Best Picture 1993

I think one of the best things about doing this project is the fact that I can now have a voice, an opinion, an educated say about a whole bunch of Oscar discussions and debates. There are some blogs and websites that discuss certain categories or this winner versus this other person/film and why it's great or why it's total garbage. Whereas in the past I would just read about these things, now I feel I can contribute and say yes this film is great because reasons or this performance is not good because reasons. There's a lot more of these films and performances to check off for me as I go back in time but I feel like I'm finally scratching the surface of a lot of the internet debates. I can't wait to finish the 90s and get into the 80s and feel like I've made some real progress.

1993 Best Picture

Schindler's List

This was your easy winner and rightfully so. It's a film that has transcended the Oscars and gets talked about as an important work of art for the entire world to watch. It gets mentions on the Best Film of all time lists, which includes films from all over the world and not just the Oscar films. It's a testament and a monument to the subject and people covered by this story. It's a reminder to never forget the atrocities that actually happened and remember with reverence the millions who were killed and affected. Though this is just one of many Holocaust films, it's a great film regardless of the subject matter which of course makes the film that much more important. It's a film that needs to be shown again and again and need to be watched over and over by all generations to keep them aware of what evil can really do in this world. Hard to debate anything else winning because it doesn't feel right and honestly, nothing on this list even comes close. This was a lifelong passion for Spielberg and it shows. He waited until he was older to even make it because he felt his younger self would do a disservice to the story. The acting is all top notch with all of Neeson, Fiennes, and Kingsley giving great performances. It's over 3 hours long but never really feels it's length. I think some of that is due to how the story lingers on certain moments like the liquidation of the ghetto or the moving the Jews to Auschwitz where we sort of sit silently back watching these horrible moments play out for 30 minutes or so at a time. They are so horrifying and engrossing that they suck us in and next thing you know the film is half over. But it also never feels exploitative at all. Everyone involved handles the subject matter with the utmost of sincere respect. The black and white cinematography is effective and works well for the story. The music is eloquent and memorable. It's a culmination of all the parts coming together to make an instant classic that is much more than just about winning Oscars.

The Fugitive

This is a really interesting inclusion for Best Picture, one that I do feel is deserved, because I can't imagine a thriller like this being nominated today. But I guess that speaks to just how good this film is and also to the state of Oscar in the early 90s. The Fugitive stars Harrison Ford as Dr. Richard Kimble, a man who is convicted of the murder of his wife though he is actually innocent. He escapes after his transport van is hit by a train and he goes on the lam with Tommy Lee Jones hunting him down as he tries to figure out who really killed his wife. It's a very simple story but the acting is so tremendous and the way the story unfolds is so compelling that it definitely elevates itself into more than just a regular thriller. Both Ford and Jones are extremely good and their cat and mouse game is a lot of fun to watch. One of the things that this film has going for it is that it eschews all the hokey beats that normally seem to be in your late 80s/early 90s thrillers. The music is decent even if it is totally early 90s, it at least isn't the full on synth weirdness you usually get. I also like that it treats the story with respect and not just as an excuse to see Ford running around like an action hero or Jones firing a gun. So what we get is an honest, dramatic story that focuses on the chase, sure, but also the mystery of who killed Ford's wife and how he is going to solve it. There are some moments where you have to suspend your disbelief like when Ford jumps off the dam into the water but I don't feel as if these moments detract from the overall story at all. In fact, the film has a ton of famous and iconic scenes such as Ford jumping off the dam after being confronted by Jones. The scene where the train smashes the van and derails is another amazing piece of movie magic, too. It does seem amazing to me that this film would be a Best Picture nominee, but I guess that's what the Academy (and audiences) was into back then. To me, it's an inspired choice and I'm absolutely glad it was chosen. I'd love for more films like this to be not only nominated but made today. And if you haven't seen this film yet, it might seem cliché and overly familiar which is only because it was so highly regarded that other films stole from it and it's been parodied for some of it's iconic scenes. But this is an action film and thriller done the right way. This might not have been the winner but it's a hell of a good and entertaining film.

In the Name of the Father

As all two of you readers should know by now, I go backwards when it comes to writing my reviews. So Best Supporting Actress is written first and then everything else follows suit. That often means that I've blown my wad when it comes to writing about a film that is up for Best Picture. By that I mean I kind of already wrote part of this review when I wrote about Emma Thompson's performance. I touched base on why I like the film and at this point, I hate repeating myself over and over. I won't say go read that little blurb instead because that would be pretty awful of me. Just wanted to point out that's why I often repeat myself for the same film category to category. Anyway, I really did enjoy this film. I mentioned it's partly because the British-Irish conflict is so intriguing to me because it's so recent and something I'm not all that well versed in. I also love this film because the acting is top notch and the three acting nominations were all very well deserved. It might take some small liberties with the truth such as everyone being freed on a technicality in real life (as I understand it) instead of some shocking new piece of evidence being found. I don't think it changes the impact of the film, however. The story is one that needed to be told. And that's the big thing for about this film is that it's not about exceptional cinematography or amazing music (though having Bono write songs for your film doesn't hurt). I like this film because of the powerhouse acting and the engaging, compelling, important story being told. It's pretty much as simple as that for me. One of the pluses of watching this film is that it really makes me want to dive a little deeper into the history of that time period. I feel like I should know more about the IRA-Britain stuff than I actually do. I think it's extremely well done and a worthy Best Picture nominee. It just happened to run up against the Spielberg Holocaust buzzsaw.

