THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, January 6, 1996 TAG: 9601060050
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MAL VINCENT, ENTERTAINMENT WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 253 lines
MORE THAN 1.3 billion people went to the movies in 1995 - more than any year in history. Fueled by a big Christmas-New Year's week, the industry will top $5.2 billion at the box office, a new record. Hampton Roads, at 34th, ranked among the better markets in the country.
But what kind of year was it?
One for entertainment, not distinction, which makes compiling the annual Top 10 list more difficult than ever.
Led by ``Pocahontas,'' ``Toy Story,'' ``A Little Princess'' and ``Babe,'' family movies were again big box office. But, badly burned before, Hollywood released fewer flicks aimed at teen-agers. ``Clueless'' was the best of the lot. Foreign films were in short supply.
With production costs climbing to an average of $33 million, most mainstream films tried fitfully not to offend anyone. Result: The independent film makers found audiences with cheaply produced ``little'' pictures, some intelligent and thought-provoking.
For sheer variety, 1995 was a good year. There were many crowd-pleasers, though few outstanding films. The Oscars will have no real favorite.
With that in mind, we present - in no particular order - our Top 10 movies of the year.
Sense and Sensibility'' - Emma Thompson is likely to become the first woman to be nominated for writing and acting in this delightfully witty, touchingly romantic version of the Jane Austen novel. The plot involves two sisters whose romantic possibilities are restricted by 19th century British society. The film is set to open in a few weeks, so we stretched the rules a bit by putting it on the list.
``The Usual Suspects'' - A crime drama that, like ``Rashomon'' 45 years ago, asks, What is truth, anyway? Five criminals are involved in the destruction of a ship containing $91 million in cocaine. Seemingly, only Kevin Spacey survives, but, under questioning, he baffles us. Spacey should win the Oscar. Hypnotic and challenging, it's one of the year's real surprises.
``Apollo 13'' - The near-tragic saga of the three astronauts who never reached the moon, and almost didn't get back home, was a whopping good, simply told story in the hands of director Ron Howard. Perhaps overrated by critics, it lacks a real viewpoint. Good storytelling, though, is so rare that this film clearly deserves to make the list. The cast, led by Tom Hanks, was uniformly dependable.
``To Die For'' - As a dark, dark comedy about the media and our obsession with celebrity, this was a knockout. Nicole Kidman is sure to get an Oscar nomination as a small-town girl who has a wild passion to be famous - which means being on television. Directed by Gus Van Sant and written by Buck Henry, it failed to get an audience. It has rightfully been described as the most nervy attack on media-mentality since ``Network.''
``The Postman'' - The friendship between an ignorant mailman and an exiled poet is the basis for a sadly sweet, literate movie about the value of language. Philippe Noiret is the poet, but it is the delicate appeal of Massimo Troisi that sparks the film. With the style and vulnerability of Buster Keaton, he creates a memorable character. One of Italy's most popular comic actors, he died just two days after the film was completed.
``Don Juan DeMarco'' - This feel-good romantic comedy was the year's best approach to the age-old battle between fantasy and reality. A young man, played by the consistently impressive Johnny Depp, thinks he is Don Juan; others think he's insane. Spinning a web of poetic adventures, even his doctor (an unusually sympathetic and comedic Marlon Brando) is won over. Deceptively simple, the film deals with important questions about modern cynicism.
``The Bridges of Madison County'' - Sensitive performances highlight this excellent adaptation of Robert James Waller's overwrought prose. Meryl Streep turns in a memorable performance as Francesca, the married Italian woman who feels trapped in the American Midwest. Clint Eastwood was better as its director than as its leading man. It is the one film of the year that dared to be emotionally personal on the level of what might have been melodrama.
``Braveheart'' - Despite its flaws (too long and violent), Mel Gibson's film captured Hollywood's old-time ability to re-create times past. With a cast of thousands, the battle scenes smacked of the spectacles that directors Cecil B. DeMille and David Lean once routinely delivered. Gibson directed and starred as William Wallace, the 13th century Scottish hero who opposed the crown.
