1991 FILM BALLOT

the point of this exercise isn't merely to stand in contrast to industry awards shows but to shine light on other works/achievements/performances that might've not gotten enough consideration during their initial releases 

Another one of my old "Best in Film" ballots.

Other year-end ballots posted at The Wandering Image:   1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991,1992,
 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003,
 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

Also, if you wish to view my favorite 30 films of 1991, go here

Note: "Animated Short" and "Animated Feature" categories have been merged into one Animation category, regardless of runtime length. Also "Sound Editing" and "Sound Mixing" have been combined into one "Sound Design" category. Focusing on both overall mix and sound creation.






1991

*A BRIGHTER SUMMER DAY

MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO

BOYZ N THE HOOD 
POINT BREAK

THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS
BARTON FINK
TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY
SLACKER

THE DOUBLE LIFE OF VERONIQUE

A SCENE AT THE SEA

THE RAPTURE
THE INDIAN RUNNER
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

RAISE THE RED LANTERN

SPOORLOOS [THE VANISHING]

LA BELLE NOISEUSE

EUROPA EUROPA 

DAYS OF BEING WILD

RHAPSODY IN AUGUST

LA FEMME NIKITA

actual best picture oscar nominees:
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
BUGSY
THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS  (won)
JFK
THE PRINCE OF TIDES

actual foreign language oscar nominees:
OXEN
CHILDREN OF NATURE
MEDITERRANEO  (won)
RAISE THE RED LANTERN
THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

1991

*Edward Yang 

  for A BRIGHTER SUMMER DAY
Gus Van Sant for MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO
Jonathan Demme for THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS
Joel & Ethan Coen for BARTON FINK
Kathryn Bigelow for POINT BREAK

actual oscar nominees:
Barry Levinson for BUGSY
Jonathan Demme for THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS  (won)
Oliver Stone for JFK
John Singleton for BOYZ N THE HOOD
Ridley Scott for THELMA & LOUISE

1991

*Jodie Foster 

in THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS
Sheila Florance in A WOMAN'S TALE
Mimi Rogers in THE RAPTURE
Laura Dern in RAMBLING ROSE
Kerry Fox in AN ANGEL AT MY TABLE

actual oscar nominees:
Geena Davis in THELMA & LOUISE
Jodie Foster in THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS  (won)
Laura Dern in RAMBLING ROSE
Bette Midler in FOR THE BOYS
Susan Sarandon in THELMA & LOUISE

1991

*River Phoenix 

       in MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO
Gary Oldman in ROSENCRANTZ & GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD
John Turturro in BARTON FINK
Robert Duvall in RAMBLING ROSE
Tim Roth in ROSENCRANTZ & GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD

Bill Murray in WHAT ABOUT BOB?

actual oscar nominees:
Warren Beatty in BUGSY
Robert De Niro in CAPE FEAR
Anthony Hopkins in THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS  (won)
Nick Nolte in THE PRINCE OF TIDES
Robin Williams in THE FISHER KING

1991

*Diane Ladd in RAMBLING ROSE
Meryl Streep in DEFENDING YOUR LIFE
Lili Taylor in DOGFIGHT
Judy Davis in BARTON FINK
Mercedes Ruehl in THE FISHER KING

actual oscar nominees:
Diane Ladd in RAMBLING ROSE
Juliette Lewis in CAPE FEAR
Kate Nelligan in THE PRINCE OF TIDES
Mercedes Ruehl in THE FISHER KING  (won)
Jessica Tandy in FRIED GREEN TOMATOES

1991

*John Goodman in BARTON FINK
Dustin Hoffman in HOOK
Anthony Hopkins in THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS
William H. Macy in HOMICIDE
Michael Lerner in BARTON FINK

actual oscar nominees:
Tommy Lee Jones in JFK
Harvey Keitel in BUGSY
Ben Kingsley in BUGSY
Michael Lerner in BARTON FINK
Jack Palance in CITY SLICKERS  (won)

