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Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences

---->>>>This way to nominations, predictions & winners!---->>>>> Oscars too serious? Try The Movieolla Awards! And visit Movieolla's Best & Worst of 1996
MOVIEOLLA SAYS:
In a perfect world...

MOVIEOLLA's Best Picture:
"BREAKING THE WAVES"









MOVIEOLLA's Best Director:
Lars von Trier, "BREAKING THE WAVES"









MOVIEOLLA's Best Actor:
Antonio Banderas, "EVITA"










MOVIEOLLA's Best Actress:
Emily Watson, "BREAKING THE WAVES"













MOVIEOLLA's Best Supporting Actor:
Edward Norton, "PRIMAL FEAR"









MOVIEOLLA's Best Supporting Actress:
Cameron Diaz, "SHE'S THE ONE"












MOVIEOLLA's Best Adapted Screenplay:
"THE ENGLISH PATIENT", Anthony Minghella









MOVIEOLLA's Best Original Screenplay:
"LONE STAR", John Sayles











MOVIEOLLA's Best Cinematography:
"EMMA"









MOVIEOLLA's Best Art Direction:
"EVITA"









MOVIEOLLA's Best Editing:
"BOUND"







MOVIEOLLA's Best Sound:
"EVITA"







MOVIEOLLA's Best Visual Effects:
"INDEPENDENCE DAY"







MOVIEOLLA's Best Costume Design:
"ANGELS & INSECTS"









MOVIEOLLA's Best Makeup:
"EVITA"







MOVIEOLLA's Best Documentary:
"LOOKING FOR RICHARD"








MOVIEOLLA's Best Foriegn Film:
"THE HORSEMAN ON THE ROOF" (France)







MOVIEOLLA's Best Sound Effects Editing:
Geez, I can't have an opinion on everything!







MOVIEOLLA's Best Dramatic Score:
Gabriael Yared, "THE ENGLISH PATIENT"







MOVIEOLLA's Best Musical/Comedy Score:
Dunno.








MOVIEOLLA's Best Original Song:
Who gives a damn?



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NOMINATIONS:
Movieolla predicts...

Best Picture:
"HAMLET"
"THE ENGLISH PATIENT"
"EMMA"
"FARGO"
"SHINE"
Dark horse contenders:
"The People vs. Larry Flynt", "Secrets & Lies", "Lone Star".



Best Director:
Anthony Minghella, "THE ENGLISH PATIENT"
Milos Forman, "THE PEOPLE vs. LARRY FLYNT"
Mike Leigh, "SECRETS & LIES"
Joel Coen, "FARGO"
Alan Parker, "EVITA"
Dark horse:
Cameron Crowe ("Jerry Maguire"), Scott Hicks ("Shine").



Best Actor:
Geoffrey Rush, "SHINE"
Ralph Finnes, "THE ENGLISH PATIENT"
Kenneth Branagh, "HAMLET"
Woody Harrelson, "THE PEOPLE vs. LARRY FLYNT"
Antonio Banderas, "EVITA"
Dark horse:
Denzel Washington ("Courage Under Fire"), Tom Cruise ("Jerry Maguire").



Best Actress:
Kristin Scott Thomas, "THE ENGLISH PATIENT"
Gweneth Paltrow, "EMMA"
Frances McDormand, "FARGO"
Brenda Blethyn, "SECRETS & LIES"
Nicole Kidman, "THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY"
Dark horse:
Debbie Reynolds ("Mother"), Emily Watson ("Breaking the Waves").
There is also a vague possibility of nods for Madonna ("Evita") and Courtney Love ("The People vs. Larry Flynt"), but certainly not both and probably not either.



Best Supporting Actor:
Samuel L. Jackson, "A TIME TO KILL"
Edward Norton, "PRIMAL FEAR"
Nathan Lane, "THE BIRDCAGE"
Kevin Bacon, "SLEEPERS"
Gary Sinise, "RANSOM"
Dark horse:
Jonathan Pryce ("Evita"), Stephen Rea ("Michael Collins").



