^uinju3\ip ^^uauiuoaiAua sjEandBaBojoiu
For real Oscar-caliber films,
check out winners from the past
By John Mabry
If you’ve already seen all of this year’s Oscar-
nominated pictures and, like me, you’re a little
disappointed in what is supposed to be the best
of what the cinema had to offer for 1990, the local
video store has a generous selection of films
awarded the “Best Picture" Oscar that are truly
among the greats of American film. Some of the
best include:
1. AII About Eve (1950). Bette Davis, Anne
Baxter and George Sanders try to outbitch one
another in this marvelously witty and observant
film about life in the New York theater. The picture
is a four-star among four-star films: superb cast
ing, excellent direction and an intelligent, talky
script convinced Academy voters to give "All-
About Eve" more Oscars than any other film in
cinema history.
2. Casablanca (1942). Probably the most ro
mantic film ever made, Casablanca is the story of
the choice between love and honor in intrigue-
filled World War II Morocco. Humphrey Bogart,
Ingrid Bergman and Paul Heinreid are caught in
a love triangle that doesn’t resolve itself until the
hands-down best ending ever recorded on film.
And who can forget Max Steiner's incredible
score — anyone who’s seen "Casablanca” must
remember this.
S.Terms of Endearment (1983). If you didn’t
catch this recent tear-jerker about a touching
mother/daughter relationship, it’s a must-see.
Based on the novel by Larry McMurtry (author of
“Lonesome Dove"), the film is funny, sad, poi
gnant and brilliantly real in director James L.
Brooks’ treatment of the screenplay by McMurtry.
It also showcases super performances by some
of the best actors and actresses of the ’80s —De
bra Winger, John Lithgow, Jack Nicholson and
Shirley Maclaine.
4.My Fair Lady (1964), 5.West Side Story
(1961), 6.Gigi (1958), and 7. The Sound of Music
(1965). In the era of the big Hollywood musicals,
these are at the top of the list. Classics of the
American theater, the film versions are excep
tionally crafted extravaganzas featuring top di
rectors, casting and design.
8.On The Waterfront (1954). One of the first
harshly realistic films that were forerunners of
masterpieces like “The Godfather” series and
“Taxi Driver,” this film is a poetic and intense look
at the inner lives of America’s blue-collar class.
The film stars Eve-Marie Saint and Marlon Brando
at his Method Acting best.
9. Hamlet (1948). Here’s some advice: If you
really want to see Shakespeare’s classic in its fin
est treatment, rent this instead of seeing Mel Gib
son. This version is actually much more accessi
ble and an all-around better movie. Laurence
Olivier will always be associated with the role of
Hamlet for his Oscar-winning performance in this
film.
10.Some Like It Hot (1959). OK, so this film
didn’t win the Best Picture Oscar, but it should
have, so I’m including it. This film rates with crit
ics and audiences alike as one of the greatest
comedies ever made. Jack Lemmon and Tony
Curtis star as two jazz musicians who dress up as
women and head to Florida to escape being
knocked off by the mob. Writer/Director Billy
Wilder ("Sunset Boulevard") creates some of the
most hilarious goings-on ever recorded on film.
Lemmon is brilliant. The film also features Marilyn
Monroe’s best film performance.
Can’t find them? Then look for great winners
like “Annie Hall” (1977), "The Apartment” (1960)
and “Midnight Cowboy” (1969).
1991 Oscar Nominees
PICTURE:
Awakenings, Dances With Wolves,
Ghost, The Godfather Part III,
GoodFellas.
ACTOR:
Kevin Costner, Dances With
Wolves; Robert De Niro, Awaken
ings; Gerard Depardieu, Cyrano de
Bergerac; Richard Harris, The Field;*
Jeremy Irons, Reversal of Fortune.
