by Allan Fish
Best Picture Fargo, US (10 votes)
Best Director Joel Coen, Fargo & Lars Von Trier, Breaking the Waves (7 votes each, TIE!)
Best Actor Geoffrey Rush, Shine (5 votes)
Best Actress Emily Watson, Breaking the Waves (15 votes)
Best Supp Actor William H. Macy, Fargo (17 votes)
Best Supp Actress Juliette Binoche, The English Patient (6 votes)
Best Cinematography Robby Muller, Breaking the Waves (9 votes)
Best Score Carter Burwell, Fargo (19 votes)
Best Short Hyperballad (2 votes)
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1997
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Best Picture/Director
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Affliction (US…Paul Schrader)
The Apostle (US…Robert Duvall)
As Good as it Gets (US…James L.Brooks)
Boogie Nights (US…Paul Thomas Anderson)
Le Bossu (France…Philippe de Broca)
Brother (Russia…Alexei Balabanov)
The Butcher Boy (Ireland…Neil Jordan)
Children of Heaven (Iran…Majid Majidi)
Contact (US…Robert Zemeckis)
Cop Land (US…James Mangold)
Croupier (UK…Mike Hodges)
Cure (Japan…Kiyoshi Kurosawa)
A Dance to the Music of Time (UK…Christopher Morahan, Alvin Rakoff)
Donnie Brasco: director’s cut (US (2007)…Mike Newell)
The Eel (Japan…Shohei Imamura)
Eve’s Bayou (US…Kasi Lemmons)
Face/Off (US…John Woo)
Fast, Cheap and Out of Control (US…Errol Morris)
The Fifth Element (US/France…Luc Besson)
Four Days in September (Brazil/US…Bruno Barreto)
Four Little Girls (US…Spike Lee)
The Full Monty (UK…Peter Cattaneo)
Funny Games (Austria…Michael Haneke)
The Game (US…David Fincher)
Gattaca (US…Andrew Niccol)
Good Will Hunting (US…Gus Van Sant)
Grosse Pointe Blank (US…George Armitage)
Hana Bi (Japan…Takeshi Kitano)
Happy Together (Hong Kong…Wong Kar-Wai)
The Ice Storm (US…Ang Lee)
In the Company of Men (US…Neil LaBute)
In the Presence of Clowns (Sweden…Ingmar Bergman)
Iruvar (India…Mani Ratnam)
Insomnia (Norway…Erik Skjoldbjærg)
Jackie Brown (US…Quentin Tarantino)
Journey to the Beginning of the World (Portugal…Manoel de Oliveira)
The Kingdom II (Denmark…Lars Von Trier, Morton Arnfred)
Kundun (US…Martin Scorsese)
L.A. Confidential (US…Curtis Hanson)
Lawn Dogs (US…John Duigan)
Life is Beautiful (Italy…Roberto Benigni)
Live Flesh (Spain…Pedro Almodóvar)
Lolita (US/France…Adrian Lyne)
Lost Highway (US…David Lynch)
Men in Black (US…Barry Sonnenfeld)
Men With Guns (US…John Sayles)
Mother and Son (Russia…Aleksandr Sokurov)
Neon Genesis Evangelion: End of Evangelion (Japan…Hideaki Anno, Kazuya Tsurumaki)
Nil by Mouth (UK…Gary Oldman)
Open Your Eyes (Spain…Alejandro Aménabar)
The Opium War (China…Xie Jin)
Passion in the Desert (US…Lavinia Currier)
Perfect Blue (Japan…Satoshi Kon)
Princess Mononoke (Japan…Hayao Miyazaki)
The River (Taiwan…Tsai Ming-Liang)
The Second Civil War (US…Joe Dante)
Secret Defense (France…Jacques Rivette)
Starship Troopers (US…Paul Verhoeven)
The Sweet Hereafter (Canada….Atom Egoyan)
A Taste of Cherry (Iran…Abbas Kiarostami)
The Thief (Russia…Pavel Chukhrai)
Timeless, Bottomless (Bad Movie) (South Korea…Jang Sun-Woo)
Titanic (US…James Cameron)
Tom Jones (UK…Metin Huseyin)
Train of Shadows (Spain…José Luis Guerin)
Ulee’s Gold (US…Victor Nunez)
Under the Skin (UK…Carine Adler)
La Vie de Jesus (France…Bruno Dumont)
Wednesday (Russia…Viktor Kossokovsky)
The Wings of the Dove (UK…Iain Softley)
Xiao Wu (China…Zhang-ke Jia)
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Best Actor
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Roberto Benigni Life is Beautiful
Nicolas Cage Face/Off
Robert Carlyle The Full Monty
Leslie Cheung Happy Together
Billy Connolly Mrs Brown
Russell Crowe L.A.Confidential
John Cusack Grosse Pointe Blank
Matt Damon Good Will Hunting
Johnny Depp Donnie Brasco
Michael Douglas The Game
Robert Duvall The Apostle
Aaron Eckhart In The Company of Men
