Winners indicated (*). I still need to see films like The Thin Blue Line, High Hopes, Damnation, School Daze, Talk Radio, Torch Song Trilogy, Bird, Salaam Bombay!, Clean and Sober, Hairspray, Punchline, Little Dorrit, Dominick and Eugene, The Big Blue, Tucker: The Man and His Dream, A World Apart, Distant Voices, Still Lives, Hotel Terminus: The Life and Times of Klaus Barbie, The Milagro Beanfield War, Things Change, Heart of Midnight, Tequila Sunrise, Beaches, Story of Women, Married to the Mob, Willow, and Young Guns.
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| A Fish Called Wanda |
BEST PICTURE:
Die Hard
A Fish Called Wanda*
Grave of the Fireflies
A Short Film About Killing
A Short Film About Love
BEST DIRECTOR:
Charles Crichton, A Fish Called Wanda
Krzysztof Kieslowski, A Short Film About Killing
Krzysztof Kieslowski, A Short Film About Love
John McTiernan, Die Hard
Martin Scorsese, The Last Temptation of Christ*
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| Die Hard |
BEST ACTOR:
John Cleese, A Fish Called Wanda
Pelle Hvenegaard, Pelle the Conqueror
Jeremy Irons, Dead Ringers
Tom Waits, Big Time
Bruce Willis, Die Hard*
BEST ACTRESS:
Juliette Binoche, The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Jamie Lee Curtis, A Fish Called Wanda*
Jodie Foster, The Accused
Gena Rowlands, Another Woman
Meryl Streep, A Cry in the Dark
 |
| The Unbearable Lightness of Being |
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Michael Keaton, Beetlejuice
Kevin Kline, A Fish Called Wanda*
Alex Man, As Tears Go By
Michael Palin, A Fish Called Wanda
Alan Rickman, Die Hard
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Geena Davis, The Accidental Tourist
Lena Olin, The Unbearable Lightness of Being*
Michelle Pfeiffer, Dangerous Liaisons
Martha Plimpton, Shy People
Sigourney Weaver, Working Girl
 |
| A Short Film About Love |
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:
Dangerous Liaisons
Grave of the Fireflies
Pelle the Conqueror
The Unbearable Lightness of Being*
The Vanishing
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:
Another Woman
A Fish Called Wanda*
Midnight Run
A Short Film About Love
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
 |
| A Short Film About Killing |
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY:
Die Hard
The Last Temptation of Christ
Pelle the Conqueror
A Short Film About Killing*
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
BEST FILM EDITING:
Die Hard*
A Fish Called Wanda
Midnight Run
The Vanishing
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
 |
| Grave of the Fireflies |
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE:
Beetlejuice
Dangerous Liaisons
Grave of the Fireflies*
The Last Temptation of Christ
My Neighbor Totoro
BEST ORIGINAL SONG:
"Kokomo", Cocktail
"Let the River Run", Working Girl
"Shy People", Shy People
"Strange Weather", Big Time
"Why Should I Worry?", Oliver & Company*
Additional Categories
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| The Last Temptation of Christ |
BEST ART DIRECTION:
Akira
Dangerous Liaisons
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Who Framed Roger Rabbit*
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
BEST COSTUME DESIGN:
Dangerous Liaisons*
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
 |
| Who Framed Roger Rabbit |
BEST MAKEUP:
Beetlejuice*
Coming to America
Scrooged
BEST SOUND (MIXING AND EDITING):
Akira
Big Time
Die Hard*
Mississippi Burning
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS:
Beetlejuice
Die Hard
Who Framed Roger Rabbit*
Updated: 4/16/15
OMG! The Willis and Olin wins are amazing. I'm actually wrapping up this year for the Fistis! I have like 10 films to see first, but then I'll be posting those (maybe next month). You need to see 'Distant Voices, Still Lives'...beautiful film (brutal, but beautiful).
ReplyDeleteHaha, thanks! I honestly don't see anyone beating Willis, even if some of the other nominees change. I thought Jeremy Irons would, but Willis is just so iconic in that role. Actually, I don't think any of my acting winners will change.
