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1989

Experience over nine decades of the Oscars from 1927 to 2024

The 61st Academy Awards | 1989
Shrine Civic Auditorium
Wednesday, March 29, 1989
Honoring movies released in 1988
Highlights
Art Direction
Dangerous Liaisons

Stuart Craig and Gerard James

Best Directing
Rain Man

Barry Levinson

Makeup
Beetlejuice

Ve Neill, Steve La Porte and Robert Short

Memorable Moments
John Lasseter and William Reeves
Image

Animated Short Subject winners for Tin Toy, with presenters Carrie Fisher and Martin Short

Kevin Kline
Image

Supporting Actor winner for A Fish Called Wanda

Geena Davis
Image

Supporting Actress winner for The Accidental Tourist

WINNERS & NOMINEES
Actor in a Leading Role
Winner
Dustin Hoffman
Rain Man
Nominees
Gene Hackman
Mississippi Burning
Nominees
Tom Hanks
Big
Nominees
Edward James Olmos
Stand and Deliver
Nominees
Max von Sydow
Pelle the Conqueror
Actor in a Supporting Role
Winner
Kevin Kline
A Fish Called Wanda
Nominees
Alec Guinness
Little Dorrit
Nominees
Martin Landau
Tucker The Man and His Dream
Nominees
River Phoenix
Running on Empty
Nominees
Dean Stockwell
Married to the Mob
Actress in a Leading Role
Winner
Jodie Foster
The Accused
Nominees
Glenn Close
Dangerous Liaisons
Nominees
Melanie Griffith
Working Girl
Nominees
Meryl Streep
A Cry in the Dark
Nominees
Sigourney Weaver
Gorillas in the Mist
Actress in a Supporting Role
Winner
Geena Davis
The Accidental Tourist
Nominees
Joan Cusack
Working Girl
Nominees
Frances McDormand
Mississippi Burning
Nominees
Michelle Pfeiffer
Dangerous Liaisons
Nominees
Sigourney Weaver
Working Girl
Art Direction
Winner
Dangerous Liaisons
Art Direction: Stuart Craig; Set Decoration: Gerard James
Nominees
Beaches
Art Direction: Albert Brenner; Set Decoration: Garrett Lewis
Nominees
Rain Man
Art Direction: Ida Random; Set Decoration: Linda DeScenna
Nominees
Tucker The Man and His Dream
Art Direction: Dean Tavoularis; Set Decoration: Armin Ganz
Nominees
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Art Direction: Elliot Scott; Set Decoration: Peter Howitt
Cinematography
Winner
Mississippi Burning
Peter Biziou
Nominees
Rain Man
John Seale
Nominees
Tequila Sunrise
Conrad L. Hall
Nominees
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Sven Nykvist
Nominees
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Dean Cundey
Costume Design
Winner
Dangerous Liaisons
James Acheson
Nominees
Coming to America
Deborah Nadoolman
Nominees
A Handful of Dust
Jane Robinson
Nominees
Sunset
Patricia Norris
Nominees
Tucker The Man and His Dream
Milena Canonero
Directing
Winner
Rain Man
Barry Levinson
Nominees
A Fish Called Wanda
Charles Crichton
Nominees
The Last Temptation of Christ
Martin Scorsese
Nominees
Mississippi Burning
Alan Parker
Nominees
Working Girl
Mike Nichols
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
Nominees
Let's Get Lost
Bruce Weber and Nan Bush, Producers
Nominees
Promises to Keep
Ginny Durrin, Producer
Nominees
Who Killed Vincent Chin?
Renee Tajima and Christine Choy, Producers
Documentary (Short Subject)
Winner
You Don't Have to Die
William Guttentag and Malcolm Clarke, Producers
Nominees
The Children's Storefront
