That year, Driving Miss Daisy won as best picture, while Oliver Stone was named best director for Born on the Fourth of July. The split between best picture and director marked the first time since 1989 the prizes went to different movies. Spielberg expressed gratitude to all families who lost sons in World War II, and addressing his father, a veteran, said: "Dad, this is for you." His first was for Schindler's List in 1993. "Am I allowed to say I really wanted this?" Spielberg joked as he accepted his second directing Oscar. Saving Private Ryan also took prizes for cinematography, editing, sound and sound effects editing.
Shakespeare in Love, which led all contenders with 13 nominations, also picked up Oscars for original screenplay, art direction, costume design and musical or comedy score.Įlizabeth, another best picture nominee, won just one award, for makeup, while the fifth contender, The Thin Red Line, Terrence Malick's comeback movie about WWII in the Pacific, was shut out. "I don't feel very deserving of this in your presence," she said, sobbing uncontrollably, as she named her fellow nominees.ĭench, who played the imperious but fair-minded Queen Elizabeth in Shakespeare in Love - and whose award was widely seen as compensation for her failure to win for Mrs Brown in 1998 - and James Coburn, the alcoholic, abusive father in Affliction, won best supporting Oscars. Paltrow (pictured), never before nominated, was honoured for her role as the object of a young Shakespeare's affections. "This is a terrible mistake", a jubilant Benigni raved, as he leapt to the stage for a second time,"because I've used up all my English". The tragi-comic film, which Benigni also wrote and directed, won additional Oscars for foreign film and dramatic score.
Roberto Benigni, playing an Italian Jew shielding his son from the horrors of the Holocaust in Life is Beautiful, pulled off a stunning first - winning as best actor in a foreign film. Steven Spielberg's bloody World War II epic Saving Private Ryan won the prize for directing and four other Oscars. In a night of surprises and upsets, the romantic comedy Shakespeare in Love won seven Academy Awards on Sunday, including best picture, best actress for Gwyneth Paltrow, and best supporting actress for Judi Dench.