Homayon Ershadi A Taste of Cherry
Peter Fonda Ulee’s Gold
Stephen Fry Wilde
Ian Holm The Sweet Hereafter
John Hurt Love and Death on Long Island
Jeremy Irons Lolita
Samuel L. Jackson Jackie Brown
Ernst Hugo Jaregard The Kingdom II
Kevin Kline The Ice Storm
Tony Leung Happy Together
Jack Nicholson As Good as it Gets
Nick Nolte Affliction
Clive Owen Croupier
Al Pacino Donnie Brasco
Guy Pearce L.A.Confidential
James Purefoy A Dance to the Music of Time TV
Linus Roache The Wings of the Dove
Simon Russell Beale A Dance to the Music of Time TV
Stellan Skaargaard Insomnia
Kevin Spacey L.A. Confidential
Sylvester Stallone Cop Land
John Travolta Face/Off
Ray Winstone Nil by Mouth
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Best Actress
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Joan Allen The Ice Storm
Patricia Arquette Lost Highway
Cate Blanchett Oscar and Lucinda
Helena Bonham Carter The Wings of the Dove
Kathy Burke Nil by Mouth
Katrin Cartlidge Career Girls
Julie Christie Afterglow
Judi Dench Mrs Brown
Jodie Foster Contact
Pam Grier Jackie Brown
Helen Hunt As Good as it Gets
Jennifer Lopez Selena
Suzanne Lothar Funny Games
Angela Molina Live Flesh
Samantha Morton Under the Skin
Rebecca Pidgeon The Spanish Prisoner
Parker Posey The House of Yes
Vanessa Redgrave Mrs Dalloway
Lynda Steadman Career Girls
Emily Watson The Mill on the Floss TV
Kate Winslet Titanic
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Best Supp.Actor
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Dan Aykroyd Grosse Pointe Blank
Mark Benton Career Girls
Robert Blake Lost Highway
James Coburn Affliction
James Cromwell LA Confidential
Robert De Niro Jackie Brown
Danny DeVito John Grisham’s The Rainmaker
Vincent D’Onofrio Men in Black
Georges du Fresne Ma Vie en Rose
Rupert Everett My Best Friend’s Wedding
Robert Forster Jackie Brown
Victor Garber Titanic
Bruce Greenwood The Sweet Hereafter
Anthony Hopkins Amistad
Djimon Hounsou Amistad
Greg Kinnear As Good as it Gets
Lady Day Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
Jude Law Wilde
Chete Lera Open Your Eyes
Fabrice Luchini Le Bossu
Alfred Molina Boogie Nights
Eamonn Owens The Butcher Boy
Burt Reynolds Boogie Nights
Paul Rhys A Dance to the Music of Time TV
Sam Rockwell Lawn Dogs
Tom Wilkinson The Full Monty
Robin Williams Good Will Hunting
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Best Supp.Actress
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Mischa Barton Lawn Dogs
Kim Basinger L.A.Confidential
Nicoletta Braschi Life is Beautiful
Cameron Diaz My Best Friend’s Wedding
Minnie Driver Good Will Hunting
Stacy Edwards In The Company of Men
Allison Elliott The Wings of The Dove
Bridget Fonda Jackie Brown
Heather Graham Boogie Nights
Melanie Griffith Lolita
Julianne Moore Boogie Nights
Sarah Polley The Sweet Hereafter
Christina Ricci The Ice Storm
Miranda Richardson A Dance to the Music of Time TV
Gabrielle Rose The Sweet Hereafter
Claire Rushbrook Under the Skin
Claire Skinner A Dance to the Music of Time TV
Gloria Stuart Titanic
Dominique Swain Lolita
Emily Watson The Boxer
Sigourney Weaver The Ice Storm
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Best Cinematography
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Howard Atherton Lolita
Russell Carpenter Titanic
Elliot Davis Lawn Dogs
Roger Deakins Kundun
Peter Deming Lost Highway
Christopher Doyle Happy Together
Frederick Elmes The Ice Storm
Robert Elswit Boogie Nights
Cinders Forshaw Tom Jones TV
Slowomir Idziak Gattaca
Janusz Kaminski Amistad
Jean-François Robin Le Bossu
Alexei Rodionov Passion in the Desert
Paul Sarossy The Sweet Hereafter
Eduardo Serra The Wings of the Dove
Geoffrey Simpson Oscar and Lucinda
Dante Spinotti LA Confidential
Alexei Yodorov Mother and Son
