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Class of 1993

Posted by Guy Lodge · 6:05 pm · January 24th, 2011

There are a lot of reasons I wish I was 10 years old again — the free food and lodging, the still-tempered cynicism, the safe knowledge that there were only three Indiana Jones movies — but chief among them on this Oscar Nomination Eve is that if I was, I’d have the 1993 Academy Award slate coming my way.

If you’ve forgotten that Oscar year — or if it was before your time — refresh your memory here. Seriously, has the Academy ever cobbled together quite such an impeccable lineup across multiple categories?

Start at the top, with a Best Picture lineup that balances top-flight Hollywood prestige (“Schindler’s List”), daring international arthouse (“The Piano”) and peerless populism (“The Fugitive”). Move down through those hard-earned semi-surprise acting nods for the likes of Laurence Fishburne and Stockard Channing, down to the Best Supporting Actor race that I’ve already cited as the strongest in the category’s history.

Take in that adventurous lone director nod for Robert Altman, and marvel at a foreign-language category that includes a record three outstanding Asian entries. (We’ll let the iffy winner slide, not least because it gifted us with one of the best scenes in “The Fighter.”) And get a load of those technical categories, well-stocked with deserved, inspired nominations for films otherwise off the Oscar radar, including “Addams Family Values,” “Orlando” and “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” They even somehow managed to stumble upon an honest-to-God classic in the Best Original Song category.

Will we ever have it so good again? With the greatest of respect to tomorrow’s likely nominees, not yet. Anyway, don’t mind me — just idly reminiscing on a quiet Day Before.

[Photo: Universal Pictures]




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→ 37 Comments Tags: , , , , , | Filed in: Daily

37 responses so far

  • 1 1-24-2011 at 6:18 pm

    Katie said...

    free food, lol.

    And you’re so young! For some reason I thought you were much much older. The crush deepens!

    93′ was truly a golden year. I actually just saw “The Piano” on TV last night: perfection. *sigh*

  • 2 1-24-2011 at 6:28 pm

    Kristopher Tapley said...

    You got free food when you were 10? Damn…

  • 3 1-24-2011 at 6:30 pm

    Robert Hamer said...

    Funny you should mention that scene in The Fighter; my friends all made fun of me later and compared me to that “New York Times LOVED it” guy.

    But yeah, 1993 was a damn fine year, looking it up. Excellent slate of nominees, and most of the winners were pretty good, too. My only complaint might be Tom Hanks’ win, but I can get over that.

  • 4 1-24-2011 at 6:41 pm

    Rashad said...

    We all know Fiennes should have beat Tommy Lee Jones.

    I would have went for Janet Jackson’s “Again” for song/

    Jurassic Park should be nominated for Best Picture.

  • 5 1-24-2011 at 6:44 pm

    Keil Shults said...

    Some good picks that year, to be sure. And I too find The Fugitive to be one of the best films of its kind.

    And how about recognizing Conrad Hall’s DP work for the little-seen gem, Searching for Bobby Fischer?

    However, like with any year, there were some unfortunate (though typically unsurprising exclusions):

    1) Dazed and Confused – It may very well be my favorite film in a year that was full of wonderful ones. It’s obviously not as weighty or groundbreaking as some other efforts, but it knew what it wanted to achieve and did so beautifully. It’s also one of the most endlessly watchable films I’ve ever seen.

    2) King of the Hill – This may still be my favorite Steven Soderbergh film, and I was lucky enough to tell him in person at SXSW in 1997 how much I loved it. It’s a small, rather simple movie, but it’s written, directed and acted with such love and care that I championed it from the moment I laid eyes on it nearly 17 years ago. Sadly, it has never been available on DVD (or Blu-ray, natch) in the U.S., but I’m still holding out hope for a 20th anniversary Criterion release.

    3) Menace II Society – It doesn’t hold up quite as well as I’d hoped, and its Goodfellas inspiration is pretty blatant, but it’s still one of the best (if not THE best) examples of the gangsta genre.

  • 6 1-24-2011 at 6:44 pm

    Gabriel D. said...

    Gosh, I love this year, who doesn’t?
    The Piano is frankly one of the best films of the last decades and I’m glad it got the recognition it was deserved to.
    This was also Holly Hunter year, who had been nominated twice, including a 8/10 minutes role in The Firm. Anyways, her win is one of the well-deserved in Oscars history, in my opinion.
    And Anna Paquin, so so cute (plus her performance was excellent).

  • 7 1-24-2011 at 6:51 pm

    Keil Shults said...

    Too bad Paquin didn’t stop acting after The Piano.

    Oh wait, maybe she did.

  • 8 1-24-2011 at 6:53 pm

    Kip Mooney said...

