Friday, March 13, 1998 | 9:50 a.m.
It was a night of "what's my ailment?" at this year's ShoWest Awards.
"Good Will Hunting" star Matt Damon, the "Male Star of Tomorrow," had the sniffles.
"Amistad" star Anthony Hopkins, the "Male Star of the Year," hobbled by a hurt ankle, had to accept his award via satellite.
And Julia Roberts, the first woman to receive the "International Star of the Year" award, ad libbed to the audience that she was toked up on "Alka Selzter cold medicine and Midol."
The ceremony, held Thursday night at Bally's Hotel, feted the industry's brightest stars as a treat topping off the film industry's four-day convention where studios court the nation's movie theater owners.
But even the 24th annual awards show didn't seem at its most robust this year.
Fewer studios made an appearance, and unlike last year's show, which was aired on TNT, there were no immediate plans to broadcast the ceremony.
Unfortunately for those attending, host Tom Arnold didn't call in sick.
His weak routine consisted of mocking the advertiser, Coca Cola, sniping that you have to like a product which, "if you put a nail in it, dissolves," and teasing the theater owners that they were "exhibitionists" -- just like "Tommy and Pamela Lee."
Arnold even denigrated his own work, saying that now that "The Stupids" had reached the theater in his Iowa hometown, he "won't be able to go back for awhile."
Some of those who received awards included Helen Hunt ("As Good As It Gets") for "Actress of the Year," Joan Allen ("The Ice Storm" and "Face/ Off") for "Supporting Actress of the Year" and Director Barry Levinson ("Wag the Dog") for "Director of the Year."
Susan Sarandon accepted the "Humanitarian Award" on behalf of those who spend "every day" working on the causes she donates her free time to, such as the Pediatric AIDS Foundation and the Center for Constitutional Rights.
Newcomers like Minnie Driver and Damon expressed hope that they'd live up to the award, while oldtimers relished their return.
"I'm so glad that I had a second chance," said Burt Reynolds, who accepted an award as Best Supporting Actor for his part in "Boogie Nights." "It was such a fast track that you can't smell the roses, the air is too thin. I appreciate it much more now."
Renyolds, who has already won a Golden Globe for the part and is up for an Academy Award later this month, admitted he was superstitious about the ceremony. "I want to remember what underwear I was wearing for the Golden Globes," he confided.
Other actors shared perhaps too much.
Dustin Hoffman told of farting in a telephone booth while filming a scene with Tom Cruise in "Rain Man."
Producer Garry Marshall described how he had to dab Julia Roberts' body with calamine lotion when she broke out in a rash while filming a "sexy scene" in "Pretty Woman."
And "Good Will Hunting" and "Pulp Fiction" producer Lawrence Bender described how "Female Star of Tomorrow" Minnie Driver, drove a roomful of men to tears during her audition.
But no one exposed more than Roberts, who, as the last recipient of the evening, thanked the audience with her trademark ear to ear grin, saying, "I love what I do and I'm beaming with gratitude."
Then, ready to make her exit to the overdrawn show, she flashed her hairy underarm to the startled audience and noted, "I didn't have hair under my arms when this started."
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