Karen Goodman, Producer
Nominees
Family Gathering
Lise Yasui and Ann Tegnell, Producers
Nominees
Gang Cops
Thomas B. Fleming and Daniel J. Marks, Producers
Nominees
Portrait of Imogen
Nancy Hale and Meg Partridge, Producers
Film Editing
Winner
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Arthur Schmidt
Nominees
Die Hard
Frank J. Urioste, John F. Link
Nominees
Gorillas in the Mist
Stuart Baird
Nominees
Mississippi Burning
Gerry Hambling
Nominees
Rain Man
Stu Linder
Foreign Language Film
Winner
Pelle the Conqueror
Denmark
Nominees
Hanussen
Hungary
Nominees
The Music Teacher
Belgium
Nominees
Salaam Bombay!
India
Nominees
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Spain
Makeup
Winner
Beetlejuice
Ve Neill, Steve La Porte, Robert Short
Nominees
Coming to America
Rick Baker
Nominees
Scrooged
Tom Burman, Bari Dreiband-Burman
Music (Original Score)
Winner
The Milagro Beanfield War
Dave Grusin
Nominees
The Accidental Tourist
John Williams
Nominees
Dangerous Liaisons
George Fenton
Nominees
Gorillas in the Mist
Maurice Jarre
Nominees
Rain Man
Hans Zimmer
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
Nominees
Buster
Two Hearts in "Buster" Music by Lamont Dozier; Lyric by Phil Collins
Best Picture
Winner
Rain Man
Mark Johnson, Producer
Nominees
The Accidental Tourist
Lawrence Kasdan, Charles Okun and Michael Grillo, Producers
Nominees
Dangerous Liaisons
Norma Heyman and Hank Moonjean, Producers
Nominees
Mississippi Burning
Frederick Zollo and Robert F. Colesberry, Producers
Nominees
Working Girl
Douglas Wick, Producer
Short Film (Animated)
Winner
Tin Toy
John Lasseter, William Reeves
Nominees
The Cat Came Back
Cordell Barker
Nominees
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
Nominees
Gullah Tales
George deGolian, Gary Moss
Sound
Winner
Bird
Les Fresholtz, Dick Alexander, Vern Poore, Willie D. Burton
Nominees
Die Hard
Don Bassman, Kevin F. Cleary, Richard Overton, Al Overton
Nominees
Gorillas in the Mist
Andy Nelson, Brian Saunders, Peter Handford
Nominees
Mississippi Burning
Robert Litt, Elliot Tyson, Rick Kline, Danny Michael
Nominees
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Robert Knudson, John Boyd, Don Digirolamo, Tony Dawe
Sound Effects Editing
Winner
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Charles L. Campbell, Louis L. Edemann
Nominees
Die Hard
Stephen H. Flick, Richard Shorr
Nominees
Willow
Ben Burtt, Richard Hymns
Special Achievement Award
Winner
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Special Award
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
Nominees
Willow
Dennis Muren, Michael McAlister, Phil Tippett, Chris Evans
Writing (Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium)
Winner
Dangerous Liaisons
Christopher Hampton
Nominees
The Accidental Tourist
Frank Galati, Lawrence Kasdan
Nominees
Gorillas in the Mist
Screenplay by Anna Hamilton Phelan; Story by Anna Hamilton Phelan, Tab Murphy
Nominees
Little Dorrit
Christine Edzard
Nominees
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
Nominees
Bull Durham
Ron Shelton
Nominees
A Fish Called Wanda
Screenplay by John Cleese; Story by John Cleese, Charles Crichton
Nominees
Running on Empty
Naomi Foner

