THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, January 7, 1995 TAG: 9501070052
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MAL VINCENT, ENTERTAINMENT WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 251 lines
IT WAS THE YEAR of the Gump. The phenomenon of 1994 was a lovable underdog who, in spite of a low IQ and a determination to tell the truth, learned that life is just a box of chocolates. Forrest Gump ran on to become a national phenomenon - easily emerging as the most beloved movie of the year. His triumphs effectively satirized our social pomposities and proved that the little guy could win, after all.
That movie, coupled with an animated lion that refused to stop roaring, proved yet again that people still wanted to go out to theaters. The year 1994, by just a hair over 1993, brought more bucks to the movie box offices than any other year in history. The year-end tally was expected to reach $5.1 billion - up from $5.02 billion in 1993.
Both ``The Lion King'' and ``Forrest Gump'' took in more than $300 million each, but the year still didn't have a megahit the size of ``Jurassic Park.'' But there were more $100 million-hits than any year in history; the wealth was scattered over more movies, which suggests that a ``movie habit'' may be returning.
Locally, 12 new screens were added to the Pembroke area in Virginia Beach with an additional 14 to be unveiled in Chesapeake in the new year.
Regardless of the good money news, it was a rather dismal year for worthwhile, meaningful movies. There were no ``instant classics'' on the level of 1993's ``Schindler's List'' or ``The Piano.'' The fact that 1993 had been one of the best creative years in movie memory only emphasized the superficial and adolescent product that dominated 1994's fare. As a result, the annual task of making a Top 10 list was more difficult than usual. The resulting list reflects the lightness and frivolity of the movie year. In other years, several of the films in this year's list wouldn't have had a chance.
It is a rarity that the two most popular films of the year - ``Forrest Gump'' and ``The Lion King'' - are on the 10 Best list. Perhaps audiences are shopping more carefully and actively responding when they are given a good movie.
This year's list contains only one foreign language film - Taiwan's ``Eat Drink Man Woman'' - suggesting that the era of great foreign films dominating the list seems to be at an end. The independent film movement, with small movies designed to counteract the superficiality of Hollywood product, didn't really break through either.
The trend was toward so-called ``family movies,'' but more flopped than succeeded. Sure, ``Lion King'' was a hit, but what about ``North,'' ``Baby's Day Out,'' ``Blank Check,'' ``Lassie,'' ``Black Beauty,'' ``3 Ninjas Kick Back'' and ``Camp Nowhere''? All were box office disappointments, proving that not even the ``family'' formula is foolproof.
The Top 10, a lightweight group this year:
``Forrest Gump'' - Destined to be remembered as one of the great American pop movies, it's the tale of a simple man whose naivete proved that truth and honesty work - at least in the movies. Tom Hanks, coming off his Oscar win for ``Philadelphia,'' is the star of the year. Covering decades and directed by Robert Zemeckis from Winston Groom's novel, it effectively satirized many of our national institutions, catching us off guard. Sally Field as Mamma proved an effective cheerleader as Forrest pursued his one love, the elusive Jenny.
``Pulp Fiction'' - The energy and the excesses of director-writer Quentin Tarantino made him the director of the year and the most flamboyant new personality. It was a comedy about the lowlifes of gangsterdom as only Tarantino could write it. Only Tarantino could take a bump in the road, turn it into a killing and still get a laugh about it. Three stories flip-flop in time and all of them are outlandish and hilarious. John Travolta, as a dumb-dumb hood, makes the year's acting comeback. Uma Thurman and Samuel L. Jackson also etched memorable characters.
``Quiz Show'' - Robert Redford directed this compelling and highly intelligent morality tale about the television quiz-show-scandals of the 1950s. There were memorable performances from Ralph Fiennes as the golden boy who couldn't avoid temptation; John Turturro as the plain, gauche guy who gets shafted because he isn't a golden boy; and Paul Scofield, as the rich, controlling father. The film got embroiled in criticism about factual accuracies but that, after all, wasn't the thrust. It was the year's best cinematic statement on morality and the temptations that threaten it.
``Four Weddings and a Funeral'' - The Brits churned out the surprise romantic hit of the year and proved that love is still worth pursuing. Hugh Grant, as a boyish holdout from marriage, emerged as a new star while prompting some to claim that the Cary Grant style had returned. Andie MacDowell, with big teeth, big hats and a charming Southern accent, was the American woman he followed through the four weddings and the funeral. It was a delight.
``Ed Wood'' - Tim Burton's valentine to struggling, untalented artists had a universal heart-tug that, with less eccentricity (and pink sweaters), might have touched the same root-for-the-underdog vein that made ``Forrest Gump'' a hit. The movie still contained the year's best performance by a supporting actor - Martin Landau's portrayal of the feisty, unbowed Bela Lugosi. Johnny Depp continued his portrayals of eccentric misfits, complemented by a fine performance in the excellent ``What's Eating Gilbert Grape'' earlier in the year. The struggles of the valiant but untalented had poignancy amid the comedy.
``Eat Drink Man Woman'' - The tastiest comedy-drama of the year is the only foreign language entry. An aging chef tries to hold his family of daughters together as he churns out culinary delights - proving that director Ang Lee's comedic handling of last year's delightful ``The Wedding Banquet'' was no accident.
``The Lion King'' - Just when you think the Disney animators can't possibly top themselves, they turn out a charmer such as this ``Bambi''-on-the-Serengeti and prove that art can be childlike. The stampede scene is as amazing as anything done in the Disney past. With a nod toward ``Hamlet,'' we had the growing pains of a lion cub named Simba who had to learn to become the mane event. In spite of the comparatively mediocre score, it topped even ``Beauty and the Beast'' to become the crowning achievement of the new-age animators.
