1989
The 61st Academy Awards | 1989
Shrine Civic Auditorium
Wednesday, March 29, 1989
Honoring movies released in 1988
Highlights
Memorable Moments
Winners & Nominees
Actor in a Leading Role
Winner
Dustin Hoffman
Rain Man
Nominees
Edward James Olmos
Stand and Deliver
Max von Sydow
Pelle the Conqueror
Gene Hackman
Mississippi Burning
Tom Hanks
Big
Actor in a Supporting Role
Winner
Kevin Kline
A Fish Called Wanda
Nominees
Alec Guinness
Little Dorrit
Martin Landau
Tucker The Man and His Dream
River Phoenix
Running on Empty
Dean Stockwell
Married to the Mob
Actress in a Leading Role
Winner
Jodie Foster
The Accused
Nominees
Glenn Close
Dangerous Liaisons
Melanie Griffith
Working Girl
Meryl Streep
A Cry in the Dark
Sigourney Weaver
Gorillas in the Mist
Actress in a Supporting Role
Winner
Geena Davis
The Accidental Tourist
Nominees
Michelle Pfeiffer
Dangerous Liaisons
Sigourney Weaver
Working Girl
Joan Cusack
Working Girl
Frances McDormand
Mississippi Burning
Best Picture
Winner
Rain Man
Mark Johnson, Producer
Nominees
The Accidental Tourist
Lawrence Kasdan, Charles Okun and Michael Grillo, Producers
Dangerous Liaisons
Norma Heyman and Hank Moonjean, Producers
Mississippi Burning
Frederick Zollo and Robert F. Colesberry, Producers
Working Girl
Douglas Wick, Producer
Cinematography
Winner
Mississippi Burning
Peter Biziou
Nominees
Rain Man
John Seale
Tequila Sunrise
Conrad L. Hall
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Sven Nykvist
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Dean Cundey
Costume Design
Winner
Dangerous Liaisons
James Acheson
Nominees
Tucker The Man and His Dream
Milena Canonero
Coming to America
Deborah Nadoolman
A Handful of Dust
Jane Robinson
Sunset
Patricia Norris
Directing
Winner
Rain Man
Barry Levinson
Nominees
A Fish Called Wanda
Charles Crichton
The Last Temptation of Christ
Martin Scorsese
Mississippi Burning
Alan Parker
Working Girl
Mike Nichols
Film Editing
Winner
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Arthur Schmidt
Nominees
Die Hard
Frank J. Urioste, John F. Link
Gorillas in the Mist
Stuart Baird
Mississippi Burning
Gerry Hambling
Rain Man
Stu Linder
Foreign Language Film
Winner
Pelle the Conqueror
Denmark
Nominees
Hanussen
Hungary
The Music Teacher
Belgium
Salaam Bombay!
India
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Spain
Visual Effects
Winner
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Ken Ralston, Richard Williams, Edward Jones, George Gibbs
Nominees
Die Hard
Richard Edlund, Al DiSarro, Brent Boates, Thaine Morris
Willow
Dennis Muren, Michael McAlister, Phil Tippett, Chris Evans
Art Direction
Winner
Dangerous Liaisons
Art Direction: Stuart Craig; Set Decoration: Gerard James
Nominees
Beaches
Art Direction: Albert Brenner; Set Decoration: Garrett Lewis
Rain Man
Art Direction: Ida Random; Set Decoration: Linda DeScenna
Tucker The Man and His Dream
Art Direction: Dean Tavoularis; Set Decoration: Armin Ganz
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Art Direction: Elliot Scott; Set Decoration: Peter Howitt
Music (Original Score)
Winner
The Milagro Beanfield War
Dave Grusin
Nominees
Rain Man
Hans Zimmer
The Accidental Tourist
John Williams
Dangerous Liaisons
George Fenton
Gorillas in the Mist
Maurice Jarre
Documentary (Short Subject)
Winner
You Don't Have to Die
William Guttentag and Malcolm Clarke, Producers
Nominees
The Children's Storefront
Karen Goodman, Producer
Family Gathering
Lise Yasui and Ann Tegnell, Producers
Gang Cops
Thomas B. Fleming and Daniel J. Marks, Producers
Portrait of Imogen
Nancy Hale and Meg Partridge, Producers
Documentary (Feature)
Winner
Hotel Terminus: The Life and Times of Klaus Barbie
Marcel Ophuls, Producer
Nominees
The Cry of Reason - Beyers Naudé: An Afrikaner Speaks Out
Robert Bilheimer and Ronald Mix, Producers
Let's Get Lost
Bruce Weber and Nan Bush, Producers
Promises to Keep
Ginny Durrin, Producer
Who Killed Vincent Chin?
