56th Academy Awards

James L. Brooks, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Picture winner

Robert Duvall, Best Actor winner

Shirley MacLaine, Best Actress winner

Jack Nicholson, Best Supporting Actor winner

Linda Hunt, Best Supporting Actress winner

Bill Conti, Best Original Score winner

Michel Legrand, Best Original Song Score co-winner

Giorgio Moroder, Best Original Song co-winner

Winners are listed first, highlighted in boldface and indicated with a double dagger ().[13]

• Hal Roach – "In recognition of his unparalleled record of distinguished contributions to the motion picture art form."[14]

The award recognizes individuals whose humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the motion picture industry.[15]

• M. J. Frankovich[16]

• Richard Edlund, Dennis Muren, Ken Ralston and Phil Tippett for the visual effects of Return of the Jedi.[17]

At the time of the nominations announcement on February 16, the combined gross of the five Best Picture nominees at the US box office was $151 million.[26] Terms of Endearment was the highest earner among the Best Picture nominees with $72.9 million in the domestic box office receipts. The film was followed by The Big Chill ($52.5 million), The Right Stuff ($15.7 million), Tender Mercies ($8.44 million), and The Dresser ($562,623).[26]

Columnist Jerry Coffey from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram wrote, "Nothing that goes on during an Oscarcast is worth the tedium dumbly endured by the ever-gullible audience for moviedom's annual spasm of gross self-indulgence."[27] Austin American-Statesman film critic Patrick Taggart commented, "By now after a week after the fact, it is a matter of record that Monday's Academy Awards show was without the dullest ever." He added, "The Oscar went to the predictable choice in every case, and not only were there no surprises among the awards, there weren't even any of those deliciously embarrassing moments that make live television what it is."[28] Television critic Howard Rosenberg of the Los Angeles Times noted, "Be honest. This was not one of your more electrifying Academy Awards telecasts. The three hours and 40 minutes passed as swiftly as Barry Lyndon." He also said, "And the tradition of squeezing nearly all of the major, most glamorous awards into the last half hour again proved mistake, ill conceived, and just plain dumb."[29]

Other media outlets received the broadcast more positively. Television columnist John J. O'Connor of The New York Times wrote, "The tone of the proceedings was set and maintained by a spiritedly genial Mr. Carson." He also added that Carson was able to "provide with eternally boyish grace his typical comedy mix."[30] The Baltimore Sun film critic Stephen Hunter quipped, "The show, one of the crispest and most swiftly-paced in recent years, enjoyed its greatest asset in the return of Johnny Carson to the role of master of ceremonies. Mr. Carson was in top form."[31] Mike Duffy of the Detroit Free Press wrote, "Johnny Carson, once again the invaluable host, added some much needed spice with well-timed zingers. And I especially enjoyed Jack Nicholson's impersonation of a Blues Brother behind those black be-bopper shades."[32]

The American telecast on ABC drew in an average of 42.1 million people over the length of the entire ceremony, which was a 21% decrease from the previous year's ceremony.[33] Moreover, the show drew lower Nielsen ratings compared to the previous ceremony with 30.3% of households watching with a 50% share.[34] Nevertheless, the ceremony presentation received four nominations at the 36th Primetime Emmys in August 1984.[35] The following month, the ceremony won one of those nominations for Outstanding Art Direction for a Variety Program (Roy Christopher).[36]