1986--The Year in Review

When a year produces ten movies that, decades later, you still consider among your all-time favorites, you know you’re talking about a great year. It was painful choosing from my top three especially, but it had to be done, and I had to find for Mr. Lynch, whose film blew just about everybody's minds  in the fall of that year (if Claude Berri's Manon of the Spring would have been just a tiny bit better, it might have beaten it; I’m lumping it and the more stirring Jean de Florette in as one movie). McElwee's breakthrough documentary Sherman's March, too, gave me a challenge, as it’s a one-of-a-kind undertaking that coninually rewards repeat viewings. But I realized I just couldn’t vote it Best Picture over Lynch's stunning take on secrets and small-town crime (featuring a landmark showing from Dennis Hopper as the terrifying Frank Booth). I'm extremely happy to recognize jazz legend Dexter Gordon as the best actor of the year (against some heavyweight competition); yes, he's playing a version of himself, but he's nonetheless mesmerizing in his only major film role (hell, Hopper said he was only playing himself in Blue Velvet). Also, I'm glad to give Marie Riviere Best Actress for her alternately annoying and brave lonely girl suffering through a solitary holiday in Rohmer's The Green Ray (released as Summer in the U.S.). And, here, I gladly deliver the award Ennio Morricone deserved that year for his regal score to The Mission, relegating Herbie Hancock's brilliant Round Midnight score to the Adaptation category where it belonged. As for the short films, two teams of relative newcomers win for their justly popular cult films. NOTE: These are MY choices for each category, and are only occasionally reflective of the selections made by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (aka The Oscars). When available, the nominee that actually won the Oscar will be highlighted in bold.

PICTURE: BLUE VELVET (US, David Lynch)
(2nd: Sherman’s March (US, Ross McElwee)
followed by: Jean De Florette/Manon of the Spring (France, Claude Berri)
The Green Ray aka Summer (France, Eric Rohmer)
Round Midnight (US/France, Bertrand Tavernier)
Hannah and Her Sisters (US, Woody Allen)
Sid and Nancy (US, Alex Cox)
The Sacrifice (Sweden/France, Andrei Tarkovsky)
Aliens (US, James Cameron)
The Color of Money (US, Martin Scorsese)
Something Wild (US, Jonathan Demme)
The Mosquito Coast (US, Peter Weir)
Withnail & I (UK, Bruce Robinson)
Betty Blue (France, Jean-Jacques Beineix)
Dancing in the Dark (Canada, Leon Marr)
Salvador (US, Oliver Stone)
The Fly (Canada, David Cronenberg)
Mona Lisa (UK, Neil Jordan)
84 Charing Cross Road (UK, David Hugh Jones)
Hoosiers (US, David Anspaugh)
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (US, John Hughes)
She’s Gotta Have It (US, Spike Lee)
When The Wind Blows (UK, Jimmy T. Murakami)
The Decline of the American Empire (Canada, Denys Arcand)
Manhunter (US, Michael Mann)
Platoon (US, Oliver Stone)
A Better Tomorrow (Hong Kong, John Woo)
Children of a Lesser God (US, Randa Haines)
Home of the Brave (US, Laurie Anderson)
Man Facing Southeast (Argentina, Elisio Subiela)
Three Amigos (US, John Landis)
Seize the Day (US, Fielder Cook)
Lucas (US, David Seltzer)
True Stories (US, David Byrne)
Absolute Beginners (UK, Julien Temple)
Down by Law (US, Jim Jarmusch)
The Big Easy (US, Jim McBride)
'night, Mother (US, Tom Moore)
Stand by Me (US, Rob Reiner)
Doña Herlinda and Her Son (Mexico, Jaime Humberto Hermosillo)
36 Fillette (France, Catherine Breillat)
The Mission (UK/US, Roland Joffé)
What Happened to Kerouac? (US, Richard Lerner and Lewis McAdams)
Down and Out in America (US, Lee Grant)
Just Between Friends (US, Allen Burns)
Castle in the Sky (Japan, Hayao Miyazaki)
Matador (Spain, Pedro Almodovar)
Mauvais Sang (France, Leos Carax)
Ginger and Fred (Italy, Federico Fellini)
Thérèse (France, Alain Cavalier)
At Close Range (US, James Foley)
Peggy Sue Got Married (US, Francis Ford Coppola)
Little Shop of Horrors (US, Frank Oz)
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (US, Leonard Nimoy)
River's Edge (US, Tim Hunter)
Big Trouble in Little China (US, John Carpenter)
The Name of the Rose (Italy/West Germany./France, Jean-Jacques Annaud)
Working Girls (US, Lizzie Borden)
Eat the Peach (Ireland, Peter Ormrod)
The Adventures of Mark Twain (US, Will Vinton)
Pretty in Pink (US, Howard Deutch)
Murrow (US, Jack Gold)
Caravaggio (UK, Derek Jarman)
Extremities (US, Robert M. Young)
"Crocodile" Dundee (Australia, Peter Faiman)
Down and Out in Beverly Hills (US, Paul Mazursky)
The Best of Times (US, Roger Spottiswoode)
Highlander (UK, Russell Mulcahy)
Howard the Duck (US, Willard Huyck)
9 1/2 Weeks (US, Adrian Lyne)
Cobra (US, Geogre Pan Cosmatos)
Under the Cherry Moon (US, Prince))