``Nixon'' - Oliver Stone's fix on the 37th president, and what made him fall, was the most infuriating and intriguing movie of the year. You can't trust it for history, but it's a compelling challenge nonetheless. Physically, Anthony Hopkins is all wrong to play Nixon, but he creates the aura intended. The real standout is Joan Allen, who brings a cool worldliness to the usually plastic Pat Nixon persona.
``Toy Story'' - If you suspected that toys come to life when left alone, now you know. In this case, it's a breakthrough in computer animation that emerged as the top children's movie of the year with enough mischief for adults, too. Tom Hanks and Tim Allen provided the voices of the two leads. While the technology is wonderful, the surprise is that it also has wit.
Runners-up: ``Babe,'' ``Smoke,'' ``Clueless,'' ``Burnt By the Sun,'' ``Devil in a Blue Dress,'' ``Once Were Warriors,'' ``The Secret of Roan Inish,'' ``Mighty Aphrodite,'' ``Heat,'' ``Get Shorty''
The 10 Worst: ``Showgirls,'' ``Congo,'' ``An Awfully Big Adventure,'' ``Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home,'' ``Mortal Kombat-The Movie,'' ``Magic in the Water,'' ``National Lampoon's Senior Trip,'' ``The Prophecy,'' ``The Tie That Binds,'' ``Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers''
Underrated: ``The Perez Family,'' ``Don Juan DeMarco,'' ``Desperado''
Overrated: ``Apollo 13,'' ``Crumb,'' ``Unstrung Heroes''
Best Actors: Anthony Hopkins in ``Nixon,'' John Travolta in ``Get Shorty,'' Tom Hanks in ``Apollo 13,'' Masimo Troisi in ``The Postman,'' Nicolas Cage in ``Leaving Las Vegas'' (not yet opened locally), Johnny Depp in ``Don Juan DeMarco''
Best Actresses: Rena Owen in ``Once Were Warriors,'' Meryl Streep in ``The Bridges of Madison County,'' Emma Thompson in ``Sense and Sensibility,'' Nicole Kidman in ``To Die For,'' Angela Bassett in ``Waiting to Exhale,'' Vanessa Redgrave in ``A Month By the Lake''
Supporting Actors: Ed Harris in ``Apollo 13,'' Hugh Grant in ``Sense and Sensibility,'' Greg Kinnear in ``Sabrina,'' John Leguizamo in ``To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar,'' Tim Roth in ``Rob Roy,'' Kevin Spacey in ``The Usual Suspects''
Supporting Actresses: Joan Allen in ``Nixon,'' Mira Sorvino in ``Mighty Aphrodite,'' Kyra Sedgwick in ``Something to Talk About,'' Julianne Moore in ``Vanya on 42nd Street.''
Top Revivals: ``Belle de Jour'' and ``The Wild Bunch.'' ``Diabolique'' and the Cinemascope ``Rebel Without a Cause'' never made it here.
Biggest Comeback: James Bond
Naughtiest Star: Hugh Grant
Most Foul-Mouthed Movie: ``Kids'' just beat ``Four Rooms.''
Best-Looking Alien: Natasha Henstridge in ``Species''
Literary Stars: Jane Austen and Anton Chekhov
Faces of the Year: Antonio Banderas, Alicia Silverstone, Brad Pitt, Sandra Bullock, Keanu Reeves
The trends of '95
Male-Bashing: It was all but impossible to find a decent man because they either 1) left or 2) died. ``How to Make an American Quilt,'' ``Now and Then,'' ``Moonlight and Valentino,'' ``Something to Talk About'' and ``Waiting to Exhale'' divided the genders.
African-American films: Denzel Washington solidified his rep as a major star; with the release of ``Waiting to Exhale,'' one of the few movies to picture African-American women as working professionals, the year ended on a promising note. ``Dead Presidents'' and Spike Lee's ``Clockers,'' though, were disappointments. There was no movie on the level of, say, ``Boyz N the Hood.''
