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Oscars - The Aussie Connection Quiz

Our New Zealand neighbours from "across the ditch" scooped the pool for the 2003 Academy Awards so I was prompted to see what Aussies and also some adopted "Aussies" have done to earn an Oscar over the years.

A multiple-choice quiz by Nannanut. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
Nannanut

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
173,687

Updated
Jul 23 22

# Qns
15

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
10 / 15

Plays
1431

Awards
Top 20% Quiz

Last 3 plays: Upstart3 (8/15), marco51 (8/15), DCW2 (15/15).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 15

1. Australia won its very first Oscar for the 1942 film "Kokoda Front Line". In which category was this? Hint

Best Documentary (Short Subject)

Best Documentary Feature

Cinematography

Sound

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Question 2 of 15

2. John Orry-Kelly won three Oscars in the 1950s. In which category did he win each time? Hint

Costume Design

Art Direction

Cinematography

Film Editing

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Question 3 of 15

3. Who won Australia's first Best Actor Oscar? Hint

Peter Finch

Barry Humphries

Chips Rafferty

Errol Flynn

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Question 4 of 15

4. Which Australian artist was part of a song writing team that won in the 1981 Best Song category? Hint

Christopher Cross

Burt Bacharach

Peter Allen

Carole Bayer Sager

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Question 5 of 15

5. Linda Hunt won the 1983 Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role in "The Year of Living Dangerously". Which country was the backdrop for this movie? Hint

Cambodia

Australia

Indonesia

Vietnam

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Question 6 of 15

6. Dean Semler won the 1990 Best Cinematography Oscar. What was the name of the film for which he won? Hint

Mrs.Soffel

Witness

Dances With Wolves

Driving Miss Daisy

7. Lizzie Gardiner and Tim Chappel won the 1994 Oscar for Best Costume Design for the movie "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert". What was unusual about Lizzie's dress on Oscar Night? Hint

It was made of American Express credit cards.

It was not a dress but a business suit.

It featured the Australian flag.

It was made entirely of tin foil.

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Question 8 of 15

8. 1995 saw 10 Oscar nominations, and three wins, for Australia. Best Achievement in Visual Effects went to a movie about what sort of animal? Hint

Pig

Dog

Horse

Dolphin

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Question 9 of 15

9. Which Australian won the 1996 Best Actor Oscar for his performance in "Shine"? Hint

Mel Gibson

Geoffrey Rush

Russell Crowe

Hugo Weaving

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Question 10 of 15

10. 1999 saw two Australian awards - Best Achievement in Visual Effects and Best Achievement in Sound - both for the same movie. What was it? Hint

The Sixth Sense

The Insider

The Matrix

Anna and the King

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Question 11 of 15

11. Who was the Best Actor winner for the year 2000?

Answer: (Two Words - Full name or last name.)

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Question 12 of 15

12. Catherine Martin won two Oscars for her work on which highly nominated 2001 film? Hint

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Romeo and Juliet

Moulin Rouge

Pearl Harbor

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Question 13 of 15

13. Nicole Kidman won 2002's Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role. The film, "The Hours", was based on the life of which writer? Hint

Jane Austen

Iris Murdoch

Virginia Woolf

Alison Lurie

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Question 14 of 15

14. Russell Boyd won Best Achievement in Cinematography for his work on the 2003 film "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World". Which Australian (although not by birth) played the lead role in this film? Hint

Hugh Jackman

Simon Baker

Russell Crowe

Geoffrey Rush

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Question 15 of 15

15. Australia's surprise Oscar for 2003 was awarded to Adam Elliot in the category of Best Short Film (Animated). "Harvie Krumpet" beat out some of the major animation studios. Which former Oscar-winning Australian narrated the film? Hint

Nicole Kidman

Linda Hunt

Russell Crowe

Geoffrey Rush

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Australia won its very first Oscar for the 1942 film "Kokoda Front Line". In which category was this?

Answer: Best Documentary Feature

Ken Hall and Damien Parer won Australia's first Oscar for this film. The Oscars presented in 1943, 1944, and 1945 were actually made of plaster because of wartime shortages. Recipients returned them after the war and had them replaced with normal statuettes. Hall never did this because he said he wanted to keep his award as a "wartime Oscar".

