The 70th Academy Awards ceremony, organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), took place on March 23, 1998, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles beginning at 6:00 p.m. PST / 9:00 p.m. EST. During the show, AMPAS presented Academy Awards (commonly referred to as Oscars) in 24 categories honoring films released in 1997. The ceremony, which was televised in the United States by

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

, was produced by

Gil Cates Gilbert Cates (né Katz; June 6, 1934 – October 31, 2011) was an American film director and television producer, director of the Geffen Playhouse, a member of Cates/Doty Productions, and founding dean of the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Te ...

and directed by Louis J. Horvitz. Actor Billy Crystal hosted the show for the sixth time. He had first hosted the 62nd ceremony held in 1990, and most recently the previous year's awards. Nearly a month earlier in an event held at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel 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. B ...

on February 28, the Academy Awards for Technical Achievement were presented by host Ashley Judd. '' Titanic'' won eleven awards, including Best Picture, a number that is tied with ''

Ben-Hur Ben-Hur or Ben Hur may refer to: Fiction *'' Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ'', an 1880 novel by American general and author Lew Wallace ** ''Ben-Hur'' (play), a play that debuted on Broadway in 1899 ** ''Ben Hur'' (1907 film), a one-reel silent ...

'' and '' The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King''. Other winners included '' As Good as It Gets'', '' Good Will Hunting'', and ''

L.A. Confidential ''L.A. Confidential'' (1990) is a neo-noir novel by James Ellroy and the third of his L.A. Quartet series. It is dedicated to Mary Doherty Ellroy. The epigraph is "A glory that costs everything and means nothing"— Steve Erickson. Plot The s ...

'' with two awards, and ''

Character Character or Characters may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk * ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to The ...

'', '' The Full Monty'', '' Geri's Game'', '' The Long Way Home'', '' Men in Black'', ''

A Story of Healing ''A Story of Healing'' is a short documentary film in which Donna Dewey follows a team of five nurses, four anesthesiologists, and three plastic surgeons from Interplast in the United States for two weeks of volunteer work in the Mekong delta of ...

'', and ''

Visas and Virtue ''Visas and Virtue'' is a 1997 narrative short film directed by Chris Tashima and starring Chris Tashima, Susan Fukuda, Diana Georger and Lawrence Craig. It was inspired by the true story of Holocaust rescuer Chiune "Sempo" Sugihara, who is known ...

'' with one. The telecast garnered more than 57 million viewers in the United States, making it the most watched Oscars broadcast in history.

Winners and nominees

The nominees for the 70th Academy Awards were announced on February 10, 1998, at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, California, by Robert Rehme, president of the academy, and actress Geena Davis. '' Titanic'' received the most nominations with a record-tying fourteen (1950's '' All About Eve'', and later 2016's '' La La Land'', also achieved this distinction); '' Good Will Hunting'' and ''

'' came in second with nine apiece. The winners were announced during the awards ceremony on March 23, 1998. With eleven awards, ''Titanic'' tied with ''

'' for the most Academy Awards in Oscar history. It also became the first film to win Best Picture without a screenwriting nomination since 1965's '' The Sound of Music''. Jack Nicholson became the fourth performer to win at least three acting Oscars. Both Nicholson and

Helen Hunt Helen Elizabeth Hunt (born June 15, 1963) is an American actress and director. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, four Primetime Emmy Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards. Hunt rose to fame portraying Jam ...

won for their roles in '' As Good as It Gets'', making it the seventh film to win both lead acting awards. Nominated for their performances as Rose DeWitt Bukater in ''Titanic'', Best Actress nominee

Kate Winslet Kate Elizabeth Winslet (; born 5 October 1975) is an English actress. Known for her work in independent films, particularly period dramas, and for her portrayals of headstrong and complicated women, she has received numerous accolades, incl ...

and Best Supporting Actress nominee Gloria Stuart became the first pair of actresses nominated for portraying the same character in the same film. At age 87, Stuart also became the oldest performer nominated for a competitive Oscar.

Awards

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

Academy Honorary Award

* Stanley Donen

Films with multiple nominations and awards

The following 16 films received multiple nominations: The following four films received multiple awards:

Presenters and performers

The following individuals presented awards or performed musical numbers.