Best Supporting Actress:
Lauren Bacall, "THE MIRROR HAS TWO FACES"
Juliette Binoche, "THE ENGLISH PATIENT"
Barbara Hershey, "THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY"
Joan Allen, "THE CRUCIBLE"
Kate Winslet, "HAMLET"
Dark horse:
The Academy might sneak Courtney Love ("...Larry Flynt") and Debbie Reynolds ("Mother") into this category, or Miranda Richardson ("Kansas City"), Meryl Streep ("Marvin's Room"), Renee Zellweger ("Jerry Maguire").



Best Adapted Screenplay:
"THE ENGLISH PATIENT", Anthony Minghella
"TRAINSPOTTING"
"A TIME TO KILL"
"EMMA", Douglas McGrath
"SLEEPERS", Barry Levinson
Dark horse:
"The Birdcage"



Best Original Screenplay:
"LONE STAR", John Sayles
"WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE", Todd Solenz
"FARGO", Joel & Ethan Coen
"THE PEOPLE vs. LARRY FLYNT", Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszweski
"BIG NIGHT", Stanley Tucci & Joseph Tropiano
Dark horse:
"Breaking the Waves" (Lars von Trier), "Secrets & Lies" (Mike Leigh), "Swingers" (Jon Favreau), "Bound"



Best Cinematography:
"EMMA"
"THE ENGLISH PATIENT"
"BOUND"
"EVITA"
"THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY"
Dark horse:
"Hamlet", "Breaking the Waves"



Best Art Direction:
"EVITA"
"THE ENGLISH PATIENT"
"THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY"
"101 DALMATIANS"
"HAMLET"
Dark horse:
"Dead Man", "Romeo & Juliet"



Best Editing:
"BOUND"
"EVITA"
Sorry, I'm a little short on guesses here!





Best Sound:
"EVITA"
"SHINE"
"BREAKING THE WAVES"
Again, not many guesses here...




Best Visual Effects:
"INDEPENDENCE DAY" (any other nominations are pointless)
"TWISTER"
"JAMES & THE GIANT PEACH"
"STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT"
"101 DALMATIANS"



Best Costume Design:
"ANGELS & INSECTS"
"THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY"
"THAT THING YOU DO!"
"EVITA"
"HAMLET"
Dark horse:
"Kansas City", "101 Dalmatians"



Best Makeup:
"EVITA"
"THAT THING YOU DO!"
"THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY"
"THE ENGLISH PATIENT"
and either "Hamlet" or "Star Trek: First Contact"



Best Documentary:
"LOOKING FOR RICHARD"
"MICROCOSMOS"
"THE CELLULOID CLOSET" (unless it's considered 1995)
"ANNE FRANK REMEMBERED"
"TROUBLESOME CREEK: A MIDWESTERN"




Best Foriegn Language Film:
(no guesses)







Best Sound Effects Editing:
"BROKEN ARROW"
"COURAGE UNDER FIRE"
"INDEPENDENCE DAY"
"TWISTER"
and maybe one other...



Best Dramatic Score:
"THE ENGLISH PATIENT", Gabriael Yared
and four others...(I'm not omniscient, you know!)






Best Musical or Comedy Score:
Dunno.








Best Original Song:
"That Thing You Do" from "THAT THING YOU DO!"
"You Must Love Me," from "EVITA"
NOTHING from "The hunch of Notre Dame" 'cos the music stunk,
and it doesn't matter what else is nomiated.
NOMINATIONS:
Reality says...

