Apollo 13
Babe
Braveheart (winner)
Il Postino
Sense and Sensibility
The Best Picture race for 1995 is an interesting mixed bag and there are plenty of films that I would love to see nominated that didn’t get within shouting distance of an actual nomination. From the more art school side, Underground would be an interesting selection. Casino is the one that I’m the most surprised didn’t grab a nomination. I’m also a little surprised by Toy Story being ignored, since by 1995 there was precedent for an animated film getting a nomination. I’d toss out Seven and The Usual Suspects as films that I think could be argued. Strange Days, Safe and Dead Man are films I like, but I also understand why they weren’t really in contention. Before someone suggests Dead Man Walking or Leaving Las Vegas…I haven’t seen those yet.
Weeding through the Nominees
5: Babe is a cute movie and I like it quite a bit. But it doesn’t really belong on this list and I think pretty much everybody knows it. Even in terms of family films, it’s second best behind Toy Story at the very least. I like Babe more than at least one other film on this list as a matter of fact, but it really doesn’t seem like the sort of film that belongs in this competition. Could anyone really see this winning? It’s very nice that it was nominated, but this feels like a case where everybody gets an award and there were really only four actual nominees for 1995.
3: With Il Postino, we’re at least getting to the place where I’d be willing to hear arguments for the nomination. Additionally, if the award were handed out for best story about the film’s creation, we’d have a winner. Massimo Troisi’s death less than 24 hours after filming wrapped is poetic. The problem is that I simply like too many other movies from 1995 a lot more than I like this one, despite how much I enjoyed this film. There’s a part of me that wonders how much I would be moved by it not knowing the story behind it, though. That’s not Il Postino’s fault, but it's still true.
2: No one was more surprised than I that Sense and Sensibility is a film that I enjoyed tremendously. I expected a drippy Merchant/Ivory production and instead got a film that is entertaining, fun, and contains genuine romance. And the cast is so damn good! There isn’t a single aspect of this film that I would change. Given my dream nomination list from this year, Sense and Sensibility would still likely nab a nomination, although it wouldn’t end up in second place. But it would still end up on the list, and in a year with this many movies I like, that’s saying something.
My Choice
1: Seven is probably my favorite film from 1995, but I think Apollo 13 is the greatest film from this year. This is a film that hits on every cylinder and that promotes the best of science, technology, exploration, and pure out-and-out cojones. I admit that my opinion is colored by my love of outer space stuff and the NASA space program specifically, but this is a film that shows just how crazy ballsy the Apollo missions were and the sort of teamwork that any huge project really requires. Apollo 13 is a film that will continue to be studied for years. You want to feel good about America for a reason that isn’t manufactured? Watch this damn film.
Final Analysis
My favorite movie from 1995 is To Die For.
ReplyDeleteAnd you are so right about Braveheart. The worst thing about the historic inaccuracies is that they made Edward II older than he really was just so they could make sure the story wasn't told without an unhealthy dose of homophobia.
Out of the choices provided, I would go for Sense and Sensibility, but Apollo 13 is a spectacular film.
I liked Sense and Sensibility a lot. Way more than I ever thought I would. If I could pick my own Best Picture nominee list, it would probably be Seven, Apollo 13, Toy Story, Safe and Sense and Sensibility. Safe is the one I'd have the hardest time justifying, but I think it's a great film.
DeleteIs Safe with Julianne Moore? If so, I saw it in the theater and I found it kind of hard to watch because it was a little too real. Not your usual Hollywood fare and not a film I've ever seen again. But it definitely made an impression!
ReplyDeleteIt is, and if you saw it in the theater, you're one of a very small group of people.
DeleteI like it because it plays to my horror sensibilities. It's more or less a horror movie with the entire world being the monster.
First off, let me just say I really enjoy reading your analysis. However, in this case, I completely disagree. I have never seen Il Postino. Of the other four films, I would say Apollo 13 is easily the worst. There is just nothing memorable about it. I have never understood the big deal with this film. I also feel as time goes on this film is probably less remembered than the others. I think it's because Apollo is just so bland. The film tries hard but is just mostly there.
ReplyDeleteI would easily pick Babe, Braveheart or Sense And Sensibility over Apollo 13. While the first two are not perfect films they stand out to me as achievements in their own way.
As for Sense and Sensibility I saw this film with my mother and grandmother in the theater and we all loved it. Perhaps that makes my a little biased. Still, I would say that it's pretty much a perfect film. It also introduced me to Kate Winslet, who is still one of my favorite actresses to this day.
Keep up the great work.
We'll disagree on this, then, because I think Apollo 13 is incredibly memorable. I think it's a great cinematic example of humanity at its best and of what can be achieved when we put aside ego and look to the bigger picture. That it's very close to the real story is only a bonus.
