However, the Titanic actors were completely snubbed. Leonardo DiCaprio was not even nominated much to public discontent and Kate Winslet lost to Helen Hunt. Best Actress went to Hunt for her performance as a waitress and single mother in the comedy As Good As It Gets. For his performance in the same film, Jack Nicholson danced across the stage to receive his Best Actor award, which makes a total of three Academy Awards thus far rewarding his acting career. Supporting Actor went to Robin Williams for his role as a therapist in Good Will Hunting while Kim Basinger won Supporting Actress for her performance as a prostitute in L.A. Confidential.
Comic and actor Billy Crystal hosted the show/ceremony making cracks that compared the Titanic to the show, "we're both huge, we both cost a lot of money". It was broadcast March 23 in 125 countries and had record audiences in America glued to their televisions - 87 million viewers.
As for the Best Foreign Film, Character, by Dutch director Mike van Diem, was adapted from the classic Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk. It recounts the struggle between a man and his son for each other's love. Released last April to enthusiastic audiences in the Netherlands, Character will be released in the United States on Friday, March 20. In France, this film will be shown on April 5 at the 13th Film Festival of Paris in the international competition category. Is yet another prize in the air?