The Academy chose: Forrest Gump, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Pulp Fiction, Quiz Show and Shawshank Redemption as the year's best. Bullets Over Broadway was the probable chaser (in that dread 6th spot) with a whopping 7 nominations tying Hannah and Her Sisters for the most ever for a Woody Allen feature. The Golden Globes loved the Oscar choices but with more nominees they also presented The Lion King, Legends of the Fall, Nell, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Pret a Porter and Ed Wood for your consideration.
The public's favorite films back then? Forrest Gump, The Lion King, True Lies, The Santa Clause and The Flintstones.
Siskel and Ebert were all up in Hoop Dreams grill (with mucho shared love for Pulp Fiction, too, which took lots of critics prizes)
Me? Gold to Peter Jackson's Heavenly Creatures, silver to Pulp Fiction and bronze to La Reine Margot which I remembering being absolutely gaga for back then thinking it a full bodied hot blooded vividly realized historical epic. I haven't seen it since. Bad me! More of my retroactive makeshift awardage for 1994 here. Subject to change should I ever revisit any of these movies. The movie I saw the most that year in theaters was Reality Bites (four times) unless you count all the times I snuck into a scene or three from Pulp Fiction. The movie from '94 that I have probably watched the most times since? Bullets Over Broadway. It gets funnier every year. How does it do that?You? What are your favorite movies from 1994 and which do you think we should all be revisiting or adding to our queues if we've never seen them?
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55 comments:
See Tom and Viv.
Eat Drink Man Woman is pretty great.
Hoop Dreams, Ed Wood, Heavenly Creatures, Muriel's Wedding.
Pulp Fiction has always been my least favorite QT movie, although that's like saying my pinkie is my least favorite finger - I'm not willing to part with it for anything.
Loved Hoop dreams, one of the few movies that really made me cry, loved the lion king.
I enjoy "Crooklyn," even though the general consensus seems to be that it's wildly uneven and overlong, even as far as Spike Lee movies go. But I think if you'd watch it, you might, at the very least, find Alfre Woodard in best actress.
That's a really impressive Best Picture lineup right there, regardless of what got left out. They even made room for a good comedy!
I am sorry that I am the only hardcore film fan who loves Forrest Gump, but I am.
But my favorite remains Four Weddings & a Funeral, which I just watched Saturday night for the umpteenth time (teenagers exist to show films to, giving yourself a chance to revisit them). What a delicately written and acted masterpiece is the relationship between Matthew & Gareth. How lovely these characters are. W.H.Auden! I love that movie.
"Ed Wood" would be my number one.
Also on that note I'd like to point out that "Ben Button" has been much criticised for being "Forrest Gump 2" this year, but isn't "Slumdog" much more similar to "Gump"? Stupid guy, who doesn't know anything but love, tries to get his girl and after years of struggle, gets her. And in the end somebody dies, but everyone's fine nonetheless.
"Forrest Gump" is my all time favorite.
I can't believe that I've never seen "Shawshank Redemption" neither have I seen "Scarface" in my life.
Nat, you didn't agree with 1951's two Supporting trophies? Whom did you select over Malden and Hunter?
1994, the year of my 3 very favorite 1990s films. If Danish TV-miniseries count as films, that is.
Chunking Express will always remain my favorite film of the 1990s (how can anyone watch this film an not fall in love with Faye Wong?), with Once Were Warriors being a non-too-distant second. And Lars von Trier's Riget (The Kingdom) will always remain the greatest thing the man has ever created (and I love nearly everything the man made).
As for performances, I agree with the Academy's choices in the supporting categories (both belong to the best picks the Academy ever made in the respective categories), but in the lead category, they failed to even nominate my favorites (Terence Stamp for Priscilla and Crissy Rock for Ladybird, Ladybird) as well as the respective runners-up (Johnny Depp for Ed Wood and Rena Owen for Once Were Warriors).
Clerks! I was 8 in 1994 and my parents wouldn't let me watch it. They DID however let me watch Lion King & The Santa Clause, both of which I loved, Street Fighter, which I thought was okay, and my favorite favorite movie at the time (and still..sort of) Maverick.
MAVERICK!!!
