The 78th Annual Academy Awards (2006) (TV)

Directors:

Louis J. Horvitz
Roger Goodman

Writers:

Rich Blomquist (writer)
Josh Bycel (writer)

Release Date:

5 March 2006 (USA)

Plot:

Films contending for the annual awards include Brokeback Mountain (2005), Capote (2005), Crash (2004/I), Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005) and Munich (2005). |

Plot Keywords:

TV Special | Music | Awards Show | Number In Title

Awards:

Won 4 Primetime Emmys. Another 5 nominations

Cast

Jon Stewart	...	Himself - Host
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Amy Adams	...	Herself - Nominee: Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Moustapha Akkad	...	Himself, in memorial sequence (archive footage)
Jessica Alba	...	Herself - Co-presenter: Best Sound
Eddie Albert	...	Memorial sequence (archive footage)
Muhammad Ali	...	Himself (archive footage)
Robert Altman	...	Himself - Honorary Award Recipient
Jennifer Aniston	...	Herself - Presenter: Best Costume Design
Colleen Atwood	...	Herself - Winner: Best Costume Design
Lauren Bacall	...	Herself - Presenter
Eric Bana	...	Himself - Presenter
Anne Bancroft	...	Memorial Tribute (archive footage)
Paul Beauregard	...	Himself - Winner: Best Original Song
Dion Beebe	...	Himself - Winner: Best Cinematography
Barbara Bel Geddes	...	Memorial sequence (archive footage)
Howard Berger	...	Himself - Winner: Best Makeup
Nicole Berger	...	Dancer
John Box	...	Himself, in memorial sequence (archive footage)
Steve Box	...	Himself - Winner: Best Animated Feature
Christopher Boyes	...	Himself - Winner: Best Sound
Zach Braff	...	Chicken Little - Co-presenter (voice)
Sandra Bullock	...	Herself - Co-presenter: Best Art Direction
Tim Burton	...	Himself - Nominee: Best Animated Feature Film
Jordi Caballero	...	Dancer
John Canemaker	...	Himself - Winner: Best Short Film - Animated
Steve Carell	...	Himself- Presenter: Best Achievement in Makeup
George Clooney	...	Himself - Winner / Nominee / Presenter
Cedric Coleman	...	Himself - Winner: Best Original Song
Russell Crowe	...	Himself - Presenter: Biographical film montage
Joan Cusack	...	Co-presenter: Best Animated Short (voice) (as Abby Mallard)
Yves Darondeau	...	Himself - Winner: Best Documentary Feature
Sandra Dee	...	Memorial sequence (archive footage)
Judi Dench	...	Herself - Nominee: Best Actress in a Leading Role
Matt Dillon	...	Himself - Nominee: Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Will Ferrell	...	Himself - Co-presenter: Best Makeup
John Fiedler	...	Memorial sequence (archive footage)
Jamie Foxx	...	Himself - Presenter: Best Actor
Anthony Franciosa	...	Memorial sequence (archive footage)
Morgan Freeman	...	Himself - Presenter: Best Supporting Actor
Mahatma Gandhi	...	Himself (archive footage)
Sidney Ganis	...	Himself - Academy President (as Sid Ganis)
Jennifer Garner	...	Presenter - Best Sound Editing
Lou Gehrig	...	Himself (archive footage)
Paul Giamatti	...	Himself - Nominee: Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Guy Green	...	Himself, in memorial sequence (archive footage)
Jake Gyllenhaal	...	Himself - Nominee / Presenter
Paul Haggis	...	Himself - Winner: Best Picture / Screenplay
Tom Hanks	...	Himself
Salma Hayek	...	Herself - Presenter
Kasie Head	...	Trophy Presenter
Michael Hedges	...	Himself - Winner: Best Sound
Debra Hill	...	Herself, in memorial sequence (archive footage)
Joel Hirschhorn	...	Himself, in memorial sequence (archive footage)
Dustin Hoffman	...	Himself - Presenter
Philip Seymour Hoffman	...	Himself - Winner: Best Actor in a Leading Role
Gavin Hood	...	Himself - Winner: Best Foreign Film
Mike Hopkins	...	Himself - Winner: Best Sound Editing
Jordan Houston	...	Himself - Winner: Best Original Song
Terrence Howard	...	Himself - Presenter: Best Documentary Short & Nominee: Best Actor in a Leading Role
Felicity Huffman	...	Herself - Nominee: Best Actress in a Leading Role
William Hurt	...	Himself - Nominee: Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Alberto Iglesias	...	Himself - Nominee: Best Original Score
Samuel L. Jackson	...	Himself - Presenter
Luc Jacquet	...	Himself - Winner: Best Documentary Feature
Tom Kane	...	Announcer
Catherine Keener	...	Herself - Nominee: Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Kathleen Kennedy	...	Herself - Nominee: Best Picture
Nicole Kidman	...	Herself - Presenter: Best Supporting Actor
Keira Knightley	...	Herself - Nominee: Best Actress in a Leading Role
Robert Knudson	...	Himself, in memorial sequence (archive footage)
Tami Lane	...	Herself - Winner: Best Makeup
Queen Latifah	...	Herself - Presenter: Best Original Song
Heath Ledger	...	Himself - Nominee: Best Actor in a Leading Role
Ang Lee	...	Himself - Winner: Best Director
Ernest Lehman	...	Himself, in memorial sequence (archive footage)
Joe Letteri	...	Himself - Winner: Best Visual Effects
Stu Linder	...	Himself, in memorial sequence (archive footage)