ACTOR: Dexter Gordon, ROUND MIDNIGHT (2nd: Yves Montand, Jean De Florette/Manon of the Spring, followed by: Jeff Goldblum, The Fly; Bob Hoskins, Mona Lisa; Gary Oldman, Sid and Nancy; Harrison Ford, The Mosquito Coast; James Woods, Salvador; Paul Newman, The Color of Money)

ACTRESS: Marie Riviere, THE GREEN RAY (2nd: Chloe Webb, Sid and Nancy, followed by: Sigourney Weaver, Aliens; Melanie Griffith, Something Wild; Marlee Matlin, Children of a Lesser God; Beatrice Dalle, Betty Blue; Sissy Spacek, ‘night Mother; Martha Henry, Dancing in the Dark) 


 
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Dennis Hopper, BLUE VELVET (2nd: Daniel Autuil, Jean De Florette/Manon of the Spring, followed by: Ray Liotta, Something Wild; Brian Cox, Manhunter; Michael Caine, Hannah and Her Sisters; Tom Cruise, The Color of Money; Dennis Hopper, Hoosiers; Willem Dafoe, Platoon)



SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Dianne Wiest, HANNAH AND HER SISTERS (2nd: Isabella Rossellini, Blue Velvet, followed by: Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, The Color of Money; Cathy Tyson, Mona Lisa; Laura Dern, Blue Velvet; Barbara Hershey, Hannah and Her Sisters; Annie Potts, Pretty in Pink; Tess Harper, Crimes of the Heart)

DIRECTOR: David Lynch, BLUE VELVET (2nd: Ross McElwee, Sherman’s March, followed by: Claude Berri, Jean De Florette/Manon of the Spring; Eric Rohmer, The Green Ray; Andrei Tarkovsky, The Sacrifice; Woody Allen, Hannah and Her Sisters; Bertrand Tavernier, Round Midnight; Alex Cox, Sid and Nancy)



NON-ENGLISH LANGUAGE FILM: JEAN DE FLORETTE/MANON OF THE SPRING (France, Claude Berri) (2nd: The Green Ray (France, Eric Rohmer), followed by: The Sacrifice (USSR, Andrei Tarkovsky); Betty Blue (France, Jean-Jacques Beineix); The Decline of the American Empire (Canada, Denys Arcand); A Better Tomorrow (Hong Kong, John Woo); Man Facing Southeast (Argentina, Elisio Subiela); Doña Herlinda and Her Son (Mexico, Jaime Humberto Hermosillo); 36 Fillette (France, Catherine Breillat); Castle in the Sky (Japan, Hayao Miyazaki); Matador (Spain, Pedro Almodovar); Mauvais Sang (France, Leos Carax); Ginger and Fred (Italy, Federico Fellini); Thérèse (France, Alain Cavalier))



DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: SHERMAN’S MARCH (US, Ross McElwee) (2nd: Home of the Brave (US, Laurie Anderson), followed by: What Happened to Kerouac? (US, Richard Lerner and Lewis McAdams); Down and Out in America (US, Lee Grant))



ANIMATED FEATURE: WHEN THE WIND BLOWS (UK, Jimmy T. Murakami) (2nd: The Adventures of Mark Twain (US, Will Vinton))



