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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (March 29, 2000)
Page 8 On March 29, 2000 Focus ------------ ^Jurtlaub ©baerver S c r e e n American Beauty’ wins 5 awards at taboo-trouncing Oscars R e it e r s Once taboo sexual subjects — homosexuality, sex with juveniles, women who live as men — took center stage at the Oscars Sunday as “American Beauty” swept the main awards and "B o y s D on’t C ry” made a new star out o f an unknown actress. “American Beauty,” a tale o f a dysfunctional family with its twin plots o f repressed homosexuality and adult fantasies o f sex with a 16- year-old girl, was named the year’s best film, becoming after “Sunset B o u le v a rd ” th e se c o n d film narrated by a dead man to win an Oscar. Besides being named best film, “American Beauty” won Oscars for Sam Mendes for best director, Kevin Spacey for best actor, Conrad L. Hall for best cinematographer and Alan Ball for best original screenplay. Meanwhile Hilary Swank, 25, was named best actress for her tragic role as the woman who thinks she is a man in “Boys Don’t C ry.” “I think this movie opens the door to letting people know w hat’s going on in society and putting an end to intolerance in the future. It is a very big night in history because o f this,” said Swank, whose previous roles included work in “The Next Karate K id” and the television series “Beverly Hills 90210.” A delighted Spacey told reporters, “This film means an enormous amount to m e.... This is an enormous honor.... I forgot my entire speech. Like other members o f the cast, Spacey praised B ritish theater director Sam Mendes for making “American B eauty” a success. Cinematographer Hall compared Mendes to young Orson Welles conquering Hollywood with his first film, “Citizen Kane.” “American Beauty” was also the first film by the new DreamWorks studio to win a best movie Oscar. The theme o f sexual politics figured heavily in many o f this year’s O scars. B esid es “ A m erican Beauty” and “Boys Don’t Cry,” “The Cider House Rules” won Oscars for best adapted screenplay for novelist John Irving and a best supporting actor award forMichael Caine, who plays a doctor who does abortions long before they became legal. Irving also added a political note, thanking the National Abortion Rights Action League and Planned P arenthood in his acceptance speech. After receiving his Oscar for best supporting actor, Caine expressed great empathy for the obstetrician- abortionist he played. “This man was to me the most compassionate creature I’ve ever played, ’ ’ Caine said o f the character Dr. Larch, who both adopted the children o f unwed mothers and perform ed abortions for young women who would otherwise go to back-ally quacks. In a night rampant with jokes about the drama the Oscars have been through this turbulent year — including the theft o f the statuettes — Caine had an audience o f 5,000 o f show business’s elite jumping to their feet to applaud him and the praise he had for his rivals for the award. He declared he did not deserve the Oscar but would accept it only on behalf o f the four others in the race with him — Tom Cruise, Haley Joel O sm ent, M ichael C larke Duncan and Jude Law. “ I was watching all the others and thinking back when I saw all the The Academy Award for best song in Bell” — a reference to the city performances, thinking how the went to Phil Collins, fo r“Y ou’ll Be south o f Los Angeles where the Academy has changed the phrase in M y H e a rt,” from D isney’s Oscars were stolen. The dress that all Hollywood was from, 'and the winner is’, to 'and animated feature “Tarzan.” the Oscar goes to. ’ If ever there was Comedian Billy Crystal, hosting for talking about after the G ram m ys— a category that this applies to, it is the seventh time, opened the show that slit-to-the-navel, cut-to-the- this one, because I do not feel like a in his now traditional manner — crotch gown that Jennifer Lopez appearing digitally inserted into wore to the music industry awards winner.” He said if anyone deserved it, it was several classic films from “E.T.” to last month — made a surprise Oscar Osment, an 11-year-old beaten by a “Casablanca” and “Spartacus” to appearance, worn by the very male this year’s hot favorite for best film, co-creator o f “South Park,” Trey 67-year-old. Parker. Parker was accompanied Angelina Jolie, 24, the tattooed “American Beauty. ’ ’ daughter ofOscar-winning actor Jon Crystal paid tribute to scrap metal by his “South Park” collaborator V oight, won a best supporting dealer Willie Fulgear for finding 52 Matt Stone who wore a replica o f actress Oscar for her portrayal o f a o f the 55 Oscars that were stolen the cotton-candy pink Ralph Lauren mentally ill young woman in “Girl, while en route to the big show and gown worn to last year’s Oscars by said, “We couldn’t have a show th e th en b e st a c tre ss w in n e r Interrupted.” Gwyneth Paltrow. Wearing a full-length black dress. without him .” Jolie embraced her brother Jamie Spotting Jack Nicholson in the The youngest nominee, Osment, and both appeared near tears o f jo y . audience, Crystal said, “Jack has wore a tiny tuxedo made especially " I am in shock. I am just so in love three Oscars but so does some guy for him. with my brother. 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