| 73rd Academy Awards | |
|---|---|
 Official poster by Alex Swart[1] | |
| Date | March 25, 2001 |
| Site | Shrine Auditorium Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Hosted by | Steve Martin[2] |
| Preshow hosts | Chris Connelly Julie Moran Jim Moret[3] |
| Produced by | Gil Cates[4] |
| Directed by | Louis J. Horvitz[5] |
| Highlights | |
| Best Picture | Gladiator |
| Most awards | Gladiator (5) |
| Most nominations | Gladiator (12) |
| TV in the United States | |
| Network | ABC |
| Duration | 3 hours, 23 minutes[6] |
| Ratings | 42.9 million 26.2% (Nielsen ratings)[7] |
The73rd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by theAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best of2000 in film and took place on March 25, 2001, at theShrine Auditorium inLos Angeles, beginning at 5:30 p.m.PST / 8:30 p.m.EST. During the ceremony, AMPAS presentedAcademy Awards (commonly referred to as Oscars) in 23 categories. The ceremony, televised in the United States byABC, was produced byGil Cates and was directed byLouis J. Horvitz.[8] ActorSteve Martin hosted the show for the first time.[9] Three weeks earlier in a ceremony at theRegent Beverly Wilshire Hotel inBeverly Hills, California held on March 3, theAcademy Awards for Technical Achievement were presented by hostRenée Zellweger.[10]
Gladiator won five awards, includingBest Picture.[11] Other winners includedCrouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon andTraffic with four awards andAlmost Famous,Big Mama,Erin Brockovich,Father and Daughter,How the Grinch Stole Christmas,Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport,Pollock,Quiero Ser,U-571, andWonder Boys with one. The telecast garnered almost 43 million viewers in the United States.
The nominees for the 73rd Academy Awards were announced on February 13, 2001, byRobert Rehme, president of the academy, and Academy Award-winning actressKathy Bates.[12]Gladiator received the most nominations with twelve.Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon came in second with ten.[13]
The winners were announced during the awards ceremony on March 25, 2001.[11]Gladiator became the first film to win Best Picture without a directing or screenwriting win since 1949'sAll the King's Men.[14] Best Director winnerSteven Soderbergh, who received nominations for bothErin Brockovich andTraffic (for which he won the award), was the third person to receive double directing nominations in the same year.[A][15]Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon became the third film nominated simultaneously for Best Picture and Best Foreign Language Film in the same year.[B][16] With four wins, the film is tied withFanny and Alexander,Parasite, andAll Quiet on the Western Front as themost awarded foreign language films in Academy Awards history.[17] By virtue of his brother's Best Supporting Actor nomination for 1988'sRunning on Empty, Best Supporting Actor nomineeJoaquin Phoenix andRiver became the first pair of brothers to earn acting nominations.[18]
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Winners are listed first, highlighted inboldface, and indicated with a double dagger (‡).[19]
The following 20 films received multiple nominations: | The following three films received multiple awards:
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The following individuals, listed in order of appearance, presented awards or performed musical numbers.[23]
| Name(s) | Role |
|---|---|
| Gina Tuttle[24] | Announcer for the 73rd annual Academy Awards |
| Susan J. Helms Yury Usachov James S. Voss | Introducers of host Steve Martin |
| Catherine Zeta-Jones | Presenter of the award forBest Art Direction |
| Nicolas Cage | Presenter of the award forBest Supporting Actress |
| Russell Crowe | Presenter of the award forBest Film Editing |
| Ben Stiller | Presenter of the award forBest Live Action Short Film andBest Animated Short Film |
| Halle Berry | Introducer of the performance of Best Original Song nominee "My Funny Friend and Me" |
| Annette Bening | Presenter of the filmErin Brockovich on the Best Picture segment |
| Penélope Cruz | Presenter of the award forBest Costume Design |
| Robert Rehme (AMPAS president) | Giver of remarks announcing the end of his tenure as president of AMPAS |
| Angelina Jolie | Presenter of the award forBest Supporting Actor |
| Mike Myers | Presenter of the awardsBest Sound andBest Sound Editing |
| Ben Affleck | Presenter of the filmTraffic on the Best Picture segment |
| Julia Stiles | Introducer of the performance of Best Original Song nominee "A Love Before Time" |