DeleteCan't wait for the 1988 Fistis! Yeah, I really need to see that movie.
I was really shocked to see Olaf Lubaszenko shafted from you Lead Actor ballot! How could he miss for his marvelous work in 'A Short Film About Love'. He's so haunting and beautifully natural, carrying the film so strongly.
DeleteHe was *this* close, as were Miroslaw Baka (for Killing) and Grazyna Szapolowska (for Love). I hated to leave them off, but I just couldn't find room. At least this year wasn't as hard as 2007 will be. I still don't have a "final" version of that ballot together.
DeleteSo shocked and happy that Willis won! No doubt deserving. And I may be wrong, but this is the first time that I've noticed your Best Picture not matching your Best Director.
ReplyDeleteSo glad that others love that performance! My Best Picture and Best Director picks usually match, but this is one of the few times they don't. Actually, this is the second ballot I've done where they don't. The first was 1979, when I gave Best Picture to Manhattan and Best Director to Coppola for Apocalypse Now.
DeleteYou can see all of my Best Director winners (and which ones didn't match my Best Picture choices) here:
http://classicblanca.blogspot.com/2013/04/best-director-complete-list-of-winners.html
Thanks for the link. I can check out past installations.
DeleteYou're welcome!
Deletewow, 88 was a strong year for film, and especially for animation! I know you love A Fish Called Wanda, so nice to see that featured.
ReplyDeleteDefintely interested on your take on Willow (1988), it almost made my top 100. Entertaining adventure. Way better than verdicts on rotten tomatoes.
Yeah, I really need to see My Neighbor Totoro. I usually don't pay attention to Rotten Tomatoes scores. After all, I gave Pitch Perfect 4 stars (and stand by that).
DeleteWhat did you think of Big?
ReplyDeleteI like Big, and Hanks gives a brilliant performance. I just couldn't fit him or the film anywhere.
DeleteWe're a bit closer on our nominees then in '87 but my I haven't seen the foreign films you've chosen, I'm making a list to try and catch up on some. I see you have a couple of acting nominees from The Unbearable Lightness of Being, which I find is a divisive title. It was recommended to me by a friend who thought it was the greatest thing she'd ever seen, it didn't impress me. I thought it was tedious and endless albeit well performed and any time I've talked to someone about it they either loved it or hated it with no in between.
ReplyDeletePicture:
Big
Crossing Delancey
Dangerous Liaisons
Die Hard-Winner
A Fish Called Wanda
I love the other four films, particularly the gentle humor and sharp observations of my runner up Crossing Delancey, but Die Hard is such a prototype from most of the action films that followed and more in how solidly it's constructed. A fact highlighted by how progressively worse those following films are, including this movie's sequels.
Director:
Charles Crichton-A Fish Called Wanda
Stephen Frears-Dangerous Liaisons
Penny Marshall-Big
John McTiernan-Die Hard-Winner
Joan Micklin Silver-Crossing Delancey
I was leaning towards Penny Marshall's fantastic job of balancing the worlds of childhood and adulthood in Big but McTiernan is the clear winner. Willis, Rickman and Bonnie Bedelia are a huge chunk of the success of Die Hard but without McTiernan's consistent eye on keeping the tension both taut and varied it would be just another actioner.
Actor:
Harvey Fierstein-Torch Song Trilogy
Tom Hanks-Big
Jeremy Irons-Dead Ringers
River Phoenix-Running on Empty-Winner
Bruce Willis-Die Hard
Irons dual portrayals are impressive indeed in the chilly Dead Ringers and like Marshall's direction Hanks performance balances the worlds of childhood and adulthood expertly. But this was a three way race. Fierstein's self penned Arnold Beckoff is such a rich characterization full of humor, pathos, anger and a million little human touches. It's one of a kind work. Willis in a performance full of many of the same elements with a big helping of bad ass thrown in is amazing and Phoenix as a teen in a truly unwinnable situation runs the full gamut, what an extraordinary talent he was. On any given day I could choose any one of the three, today it's Phoenix but really all three are too good to not be chosen as the winner.
