New Zealanders foot it with the best in Hollywood

By RUSSELL BAILLIE at the Oscars

The first real Oscar race in years turned into a marathon of surprises, including two dramatic upsets in the acting categories.

But at the finishing line, not one film was fully triumphant.

The 74th Academy Awards ceremony was an epic night of suspense, surprises and high emotion - especially for those following the fortunes of the New Zealand-made The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, which won four Oscars.

In Hollywood, the biggest dramas were in the best actor and actress categories, where African-American stars Denzel Washington and Halle Berry became only the second and first black stars to win those Oscars.

Berry was initially overwhelmed by her Oscar for Monster's Ball, but soon overcame her tears to deliver an impassioned speech which possibly set a new world record for awards ceremony thank-yous.

Washington won for an atypical villain role in Training Day and had earlier fronted a tribute to Sidney Poitier, the only other black to win a best actor Oscar, a fact Washington found amusing in his acceptance speech.

"Two birds in one night, huh? Forty years I've been chasing Sidney and what do they do to me? They give it to him and they give it to me on the same night. I still following you, Sidney."

The Fellowship of the Ring was a front-runner from its wins early in the evening, but its lead was eroded as the evening moved towards the major categories.

In the end, A Beautiful Mind's four wins from eight nominations tied it with the four from 13 gained by Peter Jackson's film.

However, while New Zealand-born Russell Crowe missed out on his second best actor Oscar in a row, his film A Beautiful Mind took the two major awards - best picture and best director - as well as best adapted screenplay and best supporting actress.

As predicted by Jackson and the other Kiwi nominees, Fellowship's wins were all in technical or musical categories.

Richard Taylor, the head of Weta, the workshop behind the New Zealand-made epic, was a double winner, taking the stage twice to pick up the visual effects and make-up Oscars which he shared with American and English technicians who also worked on the film.

Afterwards, a beaming Taylor described the experience as incredible.

"We had three nominations for the workshop today and we won two. We were told it was a record for technical categories, so it's a great testament to Kiwi ingenuity and the number eight fencing wire of Aotearoa, so thank you, Kiwis."

Taylor said the two statuettes would take pride of place at Weta - and occasionally on the mantelpieces of the people who worked there.

"We'll definitely put them somewhere everyone can handle them, see them and take them home. Everyone has already taken the Baftas home."

After accepting his two awards, Taylor lauded Jackson's hard work.

"We have been on the most amazing journey together due in part to the vision of Peter Jackson ... those who went through hours of make-up ... the wonderful genius of the small group of young New Zealanders that gathered around us to make this so possible."

The other Fellowship winners were Australian cameraman Andrew Lesnie, for best cinematography, and Canadian composer Howard Shore, for best original score.

The other New Zealander with a connection to an Oscar winner was expatriate animator Andrew Adamson, whose Shrek won the inaugural best animated feature category.

Earlier on the red carpet, both Jackson and a co-nominee for best adapted screenplay, Philippa Boyens, said they were not expecting to have to leave their seats.

Jackson said: "The only reason not to be calm is if you think you've got to go up on stage and collect an Oscar in front of people. But I am psychologically prepared myself for the fact that I am not.

"I've figured that some Kiwis are going to go up, so I am just going to enjoy that."

Boyens said: "We don't have any expectation of winning, and we're not going to be disappointed because this is so much fun."

Backstage, A Beautiful Mind's winners were tactful to a fault about whether Russell Crowe's behaviour at the Baftas, when he confronted a BBC producer, or the controversy over the accuracy of the film's biographical details had caused him to miss best actor, especially when the movie took the major awards.

Said its Oscar-winning director, Ron Howard: "Taking nothing away from Denzel Washington, but I'm truly disappointed."

Jennifer Connelly, who won best supporting actress for her role, also praised Crowe. "He's an incredible actor. He really carried the film. So the nomination shows everyone's appreciation of his work and his talents.

"It's so hard when you have so many talented people."

Crowe, who arrived in an Armani suit with girlfriend Danielle Spencer at his side, said he hoped Howard would do well.

"I'm here to have a good evening and to hang out with a really well-dressed woman," he said.

But a pocketful of lucky charms, including a Sydney Rabbitohs pin, a small statue of a wizard, a rubber duck, a tiger and a lucky dollar bill, did not appear to help Crowe himself.


Oscar nominees and winners (full list)

nzherald.co.nz/oscars