A

The Accidental Tourist
4 NOMINATIONS, 1 WIN
  • * Actress in a Supporting Role - Geena Davis
  • Music (Original Score) - John Williams
  • Best Picture - Lawrence Kasdan, Charles Okun and Michael Grillo, Producers
  • Writing (Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium) - Frank Galati, Lawrence Kasdan
The Accused
1 WIN, 1 NOMINATION
  • * Actress in a Leading Role - Jodie Foster
The Appointments of Dennis Jennings
1 WIN, 1 NOMINATION
  • * Short Film (Live Action) - Dean Parisot, Steven Wright

B

Bagdad Cafe
1 NOMINATION
  • Music (Original Song) - Calling You in "Bagdad Cafe" Music and Lyric by Bob Telson
Beaches
1 NOMINATION
  • Art Direction - Art Direction: Albert Brenner; Set Decoration: Garrett Lewis
Beetlejuice
1 WIN, 1 NOMINATION
  • * Makeup - Ve Neill, Steve La Porte, Robert Short
Big
2 NOMINATIONS
  • Actor in a Leading Role - Tom Hanks
  • Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen) - Gary Ross, Anne Spielberg
Bird
1 WIN, 1 NOMINATION
  • * Sound - Les Fresholtz, Dick Alexander, Vern Poore, Willie D. Burton
Bull Durham
1 NOMINATION
  • Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen) - Ron Shelton
Buster
1 NOMINATION
  • Music (Original Song) - Two Hearts in "Buster" Music by Lamont Dozier; Lyric by Phil Collins

C

Cadillac Dreams
1 NOMINATION
  • Short Film (Live Action) - Matia Karrell, Abbee Goldstein
The Cat Came Back
1 NOMINATION
  • Short Film (Animated) - Cordell Barker
The Children's Storefront
1 NOMINATION
  • Documentary (Short Subject) - Karen Goodman, Producer
Coming to America
2 NOMINATIONS
  • Costume Design - Deborah Nadoolman
  • Makeup - Rick Baker
A Cry in the Dark
1 NOMINATION
  • Actress in a Leading Role - Meryl Streep
The Cry of Reason - Beyers Naudé: An Afrikaner Speaks Out
1 NOMINATION
  • Documentary (Feature) - Robert Bilheimer and Ronald Mix, Producers

D

Dangerous Liaisons
7 NOMINATIONS, 3 WINS
  • * Art Direction - Art Direction: Stuart Craig; Set Decoration: Gerard James
  • * Costume Design - James Acheson
  • * Writing (Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium) - Christopher Hampton
  • Actress in a Leading Role - Glenn Close
  • Actress in a Supporting Role - Michelle Pfeiffer
  • Music (Original Score) - George Fenton
  • Best Picture - Norma Heyman and Hank Moonjean, Producers
Die Hard
4 NOMINATIONS
  • Film Editing - Frank J. Urioste, John F. Link
  • Sound - Don Bassman, Kevin F. Cleary, Richard Overton, Al Overton
  • Sound Effects Editing - Stephen H. Flick, Richard Shorr
  • Visual Effects - Richard Edlund, Al DiSarro, Brent Boates, Thaine Morris

F

Family Gathering
1 NOMINATION
  • Documentary (Short Subject) - Lise Yasui and Ann Tegnell, Producers
A Fish Called Wanda
3 NOMINATIONS, 1 WIN
  • * Actor in a Supporting Role - Kevin Kline
  • Directing - Charles Crichton
  • Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen) - Screenplay by John Cleese; Story by John Cleese, Charles Crichton

G

Gang Cops
1 NOMINATION
  • Documentary (Short Subject) - Thomas B. Fleming and Daniel J. Marks, Producers
Gorillas in the Mist
5 NOMINATIONS
  • Actress in a Leading Role - Sigourney Weaver
  • Film Editing - Stuart Baird
  • Music (Original Score) - Maurice Jarre
  • Sound - Andy Nelson, Brian Saunders, Peter Handford
  • Writing (Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium) - Screenplay by Anna Hamilton Phelan; Story by Anna Hamilton Phelan, Tab Murphy
Gullah Tales
1 NOMINATION
  • Short Film (Live Action) - George deGolian, Gary Moss

H

A Handful of Dust
1 NOMINATION
  • Costume Design - Jane Robinson
Hanussen
1 NOMINATION
  • Foreign 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 NOMINATION
  • Directing - Martin Scorsese
Let's Get Lost
1 NOMINATION
  • Documentary (Feature) - Bruce Weber and Nan Bush, Producers
Little Dorrit
2 NOMINATIONS
  • Actor in a Supporting Role - Alec Guinness
  • Writing (Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium) - Christine Edzard

