The 63rd Academy Awards ceremony, organized by the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization with the stated goal of advancing the arts and sciences of motion ...
(AMPAS), took place on March 25, 1991, at the
Shrine Auditorium in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...
beginning at 6:00 p.m.
PST / 9:00 p.m.
EST. During the ceremony,
Academy Awards
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
(commonly referred to as the Oscars) were presented in 22 categories. The ceremony, which was televised in the United States on
ABC, was produced by
Gil Cates and directed by Jeff Margolis. Actor
Billy Crystal hosted for the second consecutive year. Three weeks earlier in a ceremony held at
The Beverly Hilton
The Beverly Hilton is a hotel located on an property at the intersection of Wilshire and Santa Monica boulevards in Beverly Hills, California. The Beverly Hilton has hosted many awards shows, charity benefits, and entertainment and motion pic ...
in
Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. ...
on March 2, the
Academy Awards for Technical Achievement were presented by host
Geena Davis.
''
Dances with Wolves'' won seven awards, including
Best Picture. Other winners included ''
Dick Tracy
''Dick Tracy'' is an American comic strip featuring Dick Tracy (character), Dick Tracy (originally Plainclothes Tracy), a tough and intelligent police detective created by Chester Gould. It made its debut on Sunday, October 4, 1931, in the ''De ...
'' with three awards, ''
Ghost
A ghost is the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that is believed to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to re ...
'' with two awards, and ''
American Dream'', ''
Creature Comforts'', ''
Cyrano de Bergerac'', ''
Days of Waiting'', ''
Goodfellas
''Goodfellas'' (stylized ''GoodFellas'') is a 1990 American biographical crime film directed by Martin Scorsese, written by Nicholas Pileggi and Scorsese, and produced by Irwin Winkler. It is a film adaptation of the 1985 nonfiction book '' W ...
'', ''
The Hunt for Red October
''The Hunt for Red October'' is the debut novel by American author Tom Clancy, first published on October 1, 1984, by the Naval Institute Press. It depicts Soviet submarine captain Marko Ramius as he seemingly goes rogue with his country's cut ...
'', ''
Journey of Hope'', ''
The Lunch Date'', ''
Misery'', ''
Reversal of Fortune
''Reversal of Fortune'' is a 1990 American drama film adapted from the 1985 book ''Reversal of Fortune: Inside the von Bülow Case'', written by law professor Alan Dershowitz. It recounts the true story of the unexplained coma of socialite Sun ...
'', and ''
Total Recall'' with one. The telecast garnered nearly 43 million viewers in the United States.
Winners and nominees
The nominees for the 63rd Academy Awards were announced on February 13, 1991, at 5:38 a.m.
PST (13:38 UTC) at the
Samuel Goldwyn Theater
The Samuel Goldwyn Theatre is a screening-only movie theater named after filmmaker Samuel Goldwyn.
It is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills, California, at headquarters of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). ...
in Beverly Hills, California, by
Karl Malden
Karl Malden (born Mladen George Sekulovich; March 22, 1912 – July 1, 2009) was an American actor. He was primarily a character actor, who according to Robert Berkvist, "for more than 60 years brought an intelligent intensity and a homespun aut ...
, president of the Academy, and actor
Denzel Washington
Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. (born December 28, 1954) is an American actor and filmmaker. He has been described as an actor who reconfigured "the concept of classic movie stardom". Throughout his career spanning over four decades, Washington ha ...
. ''
Dances with Wolves'' led the nominations with twelve total; ''
Dick Tracy
''Dick Tracy'' is an American comic strip featuring Dick Tracy (character), Dick Tracy (originally Plainclothes Tracy), a tough and intelligent police detective created by Chester Gould. It made its debut on Sunday, October 4, 1931, in the ''De ...
'' and ''
The Godfather Part III'' tied for second with seven each.
The winners were announced during the awards ceremony on March 25, 1991.
