1999 Oscars 71st Academy Awards
Winners Announced: March 21, 1999
Held at: Los Angeles County Music Center
Host: Whoopi Goldberg
Eligibility Year: 1998
“Am I allowed to say I really wanted this? This is fantastic.”
– Steven Spielberg,
Best Director:, Saving Private Ryan
“This is a terrible mistake, because I used up all of my English.”
– Roberto Benigni, after winning his second Oscar of the night for Life is Beautiful
1999 Oscar Nominees and Winners
Best Picture:
Shakespeare in Love – Donna Gigliotti, David Parfitt, Harvey Weinstein, Edward Zwick and Marc Norman, producers (WINNER)
Elizabeth – Alison Owen, Eric Fellner and Tim Bevan, producers
Life Is Beautiful – Elda Ferri and Gianluigi Braschi, producers
Saving Private Ryan – Steven Spielberg, Ian Bryce, Mark Gordon and Gary Levinsohn, producers
The Thin Red Line – Robert Michael Geisler, Grant Hill and John Roberdeau, producers
Best Director:
Steven Spielberg – Saving Private Ryan (WINNER)
Roberto Benigni – Life Is Beautiful
John Madden – Shakespeare in Love
Terrence Malick – The Thin Red Line
Peter Weir – The Truman Show
Best Actor:
Roberto Benigni – Life Is Beautiful as Guido Orefice (WINNER)
Tom Hanks – Saving Private Ryan as Captain John Miller
Ian McKellen – Gods and Monsters as James Whale
Nick Nolte – Affliction as Wade Whitehouse
Edward Norton – American History X as Derek Vinyard
Best Actress:
Gwyneth Paltrow – Shakespeare in Love as Viola De Lesseps (WINNER)
Cate Blanchett – Elizabeth as Queen Elizabeth I of England
Fernanda Montenegro – Central Station as Isadora “Dora” Teixeira
Meryl Streep – One True Thing as Kate Gulden
Emily Watson – Hilary and Jackie as Jacqueline du Pré
Best Supporting Actor:
James Coburn – Affliction as Glen Whitehouse (WINNER)
Robert Duvall – A Civil Action as Jerome Facher
Ed Harris – The Truman Show as Christof
Geoffrey Rush – Shakespeare in Love as Philip Henslowe
Billy Bob Thornton – A Simple Plan as Jacob Mitchell
Best Supporting Actress:
Judi Dench – Shakespeare in Love as Queen Elizabeth I of England (WINNER)
Kathy Bates – Primary Colors as Libby Holden
Brenda Blethyn – Little Voice as Mari Hoff
Rachel Griffiths – Hilary and Jackie as Hilary du Pré
Lynn Redgrave – Gods and Monsters as Hanna
Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen:
Shakespeare in Love – Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard (WINNER)
Bulworth – Warren Beatty and Jeremy Pikser
Life Is Beautiful – Vincenzo Cerami and Roberto Benigni
Saving Private Ryan – Robert Rodat
The Truman Show – Andrew Niccol
Best Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published:
Gods and Monsters – Bill Condon based on the novel Father of Frankenstein by Christopher Bram (WINNER)
Out of Sight – Scott Frank from the novel by Elmore Leonard
Primary Colors – Elaine May adapted from the novel by anonymous
A Simple Plan – Scott B. Smith based on his novel
The Thin Red Line – Terrence Malick adapted from the novel by James Jones
Best Foreign Language Film:
Life Is Beautiful (Italy) in Italian – Roberto Benigni (WINNER)
Central Station (Brazil) in Portuguese – Walter Salles
Children of Heaven (Iran) in Persian – Majid Majidi
The Grandfather (Spain) in Spanish – José Luis Garci
Tango (Argentina) in Spanish – Carlos Saura
Best Original Song:
“When You Believe” from The Prince of Egypt – Music and Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz (WINNER)
“I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” from Armageddon – Music and Lyrics by Diane Warren
“That’ll Do” from Babe: Pig in the City – Music and Lyrics by Randy Newman
“A Soft Place to Fall” from The Horse Whisperer – Music and Lyrics by Allison Moorer and Gwil Owen