Renee Tajima and Christine Choy, Producers
Sound
Winner
Bird
Les Fresholtz, Dick Alexander, Vern Poore, Willie D. Burton
Nominees
Die Hard
Don Bassman, Kevin F. Cleary, Richard Overton, Al Overton
Gorillas in the Mist
Andy Nelson, Brian Saunders, Peter Handford
Mississippi Burning
Robert Litt, Elliot Tyson, Rick Kline, Danny Michael
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Robert Knudson, John Boyd, Don Digirolamo, Tony Dawe
Short Film (Animated)
Winner
Tin Toy
John Lasseter, William Reeves
Nominees
The Cat Came Back
Cordell Barker
Technological Threat
Bill Kroyer, Brian Jennings
Short Film (Live Action)
Winner
The Appointments of Dennis Jennings
Dean Parisot, Steven Wright
Nominees
Cadillac Dreams
Matia Karrell, Abbee Goldstein
Gullah Tales
George deGolian, Gary Moss
Music (Original Song)
Winner
Working Girl
Let The River Run in "Working Girl" Music and Lyric by Carly Simon
Nominees
Bagdad Cafe
Calling You in "Bagdad Cafe" Music and Lyric by Bob Telson
Buster
Two Hearts in "Buster" Music by Lamont Dozier; Lyric by Phil Collins
Special Achievement Award
Winner
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Special Award
Writing (Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium)
Winner
Dangerous Liaisons
Christopher Hampton
Nominees
The Accidental Tourist
Frank Galati, Lawrence Kasdan
Gorillas in the Mist
Screenplay by Anna Hamilton Phelan; Story by Anna Hamilton Phelan, Tab Murphy
Little Dorrit
Christine Edzard
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
"The Unbearable Lightness of Being" Jean-Claude Carrière, Philip Kaufman
Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen)
Winner
Rain Man
Screenplay by Ronald Bass, Barry Morrow; Story by Barry Morrow
Nominees
Big
Gary Ross, Anne Spielberg
Bull Durham
Ron Shelton
A Fish Called Wanda
Screenplay by John Cleese; Story by John Cleese, Charles Crichton
Running on Empty
Naomi Foner
Makeup
Winner
Beetlejuice
Ve Neill, Steve La Porte, Robert Short
Nominees
Coming to America
Rick Baker
Scrooged
Tom Burman, Bari Dreiband-Burman
Sound Effects Editing
Winner
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Charles L. Campbell, Louis L. Edemann
Nominees
Die Hard
Stephen H. Flick, Richard Shorr
Willow
Ben Burtt, Richard Hymns
A
The Accidental Tourist
4 Nominations, 1 WinWriting (Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium) - Frank Galati, Lawrence Kasdan
Music (Original Score) - John Williams
Best Picture - Lawrence Kasdan, Charles Okun and Michael Grillo, Producers
* Actress in a Supporting Role - Geena Davis in "The Accidental Tourist"
The Accused
1 Win, 1 Nomination* Actress in a Leading Role - Jodie Foster in "The Accused"
The Appointments of Dennis Jennings
1 Win, 1 Nomination* Short Film (Live Action) - Dean Parisot, Steven Wright
B
Bagdad Cafe
1 NominationMusic (Original Song) - Calling You in "Bagdad Cafe" Music and Lyric by Bob Telson
Beaches
1 NominationArt Direction - Art Direction: Albert Brenner; Set Decoration: Garrett Lewis
Beetlejuice
1 Win, 1 Nomination* Makeup - Ve Neill, Steve La Porte, Robert Short
Big
2 NominationsWriting (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen) - Gary Ross, Anne Spielberg
Actor in a Leading Role - Tom Hanks in "Big"
Bird
1 Win, 1 Nomination* Sound - Les Fresholtz, Dick Alexander, Vern Poore, Willie D. Burton
Bull Durham
1 NominationWriting (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen) - Ron Shelton
