Five of the Most Memorable Oscar Moments from the 1990s

ABSTRACT: Over the years, the Academy Awards has seen its share of controversial moments, surprise winners, touching tributes, and dominant movies. Here are five of the most memorable moments from the 1990s Academy Awards presentations.

81st Annual Academy Awards (1)

Many people might be surprised to learn that the inaugural Academy Awards ceremony was conducted without a lot of fanfare. Fewer than 300 individuals attended the first awards presentation in 1929-a private event that was not broadcast to a wider audience (via radio at the time). By the 1990s the Academy Awards had become must see television for millions of people across the globe. During this period The Oscars disappointed fans on occasion; however, the awards presentations more often provided viewers with moments they could cherish for a lifetime.

Here are five of the Academy Awards' most memorable moments from the 1990s.

The Song Heard around the World (1990)

The Academy Awards producers created a winner when they combined old footage of Julie Garland singing "Over the Rainbow" with a live version by Diana Ross. The rendition gained even more credence when Ross invited the audience to sing along with her. The producers topped it off by using the large screen onstage to showcase viewers in cities located around the world (as well as members of the audience). Ross' singing was not perfect, and some of the audience members refused to follow along. However, the performance's flaws might have helped to endear it to viewers, by making it feel more authentic.

"The Silence of the Lambs" Wins the Big Five (1992)

At the 64th annual Academy Awards in 1992, "The Silence of the Lambs" became the first movie since 1976 to win the top five Oscars-Best Picture, "Best Actor (Anthony Hopkins), Best Actress (Jodie Foster), Directing (Jonathan Demme)," and Writing (Ted Tally).

An Animated Movie Receives a Best Picture Nomination (1992)

Most Americans, whatever their age, have probably seen at least a few animated films. These movies, along with their live action counterparts, have been a staple of U.S. life for generations. A number of them are very good. Despite that fact, the Academy did not nominate a fully animated film for Best Picture until 1992, when it added "Beauty and the Beast" to its official list of Oscar contenders.

David Letterman's Epic Fail (1995)

Many viewers who tuned in to watch the Academy Awards in 1995 were probably thrilled to see David Letterman hosting the ceremony. Their excitement did not last too long. A number of critics contend that Letterman's performance was the worst ever by an Oscar emcee. The comedian started off on the wrong foot when his very first joke fell flat, and it did not get much better after that. One critic summed it up when he bemoaned Letterman's inability to keep the show moving and the crowd laughing.

"Titanic" Breaks Records (1998)

James Cameron's "Titanic" performed heroic feats at the box office. It earned hundreds of millions of dollars in the United States alone and stayed atop the box office for a record 15 weeks. The movie also scored big at the Academy Awards in 1998. Its 14 nominations put it in a tie with "All about Eve" for the most nominations ever. "Titanic" ended up taking home 11 Oscars. At the time, only one other film, "Ben Hur," had ever won that many statuettes (in 1960).

1. Author: Greg Hernandez
    Date: February 22, 2009
    Title/Description: Red carpet at 81st Annual Academy Awards in Kodak Theatre, Los Angeles 
     Location/Permission: Wikimedia Commons - Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
    (see title/link for photo, credits, permissions)

The author is a freelance writer and has a B.A. in History from Roanoke College. He enjoys watching both classic movies and new films.

-- Anthony Hopper

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