Kevin Costner
Kevin Michael Costner (born January 18, 1955) is an American actor, producer, film director and musician. He has received various accolades, including two Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Screen Actor ...
became 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. Best Supporting Actress winner
Whoopi Goldberg
Caryn Elaine Johnson (born November 13, 1955), known professionally as Whoopi Goldberg (), is an American actor, comedian, author, and television personality.Kuchwara, Michael (AP Drama Writer)"Whoopi Goldberg: A One-Woman Character Parade". ' ...
was the second
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
woman to win an award.
Hattie McDaniel previously won in the same category for ''
Gone With the Wind''.
Awards
Winners
are listed first, highlighted in boldface and indicated with a double-dagger ().
*
Academy Honorary Award
The Academy Honorary Award – instituted in 1950 for the 23rd Academy Awards (previously called the Special Award, which was first presented at the 1st Academy Awards in 1929) – is given annually by the Board of Governors of the Academy of Moti ...
s
**
Sophia Loren
Sofia Costanza Brigida Villani Scicolone (; born 20 September 1934), known professionally as Sophia Loren ( , ), is an Italian actress. She was named by the American Film Institute as one of the greatest female stars of Classical Hollywood ci ...
***"One of the genuine treasures of world cinema who, in a career rich with memorable performances, has added permanent luster to our art form."
**
Myrna Loy
***"In recognition of her extraordinary qualities both on screen and off, with appreciation for a lifetime's worth of indelible performances."
*
Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award
**
David Brown and
Richard D. Zanuck
*
Academy Special Achievement Award
The Special Achievement Award is an Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most pres ...
**
Eric Brevig
Eric Brevig (born 1957) is an American film director and visual effects supervisor known for his work in several major theatrical films and television shows. He was Visual Effects Supervisor and Second Unit Director on the 2001 Jerry Bruckheim ...
,
Rob Bottin, Tim McGovern, and
Alex Funke
Alex Funke (born October 12, 1944 in Santa Barbara, California) is a special effects photographer.
Career
He worked with Charles and Ray Eames for eleven years, a period he deemed important to his career success. His first Oscar was a shared one f ...
for the visual effects of ''
Total Recall''
Multiple nominations and awards
The following 15 films had multiple nominations:
The following three films received multiple awards.
Presenters and performers
The following individuals, listed in order of appearance, presented awards or performed musical numbers.
Presenters
Performers
Ceremony information
Riding on the critical praise from
last year's ceremony, the Academy rehired former film producer and former
Directors Guild of America
The Directors Guild of America (DGA) is an entertainment guild that represents the interests of film director, film and television director, television directors in the United States motion picture industry and abroad. Founded as the Screen Dire ...
president
Gilbert Cates to oversee production of the Oscar ceremony for the second straight time. Two months before the awards gala, Cates selected actor and comedian
Billy Crystal to host the show for the second consecutive year.
In a statement released by AMPAS, Crystal joked, "It's a great honor, and I hope to bring the show in under nine hours."
As with the 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 to the centennial of the development of both the
kinetoscope by
Thomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847October 18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. These inventi ...
and celluloid film by
Eastman Kodak
The Eastman Kodak Company (referred to simply as Kodak ) is an American public company that produces various products related to its historic basis in analogue photography. The company is headquartered in Rochester, New York, and is incorpor ...
. In tandem with the theme, the show featured an ambitious opening segment. Actor
Michael Caine introduced the segment live via satellite from the
Salon Indien du Grand Café in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...
, where the short film ''
L'Arrivée d'un train en gare de La Ciotat'' made its debut in 1895. After a brief clip of the film, the show cut back to the Shrine Auditorium stage where actress
Jasmine Guy and other dancers performed whilst a montage of film clips were projected in the background.
Filmmaker
Chuck Workman
Chuck Workman is a documentary filmmaker from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. His 1986 film ''Precious Images'' won an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film; his work has also been nominated for Emmy Awards, Sundance Film Festival awards, ...
filmed a vignettes featuring actors such as
Sally Field
Sally Margaret Field (born November 6, 1946) is an American actress. She has received many awards and nominations, including two Academy Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Cannes Film Fe ...