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Best Score
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Angelo Badalamenti Lost Highway
Mychael Danna The Ice Storm
Mychael Danna The Sweet Hereafter
Patrick Doyle Donnie Brasco
Anne Dudley The Full Monty
Danny Elfman Men in Black
Toby Emmerich Boogie Nights
Philip Glass Kundun
Jerry Goldsmith LA Confidential
Joe Hisaishi Princess Mononoke
James Horner Titanic
Ennio Morricone Lolita
Thomas Newman Oscar and Lucinda
Michael Nyman Gattaca
Nicola Piovani Life is Beautiful
Edward Shearmur The Wings of the Dove
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Shorts
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Bachelorette (France…Michel Gondry)
Come to Daddy (UK…Chris Cunningham)
Cutting Moments (US…Douglas Buck)
Da Funk (US…Spike Jonze)
Trailer (Spain…Jorge Simonet)
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Click on names for archives
Writers/Founders
Wonders in the Dark 
Best Picture: Gattaca
Best Director: Abbas Kiarostami (A Taste of Cherry)
Best Actor: Robert Duvall (The Apostle)
Best Actress: Judi Dench (Mrs. Brown)
Best Supporting Actor: Eammon Owens (The Butcher Boy)
Best Supporting Actress: Sarah Polley (The Sweet Hereafter)
Best Cinematography: Eduardo Serra (The Wings of the Dove)
Best Score: Michael Nyman (Gattaca)
The 1997 Hall of Fame: Gattaca; A Taste of Cherry; The Sweet Hereafter; L.A. Confidential; The Butcher Boy; Mrs. Brown; Boogie Nights; The Ice Storm; Happy Together; The Apostle; Princess Mononoke; Lost Highway; Jackie Brown; The Wings of the Dove; Mother and Son; Men With Guns; Amistad; A Dance to the Music of Time
A terrific year!
Short: The Old Lady and the Pigeons (Chomet)
I wasn’t the fan that Joel is of “Come to Daddy” but I just watched it and thought it interesting.
Wouldn’t call myself a fan exactly, but its certainly brilliantly executed.
Best Picture: Boogie Nights – Paul Thomas Anderson
Best Director: Paul Thomas Anderson – Boogie Nights
Best Actor: Woody Allen – Deconstructing Harry
Best Actress: Pam Grier – Jackie Brown
Best Supporting Actor: Robert Blake – Lost Highway
Best Supporting Actress: Julianne Moore – Boogie Nights
Best Cinematography: Gattaca
Best Score: Lost Highway
Best Short: Lily and Jim – Don Hertzfeldt
Top 5 of the Year:
1. Boogie Nights
2. Lost Highway
3. Jackie Brown
4. Deconstructing Harry
5. Cube
Other Awards:
· Best Movie Ruined by Its Ending: Wag the Dog
· Best Animated Film of the Year: Princess Mononoke
· Worst Animated Film of the Year: Hercules (though charming at times)
· Other Notable Short (Absent from the Main List): How They Get There (Spike Jonze)
· Worst Movie Ever Made: Spice World
· Most Dissapointing Movie: Robo Warriors
· I don’t know why I watched this so many times: Air Bud
· Most Underrated Film of the Year: The Frighteners
· Most Overrated Film of the Year: Titanic
· Is this not as bad as I remember?: George of the Jungle
· Worst Sequel: Batman & Robin
· Best Sequel: Scream 2
· Best Documentary: Wild Man Blues
· Best Fake Documentary: Brass Eye
PICTURE: THE SWEET HEREAFTER, L.A. Confidential, The Ice Storm, Jackie Brown, A Taste of Cherry, Funny Games, Starship Troopers, Mother and Son, Career Girls, Eve’s Bayou, The Apostle, Passion in the Desert, Donnie Brasco, Boogie Nights, Lost Highway, Open Your Eyes, Good Will Hunting, As Good As It Gets, Kundun, Lolita, Gattaca, Affliction, Ulee’s Gold, WACO: THE RULES OF ENGAGEMENT, Titanic, Hana-bi, Insomnia, The Full Monty, Contact, The Fifth Element, Happy Together, In the Company of Men, BREAKDOWN, Children of Heaven, LITTLE DIETER NEEDS TO FLY, Four Days in September, 4 Little Girls, HANDS ON A HARD BODY, Nil by Mouth, The Wings Of The Dove, Men in Black, PRIVATE PARTS, Life is Beautiful, 12 ANGRY MEN, THE LONG WAY HOME, THE SPANISH PRISONER, The Butcher Boy, Cop Land, Face/Off, MRS. BROWN, THE HOUSE OF YES, LOVE AND DEATH IN LONG ISLAND, MA VIE EN ROSE, MY BEST FRIEND’S WEDDING, ALL OVER ME, CLOCKWATCHERS, DREAM WITH THE FISHES, THE CASTLE, CUBE, SHE’S SO LOVELY, CHARACTER, The Eel, Princess Mononoke, IN AND OUT, MOUSEHUNT, U-TURN, EVENT HORIZON, ORGAZMO, THE EDGE
