Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, March 27, 1990 TAG: 9003272304
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: E-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: LOS ANGELES - LENGTH: Long
Daniel Day-Lewis was named best actor for his role in "My Left Foot" as Christy Brown, who battled cerebral palsy to become an acclaimed artist. Brenda Fricker, who played his devoted mother, won the best supporting actress award at the 62nd annual Academy Awards.
Oliver Stone was honored as best director for "Born on the Fourth of July," the story of a Vietnam soldier's transformation from bitter paraplegic to anti-war activist. It was the second such prize in three years for Stone, who won for the Vietnam epic "Platoon."
"My deepest thanks for your acknowledgment that Vietnam is not over, though some people say it is," said Stone.
It marked the first time since 1981 that the best director award did not go for the year's best picture. Bruce Beresford, who directed "Miss Daisy," was not even nominated, an omission that was commented on frequently during the presentations.
Denzel Washington, the runaway slave turned soldier in "Glory," won the best supporting actor award.
"My son said he was going to make one of these out of clay for me, now I've got a model for him," an exultant Washington said as he held up his gold statuette.
Tandy, who at 80 becomes the oldest performer to win an Oscar, said, "I never expected in a million years that I would be in this position. It's a miracle!" The slender, white-haired actress received a standing ovation from the crowd that packed the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion of the Los Angeles Music Center.
Day-Lewis had to overcome tough competition from "Daisy's" Morgan Freeman and "Fourth of July's" Tom Cruise to win his Oscar.
"For everyone involved in the film, all our desire to make the film, all the strength that we needed, all the pleasure that we took in making the film came from Christy Brown," Day-Lewis said.
"I don't believe this!" exclaimed the Dublin-born Fricker as she came on stage.
She added her thanks to artist-writer "Christy Brown, just for being alive, and to his mother, Mrs. Brown. Anybody who gives birth 22 times deserves one," she said, referring to the Oscar.
The awards were spread in unusually even fashion. "Miss Daisy" also won for screenplay adaptation and makeup. "Glory," the inspirational story of the first black regiment to fight in the Civil War, also won trophies for cinematography and sound, to finish with three. It was not nominated for best picture. Besides the directing prize, "Fourth of July" won just one other Oscar, for film editing.
Washington becomes the fourth black performer to win an Oscar. Previous black winners were Hattie McDaniel for "Gone With the Wind," in 1939 and Louis Gossett Jr. for "An Officer and a Gentleman" in 1982, in supporting categories, and Sidney Poitier for "Lilies of the Field" in 1963 as lead actor.
Alfred Uhry, who adapted his own Pulitzer Prize-winning play, won the screenplay adaptation award for "Miss Daisy." Tom Schulman, the author of "Dead Poet's Society," won for best original screenplay.
The award for art direction went to "Batman," the top moneymaker of 1989 at $251 million that failed to win a nomination in any other category. Another top box-office draw, "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade," picked up an Oscar for sound effects editing. The Oscar for visual effects was given to the underwater thriller "The Abyss."
"Henry V" took the prize for costume design.
Disney's much-praised animated fairy tale, "The Little Mermaid" won two Oscars - best song for the calypso "Under the Sea," and best original score.
Italy's "Cinema Paradiso," a reminiscence of growing up in a Sicilian village, was named best foreign film.
Here is a complete list of winners:
PICTURE: "Driving Miss Daisy."
ACTOR: Daniel Day-Lewis, "My Left Foot."
ACTRESS: Jessica Tandy, "Driving Miss Daisy."
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Denzel Washington, "Glory."
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Brenda Fricker, "My Left Foot."
DIRECTOR: Oliver Stone, "Born on the Fourth of July."
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Tom Schulman, "Dead Poets Society."
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Alfred Uhry, "Driving Miss Daisy."
FOREIGN FILM: "Cinema Paradiso," Italy.
ART DIRECTION: "Batman."
CINEMATOGRAPHY: "Glory."
COSTUME DESIGN: "Henry V."
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: "Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt."
DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT: "The Johnstown Flood."
FILM EDITING: "Born on the Fourth of July."
MAKEUP: "Driving Miss Daisy."
MUSIC ORIGINAL SONG: "The Little Mermaid."
MUSIC ORIGINAL SONG: "Under the Sea" from "The Little Mermaid."
ANIMATED SHORT FILM: "Balance."
LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM: "Work Experience."
SOUND: "Glory."
SOUND EFFECTS EDITING: "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade."
VISUAL EFFECTS: "The Abyss."
HONORARY OSCAR: Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa.
JEAN HERSHOLT AWARD: Producer-director Howard W. Koch.
GORDON E. SAWYER TECHNICAL AWARD: Pierre Angenieux.
by CNB