20 Days Til Oscar (1993 Flashback)
Monday, February 10, 2014 at 10:14AM Today's magic number is... 20! I couldn't find a statistic from this year's race involving the number 20 so what were Oscar fanatics like me (and you if you're weren't an infant) obsessing about 20 years ago in the Oscar race? 1993 was a fairly astonishing film year but there wasn't much drama in the Oscar race. Everyone knew that Tom Hanks and Holly Hunter would win the lead Oscars and the night would be all about Steven Spielberg with multiple wins for both Jurassic Park (recently revisted right here) and Schindler's List. Even Supporting Actor, in what one could argue was its best shortlist ever, didn't contain much drama. Though Ralph Fiennes (Schindler's List) and Leonardo DiCaprio (What's Eating Gilbert Grape?) were giving major star-is-born performances, it was pretty clear that the industry wanted to honor Tommy Lee Jones for his whole career and for co-starring in a huge hit (The Fugitive).
So was there any drama at all? Why, yes, I'm so glad you asked.
If I recall correctly -- 20th anniversary memories can be cloudy -- there were three categories that night that looked like they could go any which way or which resulted in a surprise winner: Supporting Actress, Foreign Film and Costume Design.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
The Nominees: Anna Paquin (The Piano), Winona Ryder (The Age of Innocence), Rosie Perez (Fearless), Emma Thompson (In the Name of the Father), Holly Hunter (The Firm)
The Favorite: Winona Ryder was just cresting (she'd have another big year the following year) and was the "it" young actress at the time) though people knew she was vulnerable. Though Emma had just won and Holly was certain to win in lead, Rosie & Anna had their devout fans as well.
The Winner: ...And the Oscar went to hyperventilating Anna Paquin.
Trivia #1: Tatum O'Neal (who is just great in Paper Moon) still holds the title of youngest Oscar winner but if you discount Category Fraud, as you know I like to, Anna Paquin would hold the title.
Trivia #2: This is the only year in the history in which double acting nods were, uh, doubled. Both Emma Thompson & Holly Hunter were nominated in both of the female acting categories
Zhang Fengyi, Gong Li, and Leslie Cheung (RIP) at the Cannes premiere of "Farewell My Concubine" [Photo Credit]
BEST FOREIGN FILM
The Nominees: Belle Epoque (Spain), Farewell My Concubine (Hong Kong), The Wedding Banquet (Taiwan), The Scent of Green Papaya (Vietnam), Hedd Wynn (UK)
The Favorite: The majestic and moving Farewell My Concubine, a big hit at Cannes, had considerable momentum with a very successful arthouse run ($5 million in the States), a Golden Globe win, multiple critics prizes for Foreign Film and a second Oscar nomination (for cinematography). Gong Li even got a small degree of awards traction in Supporting Actress. People were talking about her at least which is exceedingly rare both for Asian actors and for supporting performances in subtitled pictures.
The Winner: But Oscar surprised with a win for the sunny Spanish Belle Epoque which was an international breakthrough of sorts for two actresses who are still big deals today: Penélope Cruz & Maribel Verdú
Trivia: This was the most Asian of all Oscar lineups, a full 60% of the nominees! (Oscar prefers Western European films with their three favorite countries in this category being 1. France, 2. Italy and 3. Spain)
COSTUME DESIGN
The Nominees: Orlando, The Age of Innocence, The Piano, The Remains of the Day, Schindler's List
The Favorite: I can't recall if there was one. The Age of Innocence was not universally well-liked (having missed in most of the big categories despite assumptions before it opened that it would be among the frontrunners) and costume design gave the voters an opportunity to give another prize to either of the two most acclaimed Best Picture candidates (The Piano & Schindlers) or to insure that The Remains of the Day didn't go home empty-handed despite 8 nominations, or to honor the edgiest and coolest and best of the nominees Orlando (Sandy Powell's first nomination... and there would be many more)
The Winner: ...but here is where The Age of Innocence won its only Oscar. The statue went to Gabriella Pescucci who is now hogging Emmys for The Borgias
What's your strongest movie or Oscar memory of 1993? If you were not born yet or just a wee bairn, what's the first 1993 movie you ended up latching on to in retrospect?
Reader Comments (57)
I was too young for this ceremony. I started watching with the 1996 show, the year of English Patient. But I wish Groundhog Day received a screenplay nod. It's a shame that the Academy hasn't recognized Angela Bassett more, and that Hollywood has given her too few opportunities to get recognized. I thought she should've been nominated for Waiting to Exhale.
And yes to everything Addams Family Values! At least Joan Cusack got a make-up nod a few years later for In & Out. Watching AFV now, I can't believe this movie got made, but I'm oh-so-happy it did.
My heart still breaks over the fate of Leslie Cheung. What a beautiful actor, inside and out.
I love "I Don't Want to Fight" too, but I fear it wasn't eligible. I've got the CD right here and Tina writes: "I am very grateful to Sade Adu for finding I Don't Want to Fight, a song which I feel perfectly summarizes a large part of my life. It seemed like the ideal theme for the film."
I guess if it wasn't written for the movie, it wasn't eligible. I believe that also happened with "Wind Beneath My Wings" which is tragic.
