Remembering When an Unheralded Singer-Songwriter Made a Memorable Oscars Appearance in 1998

At the 1998 Oscars, little-known singer-songwriter Elliott Smith performed “Miss Misery” from *Good Will Hunting*, bringing a quiet acoustic song into a programme dominated by powerful vocals and orchestral arrangements. The appearance introduced Smith to a far wider audience and helped mark a turning point in his career.

Director Gus Van Sant had become a fan of Smith’s music and invited him to contribute to the film. Smith submitted “Miss Misery”, which he had written and recorded earlier, and performed a shortened version at the ceremony between Trisha Yearwood and Celine Dion. The song lost to Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On”; later that year, Smith released *XO*, his major-label debut, and became a more widely recognised artist.