Best Picture Nominees:
"SECRETS & LIES"
"THE ENGLISH PATIENT"
"JERRY MAGUIRE"
"FARGO"
"SHINE"





Best Director Nominees:
Anthony Minghella, "THE ENGLISH PATIENT"
Milos Forman, "THE PEOPLE vs. LARRY FLYNT"
Mike Leigh, "SECRETS & LIES"
Joel Coen, "FARGO"
Scott Hicks, "SHINE"





Best Actor Nominees:
Geoffrey Rush, "SHINE"
Ralph Finnes, "THE ENGLISH PATIENT"
Tom Cruise, "JERRY MAGUIRE"
Woody Harrelson, "THE PEOPLE vs. LARRY FLYNT"
Billy Bob Thornton, "SLING BLADE"






Best Actress Nominees:
Kristin Scott Thomas, "THE ENGLISH PATIENT"
Emily Watson, "BREAKING THE WAVES"
Frances McDormand, "FARGO"
Brenda Blethyn, "SECRETS & LIES"
Diane Keaton, "MARVIN'S ROOM"









Best Supporting Actor Nominees:
Cuba Gooding Jr., "JERRY MAGUIRE"
Edward Norton, "PRIMAL FEAR"
William H. Macy, "FARGO"
Armin Mueller-Stahl, "SHINE"
James Woods, "THE GHOSTS OF MISSISSIPPI"





Best Supporting Actress Nominees:
Lauren Bacall, "THE MIRROR HAS TWO FACES"
Juliette Binoche, "THE ENGLISH PATIENT"
Barbara Hershey, "THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY"
Joan Allen, "THE CRUCIBLE"
Marianne Jean-Baptiste, "SECRETS & LIES"








Best Adapted Screenplay Nominees:
"THE ENGLISH PATIENT", Anthony Minghella
"TRAINSPOTTING", John Hodge
"THE CRUCIBLE", Arthur Miller
"HAMLET", Kenneth Branagh
"SLING BLADE", Billy Bob Thornton





Best Original Screenplay Nominees:
"LONE STAR", John Sayles
"JERRY MAGUIRE", Cameron Crowe
"FARGO", Joel & Ethan Coen
"SHINE", Scott Hicks & Jan Sardi
"SECRETS & LIES", Mike Leigh







Best Cinematography Nominees:
"FARGO"
"THE ENGLISH PATIENT"
"FLY AWAY HOME"
"EVITA"
"MICHAEL COLLINS"





Best Art Direction Nominees:
"EVITA"
"THE ENGLISH PATIENT"
"THE BIRDCAGE"
"William Shakespeare's ROMEO & JULIET"
"HAMLET"





Best Editing Nominees:
"THE ENGLISH PATIENT"
"EVITA"
"FARGO"
"JERRY MAGUIRE"
"SHINE"



Best Sound Nominees:
"EVITA"
"THE ENGLISH PATIENT"
"INDEPENDENCE DAY"
"THE ROCK"
"TWISTER"



Best Visual Effects Nominees:
"INDEPENDENCE DAY"
"TWISTER"
"DRAGONHEART"





Best Costume Design Nominees:
"ANGELS & INSECTS"
"THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY"
"THE ENGLISH PATIENT"
"EMMA"
"HAMLET"





Best Makeup Nominees:
"GHOSTS OF MISSISSIPPI"
"THE NUTTY PROFESSOR"
"STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT"





Best Documentary Nominees:
"THE LINE KING: THE AL HIRSCHFELD STORY"
"MANDELA"
"SUZANNE FARRELL: ELUSIVE MUSE"
"TELL THE TRUTH AND RUN: GEORGE SELDES AND THE AMERICAN PRESS"
"WHEN WE WERE KINGS"



Best Foriegn Language Film Nominees:
"A CHEF IN LOVE", Georgia
"KOLYA", Czech Republic
"THE OTHER SIDE OF SUNDAY", Norway
"PRISONER OF THE MOUNTAINS", Russia
"RIDICULE", France



Best Sound Effects Editing Nominees:
"DAYLIGHT"
"ERASER"
"THE GHOST & THE DARKNESS"





