The 1997 epic romance Titanic won Best Picture and centers on Jack and Rose aboard a doomed ocean liner.
Directed by James Cameron, Titanic blends a fictional love story with the real 1912 disaster. Jack Dawson, a poor third-class passenger, and Rose DeWitt Bukater, a first-class woman engaged to Cal Hockley, meet during the ship’s maiden voyage. Their relationship unfolds as the vessel strikes an iceberg in the North Atlantic.
The film was inspired by the RMS Titanic’s sinking on April 15, 1912, but Jack, Rose, and several other central characters are fictional. Cameron combined them with historical figures such as Captain Edward Smith, J. Bruce Ismay, and shipbuilder Thomas Andrews. The production became famous for its enormous sets, detailed period design, and demanding water effects.
Titanic won 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. A common mix-up is confusing its Best Picture victory with Shakespeare in Love, which won the following year; Titanic was honored at the 70th Academy Awards for films released in 1997.