ACTRESS:
Kathy Bates, Misery; Anjelica Hus
ton, The Grifters; Julia Roberts, Pre
tty Woman; Meryl Streep, Postcards
from the Edge; Joanne Woodward,
Mr. & Mrs. Bridge.
SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Bruce Davison, Longtime Compan
ion; Andy Garcia, The Godfather
Part III; Graham Greene, Dances
With Wolves; Al Pacino, Dick Tracy;
Joe Pesci, GoodFellas.
SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Annette Bening, The Grifters; Lor
raine Bracco, GoodFellas; Whoopi
Goldberg, Ghost; Diane Ladd, Wild
at Heart; Mary McDonnell, Dances
With Wolves.
DIRECTOR:
Kevin Costner, Dances With
Wolves; Francis Ford Coppola, The
Godfather Part III; Martin Scorsese,
GoodFellas; Stephen Frears, The
Grifters; Barbet Schroeder, Reversal
of Fortune.
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:
Woody Allen, Alice; Barry Levinson,
Avalon; Bruce Joel Rubin, Ghost;
Peter Weir, Green Card; Whit Stil
lman, Metropolitan.
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:
Steven Zaillian, Awakenings; Mi
chael Blake, Dances With Wolves;
Robert DeNiro earned a Best Actor Nomination for his role in Awakenings. The film also received a bid tor
Best Picture and nominations in two other categories.
Nicholas Pileggi and Martin Scor
sese, GoodFellas; Donald E. West-
lake, The Grifters; Nicholas Kazan,
Reversal of Fortune.
FOREIGN FILM:
Cyrano de Bergerac, France; Jour
ney of Hope, Switzerland; Ju Dou,
People's Republic of China; The
Nasty Girl, Germany; Open Doors,
Italy.
ART DIRECTION:
Cyrano de Bergerac, Dances With
Wolves, Dick Tracy, The Godfather
Part III, Hamlet.
CINEMATOGRAPHY:
Avalon, Dances With Wolves, Dick
Tracy, The Godfather Part III, Henry
and June.
COSTUME DESIGN:
Avalon, Cyrano de Bergerac,
Dances With Wolves, Dick Tracy,
Hamlet.
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE:
American Dream, Berkely in the Six
ties, Building Bombs, Forever Activ
ists: Stories From the Veterans of
the Abraham Lincoln Brigade,
Waldo Salt: A Screenwriter’s Jour
ney.
DOCUMENTARY
SHORT SUBJECT:
Burning Down Tomorrow, Chimps:
So Like Us, Days of Waiting, Jour
ney Into Life: The World of the Un
born, Rose Kennedy: A Life to Re
member.
FILM EDITING:
Dances With Wolves, Ghost, The
Godfather Part III, GoodFellas, The
Hunt for Red October.
MAKEUP:
Cyrano de Bergerac, Dick Tracy, Ed
ward Scissorhands.
MUSIC ORIGINAL SCORE:
Randy Newman, Avalon; John Barry,
Dances With Wolves; Maurice Jarre,
Ghost; David Grusin, Havana; John
Williams, Home Alone.
MUSIC ORIGINAL SONG:
“Blaze of Glory” from Young Gunsll;
“I’m Checkin’ Out" from Postcards
From the Edge; “Promise Me You’ll
Remember” from The Godfather
Part III; “Somewhere in My Memory”
from Home Alone; "Sooner or Later
(I Always Get My Man)” from Dick
Tracy.
ANIMATED SHORT FILM:
Creature Comforts, A Grand Day
Out, Grasshoppers (Cavallette).
LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM:
Bronx Cheers, Dear Rosie, The
Lunch Date, Senzeni Na? (What
Have We Done?), 12:01 p.m.
SOUND:
Dances With Wolves, Days of Thun
der, Dick Tracy, The Hunt for Red
October, Total Recall.
SOUND EFFECTS EDITING:
Flatliners, The Hunt for Red Octo
ber, Total Recall.
(Courtesy of the Associated
Press)
page 4
March 21,1991