| 75th Academy Awards | |
|---|---|
 Official poster by Alex Swart[1] | |
| Date | March 23, 2003 |
| Site | Kodak Theatre Hollywood,Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Hosted by | Steve Martin |
| Preshow hosts | Jann Carl Chris Connelly Jim Moret Shaun Robinson[2] |
| Produced by | Gilbert Cates |
| Directed by | Louis J. Horvitz |
| Highlights | |
| Best Picture | Chicago |
| Most awards | Chicago (6) |
| Most nominations | Chicago (13) |
| TV in the United States | |
| Network | ABC |
| Duration | 3 hours, 30 minutes[3] |
| Ratings | 33.04 million 20.58% (Nielsen ratings) |
The75th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by theAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) took place on March 23, 2003, at theKodak Theatre inHollywood,Los Angeles. During the ceremony, AMPAS presented Academy Awards (commonly referred to as Oscars) in 24 categories honoringfilms released in 2002.[4] The ceremony, televised in the United States byABC, was produced byGilbert Cates and was directed by Louis J. Horvitz.[5] ActorSteve Martin hosted for the second time, having previously presided over the73rd ceremony held in 2001.[6] Three weeks earlier in a ceremony atRegent Beverly Wilshire Hotel inBeverly Hills, California held on March 1, theAcademy Awards for Technical Achievement were presented by hostKate Hudson.[7]
Chicago won six awards, includingBest Picture.[8][9] Other winners includedThe Pianist with three awards,Frida andThe Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers with two, and8 Mile,Adaptation,Bowling for Columbine,The ChubbChubbs!,The Hours,Nowhere in Africa,Road to Perdition,Spirited Away,Talk to Her,This Charming Man, andTwin Towers with one. The telecast garnered about 33 million viewers in the United States, making it the least-watched and lowest-rated televised Oscar ceremony to that point.
The nominees for the 75th Academy Awards were announced on February 11, 2003, at theSamuel Goldwyn Theater inBeverly Hills, California, byFrank Pierson, president of the Academy, and Academy Award winning-actressMarisa Tomei.[10]Chicago received the most nominations with thirteen;Gangs of New York came in second with ten.[11]
The winners were announced during the awards ceremony on March 23, 2003.[12]Chicago became the first musical film to win Best Picture since 1968'sOliver![13] At age 29,Adrien Brody was theyoungest person to win Best Actor.[14] With her 13th nomination,Meryl Streep became the most nominated actor in Oscar history.[15] Meanwhile, Best Actor nomineeJack Nicholson earned his 12th nomination, extending his record as the most nominated male performer.[16] Julianne Moore was the ninth performer to earntwo acting nominations in the same year.[17] "Lose Yourself" from8 Mile became the firsthip hop song to win the Best Original Song award.[18]
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Winners are listed first, highlighted inboldface, and indicated with a double dagger (‡).[4]
| Nominations | Film |
|---|---|
| 13 | Chicago |
| 10 | Gangs of New York |
| 9 | The Hours |
| 7 | The Pianist |
| 6 | Frida |
| Road to Perdition | |
| The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | |
| 4 | Adaptation |
| Far from Heaven | |
| 2 | Talk to Her |
| About Schmidt | |
| Catch Me If You Can | |
| Spider-Man |
| Awards | Film |
|---|---|
| 6 | Chicago |
| 3 | The Pianist |
| 2 | Frida |
| The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers |
The following individuals presented awards or performed musical numbers.[20]
| Name(s) | Role |
|---|---|
| Neil Ross Randy Thomas | Announcers for the 75th annual Academy Awards |
| Cameron Diaz | Presenter of the award forBest Animated Feature Film |
| Keanu Reeves | Presenter of the award forBest Visual Effects |
| Jennifer Connelly | Presenter of the award forBest Supporting Actor |
| Jennifer Lopez | Presenter of the award forBest Art Direction |
| John Travolta | Introducer of the performance of Best Original Song nominee "I Move On" |
| Jennifer Garner Mickey Mouse | Presentations of the award forBest Animated Short Film |
| Jennifer Garner | Presenter of the award forBest Live Action Short Film |
| Mira Sorvino | Presenter of the award forBest Costume Design |
| Brendan Fraser | Presenter of the filmThe Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers on the Best Picture segment |
| Steve Martin | Introducer of the performance of Best Original Song nominee "Father and Daughter" |
| Nia Vardalos | Presenter of the award forBest Makeup |
| Sean Connery | Presenter of the award forBest Supporting Actress |
| Matthew McConaughey | Presenter of the filmGangs of New York on the Best Picture segment |
| Kate Hudson | Presenter of the segment of theAcademy Awards for Technical Achievement and theGordon E. Sawyer Award |
| Renée Zellweger | Presenter of the award forBest Original Score |
| Julie Andrews | Presenter of the montage highlighting past Academy Award telecast musical numbers |
| Gael García Bernal | Introducer of the performance of Best Original Song nominee "Burn it Blue" |
| Salma Hayek | Presenter of the award forBest Foreign Language Film |
| Julianne Moore | Presenter of the awards forBest Sound andBest Sound Editing |
| Diane Lane | Presenter of the award forBest Documentary Feature |
| Jack Valenti | Presenter of the award forBest Documentary Short Subject |
| Julia Roberts | Presenter of the award forBest Cinematography |
| Kathy Bates | Presenter of the montage interviewing previous acting Oscar winners |