Jennifer Lopez	...	Herself - Presenter
Ludacris	...	Himself - Presenter: Song Performance 'It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp' (as Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges)
William H. Macy	...	Himself
Corinne Marrinan	...	Himself - Winner: Best Short Film - Documentary
Rachel McAdams	...	Herself - Presenter: Scientific & Technical Achievement Awards
James McAvoy	...	Himself / Mr. Tumnus, the Faun (archive footage)
Martin McDonagh	...	Himself - Winner: Best Short Film, Live Action
Frances McDormand	...	Herself - Nominee: Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Larry McMurtry	...	Himself - Winner: Best Adapted Screenplay
Ismail Merchant	...	Himself, in memorial sequence (archive footage)
Bennett Miller	...	Himself - Nominee: Best Director
John Mills	...	Memorial sequence (archive footage)
Robert Moresco	...	Himself - Winner: Best Original Screenplay (as Bobby Moresco)
Pat Morita	...	Memorial sequence (archive footage) (as Noriyuki 'Pat' Morita)
John Myhre	...	Himself - Winner: Best Art Direction
John Nash	...	Himself (archive footage) (as John Forbes Nash)
Robert F. Newmyer	...	Himself, in memorial sequence (archive footage)
Fayard Nicholas	...	Memorial sequence (archive footage)
Jack Nicholson	...	Himself - Presenter: Best Picture
Dan O'Herlihy	...	Memorial sequence (archive footage)
Diana Ossana	...	Herself - Winner: Best Adapted Screenplay & Nominee: Best Picture
Nick Park	...	Himself - Winner: Best Animated Feature
Dolly Parton	...	Herself - Nominee: Best Original Song & Performer
George S. Patton	...	Himself (archive footage)
Hammond Peek	...	Himself - Winner: Best Sound
Chris Penn	...	Memorial sequence (archive footage)
Itzhak Perlman	...	Himself - Performer
Brock Peters	...	Memorial sequence (archive footage)
Marisa Petroro	...	Trophy Presenter
Joaquin Phoenix	...	Himself - Nominee: Best Actor in a Leading Role
Rodrigo Prieto	...	Himself - Nominee: Best Cinematography
Richard Pryor	...	Memorial sequence (archive footage)
Joe Ranft	...	Himself, in memorial sequence (archive footage)
Gretchen Rau	...	Herself - Winner: Best Art Direction
Keanu Reeves	...	Himself - Co-presenter: Best Art Direction
Christian Rivers	...	Himself - Winner: Best Visual Effects
Gustavo Santaolalla	...	Himself - Winner: Best Original Score
Vincent Schiavelli	...	Memorial sequence (archive footage)
Robert J. Schiffer	...	Himself, in memorial sequence (archive footage)
Cathy Schulman	...	Herself - Winner: Best Picture
Michael Semanick	...	Himself - Winner: Best Sound
Moira Shearer	...	Memorial sequence (archive footage)
Simone Simon	...	Memorial sequence (archive footage)
Eric Simonson	...	Himself - Winner: Best Short Film - Documentary
Will Smith	...	Himself - Presenter: Best Foreign Film
Big Spence	...	Himself
Steven Spielberg	...	Himself - Nominee: Best Picture & Best Director
Kevin Alexander Stea	...	Dancer - It's Hard Out Here For A Pimp
Peggy Stern	...	Herself - Winner: Best Short Film - Animated
Ben Stiller	...	Himself - Presenter: Best Visual Effects
David Strathairn	...	Himself - Nominee: Best Actor in a Leading Role
Meryl Streep	...	Herself - Co-presenter: Honorary Award to Robert Altman
Hilary Swank	...	Herself - Presenter: Best Actor
Richard Taylor	...	Himself - Winner: Best Visual Effects
Charlize Theron	...	Herself - Nominee: Best Actress in a Leading Role & Presenter
Three 6 Mafia	...	Themselves - Performers ("It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp")
Uma Thurman	...	Herself - Presenter
Lily Tomlin	...	Herself - Co-presenter: Honorary Award to Robert Altman
John Travolta	...	Himself - Presenter
Casey Tutton	...	Steve Martin's daughter in Jon Stewart's opening film
Ryan Tutton	...	Steve Martin's son in Jon Stewart's opening film
Ethan Van der Ryn	...	Himself - Winner: Best Sound Editing
Brian Van't Hul	...	Himself - Winner: Best Visual Effects
Nacho Vigalondo	...	Himself - Audience member
Naomi Watts	...	Herself - Presenter
Rachel Weisz	...	Herself - Winner: Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Onna White	...	Herself, in memorial sequence (archive footage)
John Williams	...	Himself - Nominee: Best Original Score
Michelle Williams	...	Herself - Nominee: Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Luke Wilson	...	Himself - Co-presenter: Best Live Action Short
Owen Wilson	...	Himself - Co-presenter: Best Live Action Short
Hughes Winborne	...	Himself - Winner: Best Editing
Shelley Winters	...	Memorial sequence (archive footage)
Robert Wise	...	Himself, in memorial sequence (archive footage)
Reese Witherspoon	...	Herself - Winner: Best Actress in a Leading Role
Edward D. Wood Jr.	...	Himself (archive footage) (as Ed Wood)
Teresa Wright	...	Memorial sequence (archive footage)
Kathleen York	...	Herself - Nominee: Best Original Song & Performer (as Kathleen 'Bird' York)
Hawk Younkins	...	Himself
Ziyi Zhang	...	Herself - Presenter

