The 69th Academy Awards ceremony, organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) took place on March 24, 1997, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles beginning at 6:00 p.m. PST / 9:00 p.m. EST. During the ceremony, AMPAS presented the Academy Awards (commonly referred to as Oscars) in 24 categories honoring films released in 1996. The ceremony, televised in the United States by ABC, was produced by Gil Cates, and directed by Louis J. Horvitz. Actor Billy Crystal hosted the show for the fifth time. He first presided over the 62nd ceremony held in 1990 and had last hosted the 65th ceremony held in 1993. Three weeks earlier, in a ceremony held at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, on March 1, the Academy Awards for Technical Achievement were presented by host Helen Hunt.
The English Patient won nine awards, including Best Picture. Other winners included Fargo with two awards and Breathing Lessons: The Life and Work of Mark O'Brien, Dear Diary, Emma, Evita, The Ghost and the Darkness, Independence Day, Jerry Maguire, Kolya, The Nutty Professor, Quest, Shine, Sling Blade, and When We Were Kings with one.
Winners and nominees
The nominees for the 69th Academy Awards were announced on February 11, 1997, at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, California, by Arthur Hiller, president of the academy, and actress Mira Sorvino. The English Patient received the most nominations with twelve; Fargo and Shine came in second with seven apiece.
The winners were announced during the awards ceremony on March 24, 1997. The English Patient became the first film to win nine Oscars since The Last Emperor at the 60th Academy Awards in 1988. Saul Zaentz became the third person to produce three Best Picture winners, having previously produced One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Amadeus. He also became the seventh individual to receive an Oscar and the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award in the same year. Best Actress winner Frances McDormand was the first person to win for a role in a film directed by their spouse. Best Original Musical or Comedy Score winner Rachel Portman became the first female winner for composing a musical score.
Awards
Winners are listed first and highlighted in boldface.
The English Patient – Saul Zaentz, producer Fargo – Ethan Coen, producer Jerry Maguire – James L. Brooks, Cameron Crowe, Laurence Mark and Richard Sakai, producers Secrets & Lies – Simon Channing Williams, producer Shine – Jane Scott, producer | style="vertical-align:top; width:50%;"|
Anthony Minghella – The English Patient Joel Coen – Fargo Miloš Forman – The People vs. Larry Flynt Mike Leigh – Secrets & Lies Scott Hicks – Shine Geoffrey Rush – Shine as David Helfgott Tom Cruise – Jerry Maguire as Jerry Maguire Ralph Fiennes – The English Patient as László Almásy Woody Harrelson – The People vs. Larry Flynt as Larry Flynt Billy Bob Thornton – Sling Blade as Karl Childers Frances McDormand – Fargo as Marge Gunderson Brenda Blethyn – Secrets & Lies as Cynthia Rose Purley Diane Keaton – Marvin's Room as Bessie Kristin Scott Thomas – The English Patient as Katharine Clifton Emily Watson – Breaking the Waves as Bess McNeill Cuba Gooding Jr. – Jerry Maguire as Rod Tidwell William H. Macy – Fargo as Jerry Lundegaard Armin Mueller-Stahl – Shine as Peter Helfgott Edward Norton – Primal Fear as Aaron Stampler James Woods – Ghosts of Mississippi as Byron De La Beckwith Juliette Binoche – The English Patient as Hana Joan Allen – The Crucible as Elizabeth Proctor Lauren Bacall – The Mirror Has Two Faces as Hannah Morgan Barbara Hershey – The Portrait of a Lady as Madame Serena Merle Marianne Jean-Baptiste – Secrets & Lies as Hortense Cumberbatch Fargo – Ethan Coen and Joel Coen Jerry Maguire – Cameron Crowe Lone Star – John Sayles Secrets & Lies – Mike Leigh Shine – Screenplay by Jan Sardi; Story by Scott Hicks | style="vertical-align:top; width:50%;"|
Sling Blade – Billy Bob Thornton based on his short film Some Folks Call It a Sling Blade The Crucible – Arthur Miller based on his play The English Patient – Anthony Minghella based on the novel by Michael Ondaatje Hamlet – Kenneth Branagh based on the play by William Shakespeare Trainspotting – John Hodge based on the novel by Irvine Welsh Kolya (Czech Republic) in Czech – Jan Svěrák, director A Chef in Love (Georgia) in French, Georgian, Russian – Nana Jorjadze, director The Other Side of Sunday (Norway) in Norwegian – Berit Nesheim, director Prisoner of the Mountains (Russia) in Russian – Sergei Bodrov, director Ridicule (France) in French – Patrice Leconte, director When We Were Kings – Leon Gast and David Sonenberg The Line King: The Al Hirschfeld Story – Susan W. Dryfoos Mandela – Jo Menell and Angus Gibson Suzanne Farrell: Elusive Muse – Anne Belle and Deborah Dickson Tell the Truth and Run: George Seldes and the American Press – Rick Goldsmith Breathing Lessons: The Life and Work of Mark O'Brien – Jessica Yu Cosmic Voyage – Jeffrey Marvin and Bayley Silleck An Essay on Matisse – Perry Wolff Special Effects: Anything Can Happen – Susanne Simpson and Ben Burtt The Wild Bunch: An Album in Montage – Paul Seydor and Nick Redman Dear Diary – David Frankel and Barry Jossen De tripas, corazón – Antonio Urrutia Ernst & lyset – Kim Magnusson and Anders Thomas Jensen Esposados – Juan Carlos Fresnadillo Senza parole – Bernadette Carranza and Antonello De Leo Quest – Tyron Montgomery and Thomas Stellmach Canhead – Timothy Hittle and Chris Peterson La Salla – Richard Condie Wat's Pig – Peter Lord The English Patient – Gabriel Yared Hamlet – Patrick Doyle Michael Collins – Elliot Goldenthal Shine – David Hirschfelder Sleepers – John Williams