DIRECTOR: Atom Egoyan, THE SWEET HEREAFTER (2nd: Michael Haneke, Funny Games, followed by: Ang Lee, The Ice Storm; Curtis Hanson, L.A. Confidential; Abbas Kierostami, A Taste of Cherry; Quentin Tarantino, Jackie Brown)
ACTOR: Ian Holm, THE SWEET HEREAFTER (2nd: Robert Duvall, The Apostle, followed by: Peter Fonda, Ulee’s Gold; Homayon Ershadi, A Taste of Cherry; Matt Damon, Good Will Hunting; Samuel L. Jackson, Jackie Brown; Al Pacino, Donnie Brasco; Jack Nicholson, As Good As It Gets; Jeremy Irons, Lolita; Nick Nolte, Affliction)
ACTRESS: Pam Grier, JACKIE BROWN (2nd: Joan Allen, The Ice Storm, followed by: Susanne Lothar, Funny Games; Rebecca Pidgeon, The Spanish Prisoner; Jodie Foster, Contact; Katrin Cartlidge, Career Girls; Lynda Steadman, Career Girls; Helena Bonham Carter, The Wings of The Dove; Judi Dench, Mrs. Brown; Helen Hunt, As Good As It Gets)
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Robert Forster, JACKIE BROWN (2nd: Burt Reynolds, Boogie Nights, followed by: Alfred Molina, Boogie Nights; Robert Blake, Lost Highway; James Coburn, Affliction; Lady Day, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil; Mark Benton, Career Girls; Robin Williams, Good Will Hunting; Robert De Niro, Jackie Brown; Greg Kinnear, As Good As It Gets; Vincent D’Onofrio, Men in Black)
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Sarah Polley, THE SWEET HEREAFTER (2nd: Julianne Moore, Boogie Nights, followed by: Nicoletta Braschi, Life is Beautiful; Cameron Diaz, My Best Friend’s Wedding; Bridget Fonda, Jackie Brown; Gabrielle Rose, The Sweet Hereafter; Allison Elliott, The Wings of The Dove; Christina Ricci, The Ice Storm; Minnie Driver, Good Will Hunting)
CINEMATOGRAPHY: Dante Spinotti, L.A. CONFIDENTIAL (2nd: Frederick Elmes, The Ice Storm, followed by: Roger Deakins, Kundun; Paul Sarossy, The Sweet Hereafter; Alexei Yodorov, Mother and Son; Robert Elswit, Boogie Nights; Peter Deming, Lost Highway; Dean Cundey, Titanic; Alexei Rodionov, Passion in the Desert)
ORIGINAL SCORE: Mychael Danna, THE SWEET HEREAFTER (2nd: Jerry Goldsmith, L.A. Confidential, followed by: Philip Glass, Kundun; Patrick Doyle, Donnie Brasco; James Horner, Titanic; Mychael Danna, The Ice Storm; Nicola Piovani, Life is Beautiful; Angelo Badalamenti, Lost Highway)
SHORT FILM: THE OLD LADY AND THE PIGEONS (Sylvain Chomet)
FURTHER:
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, GOOD WILL HUNTING (2nd: Victor Nunez, Ulee’s Gold, followed by: Michael Haneke, Funny Games; Robert Duvall, The Apostle; Paul Thomas Anderson, Boogie Nights; Mike Leigh, Career Girls; Kasi Lemmons, Eve’s Bayou; James L. Brooks, As Good As It Gets; Simon Beaufoy, The Full Monty; Neil LaBute, In The Company of Men)
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Curtis Hanson and Brian Helgeland, L.A. CONFIDENTIAL (2nd: Atom Egoyan, The Sweet Hereafter, followed by: James Schamus, The Ice Storm; Quentin Tarantino, Jackie Brown; Paul Attansio, Donnie Brasco; Hossein Amini, The Wings of the Dove; Paul Schrader, Affliction)
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: WACO: THE RULES OF ENGAGEMENT (William Gazecki) (2nd: Little Dieter Needs To Fly (Werner Herzog), followed by: 4 Little Girls (Spike Lee); Hands on a Hard Body (S.R. Bindler); The Long Way Home (Mark Jonathan Harris))
