Without further ado, I now present a brief rundown of each of the nominees in the top categories. Following each analysis I will select a nominee as being the one most likely to win in the category (My Prediction) as well as the one that I firmly believe deserves to go home with the Oscar (My Pick).
Picture - Of the five films nominated, Forrest Gump was the
biggest hit with audiences and is still riding a wave of success
thanks to its good showings at other award shows such as the
Golden Globes. Pulp Fiction, my vote for the most
catastrophically overrated film of the year, garnered the best
reaction from critics, and turned Quentin Tarantino into
Hollywood's golden child of the moment. Four Weddings and a
Funeral is the dark horse of the nominees because it is a (gasp)
comedy and made a tidy bundle at the box office. Robert
Redford's Quiz Show is overlong and a tad on the dull side, but
packs the wallop of truth and is entertaining to boot. The
Shawshank Redemption is the other long shot and sets a scary
precedent in that it's the first film made from a Stephen King
story to be so nominated.
Actress - We start off with Jodie Foster, nominated for her
performance in Nell. Already a two-time winner, Foster is a
favorite in the category this year. Jessica Lange (for Blue
Sky) and Miranda Richardson (for Tom & Viv) will suffer from the
fact that few saw their films, but neither can be written-off
outright. Oft-nominated Susan Sarandon (The Client) gave a good
performance in a good movie, but as neither was truly excellent,
she may languish with the rest of the also-rans. Winona Ryder
(Little Women) gave a heartfelt and earnest performance in a
dearly-loved classic, but youth is not usually considered an
asset for a nominee.
Actor - Morgan Freeman gave a subtle, complex performance
in The Shawshank Redemption and if he wins, few will be able to
quibble. Tom Hanks, winner in the same category last year for
Philadelphia, gave an even better performance as the simple-
minded Forrest Gump. Nigel Hawthorne, playing the title
character in The Madness of King George, was very good and the
Academy frequently bestows this acting honor on Brits (recent
ones include Jeremy Irons and Anthony Hopkins). Nevertheless,
the film itself was considered an oddball and didn't do much
business. Paul Newman, who received an lifetime achievement
award from the Academy in 1986 and then went ahead the next year
and won the Oscar for his performance in The Color of Money, is
always in the running. Rounding out the category is the highly-
touted John Travolta (Pulp Fiction) whose declining career has
seen a recent upsurge.
Supporting Actress - If I may be so bold, I would say that
Rosemary Harris' (Tom & Viv) chances of winning the category are
so distant that even the term "longshot" sounds hopelessly
optimistic. Helen Mirren (The Madness of King George), one of
the most skillful and underrated actress of our time, deserves
the statuette and stands a better chance at bringing one home
that the star of her movie. Uma Thurman, whose bad girl role in
Pulp Fiction turned a lot of heads, is nevertheless an unlikely
choice because of her youth and the nature of the film in which
she was involved. Jennifer Tilly (yes, Jennifer Tilly) and
Dianne Wiest were both nominated for Bullets Over Broadway with
Wiest standing the best chance to score gold.
Supporting Actor - Second only to the Best Picture
category, this is the toughest race of the evening with all
involved giving Oscar-worthy performance. Samuel L. Jackson,
nominated for Pulp Fiction, may ride the Academy's recent
fondness for supporting performers in comedic roles to victory.
Martin Landau (Ed Wood), as the late Bela Lugosi, was the best
thing about director Tim Burton's off-beat homage. Chazz
Palminteri, as the goon with the gift for dialogue in Bullets
Over Broadway, was an audience favorite and deservedly so. Paul
Scofield (Quiz Show) had the least showy role of the bunch and
will likely be upstaged by one of the other nominees. Gary
Sinise (Forrest Gump) may be his film's best chance at Oscar
glory, but don't be too surprised if 1994 is remembered as the
year of the Gump.
Director - Showing that it can place movie-making talent
before moral outrage, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and
Sciences have nominated Woody Allen for his film Bullets Over
Broadway. Robert Zemeckis, whose films include Back to the
Future and Who Framed Roget Rabbit?, stands nominated for
Forrest Gump. Quentin Tarantino was nominated for his violent
comedy Pulp Fiction, while Robert Redford is on the ballot for
his fluid, adult drama Quiz Show. Least known of the bunch is
director Krzysztof Kieslowski, nominated at the risk of injury
to tongue, for his film Red.
Original Screenplay - Bullets Over Broadway is that rare,
at least in my book, Woody Allen comedy that actually funny.
Four Weddings and a Funeral, though, was equally as funny. Pulp
Fiction earned Tarantino a nod in the category to go along with
his one for director. Red and Heavenly Creatures fill out the
category as a pair a films with which few are familiar.
Adapted Screenplay - The seeds for Forrest Gump were
planted nine years ago when the novel on which it was based was
passed around Hollywood. The Madness of King George is a quirky
film that seems like farce, yet is based in fact. Nobody's Fool
is a quiet little film, sure to be overlooked when the awards
are passed out. Quiz Show, the film about the game show
scandals in television's past, is a very literate story.
Finally, The Shawshank Redemption stands nominated as a prison
drama based on a short story by the undisputed master of horror.
Song - In case you've been asleep for the past half dozen
years, whenever songs from animated Disney flicks are nominated
in this category, one always wins. This year will be no
different as "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" from The Lion King
will likely best its co-nominees "Hakuna Matata" and "Circle of
Life" from the same film as well as "Look What Love Has Done"
from Junior and "Make Up Your Mind" from The Paper.
Score - The score category, although also a Disney
mainstay, is a little bit more iffy. Giving The Lion King a run
for its money are Forrest Gump, Interview With the Vampire,
Little Women and The Shawshank Redemption.
Visual Effects - Usually there is a standout in this
category, but the race is closer this year than in the past.
True Lies features the standard pyrotechnics and is an unlikely
candidate for this particular accolade. The Mask features eye-
popping computer-generated effects and is a strong contender.
But Forrest Gump's skillful blending of Tom Hanks into stock
footage from decades gone by has higher odds of winning.
The nominees in the other categories are:
Foreign Language Film - Before the Rain, Burnt by the Sun, Eat Drink Man Woman, Farinelli: Il Castrato, Strawberry and Chocolate.
Art Direction - Bullets Over Broadway, Forrest Gump, Interview With the Vampire, Legends of the Fall, The Madness of King George.
Cinematography - Forrest Gump, Legends of the Fall, Red, The Shawshank Redemption, Wyatt Earp.
Costume Design - The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Bullets Over Broadway, Little Women, Maverick, Queen Margot.
Film Editing - Forrest Gump, Hoop Dreams, Pulp Fiction, The Shawshank Redemption, Speed.
Makeup - Ed Wood, Forrest Gump, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.
Sound - Clear and Present Danger, Forrest Gump, Legends of the Fall, The Shawshank Redemption, Speed.
Sound Effects Editing - Clear and Present Danger, Forrest Gump, Speed.
Documentary Feature - Complaints of a Dutiful Daughter, D-Day Remembered, Freedom on My Mind, A Great Day in Harlem, Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision.
Documentary Short - Blues Highway, 89mm od Europy (89mm From Europe), School of the Assassins, Straight From the Heart, A Time for Justice.
Animated Short - The Big Story, Bob's Birthday, The Janitor, The Monk and the Fish, Triangle.
Live Action Short - Franz Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life, Kangaroo Court, On Hope, Syrup, Trevor.