Actress:
Glenn Close-Dangerous Liaisons
Jamie Lee Curtis-A Fish Called Wanda
Amanda Donohue-Lair of the White Worm
Christine Lahti-Running on Empty-Winner
Shirley MacLaine-Madame Sousatzka
White Worm is a wreck of a film but Donohue fully embraces the bizarreness of her character rising far above the material and the movie surrounding her. Curtis is wonderful in Wanda and Shirley an imperious delight in the ragged Madame Sousatzka but this was between Glenn's machiavellian Marquise and Christine's fugitive mother. Of the actual nominees in '88 Streep was very good but Close should have won the award, she's nothing short of brilliant in the best of her nominated work. However I've always favored Christine Lahti's dynamite unnominated performance in Running. In a completely naturalistic way she makes the choices she and her family have to deal with daily more impactful because of her subtle restraint.
I really liked The Unbearable Lightness of Being, but I suspect Binoche will fall out of my lineup when I see more Best Actress contenders. LOVE that Die Hard wins Best Picture and Director! I haven't seen all of your acting nominees, but it's great to see those wins for Running on Empty. Though I could barely fit Phoenix in, I like the performances in that movie a lot.
DeleteI love Phoenix & Christine Lahti's performances so much, if I were to make a top 100 male and top 100 female performances both would be included.
DeleteI hated to leave the film and Lumet's direction out of my ballot but he would be my number 6, those two are superior talents but to elicit such intense work often requires a strong director.
One thing I really liked about the film, and I don't know if this would be Lumet or the casting director, was how Lahti and Phoenix resembled each other enough to be mother and son, and he was the one who shared her musical ability, while the younger son looked more like Judd Hirsch thereby making it less a stretch to buy Hirsch as River's father.
Glad to hear Phoenix and Lahti would make your top 100 lists.
DeleteLumet was a fantastic director. It's a shame the Oscars didn't recognize it until the end of his career.
I'd say that was the collaboration of Lumet and the casting director. It's a great little touch to the film, for sure.
Supporting Actor:
ReplyDeleteCharles Grodin-Midnight Run
Steven Hill-Running on Empty
Michael Keaton-Beetlejuice
Kevin Kline-A Fish Called Wanda
Alan Rickman-Die Hard-Winner
Usually I wouldn't select someone with only one scene as Steven Hill has in Running on Empty but his restaurant meeting with fugitive daughter Christine Lahti where the pair work through years of bitterness and recriminations in under ten minutes is a brilliant piece of acting by both. Grodin, Keaton and Kline all display their comic genius in their various films and Kline is my runner-up but Rickman, yet again another tremendous talent that to date has never received an actual nomination, sets a standard for silky villainry rarely matched.
Supporting Actress:
Bonnie Bedelia-Die Hard
Reizl Bozyk-Crossing Delancey-Winner
Barbara Hershey-Shy People
Michelle Pfeiffer-Dangerous Liaisons
Sigourney Weaver-Working Girl
No one is less a damsel in distress than Bonnie Bedelia in Die Hard-confident, tough, resourceful and fearless she and Willis make it clear why they're a perfect match and also why they are estranged. Once the movie separates them she is never less than in command, even when she occasionally shows cracks in her armour she's still in charge of her emotions. Hershey as the take no prisoners bayou mother eschews any vanity and her tough attitude feels very real, she could be considered a co-lead but as easily be support to Jill Clayburgh's Diana. Pfeiffer's delicate performance in Liaisons is doubly impressive since she manages to stand out against Close's tour de force work. Weaver likewise walks off with a large section of Working Girl with her shrewd portrait of a conscienceless schemer despite the picture being designed as a showcase for Melanie Griffith. My vote goes to Reizl Bozyk who is totally irresistible as the well meaning but meddling Bubbie using old world ways to confront what she sees as a new world problem, the fact that her granddaughter is over 30 and unmarried. She schemes, she dithers, she manipulates, she charms and even though the lead pair are very appealing she owns her film.
Sad that Kline lost, but Rickman is a great villain. Grodin is an awesome choice as well, though I'd probably consider him a co-lead with De Niro. I like seeing Hershey in the lineup, but I'd also consider her a co-lead. I really need to watch Crossing Delancey, it seems.
Delete