,
Andy García, and
Anjelica Huston
Anjelica Huston ( ; born July 8, 1951) is an American actress and director. Known for often portraying eccentric and distinctive characters, she has received multiple accolades, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award, as well as nom ...
discussing the first movie he or she watched.
Several other people participated in the production of the ceremony. Film composer and musician
Bill Conti
William Conti (born April 13, 1942) is an American composer and conductor, best known for his film scores, including ''Rocky'' (and four of its sequels), ''The Karate Kid'' (and all of its sequels), '' For Your Eyes Only'', ''Dynasty'' (and its ...
served as musical director for the ceremony. Dancer
Debbie Allen
Deborah Kaye Allen (born January 16, 1950) is an American actress, dancer, choreographer, singer-songwriter, director, producer, and a former member of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities. She has been nominated 20 times for an ...
choreographed a dancer number showcasing the Best Original Score nominees. Despite losing eight members of her band in a plane crash, a visibly emotional
Reba McEntire
Reba Nell McEntire (born March 28, 1955), or simply Reba, is an American country music singer and actress. Dubbed " the Queen of Country", she has sold more than 75 million records worldwide. Since the 1970s, McEntire has placed over 100 single ...
performed the Best Original Song nominee "I'm Checkin' Out" from the film ''
Postcards from the Edge
''Postcards from the Edge'' is a semi-autobiographical novel by Carrie Fisher, first published in 1987. It was later adapted by Fisher herself into a motion picture of the same name, which was directed by Mike Nichols and released by Columbia ...
''. At the beginning of the ceremony, wrangler Lisa Brown escorted host Crystal, and Beechnut, a horse that was prominently featured in the upcoming film ''
City Slickers''.
This ceremony was the last year in which there were no official nominees for
Academy Award for Best Visual Effects
The Academy Award for Best Visual Effects is an Academy Award given for the best achievement in visual effects.
History of the award
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences first recognized the technical contributions of special effects ...
. ''
Back to the Future Part III
''Back to the Future Part III'' is a 1990 American science fiction Western film and the final installment of the ''Back to the Future'' trilogy. The film was directed by Robert Zemeckis, and stars Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Mary Ste ...
'', ''
Dick Tracy
''Dick Tracy'' is an American comic strip featuring Dick Tracy (character), Dick Tracy (originally Plainclothes Tracy), a tough and intelligent police detective created by Chester Gould. It made its debut on Sunday, October 4, 1931, in the ''De ...
'', ''
Ghost
A ghost is the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that is believed to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to re ...
'' and ''
Total Recall'' advanced to a second stage of voting, but only ''Total Recall'' received a requisite average and it was given a special achievement Oscar.
Box office performance of nominees
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.
''Ghost'' was the highest earner among the Best Picture nominees with $213.5 million in domestic box office receipts. The film was followed by ''Dances with Wolves'' ($104.3 million), ''The Godfather Part III'' ($62.5 million), ''Goodfellas'' ($41 million), and finally ''Awakenings'' ($36.7 million).
[
Of the top 50 highest-grossing films of the year, 51 nominations went to 12 films on the list. Only ''Ghost'' (2nd), ''Pretty Woman'' (3rd), ''Dances with Wolves'' (8th), ''Dick Tracy'' (9th), ''The Godfather Part III'' (17th), ''Goodfellas'' (30th), and ''Awakenings'' (34th) were nominated for Best Picture, directing, acting or screenwriting. The other top 50 box office hits that earned the nominations were ''Home Alone'' (1st), ''The Hunt for Red October'' (5th), ''Total Recall'' (6th), ''Days of Thunder'' (12th), and ''Edward Scissorhands'' (22nd).
]
Critical reviews
The show received a mixed reception from media publications. Some media outlets were more critical of the show. Rick DuBrow of the ''Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...
'' wrote, "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. ''The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large n ...