M

Married to the Mob
1 NOMINATION
  • Actor in a Supporting Role - Dean Stockwell
The Milagro Beanfield War
1 WIN, 1 NOMINATION
  • * Music (Original Score) - Dave Grusin
Mississippi Burning
7 NOMINATIONS, 1 WIN
  • * Cinematography - Peter Biziou
  • Actor in a Leading Role - Gene Hackman
  • Actress in a Supporting Role - Frances McDormand
  • Directing - Alan Parker
  • Film Editing - Gerry Hambling
  • Best Picture - Frederick Zollo and Robert F. Colesberry, Producers
  • Sound - Robert Litt, Elliot Tyson, Rick Kline, Danny Michael
The Music Teacher
1 NOMINATION
  • Foreign Language Film - Belgium

P

Pelle the Conqueror
2 NOMINATIONS, 1 WIN
  • * Foreign Language Film - Denmark
  • Actor in a Leading Role - Max von Sydow
Portrait of Imogen
1 NOMINATION
  • Documentary (Short Subject) - Nancy Hale and Meg Partridge, Producers
Promises to Keep
1 NOMINATION
  • Documentary (Feature) - Ginny Durrin, Producer

R

Rain Man
8 NOMINATIONS, 4 WINS
  • * Actor in a Leading Role - Dustin Hoffman
  • * Directing - Barry Levinson
  • * Best Picture - Mark Johnson, Producer
  • * Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen) - Screenplay by Ronald Bass, Barry Morrow; Story by Barry Morrow
  • Art Direction - Art Direction: Ida Random; Set Decoration: Linda DeScenna
  • Cinematography - John Seale
  • Film Editing - Stu Linder
  • Music (Original Score) - Hans Zimmer
Running on Empty
2 NOMINATIONS
  • Actor in a Supporting Role - River Phoenix
  • Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen) - Naomi Foner

S

Salaam Bombay!
1 NOMINATION
  • Foreign Language Film - India
Scrooged
1 NOMINATION
  • Makeup - Tom Burman, Bari Dreiband-Burman
Stand and Deliver
1 NOMINATION
  • Actor in a Leading Role - Edward James Olmos
Sunset
1 NOMINATION
  • Costume Design - Patricia Norris

T

Technological Threat
1 NOMINATION
  • Short Film (Animated) - Bill Kroyer, Brian Jennings
Tequila Sunrise
1 NOMINATION
  • Cinematography - Conrad L. Hall
Tin Toy
1 WIN, 1 NOMINATION
  • * Short Film (Animated) - John Lasseter, William Reeves
Tucker The Man and His Dream
3 NOMINATIONS
  • Actor in a Supporting Role - Martin Landau
  • Art Direction - Art Direction: Dean Tavoularis; Set Decoration: Armin Ganz
  • Costume Design - Milena Canonero

U

The Unbearable Lightness of Being
2 NOMINATIONS
  • Cinematography - Sven Nykvist
  • Writing (Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium) - "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" Jean-Claude Carrière, Philip Kaufman

W

Who Framed Roger Rabbit
7 NOMINATIONS, 4 WINS
  • * Film Editing - Arthur Schmidt
  • * Sound Effects Editing - Charles L. Campbell, Louis L. Edemann
  • * Special Achievement Award - Special Award
  • * Visual Effects - Ken Ralston, Richard Williams, Edward Jones, George Gibbs
  • Art Direction - Art Direction: Elliot Scott; Set Decoration: Peter Howitt
  • Cinematography - Dean Cundey
  • Sound - Robert Knudson, John Boyd, Don Digirolamo, Tony Dawe
Who Killed Vincent Chin?
1 NOMINATION
  • Documentary (Feature) - Renee Tajima and Christine Choy, Producers
Willow
2 NOMINATIONS
  • Sound 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 NOMINATION
  • Foreign Language Film - Spain
Working Girl
5 NOMINATIONS, 1 WIN
  • * Music (Original Song) - Let The River Run in "Working Girl" Music and Lyric by Carly Simon
  • Actress in a Leading Role - Melanie Griffith
  • Actress in a Supporting Role - Joan Cusack, Sigourney Weaver
  • Directing - Mike Nichols
  • Best Picture - Douglas Wick, Producer

Y

You Don't Have to Die
1 WIN, 1 NOMINATION
  • * Documentary (Short Subject) - William Guttentag and Malcolm Clarke, Producers
No Films Found