DeleteI admit that not everyone will feel that way about it, but hey...these posts are nothing more than my opinion, and often my opinion at the moment I'm writing them. I'm always happy for people to tell me I'm wrong, especially when they detail why they think differently.
So, thanks for telling my why you've got a different take on these films.
I would probably support both your choices: Apollo 13 from among the nominated films, and Seven from those that were not. Among the non-nominated 1995 films, the under-appreciated 12 Monkeys (Bruce Willis, Brad Pitt, directed by Terry Gilliam) is worth a shout.
ReplyDeleteDammit! I completely forgot that 12 Monkeys was from 1995! I love that movie.
DeleteIn my list above, it would most likely replace Safe in my dream nominations.
My brother and I were just talking about 12 Monkeys. We were trying to come up with some "older" movies that my punk nephew (he's 12 and he likes some really awful recent movies!) might actual sit still and watch. You just never know.
DeleteNick got mad at me for making fun of the most recent Spider-Man movie. But he likes the Alien franchise. He watched My Left Foot. He liked Grand Budapest Hotel!
I had forgotten 12 Monkeys was in 1995. I may reconsider my choice of To Die For as my favorite movie of 1995.
Hmmm...he's probably too young for Scream, isn't he?
DeleteHard to go wrong with Ghost Busters. And if he doesn't like Die Hard...don't watch any more movies with him.
As usual my top 5 of 1995 is different to the Academy's, I have Se7en in 10th spot. Before Sunrise is my no 1 of that year, I'd give it the oscar for screenplay. La Cérémonie (Claude Chabrol) should have gotten a nom for foreign film, it's my #7. Il Postino is a heart-warming movie, I liked it more than I thought I would. It's a shame Toy Story missed out on best picture, though it did win a Special Achievement Award. I admire Apollo 13 for how incredibly tense it is, despite many already knowing the outcome.
ReplyDeleteI knew the end of Apollo 13 going in as well. For me, that film is all about the journey, not the ultimate destination.
DeleteBefore Sunrise is another one I forgot was from this year. That's a hell of a fine film.
Apollo 13 is a GREAT film. Fantastic performances across the board, even in the small roles. For example, I love Clint Howard's engineer.
ReplyDeleteHands down the best of 1995. Good call.
If I had to change anything about it, it would be changing the Ken Mattingly (Gary Sinise) role. In the film, he's basically given huge credit for saving the three stranded astronauts. He deserves some, of course, but he hardly did the work by himself.
DeleteThat's a minor point, though. It's a film I don't get tired of watching.
"With all due respect, sir, I think this is going to be our finest hour." Ed Harris is completely the shit, and so was Gene Kranz.
Apollo 13 is one of my all time favourites for much the same reasons as you list. It is the real thing and they hardly needed to tweak anything to make and edge of the seat movie. And Ed Harris rules. Seven on the other hand is a movie I have never come to terms with. The gross factor is so unnecessary high that just thinking about it make me want to vomit. I feel really sorry for the young girls who sneaked into the cinema to see Brad Pitt, but got a lot more than they bargained for.
ReplyDeleteFor me, the brilliance of Seven is much like the genius behind The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. It's remembered as being so incredibly gross...but what do you actually see? There's actually almost no gore in the film. We get a little blood but not much else. The fact that we remember so much gore when it's not there is an indication of just how good that film is.
DeleteWhile I like all five of the movies, I do not consider this a very strong year for nominees. What you wrote about Babe I would say about all of them except for Braveheart. It's the only one that feels like a Best Picture nominee. Apollo 13 is an entertaining adventure film, and I've seen it twice, but those don't usually get nominated. Sense and Sensibility is a fun piece of fluff, but it is based on a classic novel and Hollywood can't seem to resist British period pieces when it comes to nominations. Il Postino tugged on the heartstrings, and Babe was the feel good family film. Each filled a separate niche.
ReplyDeleteYes, Braveheart is historically inaccurate (i.e. Wallace died before the woman he supposed fathered a child with even came to England). However, it's a piece of fiction, not a documentary. Recent Best Picture winner Argo was almost wholly fiction, which a few people noted, but by and large it was given a pass on that. Braveheart didn't get the same forgiveness. It's the British Press that have just mercilessly condemned Braveheart ever since it came out (because they were the bad guys) and over the years they have gained traction in the public consciousness. A couple years ago a major British publication even named Braveheart the worst Best Picture winner of all time. (They seriously know how to keep a grudge.)
Both you and commenters before me have named several other good films from this year that I would consider better nominees. I just checked my Letterboxd ratings and I have no 5 star films from this year and the only 4.5 star film I have is The Usual Suspects. Some 4 star films that have not been mentioned yet are Devil in a Blue Dress, La Haine, and Dolores Claiborne,
For what it's worth, I've seen both Leaving Las Vegas and Dead Man Walking. In my opinion, those are more "actors' films" - ones where the performances are the reason to see it, not the overall movie.