Emma – Rachel Portman The First Wives Club – Marc Shaiman The Hunchback of Notre Dame – Music by Alan Menken; Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz; Orchestral Score by Alan Menken James and the Giant Peach – Randy Newman The Preacher's Wife – Hans Zimmer "You Must Love Me" from Evita – Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber; Lyrics by Tim Rice "Because You Loved Me" from Up Close and Personal – Music and Lyrics by Diane Warren "For the First Time" from One Fine Day – Music and Lyrics by James Newton Howard, Jud J. Friedman and Allan Dennis Rich "I Finally Found Someone" from The Mirror Has Two Faces – Music and Lyrics by Barbra Streisand, Marvin Hamlisch, Bryan Adams and Robert John "Mutt" Lange "That Thing You Do!" from That Thing You Do! – Music and Lyrics by Adam Schlesinger The English Patient – Walter Murch, Mark Berger, David Parker and Chris Newman Evita – Andy Nelson, Anna Behlmer and Ken Weston Independence Day – Chris Carpenter, Bill W. Benton, Bob Beemer and Jeff Wexler The Rock – Kevin O'Connell, Greg P. Russell and Keith A. Wester Twister – Steve Maslow, Gregg Landaker, Kevin O'Connell and Geoffrey Patterson The Ghost and the Darkness – Bruce Stambler Daylight – Richard L. Anderson and David A. Whittaker Eraser – Alan Robert Murray and Bub Asman The English Patient – Art Direction: Stuart Craig; Set Decoration: Stephenie McMillan The Birdcage – Art Direction: Bo Welch; Set Decoration: Cheryl Carasik Evita – Art Direction: Brian Morris; Set Decoration: Philippe Turlure Hamlet – Art Direction and Set Decoration: Tim Harvey Romeo + Juliet – Art Direction: Catherine Martin; Set Decoration: Brigitte Broch The English Patient – John Seale Evita – Darius Khondji Fargo – Roger Deakins Fly Away Home – Caleb Deschanel Michael Collins – Chris Menges The Nutty Professor – Rick Baker and David LeRoy Anderson Ghosts of Mississippi – Matthew W. Mungle and Deborah La Mia Denaver Star Trek: First Contact – Michael Westmore, Scott Wheeler and Jake Garber The English Patient – Ann Roth Angels & Insects – Paul Brown Emma – Ruth Myers Hamlet – Alexandra Byrne The Portrait of a Lady – Janet Patterson The English Patient – Walter Murch Evita – Gerry Hambling Fargo – Roderick Jaynes Jerry Maguire – Joe Hutshing Shine – Pip Karmel Independence Day – Volker Engel, Douglas Smith, Clay Pinney and Joe Viskocil Dragonheart – Scott Squires, Phil Tippett, James Straus and Kit West Twister – Stefen Fangmeier, John Frazier, Habib Zargarpour and Henry LaBounta
Honorary Award To Michael Kidd in recognition of his services to the art of the dance in the art of the screen.
Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award Saul Zaentz
Films with multiple nominations and awards
The following seventeen films received multiple nominations:
Nominations Film 12 The English Patient 7 Fargo Shine 5 Evita Jerry Maguire Secrets & Lies 4 Hamlet 2 The Crucible Emma Ghosts of Mississippi Independence Day Michael Collins The Mirror Has Two Faces The People vs. Larry Flynt The Portrait of a Lady Sling Blade Twister
The following two films received multiple awards:
Awards Film 9 The English Patient 2 Fargo
Presenters and performers The following individuals, in order of appearance, presented awards or performed musical numbers.
Presenters Name(s) Role Announcer for the 69th annual Academy Awards (AMPAS president) Gave opening remarks welcoming guests to the awards ceremony Presenter of the award for Best Supporting Actor Presenter of the award for Best Art Direction Presenter of the film Jerry Maguire on the Best Picture segment Presenter of the award for Best Costume Design BeavisButt-Head (Voiced by Mike Judge) Presenters of the award Best Sound Effects Editing Presenter of the award for Best Makeup Presenter of the "Togetherness and the Movies" montage Presenter of the award for Best Supporting Actress Introducer of the performance of Best Original Song nominee "That Thing You Do!" Presenter of the film Fargo on the Best Picture segment David Spade Presenters of the awards for Best Live Action Short Film and Best Animated Short Film Presenter of the Academy Honorary Award to Michael Kidd Presenter of the segment of the Academy Awards for Technical Achievement Will Smith Presenters of the award Best Documentary Short Subject and Best Documentary Feature Presenter of the award for Best Visual Effects Presenter of the award for Best Sound Presenter of the Best Film editing montage and dance number and the award for Best Film Editing Presenter of the award for Best Original Musical or Comedy Score Presenter of the award for Best Original Dramatic Score Presenter of the film Shine on the Best Picture segment and introducer of the musical performance by David Helfgott Presenter of the award for Best Cinematography Introducer of the performance of Best Original Song nominee "For the First Time" Presenter of the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award to Saul Zaentz Jack Valenti Presenter of the award Best Foreign Language Film Presenter of the film The English Patient on the Best Picture segment Introducer of the performance of Best Original Song nominee "Because You Loved Me" Presenter of the "In Memoriam" tribute Diane KeatonBette Midler Presenters of the award for Best Original Song Presenter of the "Shakespeare and the Movies" montage Presenter of the award for Best Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published and Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen Presenter of the film Secrets & Lies on the Best Picture segment Presenter of the award for Best Actress Presenter of the award for Best Actor Presenter of the award for Best Director Presenter of the award for Best Picture
Performers