LOS ANGELES, Mar 25, 2002/ --- It turned out to be a very beautiful evening at the Oscars.

'A Beautiful Mind' won Best Picture, making a total of 4 wins for the film about Nobel Prize-winning Princeton mathematician John Nash Jr., who battled schizophrenia throughout his adult life. The film also won Best Director for Ron Howard, best supporting actress Jennifer Connelly, and best adapted screenplay for Akiva Goldsman's adaptation of Sylvia Nasar's book of the same title.

And as Whoopi Goldberg said, if you are keeping score it was a tie between "A Beautiful Mind" and "The Lord of the Rings:The Fellowship of the Ring."

"The schizophrenic mathematician won 4, the hobbits won 4," the host of the Oscars said.

Lord of the Rings which garnered 13 Academy Awards nomination won Best Cinematography for Andrew Lesnie, Best Visual Effects, Best Make Up and Best Original Score.

The 74th Academy Awards last Sunday night turned out to be a historical one.

The Honorary Academy Award given by the Academy to Sidney Poitier turned out to be a harbinger of the top category winners. Poitier who won an Oscar in 1963 for "Lilies In the Field," was the first African-American to be honored by the Academy.

The award, an Oscar® statuette, was given to Poitier "for his extraordinary performances and unique presence on the screen, and for representing the motion picture industry with dignity, style and intelligence throughout the world."

Denzel Washington who won Best Actor for his role as a rogue cop in "Training Days" garnered his second statuette (his first for "Glory" a film about the Civil War).

In his acceptance speech, he told Sidney Poitier, "I will always be chasing you." He also thanked his wife Pauletta who attended the ceremony in lavender silk strapless spiral seamed gown by Carmen Marc Valvo Couture.

Halle Berry who wore an Ellie Saab dress for the occassion won Best Actress for her role as the wife of a death row inmate for "Monsters Ball" is the first female African-American to garner the honor.

In a very emotional acceptance speech, the actress said, "This moment is so much bigger than me. This moment is for Dorothy Dandridge, Lena Horne, Diahann Carroll. It's for every nameless, faceless woman of color who now has a chance because this door tonight has been opened."

The Academy also honored Robert Redford with an Honorary Oscar for "distinction in the making of motion pictures or for outstanding service to the Academy."

According to the Academy, the citation will read: "Robert Redford - Actor, Director, Producer, Creator of Sundance, inspiration to independent and innovative filmmakers everywhere."

Robert Redford who won an Oscar for his directorial debut in "Ordinary People" in 1980 emphasized the "need to nurture new talents and embrace both the risky and the sure thing in film making."

A fitting speech for the 74th Academy Awards wherein according to a report by the American Film Marketing Association, the vast majority of the nominations for the top Oscars are for films either co-financed or co-produced by independent film companies.

On that report, AFMA said that 3 of the 5 Best Picture, 3 of the 5 Best Director, 3 of the 5 Best Actor, 4 of the 5 Best Actress, 4 of the 5 Best Supporting Actress, 4 of the 5 Best Supporting Actor, 3 of the 5 Best Screenplay - Adapted and 4 of the 5 Best Screenplay - Original were done by independent film makers.

Best Actor: Denzel Washington for "Training Day"

Best Actress: Halle Berry for "Monster's Ball"

Best Supporting Actor: Jim Broadbent for "Iris"

Best Supporting Actress: Jennifer Connelly for "A Beautiful Mind"

Best Director: Ron Howard for "A Beautiful Mind"

Best animated feature film: Shrek

Best Art Direction: Catherine Martin and Brigitte Broch for "Moulin Rouge"

Best Cinematography: Andrew Lesnie for "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring"

Best Costume Designe: Catherine Martin for "Moulin Rouge"

Best Documentary: Murder on a Sunday Morning

Best Documentary Short Subject: Thoth

Best Film Editing: Black Hawk Down

Best Foreign Language Film: No Man's Land

Best Make Up: Peter Owen and Richard Taylor for "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring"

Best Original Song: If I Didn't Have You from Monsters, Inc.

Best Animated Short Film: For the Birds

Best Live Action Short Film: The Accountant

Best Sound: Black Hawk Sound

Best Sound Editing: Pearl Harbor

Best Visual Effects: Jim Rygiel, Randall William Cook, Richard Taylor (New Line) and Mark Stetson for "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring"

Best Screenplay based on material previously produced or published : Akiva Goldsman for "A Beautiful Mind"

Best Screenplay written directly for the screen : Julian Fellowes for "Gosford Park