'Gladiator' tops, but others share spotlight
03/26/2001
By Chris Vognar / The Dallas Morning News
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Julia Roberts | Russell Crowe | ||
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Benicio Del Toro | Marcia Gay Harden |
But in the end, it was the closest thing to a favorite that took home the big prize. Ridley Scott's blockbusting sword-and-sandals epic, Gladiator, walked away with the best picture award, as well as four others, including Russell Crowe for best actor.
This was as close to a photo finish as Oscar is likely to see. As the best picture nominees were read, Gladiator, Traffic and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon stood tied at four awards apiece. Steven Soderbergh had just nabbed the best director prize for Traffic, and a sense of genuine anticipation filled the Shrine Auditorium.
Even after Gladiator's victory, there was a sense of evenly distributed goods: Traffic scored statues for Mr. Soderbergh, supporting actor Benicio Del Toro and two other categories, while Crouching Tiger won for foreign-language film and three other categories (although Ang Lee was upset by Mr. Soderbergh in the best director race.)
Mr. Soderbergh summed the evening up well with his brief and poignant acceptance speech. "I want to thank anyone who spends part of their day creating and sharing their art with us," said Mr. Soderbergh, who was also nominated for his direction of Erin Brockovich. "I think this world would be unlivable without art."
Meanwhile, the big stars shined brightest in the top acting categories, as Julia Roberts and Mr. Crowe went home with hardware.
Ms. Roberts, the most overwhelming favorite in any category, won her first Oscar for her title role as the brassy Ms. Brockovich. Mr. Crowe, who was nominated for best actor last year as the corporate tobacco whistle-blower, hit paydirt this year for Gladiator. He beat out such competition as Tom Hanks, the lone major nominee for Cast Away, and Ed Harris, whose Pollock co-star, Texan Marcia Gay Harden, was a surprise victor for best supporting actress.
After thanking cast, crew and family, Mr. Crowe took time to acknowledge one man in particular – his director.
"I owe this to one bloke, and his name is Ridley Scott," he said, before reminiscing over his childhood in the suburbs of Australia. "When you grow up in the suburbs of anywhere, a dream like this seems ludicrous and unattainable. For anyone who's on the down side of advantage, and who relies on courage, it's possible."
Backstage, Mr. Crowe was comically cagey. Asked how he connected to the role, he replied, "I'm an actor. I read the script and I learned the lines."
Eventually, he admitted to his surprise at winning. "Absolutely nothing was going through my mind," he said. "I had no connection with the world, and I didn't have any legs. I thought it was one of those remarkably tasteless gags that the world plays on you."
'I'm so happy'
Ms. Roberts, aware of the mandate to keep the show moving briskly, made it clear that she'd take time to thank everyone.
"I'm so happy," she exclaimed from the stage. "You're so quick with that stick, but why don't you sit for a bit, because I'm never going to be here again."
In an emotional, exuberant speech, Ms. Roberts acknowledged "the sisterhood" of her fellow nominees, her co-star Albert Finney and her director, Mr. Soderbergh. She then whooped, cackled and let it all hang out: "I love it up here! I love the world, I'm so happy!"
After the show, Ms. Roberts acknowledged the one person she forgot to mention in her speech: the real Erin Brockovich.
"It was shameful that I didn't mention her," she said. "She's the center of the universe that was our movie. She knows the esteem in which I hold her, which is quite, quite high."
Then came perhaps her best line of the night, on how she brought Ms. Brockovich to life: "It was all a dream, a mystery and a wonderful push-up bra."
Wide-open race
This wide-open Oscar race started out with Ms. Harden's victory, for her dynamic portrayal of artist Lee Krasner in the independent film Pollock.
The favorite going in was 21-year-old Kate Hudson, who played a dedicated rock 'n' roll groupie in Almost Famous. Ms. Hudson's main competition was believed to be 1998 winner Judi Dench, of Chocolat. But Ms. Harden's win seemed appropriate on a night that offered possible surprises in most major categories.
"Thank you for taking the time to even view the tape and consider our film," she said in her speech. "Ed Harris, thank you for inviting me to share your passion."
Backstage, Ms. Harden sounded more than a bit surprised. "I'm a New York stage actress, and now I'm here," she said. "Thank you, Oscar."
The supporting actor category proved more predictable, as favorite Benicio Del Toro took home the award for his role as a wily, scrupulous Mexican policeman in Traffic. Mr. Del Toro was considered the front-runner after winning the Screen Actors Guild award for best actor. But Mr. Finney of Erin Brockovich was set to provide stiff competition, as was Shadow of the Vampire's Willem Dafoe.
"I don't think it took that long," he said. "There are a lot of people out there who have been doing great work for a long time and haven't been nominated. The train came to the stop and I was there with my suitcase. I got lucky."
Mr. Del Toro also echoed the common opinion that Traffic is important to both society and the film industry.
"I think the movie says something," he said. "It doesn't take sides, but it says that we need to educate. We need to educate kids early in school, the first grade. Those kids who are educated early, someday they're going to be grandparents."
Unlike last year, when American Beauty was seen as the overwhelming favorite going into the awards, the 2001 Oscars had three strong horses in the running.
The best picture race was just the highest profile of several closely contested races. Mr. Lee was seen as the favorite in the best director bracket, by virtue of his Directors Guild award. But Gladiator's Mr. Scott and the eventual winner, Mr. Soderbergh, had a solid chance to jump in front.
Indeed, the only sure thing in this year's contest – if it's possible to have a sure thing in the Oscars – was Ms. Roberts, a longtime industry favorite. Her closest competitor, Ellen Burstyn, appeared in the dark Requiem for a Dream, hardly an academy kind of film. Laura Linney, who lit up the small You Can Count on Me, had also been mentioned as an upset possibility.
The host
First-time host Steve Martin began peppering the audience with one-liners in his opening monologue, and he never let up. On the 21-year old Kate Hudson: "I love welcoming the young stars to show business because it reminds me of my own death." On the violence in Gladiator: "I took a 9-year-old kid to see Gladiator and he cried all the way through. Maybe it was because he didn't know who I was."
Early on in the show: "How are we doing on time? Oh, we have five hours."
Thankfully not: This year's show clocked in at a refreshingly humane three hours and 28 minutes.
Mr. Martin was a bit more barbed than usual host Billy Crystal – Mr. Crowe shot him a death stare in response to an early gag about the star hitting on Ms. Burstyn. One thing's for sure: The wild and crazy guy-turned New Yorker scribe will not be accused of taking the proceedings too seriously.
Outside the Shrine Auditorium, on the police-lined sidewalks of Figueroa Boulevard, the usual assortment of protesters staked out their turf and made their feelings known. Last year, their primary target was The Cider House Rules and its abortion storyline. This time, most of the sign wielders seemed to stick to a theme of "Hollywood is corrupting our morals."
Fundamentalist literature and bellowing bullhorns were ubiquitous. Meanwhile, a man dressed as Jesus was engaged in dance with a Marilyn Monroe look-alike.
These Oscars are expected to be the last held at the Shrine, as the academy prepares to move into its spacious new digs in Hollywood next year. At least the old building got to go out with a display of down-to-the-wire excitement.
