Oscar's triple crown fits snugly on
'King' Cameron

(Tues., March 24, 1998)

By Stephen Galloway--(www.hollywoodreporter.com)

After months of vilification, James Cameron was right. "I'm the king of the world!" he screamed as he picked up his best director Oscar. And he was --certainly of the rarefied, exclusive, 6,000-member-strong world that is the court of the Academy Awards.

Cameron did the nearly impossible, scooping up three Oscars for editing, direction and picture, a record shared by James L. Brooks and Billy Wilder, who both picked up prizes for script rather than editing. But with a three-hour-plus movie that, as one commentator noted, took two movie studios to finance and years of endeavor before it came to the screen, the editing award was probably as deserved as the others.

The editing may soon see some variations. Cameron said backstage that he is thinking of creating a director's cut -- perhaps a misnomer given how involved he was with the film. "We are not going to do it right away; we will do the normal laserdisc first. But we have had good success with (long laser editions) in the past. Don't expect a seven-hour movie, but we could probably add 15-20 minutes of (history). It would shift the balance from the (emotional story to the factual story)."

That is just one move that could keep the "Titanic" bandwagon rolling. Composer James Horner said separately backstage that he is prepping a follow-up to his best-selling soundtrack album, as well as a five- or six-city tour to take place in the late summer or early fall.

But Horner and Cameron were perhaps alone in thinking about working more on "Titanic." Throughout the evening, as one award after another fell to "Titanic," the technicians involved in the picture who wandered backstage to confront hordes of question-pummeling journalists marveled at the work it entailed. Cameron's co-editors, Conrad Buff and Richard Harris, lamented the loss of some of their favorite scenes; visual effects maestros Robert Legato, Mark Lasoff, Thomas Fisher and Michael Kanfer still seemed in shock at managing to create digital people and digital water; and sound effects princes Tom Bellfort and Christopher Boyes groaned happily about working "for six or seven months straight."

For Cameron, the work was even longer than that, extending years back to the time he first saw a documentary about the great ship that sank, taking the lives of some 1,500 people, and jotted notes about setting a romance aboard the vessel. That subsequently became a movie that cost at least $200 million; led 20th Century Fox to build a $30 million studio in Baja California; led Paramount to pay $65 million for half the picture; and, for a few brief moments, made the top executives at Fox look perilously close to losing their jobs.

Cameron singled out the work not only of his Oscar-nominated crew but of unheralded workers including the Mexicans who constitute a third of the 5,000 people who contributed to the film. "I would say -- guys, women, you did a spectacular job on this film (and on the set) which, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, was the biggest set ever built."

Then, in a rare wistful moment, he added, "I hated to see the sets torn down; it really broke my heart because they were so beautiful."

'Titanic': Sunken treasure

(Tues., March 24, 1998)

By Kirk Honeycutt--(www.hollywoodreporter.com)

James Cameron This time, "Titanic" didn't sink.

Confirming its stature as one of the unique films in Hollywood history, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Monday night bestowed 11 Oscars upon James Cameron's "Titanic," including best picture and director.

"I'm the king of the world," cried Cameron, hoisting his arms over his head "Rocky" style while clasping his directing Oscar, the second of three trophies he picked up on what he called "a night to remember in every way."

Produced by 20th Century Fox and Paramount at a head-spinning cost of $200 million, "Titanic" has sailed into the record books as not only the highest-grossing film of all time but the one that tied the Oscar record set by "Ben-Hur," which won 11 statuettes out of a dozen nominations for the year 1959.

A romantic epic set aboard the doomed luxury liner in 1912, "Titanic" has already grossed a staggering $1.25 billion at the worldwide boxoffice.

Taking a more solemn approach when he returned to the stage moments later to collect the best picture trophy, Cameron reminded everyone that "Titanic" is based on a real event where more than 1,500 men, women and children perished. He then asked the assembled Academy voters and nominees for a few moments of silence in memory of the dead.

"The message of 'Titanic,' of course, is if the great ship can sink, the unthinkable can happen," Cameron said. "The future is unknowable. The only thing we truly know is today. Life is precious, so during these few seconds of silence, I'd like you to also listen to the beating of your own heart, which is the most precious thing in the world."

But after the silence, Cameron grinned. "Now let's go party til dawn," he shouted.

Nominated for 14 Oscars -- the most since "All About Eve" in 1950 -- "Titanic" failed to win in the two actress categories and for makeup at the 70th Annual Academy Awards presentation, hosted once again with sly wit by Billy Crystal.

"Titanic," written and directed by Cameron, beat out what would have been stiff competition in any other year: "L.A. Confidential," Curtis Hanson's complex noir drama adapted from James Ellroy's novel about crooked police in 1950s Los Angeles, was the critics' darling of 1997. The film appeared on virtually every 10-best list and won nearly all the best picture honors from critics organizations around the country, including the New York and Los Angeles groups.

But "L.A. Confidential," which suffered the misfortune of being released in the same year as the "Titanic" juggernaut, had to settle for Oscars for screenplay adaptation (Hanson and Brian Helgeland) and supporting actress (Kim Basinger).

In winning the best picture Oscar, "Titanic" also beat out three highly regarded boxoffice hits: "As Good as It Gets," James L. Brooks' risky comedy about a notoriously awful human being; Gus Van Sant's blue-collar drama "Good Will Hunting," featuring much new writing and acting talent; and Peter Cattaneo's sly, out-of-nowhere British comedy "The Full Monty."