1991

*BARTON FINK - Joel & Ethan Coen
THE RAPTURE - Michael Tolkin

HOMICIDE - David Mamet
DEAD AGAIN - Scott Frank

HANGIN' WITH THE HOMEBOYS - Joseph Vásquez

BUGSY - James Toback

BOYZ N THE HOOD - John Singleton

actual oscar nominees:
BOYZ N THE HOOD
GRAND CANYON
BUGSY
THE FISHER KING
THELMA & LOUISE  (won)

1991

*THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS 

                              - Ted Tally
EUROPA EUROPA - Agnieszka Holland
AN ANGEL AT MY TABLE - Jane Campion
ROSENCRANTZ & GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD - Stoppard
MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO - Gus Van Sant

actual oscar nominees:
EUROPA EUROPA
FRIED GREEN TOMATOES
JFK
THE PRINCE OF TIDES
THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS  (won)

1991

*IMAGES OF THE WORLD AND THE INSCRIPTION OF WAR
CENTRAL PARK
A BRIEF HISTORY OF TIME
MADONNA: TRUTH OR DARE
HEARTS OF DARKNESS: A FILMMAKER'S APOCALYPSE

actual oscar nominees:
DEATH ON THE JOB
DOING TIME: LIFE INSIDE THE BIG HOUSE
IN THE SHADOW OF THE STARS  (won)
THE RESTLESS CONSCIENCE
WILD BY LAW

1991

*BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
THE DEATH OF STALINISM IN BOHEMIA
DARKNESS / LIGHT / DARKNESS
ONLY YESTERDAY

FIST OF THE NORTH STAR

ROBOT CARNIVAL

STRINGS by Wendy Tilby

NEXT by Barry Purves

MANIPULATION

BODY BEAUTIFUL

actual oscar nominees animated short:
BLACK FLY
MANIPULATION  (won)
STRINGS

1991

*BUGSY - Ennio Morricone >
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST - Alan Menken >
JFK - John Williams >
BARTON FINK - Carter Burwell >
THE FISHER KING - George Fenton >

actual oscar nominees:
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST  (won)
BUGSY
THE FISHER KING
JFK 
THE PRINCE OF TIDES

1991

*WORLD OF GLORY
CARNE

R.E.M. : LOSING MY RELIGION

PEARL JAM: JEREMY
A LITTLE VICIOUS
THE PASSION OF MARTIN

JANE'S ADDICTION: BEEN CAUGHT STEALING

actual oscar nominees live action short:
BIRCH STREET GYM
LAST BREEZE OF SUMMER
SESSION MAN

actual oscar nominees documentary short:
BIRDNESTERS OF THAILAND 
DEADLY DECEPTION: GENERAL ELECTRIC, NUCLEAR WEAPONS & OUR ENVIRONMENT  (won)
A LITTLE VICIOUS
THE MARK OF THE MAKER
MEMORIAL: LETTERS FROM AMERICAN SOLDIERS

categories below this point are

↓for you technical craft lovers↓

1991

*BUGSY - Allen Daviau, ASC
HOMICIDE - Roger Deakins, ASC, BSC
JFK - Robert Richardson, ASC
TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY - Adam Greenberg, ASC
KAFKA - Walt Lloyd [Steven Soderbergh]
BARTON FINK - Roger Deakins, ASC, BSC

actual oscar nominees:
BUGSY
JFK  (won)
THE PRINCE OF TIDES
TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY
THELMA & LOUISE

1991

*JFK - Joe Hutshing, Pietro Scalia
TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY 

                - Mark Goldblatt. Conrad Buff, Richard A. Harris
THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS - Craig McKay
THE DOORS - David Brenner, Joe Hutshing
THE LAST BOY SCOUT - Baird; Mark Goldblatt; Helfrich

actual oscar nominees:
THE COMMITMENTS
JFK  (won)
THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS
TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY
THELMA & LOUISE