I was a big fan of Tsai Chin in The Joy Luck Club. I remember Ebert being too on his and Siskel's Memo To The Academy episode.
I loved the video tribute to cinematographers that Oscar night, presented by Kirk Douglas. But he forgot to mention Conrad L. Hall for Searching for Bobby Fischer, when he announced the nominees. Eh, not bad. For some reason, Paul Newman announced just one nominee (Don Burgess for Forrest Gump), the following year. lol. I'm guessing a teleprompter malfunction?
1994 STAR ACADEMY AWARDS
_____________________________________________
BEST PICTURE
Forrest Gump*
Interview With the Vampire
The Lion King
Pulp Fiction
The Shawshank Redemption
Speed
BEST DIRECTOR
Woody Allen, Bullets over Broadway
Frank Darabont, The Shawshank Redemption
Neil Jordan, Interview With the Vampire
Quentin Tarantino, Pulp Fiction
John Waters, Serial Mom
Robert Zemeckis, Forrest Gump*
BEST ACTOR
Morgan Freeman, The Shawshank Redemption
Hugh Grant, Four Weddings and a Funeral
Tom Hanks, Forrest Gump*
Jack Nicholson, Wolf
Brad Pitt, Legends of the Fall
John Travolta, Pulp Fiction
BEST ACTRESS
Sandra Bullock, Speed
Jessica Lange, Blue Sky
Meg Ryan, When a Man Loves a Woman
Winona Ryder, Little Women
Susan Sarandon, The Client
Kathleen Turner, Serial Mom*
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Dennis Hopper, Speed
Tom Cruise, Interview With the Vampire
Samuel L. Jackson, Pulp Fiction*
Martin Landau, Ed Wood
Gary Sinise, Forrest Gump
Bruce Willis, Pulp Fiction
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Jamie Lee Curtis, True Lies
Claire Danes, Little Women
Kirsten Dunst, Interview With the Vampire*
Uma Thurman, Pulp Fiction
Jennifer Tilly, Bullets over Broadway
Dianne Wiest, Bullets over Broadway
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
The Client
Forrest Gump*
Interview With the Vampire
Legends of the Fall
Quiz Show
The Shawshank Redemption
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Bullets over Broadway
Four Weddings and a Funeral
The Lion King
Pulp Fiction*
Serial Mom
Speed
SONG
"Big Empty", The Crow
"Can You Feel the Love Tonight", The Lion King
"Circle of Life", The Lion King*
"Hakuna Matata", The Lion King
"I'll Remember", With Honors
"Regulate", Above the Rim
ORIGINAL SCORE
Forrest Gump, Alan Silvestri
The Lion King, Hans Zimmer*
Little Women, Thomas Newman
Serial Mom, Basil Poledouris
Stargate, David Arnold
Wolf, Ennio Morricone
If I had my way the nominees would have been (by order of preference):
Best Picture:
Schindler's List - (Universal Pictures/Amblin Entertainment) produced by Steven Spielberg, Gerald R. Molen and Branko Lustig
The Piano - (CIBY 2000/Jan Chapman/Miramax Films) produced by Jan Chapman
The Fugitive - (Warner Bros. Pictures) produced by Arnold Kopelson
In the Name of the Father - (Hell's Kitchen/Gabriel Byrne/Universal Pictures) produced by Jim Sheridan
Gettysburg - (Turner Pictures/New Line Cinema) produced by Moctesuma Esparza and Robert Katz
Best Director:
Steven Spielberg - Schindler's List
Jane Campion - The Piano
Ronald F. Maxwell - Gettysburg
Jim Sheridan - In the Name of the Father
Andrew Davis - The Fugitive
Best Actor:
Liam Neeson - Schindler's List
Daniel Day-Lewis - In the Name of the Father
Tom Berenger - Gettysburg
Harvey Keitel - The Piano
Harrison Ford - The Fugitive
Best Actress:
Holly Hunter - The Piano
Angela Bassett - What's Love Got to Do with It
Emma Thompson - The Remains of the Day
Juliette Binoche - Three Colors: Blue
Michelle Pfeiffer - The Age of Innocence
Best Supporting Actor:
Ralph Fiennes - Schindler's List
Pete Postlethwaite - In the Name of the Father
Jeff Daniels - Gettysburg
Tommy Lee Jones - The Fugitive
Sam Neill - The Piano
Best Supporting Actress:
Anna Paquin - The Piano
Emma Thompson - In the Name of the Father
Embeth Davidtz - Schindler's List
Gong Li - Farewell My Concubine
Christina Ricci - Addams Family Values
Best Adapted Screenplay:
Schindler's List - Steven Zaillian
In the Name of the Father - Terry George and Jim Sheridan
Gettysburg - Ronald F. Maxwell
The Fugitive - Jeb Stuart and David Twohy
The Age of Innocence - Jay Cocks and Martin Scorsese
Best Original Screenplay:
The Piano - Jane Campion
Groundhog Day - Harold Ramis and Danny Rubin
The Nightmare Before Christmas - Michael McDowell and Caroline Thompson
In the Line of Fire - Jeff Maguire
Menace II Society - Tyger Williams