78th Academy Awards

The 78th Academy Awards presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), took place on March 5, 2006, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:00 p.m. PST / 8:00 p.m. EST. The ceremony was scheduled one week later than usual to avoid a clash with the 2006 Winter Olympics.[3] During the ceremony, AMPAS presented Academy Awards (commonly referred to as Oscars) in 24 categories honoring films released in 2005. The ceremony, televised in the United States by ABC, was produced by Gil Cates and directed by Louis J. Horvitz.[4][5] Actor Jon Stewart hosted the show for the first time.[6] Two weeks earlier in a ceremony at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California held on February 18, the Academy Awards for Technical Achievement were presented by host Rachel McAdams.[7]

78th Academy Awards
Official poster
DateMarch 5, 2006
SiteKodak Theatre
Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Hosted byJon Stewart
Preshow hostsBilly Bush,
Chris Connelly,
Cynthia Garrett, and
Vanessa Minnillo[1]
Produced byGil Cates
Directed byLouis J. Horvitz
Highlights
Best PictureCrash
Most awardsBrokeback Mountain, Crash, King Kong and Memoirs of a Geisha (3)
Most nominationsBrokeback Mountain (8)
TV in the United States
NetworkABC
Duration3 hours, 33 minutes[2]
Ratings38.94 million
23.0% (Nielsen ratings)

Crash won three awards including Academy Award for Best Picture.[8] Other winners included Brokeback Mountain, King Kong and Memoirs of a Geisha also with three awards apiece, and Capote, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Constant Gardener, Hustle & Flow, March of the Penguins, The Moon and the Son: An Imagined Conversation, A Note of Triumph: The Golden Age of Norman Corwin, Six Shooter, Syriana, Tsotsi, Walk the Line and Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit with one each. The telecast garnered nearly 39 million viewers in the United States.

Winners and nominees

The nominees for the 78th Academy Awards were announced on January 31, 2006, at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in the Academy's Beverly Hills headquarters by Sid Ganis, president of the Academy, and actress Mira Sorvino.[9] Brokeback Mountain earned the most nominations with eight total; Crash, Good Night, and Good Luck, and Memoirs of a Geisha tied for second with six nominations each.[10] All five Best Picture nominees received corresponding Best Director nominations (the fourth occurrence in Oscar history since the Best Picture nominees roster was limited to five films).[11]

The winners were announced during the awards ceremony on March 5, 2006.[12] Several notable achievements by multiple individuals and films occurred during the ceremony. Crash was the first Best Picture winner since 1976's Rocky to win only three Oscars.[13] Best Director winner Ang Lee became the first non-Caucasian winner of that category.[14] For this first time since the 34th ceremony held in 1962, all four acting winners were first-time nominees.[15][16] Best Supporting Actor winner George Clooney was the fifth person to receive acting, directing, and screenwriting nominations in the same year and the first person to achieve this feat for two different films.[17] By virtue of his nominations for both Memoirs of a Geisha and Munich, composer John Williams earned a total of 45 nominations tying him with Alfred Newman as the second most nominated individual in Oscar history.[a][18] "It's Hard out Here for a Pimp" became the second rap song to win Best Original Song and the first such song to be performed at an Oscars ceremony.[19]

Awards
Paul Haggis, Best Original Screenplay co-winner and Best Picture co-winner
Ang Lee, Best Director winner
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Best Actor winner
Reese Witherspoon, Best Actress winner
George Clooney, Best Supporting Actor winner
Rachel Weisz, Best Supporting Actress winner
Nick Park, Best Animated Feature winner
Gavin Hood, Best Foreign Language Film winner
Martin McDonagh, Best Live Action Short Film winner
Gustavo Santaolalla, Best Original Score winner
Richard Taylor, Best Visual Effects co-winner
Juicy J and DJ Paul, Best Original Song co-writers

Winners are listed first, highlighted in boldface, and indicated with a double dagger ().[20]

Academy Honorary Award
  • Robert Altman — In recognition of a career that has repeatedly reinvented the art form and inspired filmmakers and audiences alike.[21]

Films with multiple nominations and awards
Films that received multiple nominations
Nominations Film
8 Brokeback Mountain
6 Crash
Good Night, and Good Luck
Memoirs of a Geisha
5 Capote
Munich
Walk the Line
4 The Constant Gardener
King Kong
Pride & Prejudice
3 Cinderella Man
The Chronicles of Narnia:
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
War of the Worlds
2 A History of Violence
Hustle & Flow
Mrs Henderson Presents
North Country
Syriana
Transamerica
Films that received multiple awards
Wins Film
3 Brokeback Mountain
Crash
King Kong
Memoirs of a Geisha