Since 1994, I have seen and fallen in love with Reality Bites, Bullets Over Broadway, Shawshank Redemption and Pulp Fiction. Always wanted to see Four Weddings & A Funeral. At the top of my netflix queue. Saw Forrest Gump and didn't really get it, but could tell it was amazing.
Also a huge year for Jim Carrey with The Mask & Ace Ventura. Loved the first one, not so much the second one.
Hah I should clarify...saw Forrest Gump and didn't get it when I was 8, when it came out.
I was gaga for Queen Margot too. I remember thinking that I've never seen anything like it. All the blood, violense and raw, dirty sensuality.
Pulp Fiction I loved too. And saw many times. Still stands as probably the most influential film of the early 90s. Even something like The English Patient got its fractured time storyline from Pulp Fiction.
But my favourite remains Four Weddings and a Fumeral. It was so funny and romantic. I must have seen it 10 times. The one thing that bothered me was Andie McDowell. She almost ruined it. Her delivery of the line " it's still raining? I hadn't noticed", must be the most false moment in a movie that year (a little exaggeration). Besides what's wrong Hugh? You have Kristin Scott Thomas as the utterly glamorous and smart Fiona and you are chasing after Andie???
Nevertheless still the best movie of '94.
'Ed Wood' owns everything not only that year but the entire decade.
BP:
1. Pulp Fiction
2. The Shawshank Redemption
3. The Lion King
4. Ed Wood
5. probably Forrest Gump. for all of its insulting flaws it charms the pants off me every time just because of Tom Hanks.
I also loved To Live, Legends of the Fall, and Reality Bites.
director:
1. QT
2. Frank Darabont, Shawshank
3. Yimou Zhang, To Live
4. Tim Burton, Ed Wood
5. Allers, Minkoff - The Lion King
Actor:
1. Samuel L. Jackson, Pulp Fiction (someone explain to me ho he became supporting? hes THE lead for me)
2. Tom Hanks, Forrest Gump (sorry)
3. Paul Newman, Nobody's Fool
4. Morgan Freeman, Shawshank Redemption
5. John Travolta, Pulp Fiction
RU: Johnny Depp, Ed Wood, Brad Pitt, Legends of the Fall
Actress:
1. Winona Ryder, Reality Bites
2. Gong Li, To Live
3. Kate Winslet, Heavenly Creatures
4. Juliette Lewis, Natural Born Killers
5. Natalie Portman, The Proffesional
SActor:
1. Martin Landau, Ed Wood
2. Bruce Willis, Pulp Fiction
3. Gary Sinise, Forrest Gump
4. Gary Oldman, The Proffesional
5. Jeremy Irons (voice), The Lion King
SActress:
1. Uma Thurman, Pulp Fiction
2. Dianne Weist, Bullets Over Broadway
3. Kirsten Dunst, Interview with the Vampire
4. Jennifer Tilly, Bullets over Broadway
5. Helen Mirren, The Madness of King George
I really love "To Live" although I have not seen it in a while. But Gong Li teamed up with Zhang Yimou in the height of their affair, how could it not be good?
My favorite film is The Lion King! I simply love it, it is also the first ever film I saw in a teather at age 2.
Casey -- isn't Samuel L Jackson absent for the entire Uma Thurman act? whereas Travolta is in that one too.
i always figured it was a screentime thing. But maybe it's a two lead film.
John T -- i meant in years where I've seen every nominee. I'm missing a few '51 things but yes I love both Malden and Hunter's performances.
agent69 i had Ed Wood in my top ten that year but just barely. It has aged well (at least in my memory) but i haven't seen it since the 90s so i should probably revisit.
the brain say it aint so. why? (not the not seeing shawshank part -that's easy to correct but loving Gump that much????????? ???? ????)
Nathaniel- very true. Jackson has less screen time than Travolta but he is definitely the emotional heart and soul of the film. Each of the three main characters (Vincent, Jules, Butch obv.) undergo major change and the difference between them is how the handle their shot at redemption. Jules is the character who's life changes the most and he's the one who recognizes it. a minor difference in screen time doesnt make up for the way Jules defines the meaning of this film in his biggest scenes. Vincent is in no way as involved in the deeper meanings of the film as Jules is
Nat, Have you not seen Paul Newman in NOBODY's FOOL? I believe Newman should've won Best Actor in 1994. It's seriously a great underappreciated performance, in comparison to his earlier work.
