Best Short Film ( Live Action )
Excluding the two documentary categories
The Happy Hippy's Pre-Award Review : Love and War at the Oscars
It's Academy Award time and the nominations are all in.
I'm not surprised about the number of nominations made for Stephen Spielberg's
Saving Private Ryan ( 11 ), what has surprised me
is that even more nominations have been for
Shakespeare In Love ( 13 ).
Whilst Shakespeare In Love is certainly an excellent film, I would not
rate it above Saving Private Ryan and I am surprised that it has been
nominated in the Best Screenplay ( Written Directly for the Screen ) category
given the, fairly widely held, allegation that it's been directly cribbed from
the, now out of print, book, No Bed For Bacon, by Caryl Brahms and
S J Simon.
I would also point out that the basic idea behind
The Truman Show, nominated in the same
category, was previously explored, and perhaps better done, in a Twilight
Zone short many years ago.
I am also surprised by the number of nominations for
The Thin Red Line ( 8 ). Although not released in the
UK yet ( and I therefore haven't seen the film ); the trailers have been
showing and it looks like nothing but a poor imitation of Saving Private
Ryan and a sad regurgitation of previous war films and television series;
perhaps I will be proved wrong.
Obviously there is going to be a strong battle between the two as there would
appear to be between Shakespeare In Love and Elizabeth ( 7 ); both
British films with the former financed by Hollywood, the latter from within the
UK.
I'm completely stunned by this; Shakespeare In Love is at least two
orders of magnitudes better than Elizabeth, which happens to be, in my
opinion, the worst film I've seen during the last two years. No competition.
Other big surprises are that Godzilla,
Antz,
Bug's Life and
Pleasantville failed to receive
nominations in the Best Visual Effects category.
Whilst none of these could have any realistic claim to Best Picture; they have
all taken the use of computer generated imagery ( CGI ) and visual effects to a
new level; an achievement I felt worthy of nomination at least. It will be
particularly sad if Star Wars : Episode 1
walks it at next year's Oscars whilst this year's efforts go unrewarded.
Also notably missing in the Best Visual Effects category is
Lost In Space. Considering the level of self
congratulatory back-slapping over the number of special effects used in
the movie, the producers must be sorely disappointed. Much like the viewers
who went to see the film.
On the other hand, given the superb quality of
Blade, I am personally disappointed that it
didn't get a nomination in the Best Sound category at least.
But that's Hollywood; we'll just have to wait and see what the in crowd
liked best at the end of the day.
I envisage it being a toss-up between war and love, a battle between Saving
Private Ryan, The Thin Red Line and Shakespeare In Love in
the major categories, and the winning choices will reveal either a politically
motivated landslide or a balanced compromise.
I predict ...
- Shakespeare In Love as the best film to avoid having to choose
between Saving Private Ryan and The Thin Red Line
- Tom Hanks ( Saving Private Ryan ) as Best Male Lead
- Gwyneth Paltrow ( Shakespeare In Love ) as Best Female Lead
The rest being evenly distributed between the three with a few surprises
thrown up along the way; Elizabeth ( Best Costume, although
Pleasantville could snatch it away ), Pleasantville ( Best Art
Direction and perhaps Best Costume ) and The Prince Of Egypt ( Best
Original Musical Score and probably Best Original Song ).
The Happy Hippy's Post-Award Retrospective : Love is in the air
Well, I was right about Shakespeare in Love getting the Best Film
award but I didn't expect it to get quite so many ( 7 ) and I didn't expect it
to push Saving Private Ryan into second place ( 5 ).
Obviously Hollywood shared my, pre-viewing, opinions of The Thin Red Line
and left it discarded in the gutter without a single award to its memory.
I was also right about there being a few surprises due; Roberto Benigni taking
away the Best Actor award for Life Is Beautiful
was one, James Coburn as Best Supporting Actor in Affliction was
another.
But don't take this surprise as being derogatory; I, like many others, had
expected Tom Hanks to sneak in as Best Actor and Ed Harris as Best
Supporting Actor, worthy or not.
It's incredibly hard trying to judge some of the more 'obscure' films
when they haven't been released in the UK; Life Is Beautiful is a
typical case in point.
Having walked away with three Oscars, Best Actor, Best Foreign
Language Film and Best Original Dramatic Music Score, it is obviously
well worth a viewing and, hopefully, it shouldn't be long before it gets a full
showing in the UK and around the world.
I predicted 'big problems' if Shakespeare In Love landed the Best
Original Screenplay award; it did and the s--t is already being aimed
towards the fan. Writs are flying and undoubtedly lawyers are starting to
rub their hands in glee.
Unfortunately the result in this one category may well detract attention from,
what I would call, a very balanced and fair outcome this year.