1991 - PRODUCTION DESIGN + SET DECOR

*BUGSY 

    - Dennis Gassner; Nancy Haigh
THE ROCKETEER - Jim Bissell, Linda DeScenna
BARTON FINK - Dennis Gassner, Nancy Haigh
THE FISHER KING - Mel Bourne, Cindy Carr
PROSPERO'S BOOKS - Ben van Os, Jan Roelfs
BILL & TED'S BOGUS JOURNEY - David L. Snyder,  C.Butler

actual oscar nominees:
BARTON FINK
BUGSY  (won)
THE FISHER KING
HOOK
THE PRINCE OF TIDES

1991

*PROSPERO'S BOOKS - Ellen Lens
THE ADDAMS FAMILY - Ruth Myers
BUGSY - Albert Wolsky
BARTON FINK - Richard Hornung
MADAME BOVARY - Corinne Jorry

actual oscar nominees:
BUGSY (won)
BARTON FINK 
THE ADDAMS FAMILY
HOOK
MADAME BOVARY

1991

*TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY 

                        - Stan Winston 
BILL & TED'S BOGUS JOURNEY - Scott Oshita
HOOK - Christina Smith, Monty Westmore, Greg Cannom
STAR TREK VI - Michael Mills, Edward French, Richard Snell

CAST A DEADLY SPELL - Vance Hartwell

THE ROCKETEER - Rick Baker, Brad Wilder

THE ADDAMS FAMILY - Louis Lazzara; Fern Buchner

actual oscar nominees:
HOOK
STAR TREK VI: THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY
TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY  (won)

1991

*TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY

BACKDRAFT
STAR TREK VI: THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS

actual oscar nominees sound editing
BACKDRAFT
STAR TREK VI: THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY
TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY  (won)

actual oscar nominees sound mix
BACKDRAFT
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
JFK
THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS
TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY  (won)

1991

*TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY
BACKDRAFT
HOOK
BILL & TED'S BOGUS JOURNEY
THE NEVERENDING STORY II: THE NEXT CHAPTER

FREDDY'S DEAD: THE FINAL NIGHTMARE

GODZILLA VS KING GHIDORAH

actual oscar nominees:
BACKDRAFT
HOOK
TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY  (won)

↓The following categories are inspired by The Muriel Awards

1991

*1) Dirt bike/18Wheeler floodway chase. "Escape from Galleria Mall" sequence - TERMINATOR 2: 

                   JUDGEMENT DAY
2) Ex-presidents sequence. Bank robbery, car chase, gas station fire, & foot pursuit through Los Angeles backyards ------------------------------------------------------- POINT BREAK
3) Charlie returns to Hotel Earle. "Life of the Mind" Inferno 

--------------------------------------------------------- BARTON FINK
4) Hugging embrace with sudden stabbing 

----------------------------------------------- BRIGHTER SUMMER DAY
5) Ballroom dance sequence - BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
6) Rescue from a Nazi Zeppelin climax - THE ROCKETEER
7) Buried Alive - SPOORLOOS [VANISHING]
8) Squashing a talking insect typewriter - NAKED LUNCH
9) Dr. Lecter's calculated & violent escape 

------------------------------------------------ SILENCE OF THE LAMBS
10) Vision of house crashing into the street 

----------------------------------------------- MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO
-tie- small boy discovers Peter Pan in older man's face 

---------------------------------------------------------------- HOOK
11) Nightvision in Bill’s basement 

------------------------------------------------- SILENCE OF THE LAMBS
12) Sharon chooses her daughter’s fate in the desert 

---------------------------------------------------------- THE RAPTURE
13) T-1000 jumps motorcycle to police chopper 

--------------------------------------------------------- TERMINATOR 2
14) Doughboy & gang mow down the Bloods 

-------------------------------------------------------- BOYZ N THE HOOD
15) Shootout with desert eagle in restaurant 

------------------------------------------------------ LA FEMME NIKITA

also this: 

1991

*THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS
THE INDIAN RUNNER
JFK
HOMICIDE
BOYZ N THE HOOD

Other year-end ballots posted at The Wandering Image:   1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991,1992,
 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003,
 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014