63rd Annual Academy Awards Results and Commentary (1991)

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  • Date of Ceremony: Monday, March 25, 1991
  • For films released in: 1990
  • Host(s): Billy Crystal (video)
Other years:

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The 63rd Annual Academy Awards were presented at the Shrine Auditorium on Monday, March 25th, 1991 and hosted by Billy Crystal.

The evening was dominated by Kevin Costner’s directorial debut, Dances With Wolves. Heading into the night with twelve nominations, the film went home with seven including Best Picture and a Best Director for Costner.

Jeremy Irons won Best Actor for playing Claus von Bulow in Reversal of Fortune, while playing the obsessive fan in Misery earned Kathy Bates a Best Actress. In her speech Bates said, “I would like to thank Jimmy Caan and apologize publicly for the ankles. And I would like to say that I really am your number one fan, Jimmy.”

Joe Pesci won Best Supporting Actor for Goodfellas and for the sake of posterity, here’s the full transcript of his acceptance speech:

It was my privilege. Thank you.” – Joe Pesci

When Whoopi Goldberg won Best Supporting Actress for Ghost she remarked that she always wanted to win and now her brother would be happy that she wouldn’t be going on about it anymore.

I want to thank everybody who makes movies. I come from New York. As a little kid I lived in the projects, and you’re the people I watched. You’re the people wanted — made me want to be an actor. I’m so proud to be here. I’m proud to be an actor and I’m gonna keep on acting. And thank you so much.” – Whoopi Goldberg

Myrna Loy and Sophia Loren both were presented with Honorary Awards. Loy, who was to ill to attend and accepted from New York via satellite, simply said, “You’ve made me very happy. Thank you very much.”

Loren’s statuette was presented to her by her former Arabesque co-star Gregory Peck.

Thank you very much, Gregory. And every friend and every colleague, your generosity fills me with happiness and great pride. I remember my first Oscar. It was so overwhelming for me that the terror of having to face you all made me find so many excuses not to be with you thirty, thirty years ago. Tonight I’m still scared, but I’m not alone.” – Sophia Loren

Results

Best Picture

  • Dances With Wolves
    Jim Wilson [Producer] and Kevin Costner [Producer]

Best Directing

  • Dances With Wolves
    Kevin Costner

Best Actor in a Leading Role

  • Reversal of Fortune
    Jeremy Irons

Best Actress in a Leading Role

  • Misery
    Kathy Bates

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

  • Goodfellas
    Joe Pesci

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

  • Ghost
    Whoopi Goldberg

Best Foreign Language Film

  • Journey of Hope

Best Art Direction

  • Dick Tracy
    Richard Sylbert [Art Direction] and Rick Simpson [Set Decoration]

Best Cinematography

  • Dances With Wolves
    Dean Semler

Best Costume Design

  • Cyrano de Bergerac
    Franca Squarciapino

Best Documentary (Feature)

  • American Dream
    Barbara Kopple [Producer] and Arthur Cohn [Producer]

Best Documentary (Short Subject)

  • Days of Waiting
    Steven Okazaki [Producer]

Best Film Editing

  • Dances With Wolves
    Neil Travis

Best Makeup

  • Dick Tracy
    John Caglione Jr. and Doug Drexler

Best Music (Original Score)

  • Dances With Wolves
    John Barry

Best Music (Original Song)

  • Dick Tracy "Sooner Or Later (I Always Get My Man)"
    Stephen Sondheim [Music and Lyric by]

Best Short Film (Animated)

  • Creature Comforts
    Nick Park

Best Short Film (Live Action)

  • The Lunch Date
    Adam Davidson

Best Sound

  • Dances With Wolves
    Jeffrey Perkins, Bill W. Benton, Greg Watkins and Russell Williams II

Best Sound Effects Editing

  • The Hunt for Red October
    Cecelia Hall and George Watters II

Best Writing (Screenplay - based on material from another medium)

  • Dances With Wolves
    Michael Blake

Best Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen)

  • Ghost
    Bruce Joel Rubin

Special Achievement Award (Visual Effects)

  • Total Recall
    Eric Brevig, Rob Bottin, Tim McGovern and Alex Funke

Honorary Award

  • Sophia Loren
    Note: …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
    Note: …in recognition of her extraordinary qualities both on screen and off, with appreciation for a lifetime's worth of indelible performances.

