UNITED STATES: ACADEMY OF MOTION PICTURE ARTS AND SCIENCES ANNOUNCES OSCAR NOMINATIONS

Record ID: 473292

  • Title: UNITED STATES: ACADEMY OF MOTION PICTURE ARTS AND SCIENCES ANNOUNCES OSCAR NOMINATIONS
  • Date: 13th February 1996
  • Summary: (RTV - MOREA) CUTAWAYS CAMERA OPERATOR
  • Embargoed: 28th February 1996 12:00
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  • Location: BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
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  • Country: USA
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  • Reuters ID: LVABVEXBZW8V92H5NMCSHQM4MIG4
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  • Story Text: LOS ANGELES, Feb 13 (Reuter) - Mel Gibson's mediaeval battlefield epic "Braveheart" and the true-life space drama "Apollo 13" topped the list of Academy Award nominees Tuesday, setting the stage for the most wide-open Oscar race in years.

    In a glittering pre-dawn ceremony packed with surprises, "Babe," an Australian barnyard fable about a talking pig, and Italy's "The Postman," the first foreign-language nominee for best picture in 22 years, also captured a larger-than-expected share of the honours.

    Comedian Massimo Troisi was nominated for best actor for "The Postman," raising the possibility of the first posthumous award since Peter Finch won for "Network" in 1976. Troisi died of heart failure at 41 the day after filming ended.

    "Braveheart" led the field with 10 nominations, including best picture and a best director nod for Gibson, who starred as a Scottish rebel leader. "Apollo 13," the heroic tale of 1970's ill-fated moon shot, followed with nine nominations, including best film, best supporting actor (Ed Harris) and supporting actress (Kathleen Quinlan).

    Other contenders for best picture were the low-budget crowd-pleaser "Babe" and the 19th-century Jane Austen romance "Sense and Sensibility." "Babe" cast members were in hog heaven over the news. "The little pig has come a long way," James Cromwell, nominated for his supporting role as Farmer Hoggett, said. But he admits it is a longshot to bring home the bacon on Oscar night.

    The top nominations were so well distributed that Hollywood insiders are expecting a wide-open horse race. No single movie dominates the pack the way "Forrest Gump" did last year and "Schindler's List" the year before.

    Nicolas Cage, however, is the clear frontrunner for best actor for his portrayal of an alcoholic with a death wish in "Leaving Las Vegas." He earned nearly all of the critics' awards that foreshadow an Oscar victory. Cage is up against Troisi, Richard Dreyfuss in "Mr. Holland's Opus," Anthony Hopkins in "Nixon" and Sean Penn in "Dead Man Walking." Emma Thompson was nominated as best actress for "Sense and Sensibility" and for writing the screenplay -- an Oscar first for an actress. She faces Elisabeth Shue in "Leaving Las Vegas", Susan Sarandon in "Dead Man Walking", Meryl Streep in "The Bridges of Madison County" and Sharon Stone in "Casino".

    Competing with Gibson for best director are Chris Noonan for "Babe", Tim Robbins for "Dead Man Walking", Mike Figgis for "Leaving Las Vegas" and Michael Radford for "The Postman".

    Nominees for best foreign-language film are: "All Things Fair" (Sweden), "Antonia's Line" (Netherlands), "Dust of Life" (Algeria), "O Quatrilho" (Brazil) and "Star Maker" (Italy).

    The coveted awards -- to be voted on by more than 5,000 members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences -- will be handed out on March 25.

    Tuesday's biggest surprise was "Babe," a whimsical tale of a pig who fancies itself a sheepdog. The film, dubbed "Jurassic Pork" in its native Australia, picked up seven nominations, tying with the high-brow "Sense and Sensibility." Another surprise was "The Postman" ("Il Postino"), a comedy that chronicles the friendship between exiled Chilean poet Pablo Neruda and a villager who delivers his mail. "This shows that Hollywood has a lot of heart," Radford said, referring to Troisi's nomination.

    Others who have been nominated after their deaths include James Dean, Spencer Tracy and Sir Ralph Richardson.

    Gibson learned of his film's 10 nominations when an assistant gave him a hand signal while filming his movie "Ransom" in New York. He smiled and went right on shooting the scene. Paramount, which spent nearly $25 million, more than any other best film nominee, to promote "Braveheart", plans to re-release it on Friday on 800 screens nationwide.

    Tuesday's nominations were just as stunning for the big names left off the list. Back-to-back Oscar winner Tom Hanks failed to make the cut for "Apollo 13," and John Travolta was also overlooked for his role in "Get Shorty." Ron Howard was not nominated for best director for "Apollo 13" and "Leaving Las Vegas", on many critics' top-five lists, failed to receive a nomination for best picture.

    Along with Cromwell and Harris, the nominees for best supporting actor were Brad Pitt for "12 Monkeys," Tim Roth for "Rob Roy" and Kevin Spacey for "The Usual Suspects." Joan Allen, favoured for her supporting role as First Lady Pat Nixon in "Nixon," is up against Quinlan, Mare Winningham in "Georgia," Mira Sorvino in "Mighty Aphrodite" and Kate Winslet in "Sense and Sensibility." REUTER 132053 GMT feb 96
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