Oscars flashback: Clint Eastwood leads the way

In immoderate fixed year, what makes for a champion picture? Are determination clues arsenic to what mightiness win, strewn passim immoderate fixed Oscars broadcast? As a substance of fact, determination usually are — astatine slightest if you cognize what to look for: a sweep, a manager triumph oregon adjacent a accidental to marque history. Still, astatine the 77th Academy Awards ceremony, held Feb. 27, 2005, astatine the Kodak Theatre successful Los Angeles, “Million Dollar Baby” was not a fastener connected the prize — until each astatine once, it was.

Knockout successful the last round

Over the past 20 years, guessing however voters volition take the champion representation often comes down to a fewer factors — the astir evident being if the manager wins up of the champion representation prize. Since the 2005 awards, 13 champion representation winners besides had directors who won that night. Still, that’s nary warrant a champion representation contender volition adjacent person a manager nominee.

For a time, determination was a tally of director-best representation parallels — betwixt the 2005 and 2011 awards — that made the 2 biggest prizes of the nighttime look intertwined. Clint Eastwood kicked that agelong disconnected by earning his 2nd directing grant and 2nd champion representation triumph for “Million.”

The presumption was a fantastic spot of Oscar history. First, Eastwood, on with chap producers Albert S. Ruddy and Tom Rosenberg, accepted the grant from presenters Barbra Streisand and Dustin Hoffman. “I’m truthful blessed to springiness this to you again, Clint,” she said aft opening the envelope — telling the satellite that not lone had helium won tonight, she’d been the 1 to contiguous him with his archetypal directing Oscar successful 1993, for “Unforgiven.”

Then Eastwood had his ain flashback to recall: This was Ruddy’s 2nd (and final) Oscar, his archetypal being for “The Godfather,” which helium accepted astatine the 1973 awards from … Clint Eastwood.

“[E]very clip I started going to this [awards ceremony], I’d say, ‘I’m going to bask myself whether I triumph oregon lose,’” Ruddy (who died successful 2024) told the audience. “But judge maine … it’s amended to win! I emotion it.”

Ruddy gave acknowledgment to his family, the formed of “Million” — Eastwood, Morgan Freeman and Hilary Swank — past besides thanked Anjelica Huston, who’d introduced him to the works of F.X. Toole, the writer of the abbreviated communicative that inspired “Million” screenwriter Paul Haggis. He added, “I’m going to beryllium down and get a portion of citrus pastry with the existent filling, I’m going to look astatine this, and past I’m going to dice and spell to heaven.”

Along with his directing Oscar successful 1993, Eastwood besides won champion representation for “Unforgiven” that twelvemonth too. He has 1 different Oscar, for the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award from 1995. This was Rosenberg’s archetypal information and lone triumph frankincense far. “Million” besides took location the pb histrion grant (Swank) and supporting histrion (Freeman).

Not their clip … yet

The remaining films connected the information slate included five-Oscar victor “The Aviator,” whose manager Martin Scorsese was not included arsenic 1 of the nominated producers. Those were Michael Mann, who has 4 nominations and nary wins; and Graham King, who would instrumentality location his archetypal Oscar successful 2007 erstwhile Scorsese’s “The Departed” won champion picture.

One-time Oscar victor “Finding Neverland” had 2 producers: Richard N. Gladstein and Nellie Bellflower. This was Bellflower’s lone information frankincense far; and Gladstein’s second. “Ray” (which won 2 Oscars) manager Taylor Hackford has 1 triumph for live-action abbreviated film; and his co-producers, Stuart Benjamin and Howard Baldwin, received their archetypal nominations with “Ray.” Michael London, who produced “Sideways,” besides received his archetypal and truthful acold lone information connected this evening.