On totally different note...anyone seen this trailer for Sam Mendes's new film Away We Go?
http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=41299
Man, it feels awkward, and not in the fun Christopher Guest way. Nice to see Maya Rudolph in some dramatic fair but this seems like a totally underwhelming film considering the cast.
Best of '94: Priest, The Lion King, The Madness of King George, Muriel's Wedding, Quiz Show, Tom and Viv, Bullets Over Broadway, Ed Wood, Heavenly Creatures, Eat Drink Man Woman, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, La reine Margot and Serial Mom.
I'd probably go with:
Pulp Fiction
Chungking Express
Speed
Ed Wood
Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
(In that order)
With Bullets Over Broadway, like the Academy, a close 6th.
Although I haven't seen Heavenly Creatures, Quiz Show, Reality Bites, Natural Born Killers and some others.
I'm loving your Actor lineup. Especially Stamp.
One of my favourite things about 1994 is Linda Fiorentino's devouring of everything and everyone in The Last Seduction. Just brilliant. Jamie Lee Curtis in True Lies as well.
Congratulations for having the guts to recognize Jodie Foster's brilliant turn in Nell. I can't understand people making fun of her performance - they are the true dumb ones.
I LOVED that trailer for Away We Go. I'm more excited now than I was before. It looks lovely.
Where's all the love for Kieslowski's THREE COLORS: RED?
Seriously, folks. It's great! Even the Academy thought so; they nominated it for three awards (including Best Director).
Red is no Blue.
Just a heads up, and I'm sure you all know this already, but Eric Roth actually turned in a draft of Forrest Gump 2 in early 2001 to Bob Zemeckis and Tom Hanks. Some of the scenes involved Forrest in the back OJ Simpson's pick-up truck and dancing with Princess Diana. We're all thankful that was never made, I'm sure.
OK, as for my BP line-up, I was pretty ok with the Academy
1. Pulp Fiction
2. Four Weddings and a Funeral (wtf on the KST snub??)
3. The Lion King
4. The Shawshank Redemption
5. yeah, Forrest Gump (I liked it, but I haven't seen it since I got really into film)
HM: Quiz Show
This is a weird year for category fraud, as well. Morgan Freeman and Samuel L. Jackson could've both easily switched categories (though I think Jackson was a true supporting performance.)
Oh, and someone was trying to tell me that Kate Winslet is supporting in Heavenly Creatues. I haven't seen it yet (shame on me, I know) but it sounded weird.
Also, am I the only one who thinks that John Turturro and Ralph Fiennes (though he could be argued as lead) were both better than Paul Scofield in Quiz Show?
You are absolutely right about "La Reine Margot" - its everything that kind of epic should be and everything Hollywood will never dare to do.
Everyone is F*&%$^$# brilliant, especially Isabelle Adjani (was she ever more beautiful - someone go to Jessica Lange's house, steal that Oscar and Fedex's it to France!!!!) and Virna Lisi (the only one that could give Wiest a run for that Oscar - She won Cannes' Best Actress Award!!!!!!)
One of the great films, not only from 1994 and from the 90's, but ever.
Sorry, but I love Forrest Gump as well. I saw it when I was 13, just getting into films about people with neurological disorders (and coming to terms with something of my own), and I've watched it so many times since, it's never failed to uplift me. Yes, it's syrupy, but it also has a lot of satirical bite. People don't understand simplicity, people who do things just because they believe they are right, or make sense to them. I love stories about people without cynicism, without ulterior motives, with a sense of life that is altered, exaggerated. Remember, we're seeing the film through the eyes of Forrest Gump (with quick flashes to Jenny and other things that give us historial context), so basically, I think if you don't get the character of Forrest Gump, you can't get into the film. I love him as a character, as someone who believes in the good in people and doesn't try to decipher situations the way we do. People can't understand that he just "felt like running" when he ran across America, or that he just rescued the soldiers because he felt it was the right thing to do. We always have to give it importance, and that's one thing I love about that film. As for other films, I love The Lion King, Quiz Show, The Shawshank Redemption, Bulletts Over Broadway and Ed Wood.