“The Prayer” from Quest for Camelot – Music by Carole Bayer Sager and David Foster; Lyrics by Carole Bayer Sager, David Foster, Tony Renis and Alberto Testa
Best Documentary Feature:
The Last Days – James Moll and Ken Lipper (WINNER)
Dancemaker – Matthew Diamond and Jerry Kupfer
The Farm: Angola, USA – Jonathan Stack and Liz Garbus
Lenny Bruce: Swear to Tell the Truth – Robert B. Weide
Regret to Inform – Barbara Sonneborn and Janet Cole
Best Documentary Short Subject:
The Personals: Improvisations on Romance in the Golden Years – Keiko Ibi (WINNER)
A Place in the Land – Charles Guggenheim
Sunrise Over Tiananmen Square – Shui-Bo Wang and Donald McWilliams
Best Live Action Short Film:
Election Night – Kim Magnusson and Anders Thomas Jensen (WINNER)
Culture – Will Speck and Josh Gordon
Holiday Romance – Alexander Jovy and JJ Keith
La Carte Postale – Vivian Goffette
Victor – Simon Sandquist and Joel Bergvall
Best Animated Short Film:
Bunny – Chris Wedge (WINNER)
The Canterbury Tales – Christopher Grace and Jonathan Myerson
Jolly Roger – Mark Baker
More – Mark Osborne and Steve Kalafer
When Life Departs – Karsten Kiilerich and Stefan Fjeldmark
Best Original Dramatic Score:
Life Is Beautiful – Nicola Piovani (WINNER)
Elizabeth – David Hirschfelder
Pleasantville – Randy Newman
Saving Private Ryan – John Williams
The Thin Red Line – Hans Zimmer
Best Original Musical or Comedy Score:
Shakespeare in Love – Stephen Warbeck (WINNER)
A Bug’s Life – Randy Newman
Mulan – Music by Matthew Wilder; Lyrics by David Zippel; Orchestral Score by Jerry Goldsmith
Patch Adams – Marc Shaiman
The Prince of Egypt – Music and Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz; Orchestral Score by Hans Zimmer
Best Sound Effects Editing:
Saving Private Ryan – Gary Rydstrom and Richard Hymns (WINNER)
Armageddon – George Watters II
The Mask of Zorro – David McMoyler
Best Sound:
Saving Private Ryan – Gary Rydstrom, Gary Summers, Andy Nelson and Ron Judkins (WINNER)
Armageddon – Kevin O’Connell, Greg P. Russell and Keith A. Wester
The Mask of Zorro – Kevin O’Connell, Greg P. Russell and Pud Cusack
Shakespeare in Love – Robin O’Donoghue, Dominic Lester and Peter Glossop
The Thin Red Line – Andy Nelson, Anna Behlmer and Paul Brincat
Best Art Direction:
Shakespeare in Love – Art Direction: Martin Childs; Set Decoration: Jill Quertier (WINNER)
Elizabeth – Art Direction: John Myhre; Set Decoration: Peter Howitt
Pleasantville – Art Direction: Jeannine Oppewall; Set Decoration: Jay Hart
Saving Private Ryan – Art Direction: Tom Sanders; Set Decoration: Lisa Dean Kavanaugh
What Dreams May Come – Art Direction: Eugenio Zanetti; Set Decoration: Cindy Carr
Best Cinematography:
Saving Private Ryan – Janusz Kaminski (WINNER)
A Civil Action – Conrad Hall
Elizabeth – Remi Adefarasin
Shakespeare in Love – Richard Greatrex
The Thin Red Line – John Toll
Best Makeup:
Elizabeth – Jenny Shircore (WINNER)
Saving Private Ryan – Lois Burwell, Conor O’Sullivan and Daniel C. Striepeke
Shakespeare in Love – Lisa Westcott and Veronica Brebner
Best Costume Design:
Shakespeare in Love – Sandy Powell (WINNER)
Beloved – Colleen Atwood
Elizabeth – Alexandra Byrne
Pleasantville – Judianna Makovsky
Velvet Goldmine – Sandy Powell
Best Film Editing:
Saving Private Ryan – Michael Kahn (WINNER)
Life Is Beautiful – Simona Paggi
Out of Sight – Anne V. Coates
Shakespeare in Love – David Gamble
The Thin Red Line – Billy Weber, Leslie Jones and Saar Klein
Best Visual Effects:
What Dreams May Come – Joel Hynek, Nicholas Brooks, Stuart Robertson and Kevin Mack (WINNER)
Armageddon – Richard R. Hoover, Pat McClung and John Frazier
Mighty Joe Young – Rick Baker, Hoyt Yeatman, Allen Hall and Jim Mitchell
Academy Honorary Award:
Elia Kazan
Irving G. Thalberg Award:
Norman Jewison
