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Hollywood makes 'declaration of independents'
'The English Patient' leads Oscar nominations
February 11, 1997
Web posted at: 11:20 a.m. ESTIn this story:
LOS ANGELES (CNN) -- Independent films swept the nominations for top Oscars Tuesday, taking four out of five of the slots for best picture.
"The English Patient" led the pack with 12 nominations in the top categories, including best picture, best director, best actress, best actor and best supporting actress.
A L S O List of nominations for the Academy Awards
Independent films "Fargo" and "Shine" also did well, garnering seven nominations each in the top nine categories.
The nominations were announced Tuesday by Arthur Hiller, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and actress Mira Sorvino, the winner of last year's Oscar for best supporting actress.
"The English Patient," "Fargo," and "Shine" will be competing against "Jerry Maguire" and "Secrets and Lies" in the best picture category. Of the five, only "Jerry Maguire" was produced by a major Hollywood studio.
"I'd never believe that four out of five of the nominees are independent movies. It's a revolution, " said Rolling Stone movie critic Peter Travers on CNN Showbiz Today.
'Rockers go home'
"The shocking thing to me was the Academy's message to Madonna and to Courtney Love: 'Rockers go home,'" Travers added. Both women were passed over in the best actress category. Madonna starred in "Evita," while Love starred in "The People vs. Larry Flynt."
Instead, the nominees for best actress were: Brenda Blethyn for her performance in "Secrets and Lies," Diane Keaton for "Marvin's Room," Frances McDormand for her portrayal of the pregnant police chief in "Fargo," Kristin Scott Thomas for her role in "The English Patient" and Emily Watson for her role as the long-suffering wife in "Breaking the Waves."
Best Actress Nominee Picture Brenda Blethyn "Secrets and Lies" Kristin Scott Thomas "The English Patient" Emily Watson "Breaking the Waves" Diane Keaton "Marvin's Room" Frances McDormand "Fargo"
The best actor field features three Hollywood stars and two lesser known actors. Tom Cruise, who played the title role in "Jerry Maguire," Woody Harrelson, the controversial porn publisher in "The People vs. Larry Flynt" and Ralph Fiennes, the lover in "The English Patient," will face off against two newcomers: Australian Geoffrey Rush, who played classical pianist David Helfgott in "Shine" and Billy Bob Thornton, nominated for his role in "Sling Blade."
Best Actor Nominee Picture Tom Cruise "Jerry Maguire" Ralph Fiennes "The English Patient" Geoffrey Rush "Shine" Woody Harrelson "The People vs. Larry Flynt" Billy Bob Thornton "Sling Blade"
Independent directors nominated
The nominations for best director closely shadow those for best picture with "Shine" (directed by Scott Hicks), "Fargo" (Joel Coen), "Secrets and Lies" (Mike Leigh) and "The English Patient" (Anthony Minghella) nominated in both categories. "The People vs. Larry Flynt" won Milos Forman a nomination for best director although it wasn't nominated for best picture.
Best Director Nominee Picture Milos Forman "The People vs. Larry Flynt" Joel Coen "Fargo" Scott Hicks "Shine" Anthony Minghella "The English Patient" Mike Leigh "Secrets and Lies"
For best supporting actor the nominees are:Cuba Gooding Jr. for "Jerry Maguire," William H. Macy for "Fargo," Armin Mueller-Stahl for "Shine," Edward Norton for "Primal Fear" and James Woods, who played racist Byron De La Beckwith in "Ghosts of Mississippi."
Best Supporting Actor Nominee Picture Cuba Gooding Jr. "Jerry Maguire" William H. Macy "Fargo" Armin Mueller-Stahl "Shine" James Woods "Ghosts of Mississippi" Edward Norton "Primal Fear"
In an interview with CNN following the announcement of the nominations, an emotional Gooding said he was honored to have been nominated and happy that his co-star Cruise was nominated for best actor.
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Best supporting actress nominations went to Joan Allen for "The Crucible," Lauren Bacall for "The Mirror Has Two Faces," Juliette Binoche for "The English Patient," Barbara Hershey for "Portrait of a Lady" and Marianne Jean-Baptiste for "Secrets and Lies."
Best Supporting Actress Nominee Picture Joan Allen "The Crucible" Lauren Bacall "The Mirror Has Two Faces" Juliette Binoche "The English Patient" Barbara Hershey "Portrait of a Lady" Marianne Jean-Baptiste "Secrets and Lies"
The Oscars will be presented during the 69th annual awards ceremony on March 24, to be hosted by comedian Billy Crystal.
Correspondent Jim Moret contributed to this report.
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