Buster
1 NominationMusic (Original Song) - Two Hearts in "Buster" Music by Lamont Dozier; Lyric by Phil Collins
C
Cadillac Dreams
1 NominationShort Film (Live Action) - Matia Karrell, Abbee Goldstein
The Cat Came Back
1 NominationShort Film (Animated) - Cordell Barker
The Children's Storefront
1 NominationDocumentary (Short Subject) - Karen Goodman, Producer
Coming to America
2 NominationsCostume Design - Deborah Nadoolman
Makeup - Rick Baker
A Cry in the Dark
1 NominationActress in a Leading Role - Meryl Streep in "A Cry in the Dark"
The Cry of Reason - Beyers Naudé: An Afrikaner Speaks Out
1 NominationDocumentary (Feature) - Robert Bilheimer and Ronald Mix, Producers
D
Dangerous Liaisons
7 Nominations, 3 Wins* Art Direction - Art Direction: Stuart Craig; Set Decoration: Gerard James
* Writing (Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium) - Christopher Hampton
* Costume Design - James Acheson
Music (Original Score) - George Fenton
Actress in a Leading Role - Glenn Close in "Dangerous Liaisons"
Actress in a Supporting Role - Michelle Pfeiffer in "Dangerous Liaisons"
Best Picture - Norma Heyman and Hank Moonjean, Producers
Die Hard
4 NominationsSound - Don Bassman, Kevin F. Cleary, Richard Overton, Al Overton
Film Editing - Frank J. Urioste, John F. Link
Visual Effects - Richard Edlund, Al DiSarro, Brent Boates, Thaine Morris
Sound Effects Editing - Stephen H. Flick, Richard Shorr
F
Family Gathering
1 NominationDocumentary (Short Subject) - Lise Yasui and Ann Tegnell, Producers
A Fish Called Wanda
3 Nominations, 1 WinDirecting - Charles Crichton
Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen) - Screenplay by John Cleese; Story by John Cleese, Charles Crichton
* Actor in a Supporting Role - Kevin Kline in "A Fish Called Wanda"
G
Gang Cops
1 NominationDocumentary (Short Subject) - Thomas B. Fleming and Daniel J. Marks, Producers
Gorillas in the Mist
5 NominationsSound - Andy Nelson, Brian Saunders, Peter Handford
Music (Original Score) - Maurice Jarre
Writing (Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium) - Screenplay by Anna Hamilton Phelan; Story by Anna Hamilton Phelan, Tab Murphy
Actress in a Leading Role - Sigourney Weaver in "Gorillas in the Mist"
Film Editing - Stuart Baird
Gullah Tales
1 NominationShort Film (Live Action) - George deGolian, Gary Moss
H
A Handful of Dust
1 NominationCostume Design - Jane Robinson
Hanussen
1 NominationForeign Language Film - Hungary
Hotel Terminus: The Life and Times of Klaus Barbie
1 Win, 1 Nomination* Documentary (Feature) - Marcel Ophuls, Producer
L
The Last Temptation of Christ
1 NominationDirecting - Martin Scorsese
Let's Get Lost
1 NominationDocumentary (Feature) - Bruce Weber and Nan Bush, Producers
Little Dorrit
2 NominationsActor in a Supporting Role - Alec Guinness in "Little Dorrit"
Writing (Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium) - Christine Edzard
M
Married to the Mob
1 NominationActor in a Supporting Role - Dean Stockwell in "Married to the Mob"
The Milagro Beanfield War
1 Win, 1 Nomination* Music (Original Score) - Dave Grusin
Mississippi Burning
7 Nominations, 1 WinDirecting - Alan Parker
Actress in a Supporting Role - Frances McDormand in "Mississippi Burning"
Best Picture - Frederick Zollo and Robert F. Colesberry, Producers
Actor in a Leading Role - Gene Hackman in "Mississippi Burning"
Film Editing - Gerry Hambling
