But that's another story".
But that is not the whole story.
Directed and written by Paul Morrison, it is the story of a Jewish door-to-door salesman who falls in love with a good chapel girl, and is told in Welsh, Yiddish and English.
Based on the true story of the wrongful conviction of black boxer Rubin Carter, the film has been criticised for bending the facts, which may have damaged its chances, but its star, Denzel Washington, appears in the best actor category.
Two films received seven nominations: The Insider, the true story of a whistle-blower in the tobacco industry, and The Cider House Rules, an adaptation of the John Irving novel set in a New England orphanage.
Leigh and Minghella were nominated for best screenplay, with Leigh an early favourite for his story about the comically strained relationship between Gilbert and Sullivan.
Not every story has a happy ending.
Revelations that Michael Jordan had lost hundreds of thousands of dollars gambling barely dented his appeal, since the story reinforced the image of him as a fierce competitor.