ANIMATED SHORT FILM: THE STREET OF CROCODILES (UK, Stephen and Timothy Quay) (2nd: Sledgehammer (US, Stephen R. Johnson); Luxo Jr. (US, John Lasseter), followed by: Bring Me The Head of Charlie Brown (US, Jim Reardon)



LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM: HEAVY METAL PARKING LOT (US, Jeff Krulik and John Heyn) (2nd: Precious Images (US, Chuck Workman), followed by: Coffee and Cigarettes (US, Jim Jarmusch))



ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Woody Allen, HANNAH AND HER SISTERS (2nd: David Lynch, Blue Velvet, followed by: Eric Rohmer, The Green Ray; Oliver Stone and Richard Boyle, Salvador; John Hughes, Ferris Buller's Day Off)

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Claude Berri and Gerard Brach, JEAN DE FLORETTE/MANON OF THE SPRING (2nd: Richard Price, The Color of Money, followed by: Charles Edward Pogue and David Cronenberg, The Fly; Raynold Gideon and Bruce A. Evans, Stand By Me; Paul Schrader, The Mosquito Coast)

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Frederick Elmes, BLUE VELVET (2nd: Chris Menges, The Mission, followed by: Bruno Nuytten, Jean De Florette/Manon of the Spring; Jordan Cronenweth, Peggy Sue Got Married; Sven Nykvist, The Sacrifice)

ART DIRECTION: ALIENS, Blue Velvet, Hannah and Her Sisters, Jean De Florette/Manon of the Spring, The Mission 

COSTUME DESIGN: PEGGY SUE GOT MARRIED, Jean De Florette/Manon of the Spring, Pretty in Pink, Absolute Beginners, The Mission

FILM EDITING: ALIENS, Blue Velvet, The Color of Money, Hannah and Her Sisters, Platoon

SOUND: BLUE VELVET, Aliens, Platoon, Round Midnight, Top Gun

SOUND EFFECTS: ALIENS, The Color of Money, Platoon



ORIGINAL SCORE: Ennio Morricone, THE MISSION (2nd: Angelo Badalamenti, Blue Velvet, followed by: Maurice Jarre, The Mosquito Coast; James Horner, Aliens; Jerry Goldsmith, Hoosiers)



ADAPTATION SCORE/SCORING OF A MUSICAL: Herbie Hancock, ROUND MIDNIGHT (won as Original Score) (2nd: Jean-Claude Petit, Jean De Florette/Manon of the Spring, followed by: David Byrne, True Stories; Prince, Under the Cherry Moon; Miles Goodman, Little Shop of Horrors)



ORIGINAL SONG: “Blue Shadows” from THREE AMIGOS! (Music and lyrics by Randy Newman) (2nd: “City of Dreams“ from True Stories (Music and lyrics by David Byrne), followed by: “Absolute Beginners” from Absolute Beginners (Music and lyrics by David Bowie); “Wild Wild Life” from True Stories (Music and lyrics by David Byrne); “Live to Tell” from At Close Range (Music and lyrics by Patrick Leonard and Madonna); “Take My Breath Away” from Top Gun (Music and lyrics by Girogio Moroder and Tom Whitlock); “Love Kills” from Sid and Nancy (Music and lyrics by Joe Strummer); "Kiss" from Under The Cherry Moon (Music and lyrics by Prince); “Mysteries of Love” from Blue Velvet (Music by Angelo Badalamenti, lyrics by David Lynch); "Do U Lie" from Under The Cherry Moon (Music and lyrics by Prince); “Let Yourself In For It” from The Color of Money (Music and lyrics by Robert Palmer); "Sometimes It Snows in April" from Under The Cherry Moon (Music and lyrics by Prince); "It's In The Way That You Use It" from The Color of Money (Music by Eric Clapton, lyrics by Eric Clapton and Robbie Robertson); "Mean Green Mother from Outer Space" from Little Shop of Horrors (Music and lyrics by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman); "Nothing in Common" from Nothing in Common (Music and lyrics by Tom Bailey and Alannah Currie); "Sweet Freedom" from Running Scared (Music and lyrics by Rod Templeton))

SPECIAL EFFECTS: ALIENS, Little Shop of Horrors, Labyrinth

MAKEUP: THE FLY, The Clan of the Cave Bear, Sid and Nancy