'Forrest Gump' handed ultimate box of chocolates

LOS ANGELES (AP) Ä ''Forrest Gump,'' the surprise blockbuster about a slow-witted Southerner, won six Oscars on Monday, including best picture. Its star, Tom Hanks, became the second performer to win as best actor two years in a row.

''I feel as though I'm standing on magic legs in a special effects process that is too unbelievable to imagine and far too costly to make a reality,'' said an emotional Hanks, who won last year as the lawyer dying of AIDS in ''Philadelphia.''

Jessica Lange was named best actress for her role as a frustrated Army wife in ''Blue Sky,'' while Dianne Wiest, the grandly melodramatic stage star in ''Bullets Over Broadway,'' and Martin Landau, a washed-up, drug-addicted Bela Lugosi in ''Ed Wood,'' won supporting awards.

Robert Zemeckis won as best director for ''Gump,'' which also took prizes for adapted screenplay, film editing and visual effects.

''Blue Sky'' took an unlikely path to the Oscars: It was shelved for three years because of studio financial troubles; its director, Tony Richardson, died before it was released, and it was a box-office flop despite good reviews.

''This is such a wonderful honor, especially for a little film that seemed to have no future,'' said Lange, who previously won a supporting award for ''Tootsie.''

''Gump,'' whose gross of more than $317 million puts it in the No. 4 spot on Hollywood's list of all-time top moneymakers, had drawn a near-record 13 Academy nominations. But it was unable to turn that baker's dozen into enough Oscars to come close to challenging the most honored film, ''Ben Hur,'' the 1959 release that won 11 Academy Awards.

As ''Gump'' was favored for the top awards, Landau and Wiest had been expected to win in their categories.

''God, what a night, what a life, what a moment, what everything!'' a teary-eyed Landau exclaimed. He thanked director Tim Burton for giving him ''the part of my life'' in the quirky film about Wood, a 1950s movie maker ranked affectionately by some as the worst director of all time.

For Wiest, it was the second supporting award Ä both times in Woody Allen films. Eight years ago she accepted the Oscar for ''Hannah and Her Sisters.''

She hurried exuberantly to the podium and announced, as she began reading her acceptance speech: ''This is as surprising and marvelous as it was the first time, although this time I need glasses.''

''Pulp Fiction'' took the original screenplay award for Quentin Tarantino, who also directed the dark gangster comedy, and Roger Avary. ''Forrest Gump'' brought best adapted screenplay prize for Eric Roth.

Technical awards were spread over an unusually wide field. ''The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert'' took the Oscar for costume design, ''Ed Wood'' for makeup, ''Speed'' for sound effects editing and sound, ''Legends of the Fall'' for cinematography and ''The Madness of King George'' for art direction.

Disney's ''The Lion King'' won best original score and the animated film's ''Can You Feel the Love Tonight?'' by Elton John and Tim Rice was named best song.

Russia's ''Burnt By The Sun'' was honored as best foreign film.

The 67th annual Academy Award ceremonies, at the Shrine Auditorium, had a different host for the third straight year Ä CBS late-night star David Letterman, who appeared nervous and somewhat off his comic stride during much of the evening.

The show, televised by ABC, figured to reach a prime-time global audience exceeding 1 billion in more than 100 countries.

'The folks I work for back in New York have asked me to make this announcement,'' Letterman cracked. ''CBS has signed off for the evening.''

Later he produced his trademark ''Stupid Pet Tricks,'' showing off ''Sadie, the dog that spins when you applaud.'' And he read his patented ''Top Ten List'' of signs that a movie will not win an Oscar, including: ''Nude scene with Uma Thurman replaced by nude scene with Strom Thurmond'' and ''Four words: Dom De Luise is Gandhi.''

The choice of Letterman raised eyebrows in Hollywood because of his offbeat style and his limited connection with the motion picture industry. But Letterman is not the first television personality to preside over the show: Johnny Carson and Carol Burnett have already had the honors.

The theme of this year's Academy Awards was ''Comedy and the Movies,'' because as show producer Gil Cates put it, ''We can all use a good laugh ... the world news has provided few amusements.''

Some awards were announced in advance: Italian filmmaker Michelangelo Antonioni received an honorary Oscar for lifetime achievement. Clint Eastwood was presented the Irving G. Thalberg award for consistently high quality of motion picture production. And Quincy Jones received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.

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