Best Dramatic Score Nominees:
"THE ENGLISH PATIENT", Gabriael Yared
"HAMLET", Patrick Doyle
"MICHAEL COLLINS", Elliot Goldenthal
"SHINE", David Hirschfelder
"SLEEPERS", John Williams



Best Musical or Comedy Score Nominees:
"EMMA", Rachel Portman
"THE FIRST WIVES CLUB", Marc Shaiman
"THE hunch OF NOTRE DAME", Alan Menken & Stephen Schwartz
"JAMES & THE GIANT PEACH", Randy Newman
"THE PREACHER'S WIFE", Hans Zimmer



Best Original Song Nominees:
"That Thing You Do" from "THAT THING YOU DO!"
"You Must Love Me," from "EVITA"
"Because You Loved Me," from "UP CLOSE & PERSONAL"
"For the First Time," from "ONE FINE DAY"
"I Finally Found Someone," from "THE MIRROR HAS TWO FACES"
WINNERS:
Movieolla predicts...

Best Picture:
"THE ENGLISH PATIENT"

This thing has Oscar written all over it. Sweeping in scope, devistatingly romantic and profoundly apolitical, it harks to the kind of movies Hollywood wishes it could make again. Odds are against "Shine," "Secrets & Lies" (because of limited release), "Fargo" (too early in the year) and "Jerry Maguire" (too pedestrian and its director was not nominated).


Best Director:
Anthony Minghella, "THE ENGLISH PATIENT" The Academy nearly always pairs Best Director and Best Picture, plus the arguements above hold true for this category as well, with Milos Foreman's "Larry Flynt" not being nominated for Picture, leaving him out of the running.




Best Actor:
Geoffrey Rush, "SHINE"

The only other nominee with a chance is Ralph Finnes ("The English Patient"), but Rush has won too many other awards for this performance for the Academy to look the other way.





Best Actress:
Kristin Scott Thomas, "THE ENGLISH PATIENT"

This is the most wide-open category this year, but the "who?" factor is way too high on every other nominee except Diane Keaton, who doesn't stand a chance since her co-star Meryl Streep was snubbed. Very outside chance for Emily Watson, since her performance really was the best of the year.






Best Supporting Actor:
Edward Norton, "PRIMAL FEAR"

Not only did this rookie beautifully play two sides of a split personality in "Primal Fear," but he demonstrated enormous range as Larry Flynt's lawyer and star in Woody Allen's musical in the same year. The others are out: Gooding was over the top in "Maguire." Macy was the lead, not supporting. Wood's "Mississippi" bombed. Mueller-Stahl -- "who?"


Best Supporting Actress:
Lauren Bacall, "THE MIRROR HAS TWO FACES"

Bacall's Academy recognition is long overdue. The only other nominee with a chance, and mind you it's a slim one, is Juliette Binoche. But lifetime achievement awards are given in every category once in a while, and that's what's happening here.






Best Adapted Screenplay:
"THE ENGLISH PATIENT", Anthony Minghella

The book was considered unfilmable. Minghella said "phoey!" and did a beautiful job. This one is a lock. I'd bet my laptop on it.




Best Original Screenplay:
"FARGO", Joel & Ethan Coen

Having snubbed the best-recieved film of January-July in every other category, the Academy will attempt to make ammends here. If, by chance I'm wrong, I will say this: it won't be "Secrets & Lies" because that film was more improvised than written.




Best Cinematography:
"THE ENGLISH PATIENT"

That shot of Almasay carrying Katherine through the desert in her flowing parachute will cinch it for this handsome film. But there is that opening shot of the police car coming through the blizard in "Fargo"...



Best Art Direction:
"EVITA"

Rightfully snubbed in major categories, the first big-budget musical in decades will win worthy recognition for the rich sets and sumptuous colors that gave this musical it's personality. (P.S. But "HAMLET" stands a chance, too.)



Best Editing:
"EVITA"

This is just a stab in the dark. "Shine" and "Fargo" are also worthy contenders. The only "no way" is "The English Patient." It has too much story crammed into it & the editor was forced to leave chunks of sub-plot on the cutting room floor.


