They were followed two days later by the New York Critics, but the New Yorkers did not take favorite sons Spike Lee or Woody Allen. Film Critics and they went with Do the Right Thing for Picture, Director and Supporting Actor. Branagh won Best Director and his film joined Field of Dreams, Dead Poets Society, Crimes and Misdemeanors, The Fabulous Baker Boys and My Left Foot, a small Irish film starring Daniel Day-Lewis from independent film company Miramax. Also in the NBR’s Top 10 were Christmas releases Glory, about the black Massachusetts 54th Regiment who fought in the Civil War and Born on the Fourth of July, Oliver Stone’s new Vietnam film starring Tom Cruise. The adaptation of Alfred Uhry’s hit play had star Jessica Tandy making the transition in the lead role from stage to screen and getting the best reviews of her long career at age 80. Winning the National Board of Review was Driving Miss Daisy, just as it hit theaters. Then, before the big Christmas releases were released came the first of the critics awards. The reviews were through the roof and Branagh had suddenly made himself known. There was also wunderkind Kenneth Branagh, the 28 year old Shakespearean actor who was making his directorial debut with Henry V – the same play that Olivier had made his own directorial debut with 45 years before that had earned a Best Picture nomination. Woody Allen was back with Crimes and Misdemeanors, one of his most serious films yet and it was again earning great reviews. The serious films continued into the fall. Meanwhile, sitting in positions ranging from 3 to 6 every weekend from mid-July to early October was When Harry Met Sally, the new Rob Reiner film which was joining the Cannes films in the great reviews column. But neither film did more than scrape their way into the Top 10 of the box office in any weekend. Meanwhile, Soderbergh’s film opened as well, boosted by the win at Cannes and also earned critical raves. By the time the film opened, conservative critics were predicting race riots, Siskel and Ebert were calling it one of the best films of the decade and it was even though to be influencing the upcoming New York mayoral election. Lee himself had boiled over in France when his film lost the Palme d’Or to sex, lies and videotape, prompting Lee to complain about sex‘s first-time director, Steven Soderbergh, “they are always looking for a golden white boy.” (Inside Oscar, p. But, while it was a big box office hit, its critical acclaim paled next to the two most talked about films arriving from Cannes.ĭo the Right Thing was the new Spike Lee joint and it had critics and audiences alike ready to boil over. Dead Poets Society had a built in Oscar pedigree of inspirational teacher and former Oscar nominees for Director (Peter Weir) and star (Robin Williams).
Then summer came, and while the biggest box office hits were Batman and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, it was Disney that had the film with the biggest Oscar potential. But when Field of Dreams came out in April, the reviews were even better than for Bull Durham and, without once ever winning the weekend, ended up the highest grossing film of the spring.
The Race: Everyone told Kevin Costner that he was crazy to make two baseball films in a row. Rank (out of 82) Among Best Picture Years: #18
Most Surprising Omission: When Harry Met Sally The nominations were announced on Februand the awards were held on March 26, 1990. The 62nd annual Academy Awards, for the film year 1989. Thanks to Out of Africa and Braveheart, Driving Miss Daisy is not the worst Best Picture of my lifetime.