Sound - Robert Litt, Elliot Tyson, Rick Kline, Danny Michael
* Cinematography - Peter Biziou
The Music Teacher
1 NominationForeign Language Film - Belgium
P
Pelle the Conqueror
2 Nominations, 1 Win* Foreign Language Film - Denmark
Actor in a Leading Role - Max von Sydow in "Pelle the Conqueror"
Portrait of Imogen
1 NominationDocumentary (Short Subject) - Nancy Hale and Meg Partridge, Producers
Promises to Keep
1 NominationDocumentary (Feature) - Ginny Durrin, Producer
R
Rain Man
8 Nominations, 4 WinsArt Direction - Art Direction: Ida Random; Set Decoration: Linda DeScenna
Music (Original Score) - Hans Zimmer
Cinematography - John Seale
Film Editing - Stu Linder
* Directing - Barry Levinson
* Actor in a Leading Role - Dustin Hoffman in "Rain Man"
* Best Picture - Mark Johnson, Producer
* Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen) - Screenplay by Ronald Bass, Barry Morrow; Story by Barry Morrow
Running on Empty
2 NominationsWriting (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen) - Naomi Foner
Actor in a Supporting Role - River Phoenix in "Running on Empty"
S
Salaam Bombay!
1 NominationForeign Language Film - India
Scrooged
1 NominationMakeup - Tom Burman, Bari Dreiband-Burman
Stand and Deliver
1 NominationActor in a Leading Role - Edward James Olmos in "Stand and Deliver"
Sunset
1 NominationCostume Design - Patricia Norris
T
Technological Threat
1 NominationShort Film (Animated) - Bill Kroyer, Brian Jennings
Tequila Sunrise
1 NominationCinematography - Conrad L. Hall
Tin Toy
1 Win, 1 Nomination* Short Film (Animated) - John Lasseter, William Reeves
Tucker The Man and His Dream
3 NominationsArt Direction - Art Direction: Dean Tavoularis; Set Decoration: Armin Ganz
Actor in a Supporting Role - Martin Landau in "Tucker The Man and His Dream"
Costume Design - Milena Canonero
U
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
2 NominationsWriting (Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium) - "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" Jean-Claude Carrière, Philip Kaufman
Cinematography - Sven Nykvist
W
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
7 Nominations, 4 WinsArt Direction - Art Direction: Elliot Scott; Set Decoration: Peter Howitt
Cinematography - Dean Cundey
Sound - Robert Knudson, John Boyd, Don Digirolamo, Tony Dawe
* Film Editing - Arthur Schmidt
* Sound Effects Editing - Charles L. Campbell, Louis L. Edemann
* Visual Effects - Ken Ralston, Richard Williams, Edward Jones, George Gibbs
* Special Achievement Award - Special Award
Who Killed Vincent Chin?
1 NominationDocumentary (Feature) - Renee Tajima and Christine Choy, Producers
Willow
2 NominationsSound Effects Editing - Ben Burtt, Richard Hymns
Visual Effects - Dennis Muren, Michael McAlister, Phil Tippett, Chris Evans
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
1 NominationForeign Language Film - Spain
Working Girl
6 Nominations, 1 WinBest Picture - Douglas Wick, Producer
Actress in a Supporting Role - Joan Cusack in "Working Girl"
Actress in a Leading Role - Melanie Griffith in "Working Girl"
Directing - Mike Nichols
Actress in a Supporting Role - Sigourney Weaver in "Working Girl"
* Music (Original Song) - Let The River Run in "Working Girl" Music and Lyric by Carly Simon
Y
You Don't Have to Die
1 Win, 1 Nomination* Documentary (Short Subject) - William Guttentag and Malcolm Clarke, Producers