Presenters and performers

The following individuals presented awards or performed musical numbers.[22][23][24]

Presenters
Name(s)Role
Tom Kane[25]Announcer for the 78th annual Academy Awards
Nicole KidmanPresenter of the award for Best Supporting Actor
Ben StillerPresenter of the award for Best Visual Effects
Reese WitherspoonPresenter of the award for Best Animated Feature Film
Naomi WattsIntroducer of the performance of Best Original Song nominee "Travelin' Thru"
Luke Wilson
Owen Wilson		Presenters of the award for Best Live Action Short Film
Chicken Little
Abby Mallard		Presenters of the award for Best Animated Short Film
Jennifer AnistonPresenter of the award for Best Costume Design
Russell CrowePresenter of the biographical films montage
Steve Carell
Will Ferrell		Presenters of the award for Best Makeup
Rachel McAdamsPresenter of the segment of the Academy Awards for Technical Achievement and the Gordon E. Sawyer Award
Morgan FreemanPresenter of the award for Best Supporting Actress
Lauren BacallPresenter of the film noir montage
Terrence HowardPresenter of the award for Best Documentary Short Subject
Charlize TheronPresenter of the award for Best Documentary Feature
Jennifer LopezIntroducer of the performance of Best Original Song nominee "In the Deep"
Sandra Bullock
Keanu Reeves		Presenters of the award for Best Art Direction
Samuel L. JacksonPresenter of the political films montage
Sid Ganis (AMPAS president)Presenter of a special presentation regarding activities funded by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Salma HayekIntroducer of the special instrumental solo performance to the tune of Best Original Score nominees and presenter of the award for Best Original Score
Jake GyllenhaalPresenter of the epic films montage
Jessica Alba
Eric Bana		Presenters of the award for Best Sound Mixing
Meryl Streep
Lily Tomlin		Presenters of the Academy Honorary Award to Robert Altman
LudacrisIntroducer of the performance of Best Original Song nominee "It's Hard out Here for a Pimp"
Queen LatifahPresenter of the award for Best Original Song
Jennifer GarnerPresenter of the award for Best Sound Editing
George ClooneyPresenter of the In Memoriam tribute
Will SmithPresenter of the award for Best Foreign Language Film
Ziyi ZhangPresenter of the award for Best Film Editing
Hilary SwankPresenter of the award for Best Actor
John TravoltaPresenter of the award for Best Cinematography
Jamie FoxxPresenter of the award for Best Actress
Dustin HoffmanPresenter of the award for Best Adapted Screenplay
Uma ThurmanPresenter of the award for Best Original Screenplay
Tom HanksPresenter of the award for Best Director
Jack NicholsonPresenter of the award for Best Picture

Performers
Name(s) Role Performed
Bill ContiMusical arranger and ConductorOrchestral
Dolly PartonPerformer"Travelin' Thru" from Transamerica
Kathleen YorkPerformer"In the Deep" from Crash
Itzhak PerlmanPerformerPerformed musical selections for Best Original Score nominees
Three 6 Mafia
Taraji P. Henson		Performers"It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" from Hustle & Flow

Ceremony information
Jon Stewart hosted the 78th Academy Awards.

Despite the negative reception from the preceding year's ceremony, the Academy rehired Gilbert Cates to oversee production of the awards gala.[4] However, in an article published in The New York Times, it was stated that 2005 host Chris Rock would not return to host the show.[26] According to a statement released by his publicist, "He didn't want to do it in perpetuity, He'd like to do it again down the road."[26] Furthermore, many media outlets speculated that several AMPAS members felt uncomfortable with Rock's disparaging comments about Colin Farrell, Jude Law, and Tobey Maguire.[27][28] Initially, Cates sought actor and veteran Oscar host Billy Crystal to host the ceremony again. However, Crystal declined the offer citing his commitment to his one-man comedy show 700 Sundays.[29][30]

In January 2006, Cates announced that actor, comedian, and talk show host Jon Stewart, who had previously hosted two consecutive Grammy Awards ceremonies in 2001 and 2002, was chosen as host of the 2006 telecast.[31] Cates explained the decision to hire him saying, "My wife and I watch him every night. Jon is the epitome of a perfect host — smart, engaging, irreverent and funny."[32] In a statement, Stewart expressed that he was honored to be selected to emcee the program, jokingly adding, "Although, as an avid watcher of the Oscars, I can't help but be a little disappointed with the choice. It appears to be another sad attempt to smoke out Billy Crystal."[33]