Medal of Commendation

  • Dr. Roderick T. Ryan
    Note: …in appreciation for outstanding service and dedication in upholding the high standards of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
  • Donald Trumbull
    Note: …in appreciation for outstanding service and dedication in upholding the high standards of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
  • Geoffrey H. Williamson
    Note: …in appreciation for outstanding service and dedication in upholding the high standards of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award

  • David Brown and Richard D. Zanuck

Gordon E. Sawyer Award

  • Stefan Kudelski

Scientific or Technical Award (Academy Award of Merit)

  • Eastman Kodak Company
    Note: …for the development of T-Grain technology and the introduction of EXR color negative films which utilize this technology.

Scientific or Technical Award (Scientific and Engineering Award)

  • Bruce Wilton [of Mechanical Concepts Incorporated] and Carlos Icinkoff [of Mechanical Concepts Incorporated]
    Note: …for the development of the Mechanical Concepts Optical Printer Platform.
  • Engineering Department of Arnold & Richter
    Note: …for the continued design improvements of the Arriflex BL Camera System, culminating in the 35BL-4S model.
  • Fuji Photo Film Company Ltd.
    Note: …for the development and introduction of the F-Series of color negative films covering the range of film speeds from EI 64 to EI 500.
  • Manfred Michelson [of Technical Film Systems, Incorporated]
    Note: …for the design and development of the first sprocket-driven film transport system for color print film processors which permits transport speeds in excess of 600 feet per minute.
  • John W. Lang [of Bell and Howell Company], Walter Hrastnik [of Bell and Howell Company] and Charles J. Watson [of Bell and Howell Company]
    Note: …for the development and manufacture of a modular continuous contact motion picture film printer.

Scientific or Technical Award (Technical Achievement Award)

  • William L. Blowers [of Bellco Associates] and Thomas F. Denove [of Bellco Associates]
    Note: …for the development and manufacture of the Belco/Denove Cinemeter. This digital/analog exposure meter was specifically and uniquely designed for the cinematographer.
  • Iain Neil, Takuo Miyagishima and Panavision Inc.
    Note: To Iain Neil for optical design; Takuo Miyagishima for the mechanical design; and Panavision Inc., for the concept and development of the Primo Series of spherical prime lenses for 35mm cinematography.
  • Christopher S. Gilman [of the Diligent Dwarves Effects Lab] and Harvey Hubert Jr. [of the Diligent Dwarves Effects Lab]
    Note: …for the development of the Actor Climate System, consisting of heat-transferring undergarments.
  • Jim Graves [of J&G Enterprises]
    Note: …for the development of the Cool Suit System, consisting of heat-transferring undergarments.
  • Bengt O. Orhall [of AB Film-Teknik], Kenneth Lund [of AB Film-Teknik], Bjorn Selin [of AB Film-Teknik] and Kjell Hogberg [of AB Film-Teknik]
    Note: …for the development and manufacture of the Mark IV film subtitling processor, which has increased the speed, simplified the operation and improved the quality of subtitling.
  • Richard Mula [of HydroImage, Incorporated] and Pete Romano [of HydroImage, Incorporated]
    Note: …for the development of the SeaPar 1200 watt HMI Underwater Lamp.
  • Dedo Weigert [of Dedo Weigert Film GmbH]
    Note: …for the development of the Dedolight, a miniature low-voltage tungsten-halogen lighting fixture.
  • Dr. Fred Kolb Jr. and Paul Preo
    Note: …for the concept and development of a 35mm projection test film.
  • Peter Baldwin, Dr. Paul Kiankhooy and Lightmaker Company
    Note: To Peter Baldwin for the design; Dr. Paul Kiankhooy and the Lightmaker Company for the development of the Lightmaker AC/DC HMI Ballast.
  • All-Union Cinema and Photo Research Institute (NIKFI)
    Note: …for continuously improving and providing 3-D presentations to Soviet motion picture audiences for the last 25 years.
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