| Julia Roberts | Presenter of the award forBest Cinematography |
| Morgan Freeman | Presenter of the filmCrouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon on the Best Picture segment |
| Kate Hudson | Presenter of the award forBest Makeup |
| Dustin Hoffman | Presenter of theHonorary Academy Award toJack Cardiff |
| Samuel L. Jackson | Presenter of the awards forBest Documentary Short Subject andBest Documentary Feature |
| Sarah Jessica Parker | Introducer of the performance of Best Original Song nominee "A Fool in Love" |
| Michelle Yeoh Chow Yun-fat | Presenter of the award forBest Visual Effects |
| Renée Zellweger | Presenter of the segment of theAcademy Awards for Technical Achievement and theGordon E. Sawyer Award |
| Sigourney Weaver | Presenter of the filmGladiator on the Best Picture segment |
| Goldie Hawn | Introducer of the performance of excerpts of the nominees for Best Original Score and presenter of the award forBest Original Score |
| Anthony Hopkins | Presenter of theIrving G. Thalberg Memorial Award toDino De Laurentiis |
| Winona Ryder | Introducer of the performance of Best Original Song nominee "I've Seen It All" |
| John Travolta | Presenter of theIn Memoriam tribute |
| Juliette Binoche Jack Valenti | Presenters of the award forBest Foreign Language Film |
| Jennifer Lopez | Introducer of the performance of Best Original Song nominee "Things Have Changed" and presenter of the award forBest Original Song |
| Hilary Swank | Presenter of the award forBest Actor |
| Ashley Judd | Presenter of the filmChocolat on the Best Picture segment |
| Julie Andrews | Presenter of the Honorary Academy Award forErnest Lehman |
| Kevin Spacey | Presenter of the award forBest Actress |
| Tom Hanks | Introducer of presenter Arthur C. Clarke |
| Arthur C. Clarke | Presenter of the award forBest Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published |
| Tom Hanks | Presenter of the award forBest Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen/Original Screenplay |
| Tom Cruise | Presenter of the award forBest Director |
| Michael Douglas | Presenter of the award forBest Picture |
| Role | Name(s) | Performed |
|---|---|---|
| Musical Arranger and Conductor | Bill Conti | Orchestral |
| Performer | Sting | "My Funny Friend and Me" fromThe Emperor's New Groove |
| Performer | Coco Lee | "A Love Before Time" fromCrouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon |
| Performers | Susanna Hoffs Randy Newman | "A Fool in Love" fromMeet the Parents |
| Performers | Yo-Yo Ma Itzhak Perlman | Performed selections from the Best Original Score nominees |
| Performer | Björk | "I've Seen It All" fromDancer in the Dark |
| Performer | Bob Dylan | "Things Have Changed" fromWonder Boys |
Despite earning both critical praise and increased viewership fromlast year's ceremony, actorBilly Crystal announced that he would not host the ceremony for a second consecutive year.[25] He listed his role in the filmAmerica's Sweethearts and his directing and producing duties for themade-for-television film61* as obstacles preventing him from reprising his role as emcee.[26] Shortly after being selected as producer for the awards gala,Gil Cates hired actor and comedianSteve Martin as host for the 2001 telecast.[27] Cates explained his choice of Martin as host saying, "He's a movie star, he's funny, he's classy, he's literate — he'll be a wonderful host."[28] Additionally, AMPAS presidentRobert Rehme approved of the selection stating, "Steve is a man of great style. I am simply elated to have him on board. He was at the top of our list, we offered and he accepted; it was as simple as that."[29] Martin expressed his delight in hosting the gala jokingly retorting, "If you can't win 'em, join 'em."[30]
In view of the gala taking place in the year 2001, Cates christened the show with a theme saluting theStanley Kubrick science fiction film2001: A Space Odyssey.[31] In tandem with the theme, astronautsSusan J. Helms,Yury Usachov, andJames S. Voss who were inside theInternational Space Station Alpha Destiny module duringExpedition 2 appeared at the beginning of the telecast via satellite to introduce host Martin.[32] Throughout the broadcast, the orchestra conducted by film composerBill Conti performed a remixed version of "Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001)" composed by Brazilian jazz musicianEumir Deodato.[33] Furthermore,2001 authorArthur C. Clarke presented the Best Adapted Screenplay award from his home inSri Lanka.[34][35]