Presenters

Performers

Ceremony information

In December 1997, the academy hired veteran Oscar telecast producer

to oversee the 1998 ceremony. "Gil has become the consummate Oscar show producer, consistently garnering top television ratings for the telecast," said AMPAS President Robert Rehme in a press release announcing the selection. "His shows are full of wit, charm and surprise." A few days later, actor and comedian Billy Crystal was chosen to emcee the upcoming telecast. Cates explained his reason to bring back the veteran comedian saying, "Billy's performance last year was spectacular. There is nobody like him." In an article published in '' USA Today'' he initially requested to Cates and AMPAS five months after the previous year's ceremony that he would like to take a break from hosting duties. However, pressure from the academy, Cates, and several friends and family members made him reconsider his decision. His sixth stint would make him second only to Bob Hope in number of ceremonies hosted. To commemorate the seventieth anniversary of the Academy Awards, 70 actors who have received both competitive and honorary awards appeared seated onstage together during a segment called Oscar's Family Album. Each former winner was acknowledged by announcer Norman Rose with the films he or she won for. At the end of the segment newly minted winners Kim Bassinger, Helen Hunt, and Robin Williams joined them. This marked the largest gathering of former winners since the 50th ceremony held in 1978. Several others participated in the production of the ceremony. Bill Conti served as musical director for the telecast. Dancer Daniel Ezralow choreographed a dance number showcasing the nominees for Best Original Comedy or Musical Score. Bart the Bear made a surprise appearance during the presentation of the Best Sound Effects Editing award with Mike Myers.

Box office performance of nominees

At the time of the nominations announcement on February 10, the combined gross of the five Best Picture nominees was $579 million with an average of $116 million per film. ''Titanic'' was the highest earner among the Best Picture nominees with $338.7 million in domestic box office receipts. The film was followed by ''As Good as It Gets'' ($92.6 million), ''Good Will Hunting'' ($68.9 million), ''L.A. Confidential'' ($39.7 million), and finally ''The Full Monty'' ($38.7 million). Of the top 50 grossing movies of the year, 40 nominations went to 15 films on the list. Only ''Titanic'' (1st), ''As Good as It Gets'' (16th), ''Good Will Hunting'' (20th), and ''In & Out'' (24th) were nominated for directing, acting, screenwriting, or Best Picture. The other top 50 box office hits that earned nominations were ''Men in Black'' (2nd), ''The Lost World: Jurassic Park'' (3rd), ''Air Force One'' (5th), ''My Best Friends Wedding'' (7th), ''Face/Off'' (9th), ''Con Air'' (12th), ''Contact'' (13th), ''Hercules'' (14th), ''The Fifth Element'' (25th), ''Anastasia'' (30th), and ''Starship Troopers'' (34th).

Critical response

The show received a positive reception from most media publications. Television critic

Howard Rosenberg Howard Anthony Rosenberg (born June 10, 1942) is an American television critic. He worked at ''The Louisville Times'' from 1968 through 1978 and then worked at the ''Los Angeles Times'' for 25 years where he won a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.

of the '' Los Angeles Times'' lauded Crystal's performance writing that he "would earn top billing as that unusual comedian as artful at doing musical comedy as jokes." '' San Francisco Chronicle'' columnist John Carman raved,"It was the best Oscar show in two decades." He also gave high marks for the host, commenting, "But last night, Crystal was back in razor form." '' The Seattle Times'' television editor Kay McFadden praised Crystal commenting that "he possesses nearly impeccable timing and judgment." In addition, she noted that while the ceremony dragged on, "Last night was one of television's smartest live ceremonies in recent memory." Some media outlets were more critical of the show. Ray Richmond of '' Variety'' complained that the ceremony proved to be a "Yawner of an Oscarcast." He added that Crystal's "off-the-cuff one-liners sank faster than the great ship herself." '' Boston Globe'' television critic Matthew Gilbert bemoaned,"There was hardly a spontaneous moment during last night's Oscarcast." Film critic Carrie Rickey from '' The Philadelphia Inquirer'' lamented that the inevitable ''Titanic'' sweep "sank a telecast loaded with montages of previous years' Oscar highlights."

Ratings and reception

The popularity of ''Titanic'' greatly increased television ratings for the ceremony. The American telecast on ABC drew in an average of 57.25 million people over its length, which was a 29% increase from the previous year's ceremony. An estimated 87.50 million total viewers watched all or part of the awards. The show also earned 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 35.32% of households watching over a 55.77 share. In addition, it garnered a higher 1849 demo rating with a 24.90 rating over a 44.30 share among viewers in that demographic. It overtook the network's own telecast of the 1983 Academy Awards to become, as it remains to date, the highest viewership for both an Academy Award telecast (since figures were compiled beginning with the 46th ceremony in 1974) and any live awards show airing in U.S. television history. In July 1998, the ceremony presentation received eight nominations at the 50th Primetime Emmys. Two months later, the ceremony won five of those nominations for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program (Billy Crystal), Outstanding Directing for a Variety or Music Program (Louis J Horvitz), Outstanding Lighting Direction (Electronic) for a Drama Series, Variety Series, Miniseries, or Movie (Bob Barnhart, Robert Dickinson, Matt Ford, Andy O'Reilly), Outstanding Music Direction (Bill Conti), and Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Variety Series or Special (Patrick Baltzell, Robert Douglass, Edward J. Greene, Tommy Vicari).