NON-ENGLISH LANGUAGE FILM: A TASTE OF CHERRY (Iran, Abbas Kierostami) (2nd: Mother and Son (Russia, Aleksandr Sokurov), followd by: Hana-bi (Japan, Takeshi Kitano); Children of Heaven (Iran, Majid Majidi); Insomnia (Norway, Erik Skjoldbjærg); Four Days in September (Brazil/US, Bruno Barreto); Life is Beautiful (Italy, Roberto Begnini); Ma Vie en Rose (France, Alain Berliner); Character (Netherlands/Belgium, Mike Van Diem); The Eel (Japan, Shohei Imamura))
ART DIRECTION: TITANIC, Kundun, L.A. Confidential, Boogie Nights, The Fifth Element, Gattaca
COSTUME DESIGN: KUNDUN, Titanic, The Fifth Element, Boogie Nights, L.A. Confidential, The Wings of the Dove
FILM EDITING: L.A. CONFIDENTIAL, The Sweet Hereafter, Boogie Nights, Titanic, The Full Monty, Funny Games
SOUND: CONTACT, Titanic, Starship Troopers, L.A. Confidential, The Fifth Element, Kundun
ORIGINAL SONG: “Miss Misery” from GOOD WILL HUNTING (music and lyrics by Elliott Smith) (2nd: “My Heart Will Go On” from Titanic (music by James Horner, lyrics by Will Jennings))
SPECIAL EFFECTS: (tie) TITANIC and STARSHIP TROOPERS, The Fifth Element, Men in Black
MAKEUP: MEN IN BLACK, The Fifth Element
ANIMATED FEATURE: PRINCESS MONONOKE (Hayao Miyazaki)
I like this year a WHOLE lot more than the previous.
Feature: End of Evangelion
2. Lost Highway
3. Princess Mononoke
4. The Sweet Hereafter
5. In the Company of Men
Short: not sure yet, though I’m leaning toward the grotesque yet captivating Come to Daddy.
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson, Boogie Nights
Actor: Nick Nolte, Affliction (Holm is thisclose)
Actress: Pam Grier, Jackie Brown
Supp. Actor: Robert Blake, Lost Highway
Supp. Actress: Sarah Polley, The Sweet Hereafter
Cinematography: Frederick Elmes, The Ice Storm
Score: Angelo Badalamenti, Lost Highway
Screenplay: In the Company of Men
Editing: Lost Highway
Forgot to update my short pick officially, but as I didn’t watch any more nominees than I already had, its Come to Daddy, for the record books at least if too late for the ballot.
Best Picture: Hana Bi
(runners-up: Jackie Brown, Princess Mononoke, Boogie Nights)
Best Director: Kitano
Best Actor: Ian Holm
Best Actress: Pam Grier
Supporting Actor: Robert Forster
Supporting Actress: Julianne Moore
Cinematography: Elswit, Boogie Nights
Score: Badalmenti, Lost Highway
Best Picture: Deconstructing Harry
Best Director: Woody Allen (Deconstructing Harry)
Best Actor: Ian Holm (The Sweet Hereafter)
Best Actress: Rituparna Sengupta (Dahan)
Best Supporting Actor: Robin Williams (Good Will Hunting)
Best Supporting Actress: Julianne Moore (Boogie Nights)
Best Cinematography: Harris Savides (The Game)
Best Score: Mychael Danna (The Sweet Hereafter)
Top 10:
1. Deconstructing Harry
2. Dahan (Rituparno Ghosh)
3. The Sweet Hereafter
4. Insomnia
5. Boogie Nights
6. The Game
7. Life is Beautiful
8. L.A. Confidential
9. The Ice Storm
10. Hana-bi
Runners-Ups: Good Will Hunting, Funny Games, Grosse Point Blank, A Taste of Cherry, Jackie Brown
A difficult year, to be sure, in making a final call for the top slots.
While I am tempted to call on the early genius of the most amazing American director to enter into spotlight since Martin Scorsese, I feel that awarding Paul Thomas Anderson’s BOOGIE NIGHTS the top position, as BEST PICTURE, would be over-kill (as his MAGNOLIA (1999), THERE WILL BE BLOOD (2008) and THE MASTER (2012) will surely dominate my ballots for their respective years of release. Also, while I DO think that BOOGIE NIGHTS is a masterpiece of character “tapestry”, I feel that the direction of the film, while solid, doesn’t go far enough to give the final product the push that the later MAGNOLIA has. Anderson is still finding his footing as a visual director and both he and his regular cinematographer, Robert Elswit (who Oscared in 2008 for BLOOD), are learning with films like BOOGIE NIGHTS and last years amazing HARD EIGHT.
So, what to do????