Also, Jamal from Slumdog Millionaire was not stupid. He was not formerly educated, but he picked up on things just by living. You don't need a classroom setting to learn. Slumdog Millionaire tries to teach us that experience is the best teacher (before they introduce that silly "it is written" angle on us). Anyway, that's my two cents. Maybe I'm just a sentimental, optimistic guy, but I love Forrest Gump, and I consider myself a film fan (I also saw How Green Was My Valley, and Mrs. Miniver or the next article).
Forrest Gump and The Lion King were the best!
pulp fiction
heavenly creatures
ed wood
clerks.
the lion king
A good year for action, as I am very fond of both "Pulp Fiction" and "Speed", but "Shawshank" leads this field by a wide stretch, in my humble opinion.
My '94 line-up reads:
Chungking Express
Pulp Fiction
To Live
The Last Seduction
Priscilla: Queen of the Desert.
I saw Priscilla: Queen of the Desert when I was 4, which set me up for later on in life, and out of these, it's probably the film I rewatch the most, despite thinking that the other four are better made films.
I'm completely with Kent above about Newman, and, though even more underrated, the movie Nobody's Fool is as good as the performance. At least as I recall it.
I third that motion (re: Nobody's Fool). Even Melanie Griffith is excellent in it for God's sake!
Hudsucker Proxy and I.Q. are my other two "whimsical" favorites from '94. Seek them out and prepare to be charmed.
1994 was actually my favourite year of the 1990s (by a very wide margin). Hoop Dreams, The Shawshank Redemption (yes, count me in as a possessive fan), Priscilla, Pulp Fiction, Muriel's Wedding, The Lion King, Heavenly Creatures, The Last Seduction, Wes Craven's New Nightmare, The Professional, Speed, Reality Bites, Bullets Over Broadway, Ed Wood, Eat Drink Man Woman, Three Colours: Red, True Lies, Serial Mom, Threesome, Shallow Grave, Quiz Show and the Christmas comedy masterpiece The Ref. And there's even more that I'm not including in that list.
1994 was seriously my favourite year of the 1990s. Just constantly amazing stuff.
ed wood, hoop dreams, heavenly creatures, priest, muriel's wedding and four weddings and a funeral would be my top six
two great female performances you overlooked: kristin scott thomas (four weddings...) and natalie portman (leon)
From that lot, I'd recommend putting Once Were Warriors and Eat Drink Man Woman at the front of your rental queue: from the former, I don't see how Rena Owen can fail to make anyone's Best Actress lineup. Extraordinary.
The latter, meanwhile, is Ang Lee in a minor key, but no less delightful for it. I'd love to see him do a contemporary piece again one of these days.
By the way, I remember finding Tom & Viv shrill, mannered and generally clunky, but it's been a while.
I loved John Hannah in Four Weddings and A Funeral, first time I saw a gay character in a film where he wasn't a stereotype and it was not a big deal to the other characters. He sat next to me on a train once, but I didn't have the courage to speak to him.
Awesome year, sort of...
Best Picture
FORREST GUMP
INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE (I'm not jocking...)
QUEEN MARGOT
PULP FICTION
RED
Best Director
Neil Jordan (INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE)
Krysztof Kieslowski (RED)
Alex Proyas (The Crow)
Oliver Stone (NATURAL BORN KILLERS)
Quentin Tarantino (PULP FICTION)
Best Actor
Tom Cruise (INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE)
Tom Hanks (Forrest Gump)
Nigel Hawthorne (THE MADNESS OF KING GEORGE)
Paul Newman (NOBODY'S FOOL)
John Travolta (PULP FICTION)
Best Actress
Isabelle Adjani (QUEEN MARGOT)
Jamie Lee Curtis (True Lies)
Linda Fiorentino (The Last Seduction)
Irene Jacob (RED)
Jessica Lange (The Blue Sky)
I agree with Nathan that it was a very good year for Best Actress, no matter how much uninspired Academy's choices were...
