L.A. Confidential (film)
Updated: 12/10/2025, 9:00:27 PM Wikipedia source
L.A. Confidential is a 1997 American neo-noir crime thriller film directed, produced, and co-written by Curtis Hanson. The screenplay by Hanson and Brian Helgeland is based on James Ellroy's 1990 novel, the third book in his L.A. Quartet series. The film tells the story of a group of LAPD officers in 1953, and the intersection of police corruption and Hollywood celebrity. The title refers to the 1950s scandal magazine Confidential, portrayed in the film as Hush-Hush. At the time, actors Guy Pearce and Russell Crowe were relatively unknown in North America. One of the film's backers, Peter Dennett, was worried about the lack of established stars in the lead roles, but supported Hanson's casting decisions, and Hanson had the confidence to also recruit Kevin Spacey, Kim Basinger, and Danny DeVito. L.A. Confidential premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on May 14, 1997, and was released by Warner Bros. on September 19, 1997. The film was a critical and commercial success. It grossed $126.2 million against a $35 million budget and received critical acclaim for the acting, writing, directing, editing, and Jerry Goldsmith's musical score. It was nominated for nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture, winning two: Best Supporting Actress (Basinger) and Best Adapted Screenplay; Titanic won in every other category for which L.A. Confidential was nominated. In 2015, the Library of Congress selected L.A. Confidential for preservation in the United States National Film Registry as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
Infobox
Tables
| Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
| Academy Awards | Best Picture | Arnon Milchan, Curtis Hanson, and Michael Nathanson | Nominated | |
| Best Director | Curtis Hanson | Nominated | ||
| Best Supporting Actress | Kim Basinger | Won | ||
| Best Screenplay – Based on Material Previously Produced or Published | Brian Helgeland and Curtis Hanson | Won | ||
| Best Art Direction | Art Direction: Jeannine Oppewall; Set Decoration: Jay Hart | Nominated | ||
| Best Cinematography | Dante Spinotti | Nominated | ||
| Best Film Editing | Peter Honess | Nominated | ||
| Best Original Dramatic Score | Jerry Goldsmith | Nominated | ||
| Best Sound | Andy Nelson, Anna Behlmer, and Kirk Francis | Nominated | ||
| American Cinema Editors Awards | Best Edited Feature Film | Peter Honess | Nominated | |
| American Society of Cinematographers Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Theatrical Releases | Dante Spinotti | Nominated | |
| Argentine Film Critics Association Awards | Best Foreign Film | Curtis Hanson | Nominated | |
| Art Directors Guild Awards | Excellence in Production Design – Feature Film | Jeannine Oppewall and Bill Arnold | Nominated | |
| Artios Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Feature Film Casting – Drama | Mali Finn | Won | |
| Australian Film Institute Awards | Best Foreign Film | Arnon Milchan, Curtis Hanson, and Michael Nathanson | Won | |
| Blue Ribbon Awards | Best Foreign Film | Curtis Hanson | Won | |
| BMI Film & TV Awards | BMI Film Music Award | Jerry Goldsmith | Won | |
| Bodil Awards | Best Non-European Film | Curtis Hanson | Won | |
| Boston Society of Film Critics Awards | Best Film | John Seale | Won | |
| Best Director | Curtis Hanson | Won | ||
| Best Supporting Actor | Kevin Spacey | Won | ||
| Best Screenplay | Brian Helgeland and Curtis Hanson | Won | ||
| British Academy Film Awards | Best Film | Arnon Milchan, Curtis Hanson, and Michael Nathanson | Nominated | |
| Best Direction | Curtis Hanson | Nominated | ||
| Best Actor in a Leading Role | Kevin Spacey | Nominated | ||
| Best Actress in a Leading Role | Kim Basinger | Nominated | ||
| Best Screenplay – Adapted | Brian Helgeland and Curtis Hanson | Nominated | ||
| Best Cinematography | Dante Spinotti | Nominated | ||
| Best Costume Design | Ruth Myers | Nominated | ||
| Best Editing | Peter Honess | Won | ||
| Best Make Up/Hair | John M. Elliott, Scott H. Eddo, and Janis Clark | Nominated | ||
| Best Original Music | Jerry Goldsmith | Nominated | ||
| Best Production Design | Jeannine Oppewall | Nominated | ||
| Best Sound | Terry Rodman, Roland N. Thai, Kirk Francis, Andy Nelson, Anna Behlmer, and John Leveque | Won | ||
| British Society of Cinematographers Awards | Best Cinematography in a Theatrical Feature Film | Dante Spinotti | Won | |
| Cannes Film Festival | Palme d'Or | Curtis Hanson | Nominated | |
| Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | Best Film | Won | ||
| Best Director | Curtis Hanson | Won | ||
| Best Supporting Actor | Kevin Spacey | Nominated | ||
| Best Screenplay | Brian Helgeland and Curtis Hanson | Won | ||
| Best Cinematography | Dante Spinotti | Nominated | ||
| Best Original Score | Jerry Goldsmith | Nominated | ||
| Most Promising Actor | Guy Pearce | Nominated | ||
| Chlotrudis Awards | Best Movie | Won | ||
| Best Director | Curtis Hanson | Won | ||
| Best Actor | Russell Crowe | Won | ||
| Guy Pearce | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actor | Kevin Spacey | Won | ||
| Best Screenplay | Brian Helgeland and Curtis Hanson | Won | ||
References
- Tied with Gloria Stuart for Titanic.
- Tied with Paul Thomas Anderson for Boogie Nights.
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