2. John Orry-Kelly won three Oscars in the 1950s. In which category did he win each time?

Answer: Costume Design

Orry-Kelly won Oscars in the 1950s for "An American in Paris" (1951), "Les Girls" (1957) and "Some Like it Hot" (1959).

3. Who won Australia's first Best Actor Oscar?

Answer: Peter Finch

Peter Finch won the 1976 Best Actor Oscar for his role in "Network". He died in January 1977, just weeks before the Academy Awards ceremony. The Oscar was awarded posthumously.

4. Which Australian artist was part of a song writing team that won in the 1981 Best Song category?

Answer: Peter Allen

Australian Peter Allen joined Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager and Christopher Cross to write "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" for the movie "Arthur". While Peter Allen - "The Boy from Oz" - was mainly based in the USA, he was one of Australia's most loyal expatriates.

Another one of his hits, "I Still Call Australia Home", is often considered Australia's unofficial national anthem.

5. Linda Hunt won the 1983 Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role in "The Year of Living Dangerously". Which country was the backdrop for this movie?

Answer: Indonesia

Mel Gibson starred as reporter Guy S Hamilton and Linda Hunt played his photographer Billy Kwan. The film was set in Indonesia during the reign of President Sukarno.

6. Dean Semler won the 1990 Best Cinematography Oscar. What was the name of the film for which he won?

Answer: Dances With Wolves

Dean Semler's considerable body of work includes "Dragonfly" (2002), "The Bone Collector" (1999), "The Power of One" (1992) and "City Slickers" (1991).

Answer: It was made of American Express credit cards.

Lizzie and Tim won Australia's only Oscar for that year but the talk was all about the dress. It was made entirely from American Express Gold cards and the cards were printed with Lizzie's name and invalid authorization numbers.

8. 1995 saw 10 Oscar nominations, and three wins, for Australia. Best Achievement in Visual Effects went to a movie about what sort of animal?

Answer: Pig

Australian John Cox shared an Academy award for "Babe" - the little pig who learns to herd sheep. Filmed in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, the crew needed 48 pigs to play Babe over the course of the film shoot.

9. Which Australian won the 1996 Best Actor Oscar for his performance in "Shine"?

Answer: Geoffrey Rush

Geoffrey Rush played the part of pianist David Helfgott. Overall, Australians involved in "Shine" received seven Oscar nominations, including "Best Picture".

10. 1999 saw two Australian awards - Best Achievement in Visual Effects and Best Achievement in Sound - both for the same movie. What was it?

Answer: The Matrix

The Matrix was a very successful film for two Australians. Steve Courtley won for Visual Effects and David Lee won the Oscar for Best Achievement in Sound.

11. Who was the Best Actor winner for the year 2000?

Answer: Russell Crowe

Russell Crowe won the 2000 Oscar for his leading role in the film "Gladiator". It was the first award for an Australian in this category since Geoffrey Rush's 1996 win.

12. Catherine Martin won two Oscars for her work on which highly nominated 2001 film?

Answer: Moulin Rouge

Catherine Martin - wife of Baz Lurhmann - won for Best Achievement in Costume Design and Best Achievement in Art Direction. Australians involved in "Moulin Rouge" received eight Oscar nominations overall.

13. Nicole Kidman won 2002's Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role. The film, "The Hours", was based on the life of which writer?

Answer: Virginia Woolf

Nicole's role as Virginia Woolf required long hours in make-up. She received a new nose every day, and she had a less than flattering wardrobe. Another Australian actress, Toni Collette, played Kitty Barlowe in the film.

Answer: Russell Crowe

"Master and Commander" received six nominations involving Australians, but the night belonged to New Zealand; "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" was the big winner. Crowe was born in New Zealand but has spent most of his life in Australia.

Answer: Geoffrey Rush

"Harvie Krumpet" was indeed a dark horse in this category, beating both Disney and Pixar. The film follows Harvie's life as he struggles with many obstacles, including his ongoing battle with Tourette's Syndrome.

Source: Author Nannanut

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor robmeister before going online.
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