How the Oscars have, and haven’t, changed since Halle and Denzel’s historic victories
LOS ANGELES — Twenty years ago, Ron Howard’s “A Beautiful Mind” won four Academy Awards including best picture, beating out “Gosford Park,” “In the Bedroom,” “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” and “Moulin Rouge!”
But the biggest moments of the night belonged to Halle Berry (“Monster’s Ball”) and Denzel Washington (“Training Day”), marking the first and only time that both lead acting Oscars have gone to Black performers — a triumph that coincided with Washington presenting an honorary Oscar to Sidney Poitier, the first Black performer to win the lead actor trophy.
Los Angeles Times columnist Glenn Whipp and film critic Justin Chang sat down to reminisce about the impact of that memorable night and how the motion picture academy has — and mostly hasn’t — followed through on its promise.
JUSTIN CHANG: In a few key respects, Glenn, the 74th Oscars ceremony — held 20 years ago on March 24, 2002 — holds up something of a cracked mirror to the 94th Oscars ceremony that’s nearly upon us. Back in 2002, Will Smith and Denzel Washington went head-to-head in the lead actor race; Washington won that round (for “Training Day”), and this time, Smith looks poised to win their rematch (for “King Richard”). Nicole Kidman and Judi Dench were both nominated in 2002, for “Moulin Rouge!” and “Iris,” respectively; they’re up again this year, this time for “Being the Ricardos” and “Belfast.” In 2002, the best picture Oscar went to “A Beautiful Mind,” a movie that’s generally less fondly remembered than some of
