Best Picture: Gandhi
Gandhi also won Academy Awards for Best Actor (Ben Kingsley), Art Direction-Set Decoration (Stuart Craig, Bob Laing, and Michael Seirton), Cinematography (Billy Williams and Ronnie Taylor), Costume Design (John Mollo and Bhanu Athaiya), Directing (Richard Attenborough), Film Editing (John Bloom), and Writing – Screenplay written directly for the screen (John Briley).
Gandhi was nominated for 11 awards and won eight.
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial garnered nine nominations and won four awards.
Jessica Lange was nominated both as Best Supporting Actress for Tootsie and Best Actress for Frances. She won Best Supporting Actress. It was only the fourth time in Academy history that a performer had competed in two acting categories in the same year (the others were Fay Bainter in 1938, Teresa Wright in 1942, and Barry Fitzgerald in 1944).
Meryl Streep won Best Actress, her second Oscar, for “Sophie’s Choice.”
Louis Gossett, Jr. was the third African-American performer to win a competitive Oscar and the first to win Best Supporting Actor (“An Officer and a Gentleman”).
Walter Matthau, Liza Minnelli, Dudley Moore, and Richard Pryor shared the hosting duties.
In March 1982, Claus von Bülow was found guilty of twice attempting to murder his wife. In June 1985, he was granted a new trial and was acquitted on both counts. The 1990 film “Reversal of Fortune” was based on the case.
In April 1982, Jane Fonda released “Workout,” her first aerobics exercise video, which remains one of the best-selling home videos of all time.
On May 2, 1982, The Weather Channel launched.
On May 30 1982, Cal Ripken Jr., played the first of what would become his record-setting streak of 2,632 consecutive Major League Baseball games.
On June 21, 1982, Prince William was born at St. Mary’s Hospital in London.
On July 23, 1982, actor Vic Morrow and two child actors were killed during the filming of “Twilight Zone – The Movie.”
On October 1, 1982, Walt Disney World Resort opened the EPCOT Center in Orlando, Florida.
On October 19, 1982, automotive executive John DeLorean was arrested by undercover FBI agents for conspiring to smuggle $24 million worth of cocaine. He was tried and acquitted of all charges in August 1984.
In November 1982, Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” album was released.
Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award
To Walter Mirisch.
Honorary Award
To Mickey Rooney, in recognition of his 60 years of versatility in a variety of memorable film performances.