Well, it really wasn’t too hard to figure which film would take my biggest and final affections as the movie I chose is an emotional sweat-box of sadness and human frailty. That said, Atom Egoyan should be awarded a Pulitzer Prize for perfectly adapting (and then some) Russell Banks heart aching novel of human frailty and the moral deceit we sometimes gravitate towards in our anger over tragedy. THE SWEET HEREAFTER is one of those rare films that breathlessly fuse simplicity with deep, complex social cruelties that partner themselves in the face of ultimate loss and hard found forgiveness. It is a film that stays with it’s viewers long after the final credits scroll up the screen and it’s a reminder to us all that the best films don’t always have to be about obvious emotions.
PICTURE: THE SWEET HEREAFTER
Top 5: 1. The Sweet Hereafter (d. Atom Egoyan) 2. Happy Together (d. Wong Kar-Wai) 3. Boogie Nights (d. Paul Thomas Anderson) 4. A Taste of Cherry (Abbas Kiarostami) 5. Jackie Brown (d. Quentin Tarantino)
DIRECTOR: Martin SCORSESE (Kundun)
Runner Ups: Atom Egoyan (The Sweet Hereafter), Andrew Niccol (Gattaca), Wong Kar-Wai (Happy Together), Abbas Kiarostami (A Taste of Cherry)
I paced, back and forth, through my office for over an hour pondering the final result of this category and I always came up with the same answer.
Although he has made a giant name for himself as a director of gritty crime drama that focuses on the basest animal-like feelings that reside within the core of our souls, Martin Scorsese also proved to be a immense thinker and a man of deep spirituality with his pondering supposition that was THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST (still his best film in my opinion). Using that same mindset, his work on KUNDUN, his loving and analytical study of the life and teachings of the Dalai Lama, is some of his most probing and emotionally resonant. Using moments that find the camera closing in on things as simple as a pair of shoes or two beetles locked in conflict, the master director takes the film from mere biographical depiction into the realm of subjective presentation and spiritual materialization. Scorsese’s all seeing eyes put us behind the glasses, and into the mind, of one of the great religious/spiritual thinkers of our time and allows us to see the way the legend saw as he formed his thoughts and impressions of the world and the way God lives in it and through us. Immense quiet moments that lean heavily on the silence of vast landscapes and the loneliness we can feel in them even when teeming with people is part of Scorsese’s genius in bringing the ideas of the individual walking with God at his side and recalls some of the best and most reflective work of Bergman and Bresson.
For me, this choice was a no-brainer. KUNDUN is one of Scorsese’s best films and some of his very best work as a director.
LEAD ACTOR: Ian HOLM (The Sweet Hereafter)
Runner Ups: Robert Duvall (The Apostle), Tony Leung (Happy Together), Leslie Cheung (Happy Together), Peter Fonda (Ulee’s Gold)
In any other year I’d have been more than willing to call a tie for the coupling of Tony Leung and Leslie Cheung as the gay partners of many years moving though crisis in Wong Kar-Wai’s brilliantly honest and amazing HAPPY TOGETHER. Their lived-in familiarity and deep connective drips with a kind of honesty rarely seen in same-sex couples depicted on screen and the bravery of both performances has me at a stand-still in declaring who is the better of the two.
On the other hand, the volcanic eruptions of Robert Duvall’s flawed evangelist sees one of the master thespians finest moments on screen in THE APOSTLE.
I was heartbroken to have to sacrifice the always interesting Jack Nicholson, in one of his most inspired turns (in AS GOOD AS IT GETS), from the team of hopefuls.
However, Ian Holm has is finest turn, in a career of fine turns, as the insurance lawyer out for blood in THE SWEET HEREAFTER. Conflicted by life and the heartless work he does, he’s a flawed human being unaware of the emotional tragedy that will affect and, ultimately, change his life and way of thinking. Quiet, retrospective, but never without a harsh word to say to call witness to his own personal, tragic breakdown, he is a man at the end of his tether reflecting on all the regrets of his life brought to the fore by others in worse predicaments. It’s a tedious, brilliantly detailed performance of new found self worth and inner discovery and it’s the best of 1997.
LEAD ACTRESS: Helena Bonham CARTER (The Wings of the Dove)
Runner Ups: Kathy Burke (Nil by Mouth), Judi Dench (Her Majesty, Mrs. Brown), Helen Hunt (As Good as it Gets), Pam Grier (Jackie Brown)
By leaps and bounds it’s Carter, selfishly deceitful and inhuman in her lust for material and financial gain that stole the top slot in this category. As a kind of black-widow spider that begins to see the errors of her ways all too late, she is a chilly and calculating opportunist whose cold black eyes go soft when the realization that her selfish actions will destroy a love she never knew she was in as it begins to die. This is classical acting of the highest order from an actress that has never been truly used to her fullest potential and high time she was given the praise she so richly deserves.