'' television critic Tom Shales
Thomas William Shales (born November 3, 1944) is an American writer and retired critic of television programming and operations. He was a television critic for ''The Washington Post'' from 1977 to 2010, for which Shales received the Pulitzer Pr ...
noted 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." Columnist Dan Craft of ''The Pantagraph
''The Pantagraph'' is a daily newspaper that serves Bloomington–Normal, Illinois, along with 60 communities and eight counties in the Central Illinois area. Its headquarters are in Bloomington and it is owned by Lee Enterprises. The name is ...
'' remarked, "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.
Other media outlets received the broadcast more positively. Columnist Harold Schindler
Harold Moroni "Hal" Schindler (December 6, 1929 – December 28, 1998) was an American journalist and historian, known for his articles and books on the American west. Early in his career he also scripted episodes of the television series '' Deat ...
of ''The Salt Lake Tribune
''The Salt Lake Tribune'' is a newspaper published in the city of Salt Lake City, Utah. The ''Tribune'' is owned by The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc., a non-profit corporation. The newspaper's motto is "Utah's Independent Voice Since 1871."
History
...
'' wrote, "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." Film critic Leonard Maltin remarked, "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." ''Orlando Sentinel
The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is the primary newspaper of Orlando, Florida, and the Central Florida region. It was founded in 1876 and is currently owned by Tribune Publishing Company.
The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is owned by parent company, '' Tribune P ...
'' film 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."
Ratings and reception
The American telecast on ABC drew in an average of 42.7 million people over its length, which was a 6% increase from the previous year's ceremony. An estimated 76 million total viewers watched all or part of the awards. The show also drew higher Nielsen ratings
Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rat ...
compared to the previous ceremony with 28.4% of households watching over a 48 share. It was the most watched Oscars telecast since the 56th ceremony held in 1984.
In July 1991, the ceremony presentation received nine nominations at the 43rd Primetime Emmys. 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, and Robert Wuhl
Robert Wuhl (born October 9, 1951) is an American actor, comedian and writer. He is best known as the creator and star of the television comedy series '' Arliss'' (1996–2002) and for his portrayal of newspaper reporter Alexander Knox in Tim B ...
).
See also
* 11th Golden Raspberry Awards
The 11th Golden Raspberry Awards were held on March 24, 1991, at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel to recognize the worst the movie industry had to offer in 1990.
Awards and nominations
File:Andrew Dice Clay Indestructible 12 lolflix.jpg, Andrew ...
* 33rd Grammy Awards
* 43rd Primetime Emmy Awards
* 44th British Academy Film Awards
The 44th British Academy Film Awards, given by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts in 1991, honoured the best films of 1990.
Martin Scorsese's ''Goodfellas'' won the awards for Best Film, Director, Adapted Screenplay, Editing and Co ...
* 45th Tony Awards
The 45th Annual Tony Awards was broadcast by CBS from the Minskoff Theatre on June 2, 1991. The hosts were Julie Andrews and Jeremy Irons.
The ceremony
Presenters: Carol Channing, Joan Collins, Tyne Daly, Whoopi Goldberg, Joel Grey, Steve Gut ...
* 48th Golden Globe Awards
The 48th Golden Globe Awards, honoring the best in film and television for 1990, were held on January 19, 1991, at the Beverly Hilton. The nominations were announced on December 27, 1990.
Winners and nominees
Film
The following ...
* List of submissions to the 63rd Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
References
Bibliography
*
*
*
External links
Official websites
Academy Awards Official website
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Official website
Oscar's Channel
at YouTube
YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
(run by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization with the stated goal of advancing the arts and sciences of motion ...
)
Analysis
1990 Academy Awards Winners and History
Filmsite
Academy Awards, USA: 1991
Internet Movie Database
IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...
Other resources
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Academy Awards, 63rd
1990 film awards
1991 in Los Angeles
Academy Awards ceremonies
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Series winners
1991 in American cinema
March 1991 events in the United States
Academy
An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosop ...
Television shows directed by Jeff Margolis