Several other people and companies participated in the production of the ceremony. Bill Conti served as musical supervisor for the telecast.[34] Media firm The Ant Farm produced a thirty-second trailer promoting the broadcast featuring clips highlighting past Oscar winners to the tune of the song "Our Lives" by The Calling.[35] Previous Oscar hosts such as Whoopi Goldberg and Steve Martin, and actors Mel Gibson, George Clooney, Halle Berry appeared in an opening comedic sketch.[36] Actor Tom Hanks participated in a pre-taped comedic sketch lampooning Oscar speeches.[37] Stephen Colbert (host of The Colbert Report, the sister program of Stewart's The Daily Show) narrated two different mock attack ads lampooning both the intense campaigning and lobbying during Oscar season put forth by film studios and political advertising during elections.[38] Violinist Itzhak Perlman performed excerpts from the five nominees for Best Original Score.[39]

Box office performance of nominated films

When the nominations were announced on January 31, the field of major nominees favored independent, low-budget films over blockbusters.[40][41] The combined gross of the five Best Picture nominees when the Oscars were announced was $186 million with an average gross of $37.3 million per film.[42] Crash was the highest earner among the Best Picture nominees with $53.4 million in domestic box office receipts. The film was followed by Brokeback Mountain ($51.7 million), Munich ($40.8 million), Good Night and Good Luck ($25.2 million), and finally Capote ($15.4 million).[42]

Of the top 50 grossing movies of the year, 35 nominations went to 13 films on the list. Only Walk the Line (19th), Cinderella Man (41st), Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (45th), and Crash (48th) were nominated for Best Picture, Best Animated Feature, or any of the directing, acting, or screenwriting.[43] The other top 50 box office hits that earned nominations were Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (1st), Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2nd), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe (3rd), War of the Worlds (4th), King Kong (5th), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (7th), Batman Begins (8th), March of the Penguins, (26th), and Memoirs of a Geisha (47th).[43]

Critical reviews

Some media outlets received the broadcast positively. St. Louis Post-Dispatch television critic Gail Pennington praised Stewart's performance as host writing that he "did the Oscars proud Sunday night, turning in a four-star hosting performance that unfortunately made the rest of the show seem sluggish by comparison."[44] Film critic Roger Ebert said that Stewart was "on target, topical and funny," and added, "He was as relaxed, amusing and at home as Johnny Carson."[45] Columnist Ray Richmond of The Hollywood Reporter commented, "He seemed at times nervous and self-conscious, but on the whole, Stewart delivered with just the right balance of reverence and smugness."[46]

Others media publications were more critical of the show. Television critic Rob Owen of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote that Stewart was more "amusing than funny". He added, "Many of his jokes fell flat with the stars in the Kodak Theatre, and his tendency to bow down before celebrities quickly grew tiresome."[47] Tom Shales from The Washington Post commented, "It's hard to believe that professional entertainers could have put together a show less entertaining than this year's Oscars, hosted with a smug humorlessness by comic Jon Stewart, a sad and pale shadow of great hosts gone by." Moreover, he derided the "piles and piles and miles and miles of clips from films present and past" writing that it "squandered the visual luster" of the ceremony.[48] Associated Press television critic Frazier Moore remarked, "Stewart, usually a very funny guy, displayed a lack of beginner's luck as first-time host...His usually impeccable blend of puckishness and self-effacement fell flat in the service of Oscar." He also criticized the decision to play music over the winner's acceptance speeches calling it "distracting and obnoxious."[49]

Ratings and reception

The American telecast on ABC drew in an average of 38.94 million people over its length, which was an 8% decrease from the previous year's ceremony.[50] Additionally, the show earned lower Nielsen ratings compared to the previous ceremony with 23.0% of households watching over a 35 share.[51] Furthermore, it garnered a lower 18–49 demo rating with a 13.9 rating among viewers in that demographic.[51]

In July 2006, the ceremony presentation received nine nominations at the 58th Primetime Emmys.[52] The following month, the ceremony won four of those nominations for Outstanding Art Direction (Roy Christopher and Jeff Richman), Outstanding Directing for a Variety, Music, or Comedy Program (Louis J. Horvitz), Outstanding Main Title Design (Renato Grgic, Alen Petkovic, Kristijan Petrovic, and Jon Teschner), and Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Variety, Music, or Animation Series or Special (Patrick Baltzell, Robert Douglass, Edward J. Greene, Jamie Santos, and Tom Vicari).[53]

In Memoriam

The annual In Memoriam tribute was presented by actor George Clooney. The montage featured an excerpt of the theme from Now, Voyager composed by Max Steiner.[54]