Best Sound:
"EVITA"

This is another guess. This award should really be for sound design and every film here except "Patient" was largely recorded somewhere other than the set. The lip-syncing in "Evita" was exceptional, so I'll go with that one.


Best Visual Effects:
"INDEPENDENCE DAY"

Duh.




Best Costume Design:
"ANGELS & INSECTS"

The Academy of late has had a penchant for the unusual in this category (witness "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" in 1994) and the costumes in this 19th-century drama are not only rich and sexy, but in sticking with the plot of the film (about an entomologist's love life) the brilliant, bulbous dresses are based on insect bodies.


Best Makeup:
"THE NUTTY PROFESSOR"

Special effects make-up always wins here, and of plastered actors in these nominated films, Eddie Murphy is the most convincingly transformed.


Best Documentary:
"WHEN WE WERE KINGS"

The most highly praised documentary in recent years, this film shot at the "Rumble in the Jungle" fight between George Foreman and Muhammad Ali is also the most widely seen. Again however, the snubbed films are the news in this category. Where is "Looking for Richard"? "Microcosmos"?


Best Foriegn Film:
"KOLYA"

What have the most voters seen? "Prisoner of the Mountains" & "Ridicule" could qualify, but both have big weaknesses. About a man who's wife runs off with a lover & saddles him with her 5-year-old, "Kolya" is predictable but it has an adorable kid.


Best Sound Effects Editing:
"THE GHOST AND THE DARKNESS"

Well, at least those lions sounded good.




Best Dramatic Score:
Gabriael Yared, "THE ENGLISH PATIENT"

"...and wasn't the music beautiful" comes up in almost every conversation about this movie. This Oscar is a lock.



Best Musical/Comedy Score:
"EMMA", Rachel Portman

The oportunity to give a score Oscar to a woman is too tempting for the Academy to pass up.




Best Original Song:
"That Thing You Do" from "THAT THING YOU DO!"
or
"You Must Love Me," from "EVITA"

OK, you try to guess between these two.

WINNERS:
Reality says...

Best Picture Winner:
"THE ENGLISH PATIENT"









Best Director Winner:
Anthony Minghella, "THE ENGLISH PATIENT"









Best Actor Winner:
Geoffrey Rush, "SHINE"










Best Actress Winner:
Frances McDormand, "FARGO"













Best Supporting Actor Winner:
Cuba Gooding Jr., "JERRY MAGUIRE"









Best Supporting Actress Winner:
Juliette Binoche, "THE ENGLISH PATIENT"












Best Adapted Screenplay Winner:
"SLING BLADE", Billy Bob Thornton









Best Original Screenplay Winner:
"FARGO", Joel & Ethan Coen











Best Cinematography Winner:
"THE ENGLISH PATIENT"









Best Art Direction Winner:
"THE ENGLISH PATIENT"









Best Editing Winner:
"THE ENGLISH PATIENT"







Best Sound Winner:
"THE ENGLISH PATIENT"







Best Visual Effects Winner:
"INDEPENDENCE DAY"







Best Costume Design Winner:
"THE ENGLISH PATIENT"









Best Makeup Winner:
"THE NUTTY PROFESSOR"







Best Documentary Winner:
"WHEN WE WERE KINGS"








Best Foriegn Film Winner:
"KOLYA"







Best Sound Effects Editing Winner:
"THE GHOST & THE DARKNESS"







Best Dramatic Score Winner:
Gabriael Yared, "THE ENGLISH PATIENT"







Best Musical/Comedy Score Winner:
"EMMA", Rachel Portman








Best Original Song Winner:
"You Must Love Me," from "EVITA"

MOVIEOLLA's nomination prediction average:
Big six categories (Picture, Director & acting): .734
Overall: .458
MOVIEOLLA's winner prediction average:
Big six: .500 Overall: .591