more Oscar news:
- 'American Beauty' Wins at Taboo-Trouncing Oscars
- Documentary About 1972 Munich Olympics Wins Oscar
- Spain's Almodovar Elated at Winning First OSCAR
- Distinction
Between Indie and Studio Blur