The Piano

I sat on this review for awhile not because I hate the film or anything but because sometimes you get really motivated after watching a film and knock these out quickly. I wrote up the two actress reviews quickly but it was late so I decided to wait for this one. Then the next day I just felt terribly unmotivated to write about this one, which happens. My first impression of the film was that the music was pretty loud at times and I didn't know if that was the intent or just my copy of the film. Minor issue but it was really annoying while watching it. As for the film itself, I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. Can't say I'm the biggest Jane Campion fan but I did think the film was gorgeously shot. Some really great looking scenes, though I found it weird that the film seemed so intimate in its scope. It's set in New Zealand but we don't get that many scenery shots, it's mostly up close on the characters wherever they happen to be. I think that obviously adds to the feel of the film and makes it a little more intense. The acting is actually quite good, too. I wasn't sure if Holly Hunter and Anna Paquin's Oscar wins were going to be well deserved but I think they were. Paquin was in a pretty weak group but she still held her own and was better than the typical child actor. Hunter kinda blew me away because I hadn't really liked some of her other work but felt she was incredibly strong in this film even without saying a word. Harvey Keitel also does a pretty great job at playing a white man accepted by the Maori. Without him for Hunter to act off of, this film probably isn't as good and wouldn't/shouldn't be in the Oscar discussion. The story is about Hunter who gets married off to Sam Neill in New Zealand and they make the trip from Scotland and Hunter wants to bring her piano since that's basically how she communicates. Neill doesn't want to haul it from the beach and so Harvey Keitel agrees to bring it in exchange for lessons. The lessons turn sexual in nature and conflict arises between everyone. The worry for me is that the film would be overly pretentious but I felt it struck the right balance between artsy indie film and legit Oscar contender. I must say that the end is pretty bunk. I just didn't care for the way it ended even if it's supposed to be symbolic or whatever. The film, though a strong work done mostly by women, treats the Maori characters as if they were background animals or something. I get that the film is about white people existing in a harsh environment but I don't understand the marginalizing of these people, they feel like props. Anyway, I did like The Piano a bit more than I thought I would, for sure. It's a Miramax film so it probably won't be for everyone and you could debate if it belongs on the Best Picture list but it's not as bad as you might think it is.

The Remains of the Day

This is a really interesting film. If you read the description, it reads like any old boring, stuffy British film focusing on a butler and the antiquated living styles of yesteryear. If you see it's another Merchant-Ivory film, you may have some unfavorable opinions on it before even watching based on their history. All of which is totally natural and totally unfair. I'm guilty of it and I'm always glad to be proven wrong. The film is based on a book by a Japanese-English writer that is a little more modern in style than some of the other classical British books that have been made into films by the Merchant-Ivory team. The film follows Stevens, a head butler portrayed by Anthony Hopkins as he works for a Lord and goes about his duties. It moves back in time between Stevens working for a Lord Darlington in the time before WWII and for an American (played by Christopher Reeves, who was quite decent) who buys the estate after the war. It's framed by writings from Miss Kenton (Emma Thompson) who Stevens is going to see. That sounds complicated but I assure you it isn't. What it is, however, is electric. This is not a boring two hour film about an English estate. This is about a man and his life during some very trying times. Lord Darlington is a Nazi sympathizer and hosts all kinds of dinners to help rally support to the German cause. This acts as the backdrop to the goings on in Stevens' life and it was wholly fascinating to me. It was also great seeing Christopher Reeves in a role other than Superman because I don't think I've ever seen anything else of his. We get to see two really amazing performances in Thompson and Hopkins as they sort of dance around each other with unrequited flirtations. It's definitely a lot better than you think it will be, which was the case for me. To me, it was such a vibrant film. Not this stuffy, boring look at the British lifestyle but a very captivating treatise on Stevens and the British Empire as a whole. It hooked me from the start and I was very glad that I watched this because I'm absolutely sure I never would have otherwise, which is sad. I know I didn't talk all that much about the film really, but it looks great, has a very compelling story with intriguing characters (and great performances), and touches on some pretty deep historical issues. I feel like The Remains of the Day deserves a bit more respect when it comes to Oscar because it's a very forgotten film today. This might not be the winner, but I'm glad I got to watch it.


It's always interesting to go through the acting categories and then get to Best Picture and see a wildcard in the choices. Always makes me wonder what would get in if the number of nominees was expanded and makes for a good guessing game. The surprise here is both The Piano and The Fugitive, which are almost opposite in every way yet are considered one of the five best by Oscar this year. A small indie and a big blockbuster. Just interesting to see the choices of this year. The Piano is the obvious 5th choice, not as bad as you might expect but not on par with the others, really. The Remains of the Day is my 4th because the other three entertain me a lot more than this one did even though it was a lot better than I was expecting and had some great performances. In the Name of the Father is my middle choice as it's hard to go wrong with DDL and the subject is pretty fascinating to me as a whole. The Fugitive would be second because it's immensely entertaining and I could watch it over and over and not be sick of it. It would have won if not for an all time classic in Schindler's List being a choice, as well. That film transcends Oscar and was the easy choice for Best Picture. All in all a decent year for Best Picture. Some different choices and an all time classic, not bad.

Oscar Winner: Schindler's List
My Winner:  Schindler's List
The Fugitive
In the Name of the Father
The Remains of the Day
The Piano