    Holy crap. Wallace & Gromit victorious in the Animated Short category. What a great year indeed. Plus The Fugitive, which for the longest time was my all-time favorite movie (at least in my youth), made the cut. Good work, Academy.

  • 9 1-24-2011 at 6:53 pm

    Rhett said...

    Don’t hate me, but I actually find Streets of Philadelphia a bit overrated.

    I’m the only one, aren’t I?

  • 10 1-24-2011 at 6:58 pm

    David said...

    While we’re reminiscing on that Oscar year, on the night of the awards I was sequestered on jury duty. After a long day of senseless deliberation, we received news we’d be put up at a hotel near Laguardia Airport. I got there just in time to catch Spielberg pick up his Best Director Oscar.

  • 11 1-24-2011 at 7:05 pm

    Chris said...

    I loved The Fugitive when it came out and was rooting for it while watching the Oscars (my first time watching – also 10 years old!)

    It is a terrific year for film, and for Oscar nominations. The only films I wish weren’t snubbed would be Groundhog Day (Actor/Screenplay) and Fearless (Actor).

  • 12 1-24-2011 at 7:07 pm

    JJ1 said...

    I. Friggin’. Loved. 1993.

    Schindler’s List – incredible.
    Jurassic Park – a classic.
    Philadelphia – wonderful Hanks vehicle.
    Remains of the Day – heartbraking & impeccable.
    The Fugitive – as mentioned, populist fun.
    Shadowlands – wonderfully acted.
    The Age of Innocence – exquisite.
    Farewell My Concubine – shattering.
    The Piano – haunting.
    In the Name of the Father.
    Short Cuts.
    In the Line of Fire.
    Fearless.
    The list seriously goes on & on with 8 and 9 out of 10s.

    Oscars got a lot right, too.

  • 13 1-24-2011 at 7:12 pm

    Nick Davis said...

    I was about to add, “And it also gave us the phrase ‘Oscar-nominated singer-actress Janet Jackson,’” but Rashad beat me to it. I would also add, The Wrong Trousers could be the best winner we’ve ever had of the Animated Short Oscar, and Deborah Kerr and Paul Newman rank among the most deserving winners ever for the Honorary Oscar and Jean Hersholt awards, respectively. Truly a great year. Flipped for that Gu Changwei nod for Cinematography.

    But more than all of that, I’m jealous of Katie getting to see The Piano for the first time. Which, for me, was 37 times ago.

  • 14 1-24-2011 at 7:14 pm

    Nick Davis said...

    (Totally with Keil, too, on the Bobby Fischer nod, and also on the gross neglect of King of the Hill, though the latter was everyone‘s fault, not just Oscar’s.)

  • 15 1-24-2011 at 7:19 pm

    Bryan said...

    True, true. But can we talk about how Michael Nyman didn’t win–let alone get nominated–for his transcendent score for The Piano?

    And yes, Bale Epokey was probably the best scene in The Fighter.

  • 16 1-24-2011 at 7:29 pm

    Charlie said...

    I have to say that I think rather than Fiennes or Jones winning Best Supporting Actor – the real hero this year was Peter Postlethwaite’s performance in IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER. He was absolutely riveting and you wouldn’t dare blink when he was onscreen. One of the few actors I’ve seen who has managed to wipe the floor with a scenery-chewing Daniel Day-Lewis (who was also quite good).

  • 17 1-24-2011 at 7:30 pm

    Speaking English said...

    Have to be the lone voice here, I guess, but I really don’t like “The Piano.” At least the photography is absolutely sublime.

  • 18 1-24-2011 at 7:46 pm

    Keil Shults said...

    Are Owen Gleiberman, Quentin Tarantino and I the only ones brave enough to declare our love and admiration for Dazed and Confused?

  • 19 1-24-2011 at 7:54 pm

    Sertan said...

    JJ1,

    what a great list you have! It was a great year for movies…and I loved The Piano…I even had a crush on Harvey Keitel for a couple of days:)

  • 20 1-24-2011 at 8:13 pm

    Nelson said...

    Wanna know an even better year of films?
    1994

    The Shawshank Redemption
    Forrest Gump
    Pulp Fiction
    The Lion King

    and many more I haven’t seen!

    Another unbelievable year?
    2003

    City of God
    Lord of the Rings
    Big Fish
    Mystic River
    Cold Mountain
    Master and Commander
    Pirates of the Caribbean
    Seabiscuit
    Whale Rider
    The Last Samurai
    Finding Nemo

  • 21 1-24-2011 at 8:23 pm

    Speaking English said...

    ***…and I loved The Piano…I even had a crush on Harvey Keitel for a couple of days:)***

    Yowzers. I can’t see that character as anything but a complete turn-off. Which is part of the reason the film fails.

  • 22 1-24-2011 at 8:24 pm

    Matthew Starr said...

