65th Academy Awards

Clint Eastwood, Best Director & Picture winner

Al Pacino, Best Actor winner

Emma Thompson, Best Actress winner

Gene Hackman, Best Supporting Actor winner

Marisa Tomei, Best Supporting Actress winner

Neil Jordan, Best Original Screenplay winner

Régis Wargnier, Best Foreign Language Film winner

Alan Menken, Best Original Score winner and Best Original Song co-winner

Tim Rice, Best Original Song co-winner

Tom Woodruff Jr., Best Visual Effects co-winner

Winners are listed first, highlighted in boldface, and indicated with a double dagger (‡).[14]

Academy Honorary Award

• Federico Fellini — In recognition of his place as one of the screen's master storytellers.[15]

Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Awards

The award recognizes individuals whose humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the motion picture industry.[16]

• Audrey Hepburn[16] (posthumous award)^[B]
• Elizabeth Taylor[17]

At the time of the nominations announcement on February 17, the combined gross of the five Best Picture nominees at the US box office was $252 million, with an average of $50.4 million per film.[32] A Few Good Men was the highest earner among the Best Picture nominees with $120 million in domestic box office receipts. The film was followed by Unforgiven ($75.2 million), Scent of a Woman ($34.1 million), The Crying Game ($14 million), and finally Howards End ($8.7 million).[32]

Of the top 50 grossing movies of the year, 38 nominations went to 13 films on the list. Only A Few Good Men (6th), Unforgiven (17th), Malcolm X (30th) and Scent of a Woman (38th) were nominated for directing, acting, screenwriting, or Best Picture.[33] The other top 50 box office hits that earned nominations were Aladdin (1st), Batman Returns (3rd), Basic Instinct (8th), The Bodyguard (9th), Under Siege (12th), Bram Stoker's Dracula (14th), The Last of the Mohicans (16th), Death Becomes Her (22nd), and Alien³ (26th).[33]

The show received a negative reception from most media publications. Associated Press television critic Frazier Moore lamented that Crystal "seemed incredibly listless". He also questioned the purpose of the "Year of the Woman" theme writing, "The Oscar show itself seemed at odds with its own feminist theme."[34] Robert Bianco from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette derided Allen's musical production numbers, comparing them to the disastrous opening number at the 61st ceremony held in 1989.[35] Columnist Matt Roush of USA Today complained, "Crystal, in a by-now-familiar performance, has, in four years, taken a plum assignment and, by repetition, reduced it to shtick." He also wrote that, "The song medley is getting old hat," and the "smug references to his flop Mr. Saturday Night were out of an improv amateur night."[36]

The telecast also received unfavorable reaction from various public feminist figures. In an interview with Los Angeles Daily News author and activist Betty Friedan condemned the "Year of the Woman" theme commenting, "It had no basis in reality. On behalf of women directors, cinematographer, and producers, I resent the travesty of calling that a tribute."[37] Likewise, President of the National Organization for Women's Los Angeles chapter Tammy Bruce chastised ceremony's feminist tribute as "one of the most hypocritical, patronizing things I saw in my whole life."[38] In response, Gil Cates responded towards the criticism of the theme stating, "The theme developed and raised consciousness in a way that I think is positive, not only for the individual in general but for individual women specifically."[37] He also quoted an ancient Chinese proverb later made famous by former U.S. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt saying, "It is better to light one candle than to curse the darkness."[39]

Despite the adverse reception, the ABC broadcast drew in an average of 45.7 million people over its length, which was a 3% increase from the previous year's ceremony.[7] The show also drew higher Nielsen ratings compared to the previous ceremony with 31.2% of households watching over a 51 share.[40][41] It also drew a higher 18–49 demo rating with a 20.1 rating among viewers in that demographic.[42]