My "I haven't seen 'em" opinions on Leaving Las Vegas and Dead Man Walking are pretty much what you've just confirmed.
DeleteI'll disagree on Apollo 13 being just an entertaining adventure film. It's a very real film, and one that sticks very close to the true story. It's also adventure on the grandest human scale possible. It is very much an epic in its scope and Oscar always loves an epic. Braveheart is an epic, too, and for a lot of the same reasons.
The idea of how closely a film sticks to history really depends on the film for me. Amadeus is absolutely one of my favorite Best Picture winners and I know that there's nothing of historical accuracy in it. I simply don't care in that case because the film is so good beyond its historical inaccuracy. With Braveheart, I just don't get that feeling. It might come down to message more than movie in these cases.
It's not nearly the worst Best Picture, though. When I ranked Best Picture winners last year, I put close to 30 films below it.
I think Braveheart's virulent homophobia is one of the reason it doesn't get a pass. It's not just historically inaccurate, it's so aggressively inaccurate and it revels in its ubiquitous b.s.
DeleteThe scene where the king throws the effeminate advisor out the window is disturbing, especially in a theater where too much of the audience claps and cheers. Also, the script made Prince Edward older than he really was in order to make fun of his failure in several battles he had nothing to do with.
The anti-British sentiment is also wildly evident and British treatment of the Scots is terribly exaggerated.
Any comparison to Argo is ignoring just how bad Braveheart was in this regard. In order to be comparable, Argo would have had an Iranian law where members of the Iranian government could sleep with American diplomats' wives.
There is no contest. Braveheart wasn't just wrong, it was wrong for a number of disgraceful (and unnecessary) reasons.
@Tony - I understand why you are trying to make a distinction between Braveheart and Argo - in the former the inaccuracies touched on topics that are important to you, whereas in Argo they were not. I've read some comments from Argo haters who were extremely pissed off by having Affleck portray a man that is of Mexican heritage in real life. It all comes down to what pushes people's buttons. Neither film pushed mine, but this year's Best Picture nominee Selma bugged me some by the fact that they changed President Johnson from being a strong supporter of Dr. King to being one that had to be forced to go along.
DeleteIn all three movies the changes from historical accuracy were put in to increase tension and to create stronger antagonists in order to make the challenge for the hero that much greater.
For what it's worth, I think it bothers me most when it's done to push agenda. There's no agenda in something like Amadeus outside of a really good narrative, and really, without making that completely historically inaccurate, there's no narrative there.
DeleteBraveheart feels filled with agenda. It's the same reason I have a massive problem with Zero Dark Thirty.
Yeah, Braveheart is definitely filled with agenda.
Delete(This comment is intended to bring some humor in at the end, in case that doesn't come across well.)
DeleteKnow what my favorite Braveheart related story is? After this film Scotland decided to commission a new statue in honor of William Wallace. The problem is that no one knew what he looked like. Undaunted, they went ahead and made a statue of Wallace that looked like Mel Gibson. :-)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wallace_Monument
The single greatest comment every about Braveheart is from John O'Farrell, who said that it wouldn't be more historically inaccurate if it included a plasticine dog and had the name changed to William Wallace and Gromit.
DeleteI still haven't seen Il Postino but I'd agree with your assessment of the other four with one change. I'd put the stinking pile that is Braveheart dead last. What an awful film!
ReplyDeleteBabe is cute, you're right that it doesn't really rate a nomination but to your question about being able to see it winning I'd have to say that if junk like Around the World in 80 Days and Slumdog Millionaire can win on good feelings alone then an adorable talking pig stands a chance.
I appreciated Se7en more than liked it but it would make a better nominee then either of those two films. Again my line-up would be a different mix-Apollo 13, Clueless, Sense and Sensibility, 12 Monkeys and A Walk in the Clouds but your winner would be mine, although I'd be happy with a tie between it and Sense & Sensibility which is such a rich film in every single element. I'd still lean a bit more in Apollo 13's favor though because of its ability to have you on the edge of your seat despite the outcome being a known quantity. That's very hard to do.
I cannot believe that I missed 12 Monkeys in this write-up. I love that movie! Damn, but that's a good catch.
DeleteBabe still feels to me like a feel-good nomination that didn't have a real chance of winning, your caveats noted, though. If I remember correctly, Around the World in 80 Days made my bottom-5 for Best Picture winners. If it didn't, it's definitely bottom-10.
I'm genuinely surprised at how much I liked Sense and Sensibility. I also agree about how well Apollo 13 keeps the suspense up even with the end being known. There are some very tense moments in that film for me despite my knowing the ending and despite my having seen it multiple times. As much as I like Frost/Nixon, I think it's Ron Howard's best work.