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Jack Nicholson's announcement for best picture drew a gasp of surprise,
as a small-budget film about racial strife in Los Angeles earned the Oscar
for best picture.
"And the Oscar goes to Crash."
The film overtook the favored Brokeback Mountain. Crash also won Oscars
for its original screenplay and film editing.
As expected, Taiwan-born filmmaker Ang Lee was named best director for
Brokeback Mountain, a tale of unexpected love between two cowboys. Lee
said the film's characters taught him something.
"They taught all of us who made Brokeback Mountain so much about not
just all the gay men and gay women whose love is denied by society, but
just as important, the greatness of love itself," said Lee.
Brokeback Mountain was also honored for its adapted screenplay and
original score.
George Clooney was named best supporting actor for
the espionage thriller Syriana. In a year with
films that tackled controversial issues, Clooney said Hollywood and the
movie academy, which presents the Oscars, are at times outside the
mainstream. He says that is not a bad thing.
"We're the ones who talked about AIDS when it was just being whispered,
and we talked about civil rights when it wasn't really popular. This
academy, this group of people gave Hattie McDaniel an Oscar in 1939 when
blacks were still sitting in the backs of theaters," said Clooney. "I'm
proud to be part of this academy."
A film about country music
legend Johnny Cash and his wife, singer June Carter, earned best actress
honors for Reese Witherspoon. She played Carter in the film.
The actress said two women, Carter and her own grandmother, inspired
her performance.
"You know, I'm just trying to matter and live a good life and make work
that means something to somebody, and you have all made me feel that I
might have accomplished that tonight," said Witherspoon. "So thank you so
much for this honor."
Philip Seymour Hoffman was named best actor
for portraying writer Truman Capote in the film Capote.
Rachel
Weisz earned the Oscar for best supporting actress for her role as the
activist wife of diplomat in Kenya in The Constant Gardener. Another film
set in Africa, the South African entry Tsotsi, was named best foreign
language film.
Backstage, Crash director Paul Haggis said this year's nominated films
are telling "risky human stories."
"And, we're so proud to be listed among them," he said. "This is a hell
of a year to be nominated."
The Japanese-themed Memoirs of a Geisha earned Oscars for costume
design, art direction and cinematography , and
the fantasy King Kong was honored for visual effects, sound mixing and
sound editing. | 