SUPP. ACTOR: Robert FORSTER (Jackie Brown)
Runner Ups: Burt Reynolds (Boogie Nights), Jude Law (Gattaca), Rupert Everett (My Best Friend’s Wedding), Robert Blake (Lost Highway)
SUPP. ACTRESS: Sarah POLLEY (The Sweet Hereafter)
Runner Ups: Julianne Moore (Boogie Nights), Allison Elliot (The Wings of the Dove), Joan Cusack (In & Out), Minnie Driver (Good Will Hunting)
PHOTO: Eduard SERRA (The Wings of the Dove)
Runner Ups: Roger Deakins (Kundun), Dante Spinotti (L. A. Confidential), Slowimir Idziak (Gattaca), Christopher Doyle (Happy Together)
MUSIC: Micheal NYMAN (Gattaca)
Runner Ups: Phillip Glass (Kundun), Edward Shearmur (The Wings of the Dove), Joe Hisaishi (Princess Mononoke), Mycheal Danna (The Sweet Hereafter)
Best Film: Princess Mononoke. Best Director: Hayao Miyazaki. Best Actor: Al Pacino.(Donnie Brasco). Best Actress: Helena Bonham Carter.(The Wings Of A Dove). Best Supporting Actor: Rupert Everett.(My Best Friend Wedding). Best Supporting Actress: Sigourney Weaver.(The Ice Storm).
Best Picture: Lost Highway
Major Runner Up: Jackie Brown
Other Runner ups: The Sweet Hereafter, Gattaca, A Taste Of Cherry.
This is a very good year, but also a very unbalanced year – there are some great European films, and some very good American films, but the top of the list is completely dominated by Asian films. 6 of the top 7, by my lights.
PICTURE: Happy Together
DIRECTOR: Wong Kar-wei
LEAD ACTOR: Thomas Jay Ryan, Henry Fool
LEAD ACTRESS: Pam Grier, Jackie Brown
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Robert Forster, Jackie Brown
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Julianne Moore, Boogie Nights
SHORT: Alone, Erick Zonca
SCORE: Angelo Badalamenti, Lost Highway
CINEMATOGRAPHY: Christopher Doyle
Plus bonus picks:
Script: Henry Fool
Music: Happy Together – the music selections, which are perfect
Sound: Taste of Cherry – one of the best sounding films ever; Kiarostami’s soundtracks are so detailed, so rich, you want to watch them with your eyes closed, at least once.
Documentary: a fight to the finish between Little Dieter Needs to Fly and Fast Cheap and Out of COntrol, though I think the Herzog wins.
Martial Arts: nothing quite fits, but as Hong Kong goes over to China, you get quite a burst of creativity – Happy Together, running off to Argentina – and at home, Too Many Ways to be No. 1 has to get a mention of some kinds. For the upside down fight, if nothing else. (And the fact that those two films share a significant, extended upside down camera sequence – seems very likely to be related to the politics of the day. Both films, of course, being quite plainly about the handover, and what you are supposed to do now.)
Another really great year! The Sweet Hereafter, Boogie Nights, Kundun, The Thief, LA Confidential, Eve’s Bayou, Lost Highway, Gattaca, The Ice Storm
Best Picture: The Sweet Hereafter
Best Director: Atom Egoyan – The Sweet Hereafter
Best Actor: Ian Holm – The Sweet Hereafter
Best Actress: Pam Grier – Jackie Brown
Best Supporting Actor: Mikhail Filipchuk – The Thief (Vor)
Best Supporting Actress: Debbie Morgan – Eve’s Bayou
Best Cinematography: Robert Elswit – Boogie Nights
Best Score: (tie) Philip Glass – Kundun & Michael Nyman – Gattaca
What, no Titanic?
Film: Taste of Cherry; Affliction; The Sweet Hereafter
Director: Kiarostami; Schrader; Egoyan
Actor: Nick Nolte (Affliction); Homayoun Ershadi (Taste of Cherry); Ian Holm (The Sweet Hereafter)
Actress: Helena Bonham Carter (The Wings of the Dove); Pam Grier (Jackie Brown); Helen Hunt (As Good as it Gets)
S. Actor: Robert Forster (Jackie Brown); Burt Reynolds (Boogie Nights); James Coburn (Affliction)
S. Actress: Julianne Moore (Boogie Nights); Bridget Fonda (Jackie Brown); Kim Basinger (L.A. Confidential)
Screenplay: Neil LaBute (In the Company of Men)
Photography: Janusz Kaminski (Amistad)
Perhaps the movie is where it belongs….sunk!!