| Colin Farrell | Introducer of the performance of Best Original Song nominee "The Hands That Built America" |
| Geena Davis | Presenter of the award forBest Film Editing |
| Susan Sarandon | Presenter of theIn Memoriam Tribute |
| Hilary Swank | Presenter of the filmThe Hours on the Best Picture segment |
| Barbra Streisand | Presenter of the award forBest Original Song |
| Dustin Hoffman | Presenter of the filmThe Pianist on the Best Picture segment |
| Meryl Streep | Presenter of theAcademy Honorary Award toPeter O'Toole |
| Halle Berry | Presenter of the award forBest Actor |
| Denzel Washington | Presenter of the award forBest Actress |
| Olivia de Havilland | Presenter of the Oscar Family Album segment |
| Frank Pierson | Remarks by the AMPAS President |
| Richard Gere | Presenter of the filmChicago on the Best Picture segment |
| Marcia Gay Harden | Presenter of the award forBest Adapted Screenplay |
| Ben Affleck | Presenter of the award forBest Original Screenplay |
| Harrison Ford | Presenter of the award forBest Director |
| Kirk Douglas Michael Douglas | Presenters of the award forBest Picture |
| Name(s) | Role | Performed |
|---|---|---|
| Bill Conti | Musical arranger and Conductor | Orchestral |
| Queen Latifah Catherine Zeta-Jones | Performers | "I Move On" fromChicago |
| Paul Simon | Performer | "Father and Daughter" fromThe Wild Thornberrys Movie |
| Lila Downs Caetano Veloso | Performers | "Burn It Blue" fromFrida |
| U2 | Performers | "The Hands That Built America" fromGangs of New York |
In November 2002, the Academy hired veteran Oscar telecast producerGilbert Cates to oversee the telecast for the eleventh time.[21] "With ten shows under his belt, no other living producer even comes close to the depth of his experience," said AMPAS presidentFrank Pierson in a press release announcing the selection. "Gil practically invented the awards show as a stylistic genre. We're privileged to have him present a very special event to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Oscars."[22] A few days later, actor and comedianSteve Martin was chosen to emcee the upcoming telecast. Cates explained his reason to bring back the veteran comedian saying, "A host who's witty, clever, sharp, intelligent, quick on his feet and always on top of the unfolding action. Wait, I've forgotten something. Oh yeah, and outrageously funny."[23] According to the article published in theLos Angeles Times, Cates approached actor and veteran Oscar hostBilly Crystal for emceeing duties. However, as time passed and Crystal was still undecided regarding the job, Cates offered the hosting role to Martin.[24] In a statement, Martin expressed that he was honored to be selected to emcee the telecast joking, "I'm very pleased to be hosting the Oscars again, because fear and nausea always make me lose weight."[25] In addition, this was the first Oscar ceremony broadcast inhigh-definition.[26]
The ceremony took place on March 23, 2003, at theKodak Theatre inHollywood,Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m.PST / 8:30 p.m.EST. To commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Academy Awards, 59 actors who have received both competitive and honorary awards appeared seated onstage together during a segment called Oscar's Family Album.[27] Each former winner was acknowledged by announcer Neil Ross and Randy Thomas with the films he or she won for. At the end of the segment newly minted winners Adrien Brody, Chris Cooper, Nicole Kidman, and Catherine Zeta-Jones, along with Honorary Oscar recipient Peter O'Toole, joined them.[28]
Furthermore, the American-ledinvasion of Iraq affected the telecast and its surrounding events. Hours after news that the war had commenced several actors such asCate Blanchett,Jim Carrey, andWill Smith resigned from their roles as presenters citing safety concerns and respect for military families.[29] Despite pleas from broadcasterABC to postpone the proceedings up to a week, AMPAS president Pierson and ceremony producer Cates refused to delay the gala to a different date citing unavailability of theKodak Theatre during that time.[30][31] Pierson also stated that moving the festivities to a different venue would be too expensive for the Academy.[32] However, they also announced that the red carpet festivities would be severely curtailed.[33] The bleacher seats situated alongHollywood Boulevard would also be dismantled, and ticket holders for those seats would receiverain checks that were good towardsthe following year's event.[34][35] Periodically during commercial breaks,ABC News anchor and journalistPeter Jennings gave news brief updates regarding the events happening overseas.[36]
At the time of the nominations announcement on February 11, the combined gross of the five Best Picture nominees at the US box office was $486 million, with an average of $97.3 million per film.[37]The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers was the highest earner among the Best Picture nominees with $321 million in domestic box office receipts. The film was followed byGangs of New York ($70.1 million),Chicago ($64.5 million),The Hours ($21.8 million), and finallyThe Pianist ($9.1 million).[37]