Despite its two leading cast members being American, and the whole shooting
match being funded by Hollywood bucks, Shakespeare In Love has shown
just how good 'British Cinema' can be. With Elizabeth, a completely
British offering, taking an Oscar in its own right, it proved the point, and
it shouldn't be forgotten that a lot of Saving Private Ryan was shot
in the UK.
All in all, a good night for British film making and an excellent one for all
aspiring film makers outside Hollywood's tinsel glittering walls.
For more of the Happy Hippy's thoughts on cinemagraphic offerings; why not
check out ...
The 1999 Academy Award
Winners and Nominees
Winners
|
|
|
Shakespeare In Love
|
|
Steven Spielberg ( Saving Private Ryan )
|
Best Actor in a Leading Role |
Roberto Benigni ( Life Is Beautiful )
|
Best Actress in a Leading Role |
Gwyneth Paltrow ( Shakespeare In Love )
|
Best Actor in a Supporting Role |
James Coburn ( Affliction )
|
Best Actress in a Supporting Role |
Judi Dench ( Shakespeare In Love )
|
Best Screenplay ( Written Directly for the Screen ) |
Shakespeare In Love
|
Best Screenplay ( Based on Material Previously Produced or Published ) |
Gods and Monsters
|
|
Saving Private Ryan
|
Best Art Direction / Set Decoration |
Shakespeare In Love
|
Best Foreign Language Film |
Life Is Beautiful ( Italy )
|
Best Music ( Original Musical or Comedy Score ) |
Shakespeare In Love
|
Best Music ( Original Dramatic Score ) |
Life Is Beautiful
|
|
The Prince Of Egypt ( When You Believe )
|
|
Shakespeare In Love
|
|
Elizabeth
|
|
Saving Private Ryan
|
|
What Dreams May Come
|
|
Saving Private Ryan
|
Best Sound Effects Editing |
Saving Private Ryan
|
Best Short Film ( Animated ) |
Bunny
|
Best Short Film ( Live Action ) |
Election Night
|
Best Picture
|
|
Winner |
|
| David Parfitt, Donna Gigliotti, Harvey Weinstein, Edward Zwick, Marc Norman
|
|
Nominees |
|
| Alison Owen, Eric Fellner, Tim Bevan
|
|
| Elda Ferri, Gianluigi Braschi
|
|
| Ian Bryce, Mark Gordon, Gary Levinsohn, Steven Spielberg
|
|
| David Parfitt, Donna Gigliotti, Harvey Weinstein, Edward Zwick, Marc Norman
|
|
| Robert Michael Geisler, John Roberdeau, Grant Hill
|
Best Director
|
|
Winner |
|
| Saving Private Ryan
|
|
Nominees |
|
| Life Is Beautiful
|
|
| Shakespeare In Love
|
|
| The Thin Red Line
|
|
| Saving Private Ryan
|
|
| The Truman Show
|
Best Actor in a Leading Role
|
|
Winner |
|
| Life Is Beautiful
|
|
Nominees |
|
| Life Is Beautiful
|
|
| Saving Private Ryan
|
|
| Gods and Monsters
|
|
| Affliction
|
|
| American History X
|
Best Actress in a Leading Role
|
|
Winner |
|
| Shakespeare In Love
|
|
Nominees |
|
| Elizabeth
|
|
| Central Station
|
|
| Shakespeare In Love
|
|
| One True Thing
|
|
| Hilary and Jackie
|
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
|
|
Winner |
|
| Affliction
|
|
Nominees |
|
| Affliction
|
|
| A Civil Action
|
|
| The Truman Show
|
|
| Shakespeare In Love
|
|
| A Simple Plan
|
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
|
|
Winner |
|
| Shakespeare In Love
|
|
Nominees |
|
| Primary Colors
|
|
| Little Voice
|
|
| Shakespeare In Love
|
|
| Hilary and Jackie
|
|
| Gods and Monsters
|
Best Screenplay ( Written Directly for the Screen )
|
|
Winner |
|
| Marc Norman, Tom Stoppard
|
|
Nominees |
|
| Warren Beatty, Jeremy Pikser
|
|
| Roberto Benigni, Vincenzo Cerami
|
|
| Robert Rodat
|
|
| Marc Norman, Tom Stoppard
|
|
| Andrew Niccol
|
Best Screenplay ( Based on Material Previously Produced or Published )