Best Supporting Actor
Samuel L. Jackson (PULP FICTION)
Martin Landau (ED WOOD)
Fabrice Luchini (Le Colonel Chabert)
Chazz Palminteri (BULLETS OVER BROADWAY)
Gary Sinise (FORREST GUMP)
Best Supporting Actress
Virna Lisi (QUEEN MARGOT)
Helen Mirren (THE MADNESS OF KING GEORGE)
Kristin Scott Thomas (FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL)
Uma Thurman (PULP FICTION)
Diane Wiest (BULLETS OVER BROADWAY)
MIRKO S.
I think the Oscar made some good choices that year but Forrest Gump is forever overhyped and overrated. So is Jessica Lange´s performance in Blue Sky. Have not seen Bullets over
The movies of 1994 are;
The Lion King
Heavenly Creatures
Shawshank Redemption
Quiz Show
Four Weddings and a Funeral
Nell
Puple Fiction
Shallow Grave
Once Were Warriors
Speed
Suggestions:
Best Picture
Bullets over Broadway
Dear Diary (Nanni Moretti)
Eat, Drink, Man, Woman
Heavenly Creatures
The House of Spirits
Lifetimes (Yimou Zhang)
Nell
Quiz Show
The Shawshank Redemption
Three Colours: Red
Best Director
Michael Apted (Nell)
Bille August (The House of Spirits)
Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption)
Peter Jackson (Heavenly Creatures)
Robert Redford (Quiz Show)
Edward Zwick (Legends of the Fall)
Best Actor in a Leading Role
Ralph Fiennes (Quiz Show)
Albert Finney (The Browning Version)
Morgan Freeman (The Shawshank Redemption)
Nigel Hawthorne (The Madness of King George)
Jeremy Irons (The House of Spirits)
Best Actress in a Leading Role
Jodie Foster (Nell)
Jessica Lange (Blue Sky)
Miranda Richardson (Tom & Viv)
Meryl Streep (The House of Spirits)
Sigourney Weaver (Death and the Maiden)
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Glenn Close (The House of Spirits)
Jennifer Jason Leigh (The Hudsucker Proxy)
Helen Mirren (The Madness of King George)
Uma Thurman (Pulp Fiction)
Jennifer Tilly (Bullets Over Broadway)
Dianne Wiest (Bullets Over Broadway)
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction)
Martin Landau (Ed Wood)
Chazz Palminteri (Bullets Over Broadway)
Paul Scofield (Quiz Show)
Best Adapted Screenplay
The House of Spirits
The Madness of King George
Nell
Quiz Show
The Shawshank Redemption
Best Original Screenplay
Bullets Over Broadway
Dear Diary
Eat, Drink, Man, Woman
Four Weddings and a Funeral
Heavenly Creatures
The Hudsucker Proxy
Three Colours: Red
Best Cinematography
Ed Wood
Legend of the Fall
Little Budha
Nell
The Shawshank Redemption
Best Editing
Forrest Gump
Heavenly Creatures
Legend of the Fall
Pulp Fiction
Quiz Show
Best Score
The House of Spirits
Legends of the Fall
Nell
The Shawshank Redemption
Best Song
The Circle of Life (The Lion King)
Best Art Direction
Bullets Over Broadway
The House of Spirits
The Hudsucker Proxy
The Madness of King George
Queen Margot
Best Costume Design
Bullets Over Broadway
The House of Spirits
Interview with the Vampire
Legends of the Fall
The Madness of King George
Queen Margot
Best Makeup
Ed Wood
Interview with the Vampire
Best Visual Effects
Forrest Gump
Heavenly Creatures
True Lies
Best Sound
Forrest Gump
Legends of the Fall
The Lion King
Quiz Show
The Shawshank Redemption
Best Sound Effects
Forrest Gump
The Lion King
True Lies
Marcelo - Brazil.
"Crumb" was awesome. Kathleen Turner was amazing in "Serial mom" (which I guess isn't all that good, but for some reason it's the movie I always feel like watching whenever I get sick... I don't know what is it about it but it always makes me feel better, go figure).
Shawshank redemption is still one of the best films I've ever seen.
