Director RIDLEY SCOTT's Oscar nomination will be bittersweet -it comes just days after his mother died.

The British GLADIATOR director discovered this morning (13FEB01) that the movie has garnered a staggering 12 nominations for this year's (01) Academy Awards, with a Best Director nomination for him and Best Actor chance for star RUSSELL CROWE.

Scott will find the good news particularly poignant, since he is still coping with the death of his mother last week, and had to pull out of his appearance at the star-studded Berlin film festival to attend her funeral on Saturday (10FEB01). (LE/WNWC/KW)

Source: WENN