''In Memoriam''

The annual ''In Memoriam'' tribute was presented by actress Whoopi Goldberg. The montage featured an excerpt of "Appassionata" from ''

The Passage Passage, The Passage or Le Passage may refer to: Arts and entertainment Films * ''Passage'' (2008 film), a documentary about Arctic explorers * ''Passage'' (2009 film), a short movie about three sisters * ''The Passage'' (1979 film), starring ...

'' composed by Michael J. Lewis. * Lloyd Bridges - Actor * Richard Jaeckel - Character actor * Saul Chaplin – Composer/Musical Director *

Stanley Cortez Stanley Cortez, A.S.C. (November 4, 1908 – December 23, 1997) was an American cinematographer. He worked on over seventy films, including Orson Welles' ''The Magnificent Ambersons'' (1942), Charles Laughton's '' The Night of the Hunter'' ...

– Cinematographer * William Hickey - Actor *

Paul Jarrico Paul Jarrico (January 12, 1915 – October 28, 1997) was an American screenwriter and film producer who was blacklisted by the Hollywood movie studio bosses during the era of McCarthyism. Biography Early years Paul Jarrico was born in Los ...

– Screenwriter * Dorothy Kingsley – Screenwriter *

Sydney Guilaroff Sydney Guilaroff (November 2, 1907 – May 28, 1997) was a hair stylist during Hollywood's Golden Age, and the first to receive on-screen credit in films. He worked for more than 40 years at Metro Goldwyn Mayer studios, on more than 1,000 fil ...

– Hairstylist * William H. Reynolds – Editor * Billie Dove - Actress *

Jacques Cousteau Jacques-Yves Cousteau, (, also , ; 11 June 191025 June 1997) was a French naval officer, oceanographer, filmmaker and author. He co-invented the first successful Aqua-Lung, open-circuit SCUBA (self-contained underwater breathing apparatus). T ...

– Filmmaker * Stubby Kaye - Actor, comedian * Red Skelton - Comedy entertainer *

Dawn Steel Dawn Leslie Steel (August 19, 1946 – December 20, 1997) was an American film studio executive and producer. She was one of the first women to run a major Hollywood, California, Hollywood film studio, rising through the ranks of merchandising ...

– Executive *

Toshiro Mifune was a Japanese actor who appeared in over 150 feature films. He is best known for his 16-film collaboration (1948–1965) with Akira Kurosawa in such works as ''Rashomon'', ''Seven Samurai'', ''The Hidden Fortress'', ''Throne of Blood'', and '' ...

- Japanese actor * Brian Keith - Actor * Chris Farley - Actor, comedian *

Leo Jaffe Leo Jaffe (April 23, 1909 in New York City, New York – August 20, 1997 in New York City, New York) was an American film executive. He was chairman of the board of Columbia Pictures from 1973 until his retirement in 1981. He is the father of f ...

– Executive *

Samuel Fuller Samuel Michael Fuller (August 12, 1912 – October 30, 1997) was an American film director, screenwriter, novelist, journalist, and World War II veteran known for directing low-budget B movie, genre movies with controversial themes, often ...

– Director * Burgess Meredith - Actor *

J. T. Walsh James Thomas Patrick Walsh (September 28, 1943 – February 27, 1998) was an American character actor. His many films include ''Tin Men'' (1987), ''Good Morning, Vietnam'' (1987), ''A Few Good Men'' (1992), '' Hoffa'' (1992), ''Nixon'' (1995), ' ...

- Character actor * Robert Mitchum - Actor *

James Stewart James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military pilot. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morality h ...

- Actor

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 (run by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences) ;Analysis
1997 Academy Awards Winners and History
Filmsite
Academy Awards, USA: 1998
Internet Movie Database ;Other resources * {{DEFAULTSORT:Academy Awards, 70th 1997 film awards 1998 in American cinema Academy Awards ceremonies 1998 in Los Angeles March 1998 events in the United States Academy Television shows directed by Louis J. Horvitz