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February, 28th 2005
"The Aviator" and "Million Dollar Baby" battled down to the wire at Sunday night's 77th annual Oscars.
In the end, "Aviator" walked away with five statuettes, many in technical categories, while the four claimed by "Baby" carried more prestige: best picture, director (Clint Eastwood), actress (Hilary Swank) and supporting actor (Morgan Freeman).
It was yet another disappointment for "Aviator" director Martin Scorsese, regarded by many as the greatest living American filmmaker but yet to receive an Oscar.
Scorsese's three-hour biopic about moviemaker-aviator-madman Howard Hughes won for supporting actress (Cate Blanchett), cinematography, editing, art direction and costumes.
Coming into the new year, "The Aviator" was being touted as the movie to beat. But "Baby," which opened in most markets in late January, was fresh in the minds of Oscar voters when they filled out their ballots.
As expected, Jamie Foxx took home the best actor honors for his portrayal of musician Ray Charles in "Ray." In his acceptance speech he choked up when describing the tough love administered by his grandmother, who now talks to him in his dreams.
"I can't wait to go to sleep tonight," he said. "We've got a lot to talk about."
Not only were a record number of African-American actors nominated, but two (Freeman and Foxx) won. This came on a weekend when the American movie box office was dominated by films starring African-Americans in lead roles - "Diary of a Mad Black Woman," "Hitch," and "Are We There Yet?"
"Sideways," the comedy about a pretentious wine snob that generated a mini-controversy when the academy failed to nominate Paul Giamatti as best actor, did pull down an Oscar for Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor's screenplay adaptation. But the film's acting nominees - Thomas Haden Church and Virginia Madsen, both in the supporting categories - didn't win.
Elsewhere:
Blanchett's win for portraying movie icon Katharine Hepburn in "Aviator" marked the first time an actor has won an Oscar for playing another Oscar-winning actor. It was Blanchett's second nomination; her first was for the lead performance in 1998's "Elizabeth."
"Aviator" film editor Thelma Schoonmaker, a longtime Scorsese collaborator, picked up her second statuette. The widow of legendary British movie director Michael Powell, Schoonmaker scored an Academy Award for her work on "Raging Bull" 25 years ago.
Freeman, among the most respected and beloved actors in America today, collected his first Academy Award for his portrayal of a half-blind former boxer in "Baby." He had been nominated three times previously - for "Streetwise," "The Shawshank Redemption" and "Driving Miss Daisy."
"The Incredibles," a fantasy about a suburban family of superheroes, was named the year's best animated feature, triumphing over "Shrek 2" and "Shark Tale."
Charlie Kaufman, Michel Gondry and Pierre Bismuth won for best original screenplay for "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind."
"Finding Neverland" received only one Oscar, for its score, despite numerous nominations.
"Al Otro Lado Del Rio," from the Spanish-language film "The Motorcycle Diaries," was named best song.
The Oscar for best achievement in makeup went to "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events" and centered on the elaborate transformation of Jim Carrey into the beak-nosed Count Olaf. It was the fantasy's only win.
"Born Into Brothels," the true story of an American woman's efforts to save children doomed to lives of depravity in Calcutta's red light district, won for documentary feature. "Mighty Times: The Children's Crusade" was named best documentary short.
The award for visual effects went to "Spider-Man 2." That team was headed by John Dykstra, whose career stretches back to the original "Star Wars" in 1977.
The sound mixing award went to "Ray," while the sound editing award went to "The Incredibles."
"The Sea Inside," the true story of a Spanish q
source: Kansas City Star
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