Best Picture: Boogie Nights
2. Lost Highway
3. A Taste of Cherry
4. Jackie Brown
5. Live Flesh
Best Director: Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights)
Best Actor: Jack Nicholson (As good as it gets)
Best Actress: Helena Bonham Carter (The Wings of the Dove)
Best Supporting Actor: Robert Forster (Jackie Brown)
Best Supporting Actress: Julianne Moore (Boogie Nights)
Best Cinematography: Eduardo Serra (The Wings of the Dove)
Best Score: Angelo Badalamenti (Lost Highway)
Great choice for best picture Sam.
Film: Gattaca
Director: Andrew Niccol
Actor: Ian Holm
Actress: Judi Dench
Supporting Actor: Robert Forster
Supporting Actress: Julianne Moore
Cinematography: Robert Elswit
Score: Gattaca
Short: The Old Lady and the Pigeons…great recommendation!
Picture: Funny Games
Director: Michael Haneke
Actor: Ray Winstone – Nil by Mouth
Actress: Kathy Burke – Nil by Mouth
Supporting Actor – Rupert Everett – My Best Friend’s Wedding
Supporting Actress – Gloria Stuart – Titanic
This is more like it. Love this year.
Best film: Taste of Cherry
Best director: Abbas Kiarostami
Best actor: Roberto Benigni, Life is beautiful
Best actress: Pam Grier is Jackie Brown
Best cinematography: Christopher Doyle, Happy Together
Wow I have hardly thought about this before….but 1995-1997 is really weak IMO. On my own list of best films…..there’s clearly a lull in the mid nineties with few films chosen from any of these 3 years. This year in particular I’m having a hard time mustering up any love enough for any film to call it the best of the year.
Pic – Boogie Nights
Dir – PT Anderson
Actor – Nolte – Affliction
Actress – Helena Bonham Carter – The Wings of the Dove
Supp. Actor – Robert Blake – Lost Highway
Supp. Actress – Julianne Moore – Boogie Nights
Cinematography – Serra – The Wings of the Dove
Score – Badalamenti – Lost Highway
BEST PICTURE: NIL BY MOUTH
BEST DIRECTOR: Gary Oldman for NIL BY MOUTH
BEST ACTOR: Robert Duvall for THE APOSTLE
BEST ACTRESS: Suzanne Lothar for FUNNY GAMES
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Robin Williams for GOOD WILL HUNTING
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Julianne Moore for BOOGIE NIGHTS
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Roger Deakins for KUNDUN
BEST SCORE: Phililp Glass for KUNDUN
BEST SHORT n/a
My top ten for 1997:
1. The Wings of a Dove – Iain Softley
2. Jackie Brown – Quentin Tarantino
3. Henry Fool – Hal Hartley
4. Deconstructing Harry – Woody Allen
5. Lost Highway – David Lynch
6. Boogie Nights – Paul Thomas Anderson
7. The Tango Lesson – Sally Potter
8. Taste of Cherry – Abbas Kiarostami
9. The Sweet Hereafter – Atom Egoyan
10. L.A. Confidential – Curtis Hanson
Best Picture: The Wings of Dove
Best Director: Woody Allen (Deconstructing Harry)
Best Actor: Thomas Jay Ryan (Henry Fool)
Best Actress: Helena Bonham Carter (The Wings of a Dove)
Best supporting actor: Robert Forster (Jackie Brown)
Best supporting actress: Julianne Moore (Boogie Nights)
Best Cinematography: Eduardo Serra (The Wings of a Dove)
Best Score: Edward Shearmur (The Wings of a Dove)
Film: Sweet Hereafter
Director: Martin Scorsese
Actor: Ian Holm
Actress: Helena Bonham Carter
Supp Actor: Robert Forster
Supp Actress: Sarah Polley
Cinematography: Eduard Serra
Music: Micheal Nyman
Best Picture: Boogie Nights and Gattaca -tie-
Best Director: Anderson
Actor: Robert Duvall
Actress: Judi Dench
Supporting Actor: Robert Forster
Supporting Actress: Sarah Polley
Cinematography: Gattaca
Score: Gattaca
Short: Da Funk
Best Picture: Titanic – James Cameron and Jon Landau
Best Director: James Cameron – Titanic
Best Actor: Jack Nicholson – As Good as It Gets
Best Actress: Judi Dench – Mrs. Brown
Best Supporting Actor: Robin Williams – Good Will Hunting
Best Supporting Actress: Julianne Moore – Boogie Nights
Best Adapted Screenplay: L.A. Confidential – Brian Helgeland and Curtis Hanson
Best Original Screenplay: Good Will Hunting – Matt Damon and Ben Affleck