    93 and 94 were great but I still stand by 2007 as the best year (80th Awards).

    Imagine what a top ten would have looked like that year (Diving Bell, Jesse James, Ratatouille, Bourne Ultimatum).

    And the class of winners – DDL, Cotillard, Bardem and Swinton? Impossible to top that final four.

    Not to mention the cinematography that year. Probably the best of my lifetime.

  • 23 1-24-2011 at 8:42 pm

    Keil Shults said...

    Not to stray from Lodge’s intentions with this thread, but I thought I’d address two of the previous comments by adding…

    1994 – Don’t forget Ed Wood and Heavenly Creatures, among many others

    2007 – Don’t forget Zodiac

  • 24 1-24-2011 at 8:59 pm

    Gabriel D. said...

    @ Nelson: I’d put Monster in the top 3 of 2003, at least on the list…

  • 25 1-24-2011 at 8:59 pm

    Speaking English said...

    For 1994 you have to add the Three Colors trilogy and “Hoop Dreams.”

  • 26 1-24-2011 at 9:22 pm

    Paul Outlaw said...

    That was the year I played the lead in the live action short winner and attended the awards ceremony at the Dorothy Chandler, so yeah, good times.

  • 27 1-24-2011 at 9:27 pm

    Maxim said...

    Lodge – in regards to your first sentence. Go fuck youself.

    Indy 4 rocks the Cannes.

  • 28 1-24-2011 at 9:33 pm

    Matthew Starr said...

    Maxim. Indy 4 flat out sucks but as usual it’s Maxim against the world.

  • 29 1-24-2011 at 10:33 pm

    Nick Davis said...

    Props to you, Paul Outlaw! I’m still bummed I missed your performance when you came through Evanston a few years ago.

  • 30 1-24-2011 at 11:19 pm

    KalelJ said...

    It also goes down as the year that Randy Edelman’s beautiful score for “Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story” (an all-time favourite of mine) didn’t make the final five.

  • 31 1-24-2011 at 11:31 pm

    Glenn said...

    1994 is my favourite film year of the ’90s, but it was 93 that served up the better roster of Oscar nominees. What a list!

  • 32 1-24-2011 at 11:46 pm

    /3rtfu11 said...

    Maxim: Are you that guy who wanted to rape Steven Spielberg and have his wife watch? Your reactions towards anyone who dares criticizes your master never gets old.

  • 33 1-25-2011 at 12:57 am

    Michelle MC COOL said...

    1994 was by far the best year IMO.

    The Lion King
    Forrest Gump
    True Lies
    The Madness of King George
    The Mask
    Speed
    Quiz Show
    The Flintstones
    Legends of the Fall
    Dumb and Dumber
    Four Weddings and a Funeral
    Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire chronicles
    Clear and Present Danger
    Blue Sky
    Ed Wood
    Bullets Over Broadway
    In the Name of the Father
    Burnt by the Sun
    Heavenly Creatures
    Little Women
    Nell
    and
    Three Colours: Red

  • 34 1-25-2011 at 2:20 am

    Isaac Richter said...

    For 1993, I would like to add The Secret Garden as a film that was unfairly snubbed for any nominations. I know it’s a children’s film, but it’s one I’ve come to appreciate way more as an adult (it has even made me cry a few times). The cinematography is beautiful, the score is rousing, and the child actors are also sublime, mainly because they don’t try to be cute. They know their characters are unpleasant, and they embrace that in the early part of the film (making the story ven more moving).

    But yes, 1993 was an excellent year for the Academy Awards (I was too young to be aware of them at the time, but as I’ve seen the films over the years, I’m impressed). Schindler’s List is probably the best winner of the 1990′s, and I would like to add my love for The Piano and Anna Paquin’s amazingly mature performance (she’s still really good now) and while most people love him as Hannibal Lecter, I stand by his performance in the Remains of the Day as Anthony Hopkins’ career best. I also recently saw Fearless, and that was also an incredible film.

  • 35 1-25-2011 at 2:59 am

    Guy Lodge said...

    1994 is disqualified from any personal consideration of the best Oscar years by virtue of the fact that I hate Forrest Gump. Pretty good lineup otherwise, though.

  • 36 1-25-2011 at 3:25 am

    Dominik said...

    1993 was the last year when my personal favourite movie of the year was awarded Best Picture, so I keep that year in pleasant memories (although Fiennes really should have won over Tommy Lee Jones).

    1994, as mentioned by Guy, was horrible, because I didn´t only have strong objections agains Forrest Gump´s sugary conservatism, but I also had a huge crush on Pulp Fiction and seeing it getting snubbed on Oscar night (despite, how gracious, one award for best screenplay) was quite painful.

  • 37 1-25-2011 at 5:24 am

    JJ1 said...

    Isaac, agreed, Secret Garden is another very good one.