Several others participated in the production of the ceremony. Production designer Roy Christopher designed a new stage for the show which featured gigantic louvered cove that curved from the stage floor to the ceiling via the auditorium's backstage wall. Many media outlets described the set design resembling a cross section of aspace capsule.[36] In addition, fourstainless steel arcs each carved with a silhouette of the Oscar statuette were flanked at the front and back of the stage allowing presenters and winners to pass through them.[36] DancerDebbie Allen choreographed the performances of the Best Original Song nominees.[37] MusiciansYo-Yo Ma andItzhak Perlman performed excerpts from the five nominees for Best Original Score.[38][39]
Before the nominees were announced on February 13, the combined gross of the five Best Picture nominees was $471 million with an average of $94 million per film.[40]Gladiator was the highest earner among the Best Picture nominees with $186.6 million in domestic box office receipts. The film was followed byErin Brockovich ($125.5 million),Traffic ($71.2 million),Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon ($60.7 million) and finally,Chocolat ($27 million).[40]
Of the top 50 grossing movies of the year, 49 nominations went to 15 films on the list. OnlyCast Away (3rd),Gladiator (4th),Erin Brockovich (12th),Traffic (31st), andCrouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (41st) directing, acting, screenwriting, or Best Picture.[41] The other top 50 box office hits that earned nominations wereDr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1st),The Perfect Storm (5th),Meet the Parents (7th),The Patriot (17th),Space Cowboys (23rd),The Emperor's New Groove (25th),U-571 (26th),Hollow Man (30th),102 Dalmatians (38th), andThe Cell (40th).[41]
The show received a positive reception from most media outlets. Television criticKen Tucker ofEntertainment Weekly wrote, "As host, Martin was typically dapper and comfortably low-key, pacing himself throughout the evening." He also added, "The Oscars seemed as bouncy and well oiled as Russell Crowe's 'do—a '50sGene Vincent-style quiff that made for a cool rock & roll segue into Dylan's Best Song performance."[42]USA Today critic Robert Bianco gave an average review of the telecast but commended the host stating, "Martin was a droll delight — as amusing as Oscar star Billy Crystal, but in an entirely different way. Where Crystal was all hard work and good humor, the more deadpan and deceptively proper Martin let his nastier jokes sneak up on you."[43]Tom Shales fromThe Washington Post commented Martin was "the best Oscar host sinceJohnny Carson." In addition, he quipped that "The show was almost too dignified for its own good, yet it remained exciting and entertaining even at its loftier and more pretentious moments."[44]
Some media outlets were more critical of the show. Barry Garron ofThe Hollywood Reporter commented, "Here was veteran producer Gil Cates presiding over one of the few Academy Award presentations that ended on time and still managed to be too long." Additionally, he quipped "If nothing else, tonight's show proved that, despite the many Awards most viewers have no interest in, the show can be done in three and a half hours."[45]The Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Steve Murray remarked, "It wasn't just that Martin lacked the impish, insider energy of Billy Crystal – or evenWhoopi Goldberg's hypnotically awful self-satisfaction. No, the 73rd annual Academy Awards still seemed to go on forever, even though it was one of the shortest in years."[46] Television critic John Carman of theSan Francisco Chronicle wrote, "Even with a rookie host, Steve Martin, the Academy Awards show was long on decorum and disappointingly short on verve."[47]
The American telecast on ABC drew in an average of 42.9 million people over its length, which was a 7% decrease from theprevious year's ceremony.[48][49] An estimated 72.2 million total viewers watched all or part of the awards.[49] The show also earned lowerNielsen ratings compared to the previous ceremony with 26.2% of households watching over a 40 share.[50] In addition, it garnered a lower 18–49 demo rating with a 17.8 rating among viewers in that demographic.[50]
In July 2001, the ceremony presentation received eight nominations at the53rd Primetime Emmys.[51] Two months later, the ceremony won one of those nominations for Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Variety Or Music Series Or Special (Edward J. Greene, Tom Vicari, Bob Douglass).[52]
The annual "In Memoriam" tribute, presented by actorJohn Travolta, honored the following people.[53]
Official websites
News resources
Analysis