|
|
Winner |
|
| Bill Condon
|
|
Nominees |
|
| Bill Condon
|
|
| Scott Frank
|
|
| Scott B. Smith
|
|
| Terrence Malick
|
|
| Elaine May
|
Best Cinematography
|
|
Winner |
|
| Janusz Kaminski
|
|
Nominees |
|
| Conrad L. Hall
|
|
| Remi Adefarasin
|
|
| Janusz Kaminski
|
|
| Richard Greatrex
|
|
| John Toll
|
Best Art Direction / Set Decoration
|
|
Winner |
|
| Martin Childs / Jill Quertier
|
|
Nominees |
|
| John Myhre / Peter Howitt
|
|
| Jeannine Claudia Oppewall / Jay Hart
|
|
| Thomas E. Sanders / Lisa Dean Kavanaugh
|
|
| Martin Childs / Jill Quertier
|
|
| Eugenio Zanetti / Cindy Carr
|
Best Foreign Language Film
|
|
Winner |
|
| Italy ( La vita è bella )
|
|
Nominees |
|
| Argentina
|
|
| Brazil ( Central do Brasil )
|
|
| Iran ( Bacheha-Ye Aseman )
|
|
| Italy ( La vita è bella )
|
|
| Spain ( El Abuelo )
|
Best Music ( Original Musical or Comedy Score )
|
|
Winner |
|
| Stephen Warbeck
|
|
Nominees |
|
| Randy Newman
|
|
| Jerry Goldsmith
|
|
| Marc Shaiman
|
|
| Stephen Schwartz, Hans Zimmer
|
|
| Stephen Warbeck
|
Best Music ( Original Dramatic Score )
|
|
Winner |
|
| Nicola Piovani
|
|
Nominees |
|
| David Hirschfelder
|
|
| Nicola Piovani
|
|
| Randy Newman
|
|
| John Williams
|
|
| Hans Zimmer
|
Best Original Song
|
|
Winner |
|
| When You Believe, Stephen Schwartz
|
|
Nominees |
|
| I Don't Want to Miss a Thing, Diane Warren
|
|
| The Prayer, Music: David Foster, Carole Bayer Sager, Lyrics: David Foster, Carole Bayer Sager, Tony Renis, Alberto Testa
|
|
| A Soft Place to Fall, Allison Moorer, Gwil Owen
|
|
| That'll Do, Randy Newman
|
|
| When You Believe, Stephen Schwartz
|
Best Costume Design
|
|
Winner |
|
| Sandy Powell
|
|
Nominees |
|
| Colleen Atwood
|
|
| Alexandra Byrne
|
|
| Judianna Makovsky
|
|
| Sandy Powell
|
|
| Sandy Powell
|
Best Makeup
|
|
Winner |
|
| Jenny Shircore
|
|
Nominees |
|
| Jenny Shircore
|
|
| Lois Burwell, Conor O'Sullivan, Daniel C. Striepeke
|
|
| Lisa Westcott, Veronica Brebner
|
Best Film Editing
|
|
Winner |
|
| Michael Kahn
|
|
Nominees |
|
| Simona Paggi
|
|
| Anne V. Coates
|
|
| Michael Kahn
|
|
| David Gamble
|
|
| Billy Weber, Leslie Jones, Saar Klein
|
Best Visual Effects
|
|
Winner |
|
| Joel Hynek, Nicholas Brooks, Stuart Robertson, Kevin Mack
|
|
Nominees |
|
| Richard R. Hoover, Pat McClung, John Frazier
|
|
| Rick Baker, Hoyt Yeatman, Alan Hall, Jim Mitchell
|
|
| Joel Hynek, Nicholas Brooks, Stuart Robertson, Kevin Mack
|
Best Sound
|
|
Winner |
|
| Gary Rydstrom, Gary Summers, Andy Nelson, Ronald Judkins
|
|
Nominees |
|
| Kevin O'Connell, Greg P. Russell, Keith A. Wester
|
|
| Kevin O'Connell, Greg P. Russell, Pud Cusack
|
|
| Gary Rydstrom, Gary Summers, Andy Nelson, Ronald Judkins
|
|
| Robin O'Donoghue, Dominic Lester, Peter Glossop
|
|
| Andy Nelson, Anna Behlmer, Paul Brincat
|
Best Sound Effects Editing
|
|
Winner |
|
| Gary Rydstrom, Richard Hymns
|
|
Nominees |
|
| George Watters II
|
|
| David McMoyler
|
|
| Gary Rydstrom, Richard Hymns
|
Best Short Film ( Animated )
|
|
Winner |
|
| Chris Wedge
|
|
Nominees |
|
| Chris Wedge
|
|
| Christopher Grace, Jonathan Myerson
|
|
| Mark Baker
|
|
| Mark Osborne, Steve Kalafer
|
|
| Karsten Kiilerich, Stefan Fjeldmark
|
Best Short Film ( Live Action )
|
|
Winner |
|
| Kim Magnusson, Anders Thomas Jenssen
|
|
Nominees |
|
| Will Speck, Josh Gordon
|
|
| Kim Magnusson, Anders Thomas Jenssen
|
|
| Alexander Jovy
|
|
| Vivian Goffette
|
|
| Simon Sandquist, Joel Bergvall
|