Runtime:

214 min (including commercials)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Filming Locations:

Beverly Hilton Hotel - 9876 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, California, USA

Company:

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS)

Trivia:

First time since 1962 that the four acting winners (Best Actor (Philip Seymour Hoffman), Best Actress (Reese Witherspoon), Best Supporting Actor (George Clooney), and Best Supporting Actress (Rachel Weisz)) were all first-time nominees.

Quotes:

Jon Stewart: There are women here who could afford barely enough gown to cover their breasts.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Oprah Winfrey Show: Oprah's After Oscar Party 2006 from the Kodak Theater" (2006)

Soundtrack:

Travelin' Thru

Jon Stewart is the best host ever!

It's not often that I give the Academy Awards 10/10; after all, what is it except self-congratulation? But Jon Stewart was the perfect host. He was exactly right in his question to Steven Spielberg when referring to "Schindler's List" and "Munich": what will happen to us Jews next?

The only problem this year was the final award: "Brokeback Mountain" was something new, while "Crash" was a little too safe. But other than that, I liked "The 78th Annual Academy Awards". Back in the days when only big, overblown, pompous musicals could receive nominations for Best Original Song, who would have guessed that there would be a winner called "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp"? But, as Jon Stewart noted, it just got a lot easier for a pimp!

Anyway, I agreed with most of the winners, even if there were some predictable ones (but don't get me wrong: Philip Seymour Hoffman and Reese Witherspoon both did very well in their performances). And I laud George Clooney for encouraging Hollywood to make more movies about what's going on in the world, such as "Syriana". Knowing what a great host Jon Stewart was, I would like to see Stephen Colbert host the Oscars one year; in his persona, he could rant against Hollywood for hating America (let's face it: how many movies has Hollywood made saying anything good about the US of A?).

All in all, a great ceremony, especially with Meryl Streep and Lily Tomlin overlapping their dialogue to award Robert Altman (RIP) his Honorary Oscar.