Of the top 50 grossing movies of the year, 47 nominations went to 14 films on the list. OnlyThe Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2nd),My Big Fat Greek Wedding (5th),Ice Age (9th),Catch Me If You Can (11th),Lilo & Stitch (13th),Road to Perdition (23rd),Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (35th),Gangs of New York (37th), andChicago (41st) were nominated for Best Picture, Best Animated Feature, or any of the directing, acting, or screenwriting awards.[38] The other top 50 box office hits that earned nominations wereSpider-Man (1st),Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones (3rd),Minority Report (16th),8 Mile (22nd), andThe Time Machine (44th).[38]
Shortly after winning the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature,Bowling for Columbine directorMichael Moore spoke out against U.S. PresidentGeorge W. Bush and theIraq War which had just started three days prior. He further criticized the president by stating, "We live in a time where [sic] we have fictitious election results that elects [sic] a fictitious president. We live in a time where [sic] we have a man sending us to war for fictitious reasons."[39] The speech was received with a cacophony of boos, applause, and standing ovations from the audience at the theater.[40] Moments after the speech concluded, in order to lighten the mood, host Martin joked, "TheTeamsters are helping Michael Moore into the trunk of his limo."[41]
The show received a positive reception from most media publications. Television critic Robert Bianco ofUSA Today commended Martin's hosting performance writing that, "Luckily for viewers, Martin has two other qualities that are essential to a good Academy Awards host: wit and insider status. He used both to his and our advantage, winning the crowd's confidence and then gleefully mocking them all night." He also noted that the political remarks from presenters and speeches "a touch of tension to what is so often a dull evening."[42]Pittsburgh Post-Gazette television columnistRob Owen raved that "Martin radiates class and wit, something often lacking in awards show hosts. From jokes about the allegedly scaled-down ceremony to reaction to his return to the Oscar stage, Martin entertained consistently." He also quipped that even the segments honoring Oscar history "seemed tighter and less tedious."[43]Tom Shales ofThe Washington Post gave high marks to Martin commenting, "Helping immeasurably to make it a great show was Steve Martin, who served as host for the second time and triumphed as a welcome sardonic voice amid all the usual piousness and self-adulation." He also commented that despite the toned-down atmosphere, the speeches and tributes provided several heartfelt and memorable moments desperately needed in uncertain times.[44]
Some media outlets were more critical of the show. Television criticKen Tucker ofEntertainment Weekly bemoaned, "A wonderful, intelligent Oscar hosttwo years ago, Martin on this night looked as though he'd thrown in the towel backstage and let comedy writerBruce Vilanch come up with a batch of gormless ain't-Hollywood-goofy lines to absolve him of responsibility for being hilarious."[45]Chicago Tribune columnist Steve Johnson lamented, "Martin in his second turn hosting Hollywood's big night was, especially in the early going, slightly off-key, his attempt to keep a jovial face on things understandable but eventually coming to seem a touch disrespectful." He went on to say, "Except for the Moore line, he simply was not able to perform a perhaps impossible task, putting people at ease about attending, or watching, a party as a war raged, visible to anyone who flipped over toCNN."[46]David Zurawik ofThe Baltimore Sun quipped, "As the rest of the world saw televised images of captives and corpses identified as American soldiers, we watched host Steve Martin and a theater full of celebrities celebrating their self importance. Try as they might last night in the capital of Fantasy Land to create a program that would transport us beyond current events, they never came close." He also complained that many of the evening's comments and jokes seemed tone deaf and disrespectful in light of the war.[47]
The American telecast on ABC drew in an average of 33.04 million people over its length, which was a 21% decrease from theprevious year's ceremony.[48] An estimated 62.55 million total viewers watched all or part of the awards.[49] The show also earned lowerNielsen ratings compared to the previous ceremony with 20.58% of households watching over a 40.34 share.[50] In addition, it garnered a lower 18–49 demo rating with a 12.55 rating over a 35.37 share among viewers in that demographic.[50] Many media outlets observed thatcable news coverage of the Iraq War diverted home viewers' attention from the ceremony and therefore contributed to the lower ratings.[51] At the time, it earned the lowest viewership for an Academy Award telecast since figures were compiled beginning with the46th ceremony in 1974 and the lowest ratings for any broadcast sinceNielsen Media Research kept track of such data since the33rd ceremony in 1961.[52]
In July 2003, the ceremony presentation received eight nominations at the55th Primetime Emmys.[53] Two months later, the ceremony won three of those nominations for Outstanding Art Direction For A Variety Or Music Program (Roy Christopher), Outstanding Lighting Direction (Electronic, Multi-camera) for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program (Robert Barnhart, Robert A. Dickinson, Andy O'Reilly), and Outstanding Music Direction (Bill Conti).[54]
The annual "In Memoriam" tribute, presented by actressSusan Sarandon, honored the following people.[55]
