And the Oscars Go... to the Backroom Boys
Alan Samson

Wellington's Richard Taylor stood among the greats of movie-making last night after winning two Oscars for his special effects wizardry that made The Fellowship of the Ring possible.

Peter Jackson's first film in The Lord of the Rings trilogy won four Oscars from its 13 nominations. The animated Shrek, co-directed by Andrew Adamson, of Auckland, was named best animated feature film.

Ron Howard's A Beautiful Mind was named best picture and Howard best director, but The Fellowship matched it stride for stride, each having four visits to the podium.

Weta Workshop director Taylor, who won for best makeup, with Peter Owen, and best visual effects, with Jim Rygiel, Randall William Cook and Mark Stetson, told the academy: "We have been on an amazing journey . . . this small group of young New Zealanders."

He said it was a triumph to be acknowledged for technical achievements in a country where most international recognition came through sporting prowess.

"There's no doubt that the world's film-makers have known us as a great location but we must be thought of as a place where you can start pre-production and deliver a film . . ."

Englishman Owen, the makeup guru, thanked Jackson for having given him "the opportunity to go to the most beautiful country on earth – and torture a lot of actors".

Heaping more honour on Jackson's film, Andrew Lesnie won the Oscar for best cinematography, and the work of Canadian composer Howard Shore was rewarded with the Oscar for best score.

Lesnie said: "I had the privilege of working with a really sensational cast and terrific crews, predominantly New Zealanders."

Shore praised the "fantastic" screenplay magic wrought by Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens.

That the top prize had been desperately fought for was underlined by A Beautiful Mind producer Brian Grazer who, in his acceptance speech, said he had been told the race had been "really close". Compere Whoopi Goldberg made it clear just who the race was between with her regular "score cards" – "schizophrenic mathematicians three, hobbits four".

For some, the results were briefly a disappointment, but the hundreds who poured out of a party at Wellington's Embassy Theatre and one for film crew and workers at The Grand quickly had things in perspective.

"New Zealand did bloody well," Irish visitor Kate Hastings said. "America wanted to feel good about itself and a fantasy movie has never won."

It was a night quickly tagged the "black Oscars", after Halle Berry (Monsters Ball) became the first black woman in history to win the top acting prize, followed by the naming of Denzel Washington (Training Day) as best actor. New Zealand-born Russell Crowe looked grimly ahead as the cameras swivelled on him after Washington was called.

Stand-by-your-spouse roles earned supporting performance Oscars for Jim Broadbent of Iris and Jennifer Connelly of A Beautiful Mind.

The Fellowship's four Oscars was far and away ahead of any earlier New Zealand victories, eclipsing Anna Paquin's Oscar for best supporting actress for her role in The Piano in 1993.

View the Associated Photo