Nominations are here. Part One is here.
And now....
Best Director
Tampopo
2. James L. Brooks for Broadcast News; 3. Bernardo Bertolucci for The Last Emperor; 4. Steven Spielberg for Empire of the Sun; 5. John Huston for The Dead
Itami's satirical chops are on display in both The Funeral and Tampopo, but the latter is truly remarkable for the way it combines comical observations on the culture, etiquette and fetishization of food with loving tributes to various genres: western, romance, gangster pic, erotica, etc. It's hilarious, even absurd, yet there's a throat-catching beauty to Tampopo's hopes, to a homeless man's attention to cuisine, to a dying man's final words to his mistress being a cherished recipe. There's a real fascination and love of life and people here.
In second, James L. Brooks' finds the right comic tone in Broadcast News. In third, Bernardo Bertolucci's epic intimacy in The Last Emperor. In fourth, Steven Spielberg's staggering scale in Empire of the Sun. In fifth, John Huston's authentic party dynamics in The Dead.
Best Actress, Best Picture, and more after the jump - starting with Best Original Screenplay....
Best Original Screenplay
Broadcast News
James L. Brooks
2. Tampopo; 3. The Funeral; 4. RoboCop; 5. La Bamba
Like I said: "It's a perfect screenplay...Every character thought through... Smart, sexy, hilarious, honest."
In second, the stylized genre-hopping of Tampopo. In third, the intimate dramedy of The Funeral. In fourth, the violent satire of RoboCop. In fifth, the carefully consider class and family dynamics of La Bamba.
Best Original Song
1. "Cry Little Sister" from The Lost Boys
music and lyrics by Gerard McMahon / Michael Mainieri
2. "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" from Dirty Dancing
music by Franke Previte / John DeNicola / Donald Markowitz
lyrics by Franke Previte
3. "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" from Mannequin
music and lyrics by Gerard McMahon / Michael Mainieri
4. "She's Like the Wind" from Dirty Dancing
music and lyrics by Patrick Swayze / Stacy Widelitz
5. "Cry Freedom" from Cry Freedom
music and lyrics by George Fenton / Jonas Gwangwa
Best Actor
Empire of the Sun
2. Gary Oldman in Prick Up Your Ears; 3. Tsutomu Yamazaki in The Funeral; 4. Albert Brooks in Broadcast News; 5. William Hurt in Broadcast News
Time and again, when I thought of the performances that affected me most from this year, I kept coming back to Bale's Jim: singing "Suo Gan", hiding in the mud, brattily telling the maid she has to do what he says, scared shitless in the streets of Shanghai, desperate for rice, dreamily wandering through the stadium. But most of all that moment near the end, desperately pumping the chest of a fallen friend, blood pouring from the corpse's mouth, chanting over and over, "I can bring everyone back - everyone! Everyone!" I think that may haunt me for a long time to come.
In second, Gary Oldman's seductive Joe Orton. In third, Tsutomu Yamazaki's fumbling, cheating husband. In fourth, Albert Brooks' intelligent, angry field reporter. In fifth, William Hurt's slyly dumb anchor.
Best Costume Design
The Last Emperor
James Acheson
2. Tampopo; 3. La Bamba; 4. The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne; 5. The Dead
Pu Yi's early years are in a court frozen in time, where status is reflected in the style, color, and texture of a courtier's robes. The clothes change with the times - and locations: stylish tennis outfits, silky evening gowns, the straight line of the Japanese uniform, the ready-for-action practicality of a lady aviator's suit, the drab monochrome of the Communist prison camp in winter... Clothes may not make the man, but they do reflect where he is in his life.
In second, the various film genres embodied in a modern Japanese setting in Tampopo. In third, the 50s styles of La Bamba. In fourth, Maggie Smith's spinster style in The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne. In fifth, a lot of lace in The Dead.
Best Actress
Broadcast News
2. Maggie Smith in The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne; 3. Nobuko Miyamoto in Tampopo; 4. Jennifer Grey in Dirty Dancing; 5. Sarah Miles in Hope and Glory
It kills me to place her in second, but Maggie Smith, my favorite actress in history, gives one of her greatest performances in The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne. In third, Nobuko Miyamoto's cheery, determined Tampopo. In fourth, Jennifer Grey's stubborn yet open-minded Baby. In fifth, Sarah Miles' determinedly hopeful Grace.
Best Ensemble
Howard Feuer
2. La Bamba; 3. Broadcast News; 4. Tampopo; 5. The Lost Boys
It's not just Dukakis or Gardenia or Cher. It's the grandfather played by Feodor Chaliapin; Gina DeAngeles' old crone who doesn't believe in curses but puts one on her sister anyway; Nada Despotovich's Chrissy, with her unrequited love for Ronny; the couple at the liquor store; the performers at the opera...
In second, the family at the center of La Bamba. In third, the editors, PA's, reporters, producers, directors, and others who make up Broadcast News. In fourth, the various foodies linked by Tampopo. In fifth, the different kinds of family in The Lost Boys.
Best Supporting Actor
Morgan Freeman as Fast Black
Street Smart
2. Lance Henriksen in Near Dark; 3. Esai Morales in La Bamba; 4. Koji Yakusho in Tampopo; 5. Mandy Patinkin in The Princess Bride
As I said: "...he's always scanning, processing, that ironic smile the only clue that he's got something up his sleeve, a private joke that involves you. Magnetic and dangerous, slimy and sexy, relaxed and coiled: this is a star performance."
In second, Lance Henriksen as fatherly, cruel Jesse. In third, Esai Morales as fuck-up-trying-to-better-himself Bob. In fourth, Koji Yakusho as the stylish, sensual Man in the White Suit. In fifth, Mandy Patinkin as sensitive swashbuckler Inigo Montoya.
And finally.....
Best Picture of the Year
Broadcast News
James L. Brooks, producer
2. Tampopo; 3. The Last Emperor; 4. The Dead; 5. Prince of Darkness
6. La Bamba; 7. House II: The Second Story; 8. The Funeral; 9. Maurice; 10. Empire of the Sun
There you have it! Broadcast News takes home Best Picture, but The Last Emperor wins the most: a total of four!
I'll be back in July with a look at 1959: Anatomy of a Murder, The Diary of Anne Frank, The Nun's Story, Room at the Top, and the winner: Ben-Hur!
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