Even among that great best picture line up, none of those films come close to Shawshank, in my opinion.
for actressexuals my lead and support noms
lead
miranda richardson - tom & viv
jodie foster - nell
crissy rock - ladybird ladybird
meg ryan - when a man loves a woman
sigourney weaver - death and the maiden
support
kirsten dunst - interview with the vampire
uma thurman - pulp fiction
dianne wiest - bullets over broadawy
rosemary harris - tom & viv
helen mirren - the madness of king george
My Best Picture Top 5:
1. Pulp Fiction
2. Three Colours Red
3. The Shawshank Redemption
4. Hoop Dreams
5. The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
Best Actor In A Leading Role
1. Nigel Hawthorne (The Madness of King George)
2. Linus Roache (Priest)
3. Terence Stamp (The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert)
4. Morgan Freeman (The Shawshank Redemption)
5. John Travolta (Pulp Fiction)
Best Actress In A Leading Role
1. Susan Sarandon (The Client)
2. Toni Collette (Muriel's Wedding)
3. Miranda Richardson (Tom & Viv)
4. Linda Fiorentino (The Last Seduction)
5. Kate Winslet (Heavenly Creatures)
Best Actor In A Supporting Role
1. Samuel L Jackson (Pulp Fiction)
2. John Turturro (Quiz Show)
3. Chazz Palminteri (Bullets Over Broadway)
4. Hugo Weaving (The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert)
5. Martin Landau (Ed Wood)
Best Actress In A Supporting Role
1. Dianne Wiest (Bullets Over Broadway)
2. Kristin Scott Thomas (Four Weddings & A Funeral)
3. Uma Thurman (Pulp Fiction)
4. Rachel Griffiths (Muriel's Wedding)
5. Katrin Cartlidge (Before The Rain)
lovely choices Nathaniel! specially loved your actress line-up.
You should rewatch Chungking express again, it is an awesome movie and Faye Wong delivered an amazing performance.
though Ed Wood was the first R movie my parents let me watch (i was the only kid in elementary school who knew to "pull the string!"), 1994 will always be about Bullets Over Broadway for me. Dianne Wiest is Queen of the Universe, and god i hope they put her in the August: Osage County movie! dream!
THE LION KING WAS THE BEST OF 1994
I have to wonder Nate... how do you like Rouge enough to put it in your picture lineup and then not give Trintignant or Jacob even an honorable mention? Especially Jacob.
Anyway, I'd go (Just picture/acting for the moment)
Best Picture:
1. Pulp Fiction
2. Trois Couleurs: Rouge
3. Hoop Dreams
4. Il Postino (I know it wasn't Oscar eligible this year... but I have pretty strict rules on how I do mine and its eligible here by my rules)
5. Bullets Over Broadway
Best Actor:
1. Paul Newman-Nobody's Fool
2. Woody Harrelson-Natural Born Killers
3. Morgan Freeman-Shawshank Redemption
4. Massimo Troisi-Il Postino
5. Ralph Fiennes-Quiz Show
Best Actress:
1. Irene Jacob-Rouge
2. Jamie Lee Curtis-True Lies
3. Natalie Portman-Leon
4. Juliette Lewis-Natural Born Killers
5. Jennifer Jason Leigh-The Hudsucker Proxy
Best Supporting Actor:
1. Samuel L Jackson-Pulp Fiction
2. Phillip Noiret-Il Postino
3. Martin Landau-Ed Wood
4. John Travolta-Pulp Fiction
5. Robert Downey Jr-Natural Born Killers
VERY honorable mentions to Chaz Palminteri (Bullets Over Broadway) and Tommy Lee Jones (Natural Born Killers, who also managed to somehow make the dialogue in Blue Sky almost work. It didn't but it kind of came close a few times when he was speaking it.)
Best Supporting Actress:
1. Uma Thurman-Pulp Fiction
2. Julie Delpy-Trois Couleurs: Bialy
3. Dianne Wiest-Bullets Over Broadway
4. Kirsten Dunst-Interview With the Vampire
5. Tracy Ullmann-Bullets Over Broadway
bing i'm not sure. in truth i don't remember the film that well... these retros are all original list plus memories.
I do know I prefer BLUE. But for me those movies are the Kieslowski show more than they are the actor's show.
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