Long Movies: ``Nixon'' and ``Heat'' approached three hours. So did ``Braveheart.'' ``Apollo 13'' and ``The Bridges of Madison County'' ran two hours and 15 minutes. The reason? Films were no longer controlled by studios. Actors and directors ran the show.
Gay Flicks: ``Priest'' took a respectful look at alternative lifestyles. ``Jeffrey'' and ``Unzipped'' were among the wittiest. ``Wigstock-The Movie'' and ``To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything! Julie Newmar'' - even though Patrick Swayze gave the best performance of his career - resorted to cheap jewelry and full skirts.
Swashbuckling Movies: After a long respite, the summer featured three returns to derring-do - ``Rob Roy,'' ``First Knight'' and ``Braveheart.'' Business was hurt by dividing the audience.
Love Stories: Warren Beatty and Annette Bening may have flopped in ``Love Affair'' but the genre fought back with hits ``A Walk in the Clouds,'' ``While You Were Sleeping'' and ``Sabrina.''
Computer Flicks: The net might be the rage, but movies about computers and missing chips failed miserably. Only Sandra Bullock saved the unlikely ``The Net.'' ``Virtuosity,'' ``Strange Days,'' ``Johnny Mnemonic'' and ``Hackers'' proved typing fast is no sub for action. Give them the ``Tron'' award.
Sex Doesn't Sell: Two words - ``Showgirls,'' ``Jade.''
Locally, one of the year's most noticeable trends was the regular booking of alternative titles at Virginia Beach's Lynnhaven Mall. The theater was the first to show ``Picture Bride,'' ``Smoke,'' ``Country Life'' and ``Blue in the Face.'' On the flip side, the management seemed to want to keep it a secret. The films opened with no ads or advance screenings. Still, the trend bears watching in 1996. Virginia Beach patrons who want serious film fare should react quickly. ILLUSTRATION: APOLLO 13
NIXON
THE POSTMAN
SENSE AND SENSIBILITY
THE USUAL SUSPECTS
TOY STORY
DON JUAN DeMARCO
TO DIE FOR
THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY
THE YEAR'S TOP EARNERS
1 "Batman Forever" ($184 million gross)
2 "Apollo 13" ($172 million)
3 "Pocahontas" ($141 million)
4 "Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls" ($103 million)
5 "Die Hard With a Vengeance" ($100 million)
6 "Casper" ($100 million)
7 "Waterworld" ($88 million)
SOME OF THE YEAR'S WORST FILMS
WARNER BROS.
``Free Willy 2,'' starring Jason James Richter
TRISTAR PICTURES
``Magic in the Water,'' starring Mark Harmon
NEW LINE CINEMA
``Mortal Kombat,'' starring Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa
DIMENSION FILMS
``The Prophecy,'' starring Christopher Walken
PARAMOUNT PICTURES
``Congo,'' starring Amy the gorilla
MOVIES ONLINE
Mal's original, full-length reviews of his top films - plus the
chance to add your own list - are on the Fun Page of Pilot Online at
the World Wide Web location http://www.infi.net/pilot/
RECENT FAVORITES
The Top 10 list has been a tradition since the 1950s. Here are
some from recent years - to test your memory and revive old
arguments.
1994
``Forrest Gump''
``Pulp Fiction''
``Quiz Show''
``Four Weddings and a Funeral''
``Ed Wood''
``Eat Drink Man Woman''
``The Lion King''
``The Professional''
``Speed''
``Clear and Present Danger''
1992
``Aladdin''
``The Best Intentions''
``The Crying Game''
``Glangarry Glen Ross''
``Husbands and Wives''
``Howards End''
``The Player''
``Raise the Red Lantern''
``Scent of a Woman''
``Unforgiven''
1991
``Silence of the Lambs''
``The Fisher King''
``Barton Fink''
``Boyz N The Hood''
``Ju Dou''
``Beauty and the Beast''
``Grand Canyon''
``The Grifters''
``The Doctor''
``Bugsy''
by CNB