ALL ABOUT
MY MOTHER ****½
(R/1:41/11-24-99) Spanish woman discovers she is the father of
a nun's baby.
Nominated for: Foreign Language Film.
Won: Foreign Language Film.
AMERICAN
BEAUTY **** (R/2:01/10-1-99)
Marital dysfunction, Spacey-style.
Nominated for: Best Picture, Best Actor
(Kevin Spacey), Best Actress (Annette Bening), Directing (Sam
Mendes), Cinematography, Film Editing, Original Score, Original
Screenplay (Alan Ball).
Won: Best Picture, Best Actor (Kevin Spacey),
Best Director (Sam Mendes), Best Original Screenplay (Alan Ball).
ANGELA'S ASHES
****½ (R/2:25/12-25-99) A
fine autobiographical story revolving around a dirty Limerick.
Nominated for: Original Score.
ANNA AND
THE KING ****½
(PG-13/2:20/12-17-99) Foster goes for Chow and discovers the
Thais that bind.
Nominated for: Best Supporting Actress (Catherine
Keener), Directing (Spike Jonze), Original Screenplay (Charlie
Kaufman).
BICENTENNIAL
MAN **** (PG/2:11/12-17-99)
It's Mork from Ork, with a titanium suit.
Nominated for: Makeup.
BOYS DON'T
CRY ****½
(R/1:58/10-22-99) Boy trapped in girl's body attacked by boys
trapped in small brains.
Nominated for: Best Actress (Hilary Swank),
Best Supporting Actress (Chloë Sevigny).
Won: Best Actress (Hilary Swank).
THE CIDER
HOUSE RULES ****½
(PG-13/2:11/12-17-99) Young doctor goes away to learn the knife
business.
Nominated for: Best Picture, Best Supporting
Actor (Michael Caine), Directing (Lasse Hallström), Art
Direction, Film Editing, Original Score, Adapted Screenplay (John
Irving).
Won: Best Supporting Actor (Michael Caine),
Adapted Screenplay (John Irving).
THE END
OF THE AFFAIR ****½
(R/1:49/12-3-99) Two lovers get bombed together and pay the price.
Nominated for: Best Actress (Julianne Moore),
Cinematography.
GIRL, INTERRUPTED
****½ (R/2:07/12-21-99) Ryder
and Jolie force the state to open up a can of Whoopi.
Nominated for: Best Supporting Actress (Angelina
Jolie).
Won: Best Supporting Actress (Angelina Jolie).
THE GREEN MILE
****½ (R/3:00/12-10-99) That
prison sure goes through a lot of light bulbs.
Nominated for: Best Picture, Best Supporting
Actor (Michael Clarke Duncan), Sound, Adapted Screenplay.
THE HURRICANE
**** (R/2:25/12-29-99) Ex-prize
fighter wrongly imprisoned, sprung by Peter, Paul, & Mary.
Nominated for: Best Actor (Denzel Washington).
THE INSIDER
***** (R/2:37/11-5-99) You mean
smoking is bad for you? I had no idea.
Nominated for: Best Picture, Best Actor
(Russell Crowe), Directing (Michael Mann), Cinematography, Film
Editing, Sound, Adapted Screenplay (Eric Roth & Michael Mann).
LIFE
****½ (R/1:48/4-16-99) Eddie
Murphy and Martin Lawrence spend about 60 years of quality time
together.
Nominated for: Makeup.
MAGNOLIA
**** (R/2:59/12-17-99) Bizarre event
leads to drastic cuts in the price of frog legs.
Nominated for: Best Supporting Actor (Tom
Cruise), Original Song ("Save Me," written by Aimee
Mann).
THE MATRIX
***½ (R/2:16/3-31-99) Reeves
gets cooking, but almost lets his Fishburne.
Nominated for: Film Editing, Sound, Sound
Effects Editing, Visual Effects.
Won: Film Editing, Sound, Sound Effects
Editing, Visual Effects.
THE MUMMY
**** (PG-13/2:00/5-7-99) Once again,
Fraser shows he isn't wrapped too tightly.
Nominated for: Sound.
MUSIC OF
THE HEART *** (PG/2:04/10-29-99)
Perfectly good violin story is warped by immersion in pool of
tears.
Nominated for: Best Actress (Meryl Streep),
Original Song ("Music Of My Heart," written by Dianne
Warren).
THE SIXTH SENSE
****½ (PG-13/1:47/8-6-99)
Boy sees dead. Doctor sees boy. Boy and doctor see light.
Nominated for: Best Picture, Best Supporting
Actor (Haley Joel Osment), Best Supporting Actress (Toni Collette),
Directing (M. Night Shyamalan), Film Editing, Original Screenplay
(M. Night Shyamalan).
SLEEPY HOLLOW
*** (R/1:45/11-19-99) I think the
horseman visited Burton when he was choosing the release date.
Nominated for: Art Direction, Cinematography,
Costume Design.
OSCAR NOMINEES
