Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, March 30, 1993 TAG: 9303300289
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: LOS ANGELES LENGTH: Medium
Al Pacino, another veteran who had never won before, took the acting award as the embittered blind veteran in "Scent of a Woman."
Emma Thompson, the free-thinking intellectual who marries into money in "Howards End," was named best actress, while Marisa Tomei, Joe Pesci's feisty girlfriend in "My Cousin Vinny," was a surprise winner as supporting actress.
"Unforgiven" led a diverse field of winners with four Oscars. It brought a supporting actor award to Gene Hackman for his portrayal of a sadistic sheriff and received the award for film editing.
"Pacino's throat was dry, and mine was really dry," said Eastwood in accepting his directing prize to a standing ovation. He had never even been nominated before.
"You broke my streak," quipped Pacino, who had been nominated six times in past years without winning.
"Indulge me for a minute, because I'm not used to this," he said in the midst of a rambling speech. Pacino, one of the industry's most respected actors, strode to the stage to a standing ovation.
"It's overwhelming to see so many faces who have entertained and thrilled me for all my life," said Thompson, a British actress, in her acceptance speech.
"Howards End," a stately family saga that shared a leading nine nominations with "Unforgiven," also won awards for art direction and Ruth Prawer Jhabvala's screenplay adaptation of E.M. Forster's classic novel.
Another best picture nominee, "The Crying Game" won the best original screenplay award for Neil Jordan's sexually provocative story about love and terrorism.
Hackman thanked Eastwood, "who made it all possible for me and everyone else in the film. It was a wonderful experience." It was his second Oscar; he won as best actor for the 1971 film "The French Connection."
In accepting her award, Tomei said: "This is such a great honor to receive this in a year when we recognize and celebrate and honor women." The theme of the 65th Academy Awards, televised live by ABC to a worldwide audience estimated in advance at 1 billion, was "Oscar Salutes Women and the Movies."
Tomei, virtually unknown until "My Cousin Vinny," beat some of the world's most acclaimed actresses, including Judy Davis, who had been favored to win for her role in Woody Allen's "Husbands and Wives."
"Aladdin," Disney's smash animated film, brought the Oscar for best original score to Alan Menken, while he and Tim Rice won the best song award for "A Whole New World." Menken and his late partner, Howard Ashman, had won Oscars two out of the previous three years for Disney's "The Little Mermaid" and "Beauty and the Beast."
"A River Runs Through It" picked up the Oscar for cinematography, while the award for best sound went to "The Last of the Mohicans."
"Bram Stoker's Dracula," directed by Francis Ford Coppola, picked up three awards, for costume design, makeup and sound effects editing. The prize for visual effects went to the black comedy "Death Becomes Her."
"Indochine," at $20 million the most expensive French film ever made, was honored as best foreign picture.
Billy Crystal, host of the show for the fourth time, made his usual hilarious entrance, this time riding on a giant-size Oscar statue pulled by Jack Palance. Palance had upstaged Crystal last year by performing one-handed pushups after he accepted his supporting actor award for "City Slickers," in which they starred together.
by CNB