See also

Notes
a^ : Walt Disney has the most Oscar nominations for any individual with 64.[18]
b^ : Best Foreign Language Film nominee Paradise Now was initially nominated as a submission from Palestine.[55] However, following protests from pro-Israeli groups in the United States, the Academy decided to designate it as a submission from the Palestinian Authority, a move that was decried by the film's director Hany Abu-Assad.[56][57] During the awards ceremony, the film was eventually announced by presenter Will Smith as a submission from the Palestinian territories.[58]

References
  1. "A show this big needs buildups and wrap-ups". Los Angeles Times. March 5, 2006. Archived from the original on October 22, 2012. Retrieved April 17, 2014.
  2. Rich, Joshua (March 10, 2006). "Facts about the Oscar telecast". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on August 25, 2015. Retrieved March 27, 2014.
  3. Feiwell, Jill (December 16, 2004). "Olympics delay Oscars". Variety. Archived from the original on April 24, 2014. Retrieved April 24, 2014.
  4. Archerd, Army (November 16, 2005). "Cates taking the Oscar lead". Variety. Archived from the original on April 29, 2014. Retrieved April 29, 2014.
  5. "Oscar Watch: Horvitz to helm kudocast". Variety. December 13, 2005. Archived from the original on August 25, 2015. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
  6. "Jon Stewart to host 2006 Academy Awards". The Seattle Times. January 5, 2006. Archived from the original on August 25, 2015. Retrieved April 17, 2014.
  7. "Pixar draws academy kudos". Variety. February 20, 2006. Archived from the original on August 25, 2015. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
  8. Vancheri, Barbara (March 6, 2006). "'Crash' fatal to 'Brokeback' in best picture race". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on April 24, 2014. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
  9. Marcus, Lawrence (January 29, 2006). "Oscar Watch: Sorvino to help unveil noms". Variety. Archived from the original on April 26, 2014. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
  10. Arnold, William (January 31, 2006). "No surprise here: 'Brokeback' leads Oscar hopefuls". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Archived from the original on April 24, 2014. Retrieved March 27, 2013.
  11. Karger, Dave (February 3, 2006). "A Crash course on this year's Academy Award nominees". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 25 August 2015. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  12. MacDonald, Moira (March 6, 2006). ""Crash" landing! Drama comes out of nowhere on Oscar night". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on August 25, 2015. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
  13. Kargetr, Dace (March 10, 2006). "Oscars big night". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on August 25, 2015. Retrieved June 26, 2014.
  14. Lundergaard, Erik (March 6, 2006). "Oscar misfire: 'Crash' and burn". NBC News (NBCUniversal). Archived from the original on May 20, 2013. Retrieved February 27, 2011.
  15. "'Crash' Upsets 'Brokeback' At Oscars". CBS News (CBS Corporation). March 5, 2006. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
  16. Osborne 2008, p. 370
  17. "Academy Awards 2006 trivia". BBC News (BBC). March 3, 2006. Archived from the original on April 24, 2014. Retrieved April 17, 2014.
  18. Bradford, Marlee (January 31, 2006). "Williams Ties Record for Oscar Nominations". The Film Music Society. Archived from the original on September 1, 2006. Retrieved May 24, 2014.
  19. Robertson, Jessica (March 6, 2006). "Three 6 Mafia Take Home Oscar". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on December 24, 2013. Retrieved March 2, 2014.
  20. "The 78th Academy Awards (2006) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Archived from the original on November 9, 2014. Retrieved November 20, 2011.
  21. Rainer, Peter (March 5, 2006). "Mr. Altman's unflinching eye". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on July 6, 2015. Retrieved April 17, 2014.
  22. White, Dave (March 6, 2006). "Live blogging the Oscars". NBC News (NBCUniversal). Archived from the original on July 6, 2015. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
  23. Brooks, Xan (March 6, 2006). "The Oscars, minute by minute". The Guardian. Archived from the original on September 27, 2015. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
  24. McAuliffe, Kelly (March 9, 2006). "Oscars commentary: And the Oscar goes to..." The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
  25. Terrance 2013, p. 14
  26. Mitovich, Matt Webb (December 9, 2005). "2006 Oscars Won't Rock". TV Guide. Archived from the original on August 26, 2015. Retrieved April 29, 2014.
  27. "Chris Rock won't host next Academy Awards". USA Today. December 10, 2005. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved September 18, 2013.
  28. Fernandez, Maria Elena (December 10, 2005). "Rock not asked back as Oscar host". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 29, 2014. Retrieved April 29, 2014.