"Good Will Hunting," "L.A. Confidential" and "As Good as It Gets" each won two Oscars. "The Full Monty" won one.

"As Good as It Gets" copped the lead acting honors for Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt.

"We're very proud of the picture," Nicholson said when he picked up his statute for playing a curmudgeon novelist. "I've had a sinking feeling all night right up until here."

Up against four British actresses, Hunt scored one for the Yanks when she accepted the actress Oscar for her work as a harried waitress and single mother.

Hunt noted that when she saw "Mrs. Brown" for the first time, she was certain Judi Dench would win the Oscar. "And in my mind, she has," said Hunt, looking directly at the other nominees. "And so has Julie Christie and so has Helena Bonham Carter and so has Kate Winslet. ... I'm honored to work in a year when there are so many magnificent performances. I'm here for one reason and that's Jim Brooks ... that's the only reason really."

Proving once again that actors who write scripts often win Oscars, childhood friends Ben Affleck and Matt Damon scored in the original screenplay category for "Good Will Hunting." Theirs was certainly one of the more enthusiastic acceptance speeches. After shouting thanks to cast, crew, execs, agents, moms and dads, they even managed to thank their hometown of Boston, where the film was shot.

When Hanson accepted his adapted screenplay Oscar along with collaborator Helgeland, he said: "We want to acknowledge James Ellroy, who wrote the novel that was our inspiration and our challenge. We had an extraordinary ensemble of actors in 'L.A. Confidential' who took our lines and gave them emotion, humor, life. ... I want to thank the actors for making us look so good."

After three unsuccessful nominations in the best actor category, Robin Williams took home the supporting actor Oscar for his portrayal of a sympathetic shrink in "Good Will Hunting."

"Ah man, this might be the one time I'm speechless," an emotional Williams said. Proving that wasn't the case, he went on to thank director Van Sant "for being so subtle you're almost subliminal." He then said, "Most of all, I want to thank my father, up there, the man who when I said I wanted to be an actor said, 'Wonderful, just have a backup profession like welding.' "

Another winner taking a brief look back at an acting career was Basinger. Collecting the supporting actress Oscar for her role as a prostitute dolled up as a '50s movie star look-alike in "L.A. Confidential," she said, "If anyone has a dream out there, just know that I'm living proof that they do come true."

Gloria Stuart, the 87-year-old many Academy voters had never heard of a year ago, was the sentimental choice in this category for her performance as the 101-year-old Rose in "Titanic." But as in the previous year, when sentimental favorite Lauren Bacall failed to win, Academy voters ignored sentimentality.

As expected, "Titanic" scooped up nearly all the technical awards, winning for art direction (Peter Lamont, art direction; Michael Ford, set decoration), cinematography (Russell Carpenter), costume design (Deborah L. Scott), visual effects (Robert Legato, Mark Lasoff, Thomas Fisher and Michael Kanfer), sound (Gary Rydstrom, Tom Johnson, Gary Summers and Mark Ulano), sound effects editing (Tom Bellfort and Christopher Boyes), editing (Conrad Buff, Cameron and Richard Harris).

Composer James Horner, often nominated but never in the winner's circle, collected two trophies for his work on "Titanic": dramatic musical score and original song, "My Heart Will Go On," which he shared with lyricist Will Jennings.

Jennings thanked all the people who took "My Heart Will Go On" to their hearts.

In the original musical or comedy score category, composer Anne Dudley won for "The Full Monty."

Another high point in the long evening came when Stanley Donen, the 73-year-old choreographer who became one of Hollywood's top film stylists -- first as a director of musicals and then as a director of thrillers, dramas and more -- accepted an honorary Oscar for his 50-year-plus career.

He was given his Oscar by Martin Scorsese, who noted that Donen's films were distinguished by "elegance, wit, visual innovation and extraordinary grace."

"I want to thank the Board of Governors for this cute little fella, which to me looks titanic," Donen said. Clutching his Oscar, he then performed a little song and dance with the statuette to Irving Berlin's "Cheek to Cheek" -- to the cheering delight of the audience.

"Character," from the Netherlands, won for best foreign-language film. Director Mike Van Diem said that must mean the film had "damn stunning subtitles."

The Holocaust film "The Long Way Home," produced by Rabbi Marvin Hier and Richard Trank, was voted best documentary feature.

"What a night when my rabbi wins an Oscar," Crystal joked.

In the shorts categories, Chris Tashima and Chris Donahue won in live action for "Visas and Virtue," Jan Pinkava of Pixar Studios for the animated "Geri's Game" and Donna Dewey and Carol Pasternak for their documentary "A Story of Healing."

Reminding the audience that filming on "Titanic" wrapped exactly a year ago, cinematographer Carpenter couldn't help noting: "What a year it's been. It's gone from a ship of fools to a ship of dreams and that's Jim. Jim, all the way, stuck to his guts."

Certainly, the Oscar wins furnished Cameron with sweet vindication. This time last year, he was being pilloried by the media and Hollywood insiders alike as a megalomaniacal filmmaker who had gone at least $80 million over budget in his perfectionist quest for re-creating the Titanic tragedy on the big screen. Now, of course, he is the sage and much-honored master of one of the greatest cinematic success stories ever.