BAFTA Film Awards

Lord Of The Rings wins big at 2004 BAFTAs

From the BBC:

Rings rule at Bafta film awards

Fantasy epic The Return of the King triumphed at the Bafta film awards, in a night of surprises.

The film won five awards in total, including best film, but the best director award went to Master and Commander’s Peter Weir.

Lost in Translation stars Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murray won best actor and best actress awards.

The awards are seen as an indicator of possible success at the Oscars, which take place later this month.

Master and Commander won four Baftas, but The Return of the King also won the audience award for best film giving it the edge on the night.

Jackson, collecting the overall best film award, paid tribute to The Lord of the Rings author JRR Tolkien.

He said: “Although we were Kiwis working with American money we were always aware we were looking after a British treasure.”

The Return of the King beat Big Fish, Cold Mountain, Lost in Translation and Master and Commander to win the best film prize.

Cold Mountain, which had received 13 nominations, walked away with just two awards, best music and best supporting actress for Renee Zellweger.

Johansson thanked her mother for “being there, taking me to auditions and buying me hotdogs afterwards”.

Lost in Translation director Sofia Coppola picked up the award on absent Bill Murray’s behalf.

In a statement written by the actor read out by Coppola, he said it was a “huge surprise” to win.

Once again, the Baftas proved it would not always follow form or predictions.

Sean Penn had been the hot favourite to win the best actor award, while Scarlett Johansson had been tipped for her other nominated role in Girl With a Pearl Earring.

Actor Paul Bettany picked up Weir’s Bafta for best director, saying: “Peter is a genius.”

“He is one of the greatest directors of all time,” he added.

Jackson had been expected to win the award and Oscar pundits will draw their own conclusions from his failure to win.

After the ceremony he said: “The party will probably be huge, there are quite a few Kiwis over here and the lager will be flowing like water.”

Zellweger appeared emotional when she walked on stage, saying: “My heart, I’m sorry.”

She thanked the crew “especially Jude (Law) and Nicole (Kidman). It was a privilege to work alongside you.”

It was a night of glamour for the Baftas with Johnny Depp, Laura Linney, Holly Hunter, Sir Ian McKellen and Emma Thompson among the stars attending.

A further surprise winner was documentary Touching the Void which beat Cold Mountain and Girl With a Pearl Earring to win the Alexander Korda prize for British film of the year.

Producer John Smithson said: “We had one hell of a cold mountain but not quite the same budget.”

Bill Nighy’s comic turn in Love Actually won him the best supporting actor Bafta.

Stephen Fry, hosting the awards, had warned winners to keep speeches short.

Referring to Janet Jackson’s now infamous faux pas, he joked: “If you carry on too long my breast might accidentally POP out.”

It was a good night too for British film maker Michael Winterbottom, whose refugee film In This World won the best foreign film award.

In the technical awards, Master and Commander won best sound and best costume design while Lost in Translation won the best editing award.

Veteran director John Boorman won the Academy Fellowship, the highest honour Bafta can give.