  29. "Crystal feels badly about Oscar". Variety. December 21, 2005. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved June 26, 2014.
  30. Steinberg, Jacques (February 20, 2006). "A First-Time Oscar Host in Search of That Fine Line". The New York Times. Retrieved June 25, 2014.
  31. Vancheri, Barbara (January 6, 2006). "Jon Stewart Will Host 78th Annual Academy Awards". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on July 6, 2015. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
  32. Breznican, Anthony (January 5, 2006). "Stewart will host the Oscars". Variety. Archived from the original on August 26, 2015. Retrieved June 25, 2014.
  33. "And the Oscar job goes to ... Jon Stewart". NBC News (NBCUniversal). January 5, 2006. Archived from the original on April 28, 2015. Retrieved July 6, 2013.
  34. "Bill Conti named musical director for 78th Academy Awards". USA Today Company. December 29, 2014. Archived from the original on April 29, 2014. Retrieved April 29, 2014.
  35. Brown, Maressa (January 15, 2006). "Oscar Watch: Acad trailer coming to theaters". Variety. Archived from the original on April 29, 2014. Retrieved April 29, 2014.
  36. Kaufman, Gil (March 6, 2006). "Oscar Host Jon Stewart Gives Mad Props to Three 6 Mafia, Fears Russell Crowe Beat-Down". MTV (Viacom Media Networks). Archived from the original on May 2, 2014. Retrieved April 29, 2014.
  37. Stack, Tim (March 10, 2006). "Oscar stop watch". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on August 26, 2015. Retrieved June 26, 2014.
  38. Goodman, Tim (March 6, 2006). "The Oscars may be one of our few national rituals. Good or bad, we're on the couch, watching". The San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on April 29, 2014. Retrieved April 29, 2014.
  39. McNamara, Mary (March 6, 2006). "Backstage, where the stars align". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved June 23, 2014.
  40. Bates, Jim (February 1, 2006). "Movies at their best, but has anyone seen them?". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 26, 2014. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
  41. Smith, Meil (February 7, 2007). "Oscar watch: And the cash goes to..." CNN Money (Time Warner). Archived from the original on July 6, 2015. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
  42. "2006 Academy Award Nominations and Winner for Best Picture". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on April 18, 2014. Retrieved April 17, 2014.
  43. "2005 Domestic Grosses (as of January 30, 2006)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on April 26, 2014. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
  44. "Oscar host Jon Stewart is worth the wait". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Ray Farris. March 6, 2006. p. C1.
  45. Ebert, Roger (March 5, 2006). "'Crash'-ing a joyous Oscar party". Chicago Sun-Times. Sun-Times Media Group. Archived from the original on July 8, 2014. Retrieved June 25, 2014.
  46. Richmond, Ray (March 6, 2006). "78th Academy Awards". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved June 23, 2014.
  47. Owen, Rob (March 6, 2006). "Tuned In: Oscar opens with class, but ends up a B-movie". Pittsburgh-Post Gazette. Retrieved April 30, 2014.
  48. Shales, Tom (March 6, 2006). "Memo to Jon Stewart: Keep Yout 'Daily' Job". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on May 6, 2014. Retrieved April 30, 2014.
  49. Moore, Frazier (March 6, 2006). "Oscarcast, Stewart fairly bland". The Cincinnati Post. p. C2.
  50. "NBC finishes out of the money again". Los Angeles Times. March 8, 2006. Archived from the original on July 7, 2015. Retrieved March 27, 2014.
  51. "Down but not dire". Variety. Archived from the original on July 7, 2015. Retrieved June 27, 2013.
  52. "Primetime Emmy Award database". Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (ATAS). Archived from the original on April 24, 2014. Retrieved January 14, 2014.
  53. "The complete list of winners". Los Angeles Times. August 28, 2006. Archived from the original on April 24, 2014. Retrieved April 5, 2014.
  54. Burlingame, John (March 6, 2006). "Santaolalla scores, Three 6 Mafia raps up at Academy Awards". The Film Music Society. Archived from the original on April 16, 2006. Retrieved May 25, 2014.
  55. Gray, Tim (February 14, 2006). "Acad denies 'Now' rumors". Variety. Archived from the original on August 26, 2015. Retrieved June 25, 2014.
  56. Gray, Tim (March 1, 2006). "Oscar tune impugned". Variety. Archived from the original on August 26, 2015. Retrieved June 26, 2014.
  57. Agassi, Tirah (February 26, 2006). "Middle East tensions hang over Palestinian nominee for an Oscar / 'Paradise Now' traces lives of two men who are suicide bombers". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on 24 May 2014. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  58. Zayid, Maysoon (September 20, 2012). "Movie is 'not without its rewards'". Manawatu Standard. p. 13.

Bibliography
News resources
Analysis
Other resources

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.