``The Professional'' - With a thudding percussion score that practically shook the walls of the theater, this was the most visually stunning and stylish of the year's movie blood baths. Its violence was countered by a tongue-in-cheek tale of a feisty girl-woman who is ``adopted'' by a hitman. The whispered closeups were a throwback to the spaghetti Westerns of yesteryear while the direction was always daring and flamboyant.
``Speed'' - The best action flick of the year. Never mind that it didn't make a great deal of sense. As long as you don't go under 50 mph, the thrills are consistent. Keanu Reeves, setting off a minor buzz-cut fad, became a mainstream star. Dutch cameraman Jan de Bont directed it to a fare-thee-well - not satisfied just with a bus chase, he throws in an elevator explosion and, as a grand finale, a subway crash. It was enough to make you rush for a tranquilizer.
``Clear and Present Danger'' - The most intelligent of the pulp-novel adaptations proved that audiences could get involved in espionage for over two hours. Its Oliver North-like plotting may have affected Virginia's most publicized senatorial race. The motorcade ambush could compete with the rush of ``Speed'' to become the best action scene of the year.
Runners-up. There was a plentiful list of almost-greats, and many of them should have made the Top 10: ``Shadowlands,'' ``Fresh,'' ``Little Women,'' ``Bullets Over Broadway,'' ``When a Man Loves a Woman,'' ``Bitter Moon,'' ``Red Rock West,'' ``The Scent of Green Papaya,'' ``Natural Born Killers,'' ``The Hudsucker Proxy'' and ``Ready to Wear.''
The 10 Worst. This is a list that cries to be made this year. The duds that most quickly come to mind: ``The Flintstones,'' ``Even Cowgirls Get the Blues,'' ``Radioland Murders,'' ``Renaissance Man,'' ``Cabin Boy,'' ``Mixed Nuts,'' ``City Slickers II,'' ``The War,'' ``The Road to Wellville,'' ``Love Affair.'' But we're going further than 10: ``Exit to Eden'' (which proved that even leather might not be fun) and ``On Deadly Ground'' (which had Steven Segal preaching for 10 minutes about the environment). Then, regrettably, there was ``North'' and the remake of ``The Miracle on 34th Street.''
TRENDS
Popcorn: In April, the fat content of popcorn came under attack. Theater chains promptly denied the claim, then announced that they would use less fatty popping methods. Customers might be more concerned about the cost. Still, sales are reportedly unchanged.
Computers: The technical marvel of the year was the improved use of computer gimmickry, which may change the way movies look for years to come. The stampede in ``The Lion King'' and the Washington Mall crowd scenes in ``Forrest Gump'' were just two of the scenes enhanced by computer wizardry.
New star of the year: Jim Carrey, with a rubber face and an awesome energy level, kept us guessing. After ``Ace Ventura: Pet Detective'' was a surprise February hit, it followed that ``The Mask'' would be a summer smash and ``Dumb and Dumber'' was the runaway hit of the Christmas group. A three-punch knockout. Apparently nothing but time can stop him. Next, he's set to steal ``Batman Forever'' with his portrayal of The Riddler.
Big winner: Keanu Reeves who crossed over into the mainstream with ``Speed,'' pumped up, and got a buzz cut.
Biggest loser of the year: Kevin Costner, who couldn't seem to find the right dance after his waltz with the wolves. Everything he did went wrong. ``Wyatt Earp,'' although an epic, visually stunning film, was a long-winded yawner. ``The War,'' which he produced, turned Southern grits into gruel with all its melodramatics. At year's end, the word was that his new film ``Waterworld,'' set for release in the summer, had gone way over budget and emerged, at $150 million, as the most expensive movie in history.
Falling stars: Studios finally seemed to realize that huge salaries were running costs beyond reality. Sylvester Stallone, for example, is being paid $20 million for a movie that hasn't even been chosen yet. Meg Ryan gets $5.5 million per picture. Even people like Joe Pesci, Dennis Quaid and Alec Baldwin get between $3 million and $5 million per picture. But last year saw the failures of star vehicles for Julia Roberts (``I Love Trouble''), Warren Beatty (``Love Affair''), Billy Crystal (``City Slickers II''), Robert De Niro (``Mary Shelley's Frankenstein'') and Eddie Murphy (``Beverly Hills Cop III''). At the same time, ``Four Weddings and a Funeral'' made a mint with no big names.
Death of the teen flick: Coming-of-age male comedies with girls in bikinis as the lure no longer dominated summer flicks. Filmmakers learned what other businesses don't seem to realize - you can't sell a product by aiming exclusively at one market. The lone film aimed at the fading market, ``Airheads,'' failed miserably.
Family crisis: Hollywood reacted, perhaps overreacted, to a cry for more ``wholesome,'' family movies and the result was a glut; many of the films proved that wholesome, too, can be mediocre. ``Richie Rich,'' at year's end, was repeating the formula perhaps once too often.
Death of the sequels: Sequels flopped everywhere, including ``City Slickers II,'' ``My Girl 2,'' ``Major League II,'' Beverly Hills Cop III,'' and ``White Fang 2.'' If this keeps up, it may force some producers to think of a new idea.
Meanest movie woman of the year: Lena Olin in ``Romeo is Bleeding'' who flipped from the backseat to strangle a man to death with her thighs - while handcuffed, yet. Waiting in the wings to take the title in 1995 is Linda Fiorentino in ``The Last Seduction.'' She throws away men as easily as she does her wash-and-wear gowns.
Mean men of the year: Cary Elwes in ``Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book,'' Dennis Hopper in ``Speed,'' Tommy Lee Jones in the upcoming ``Cobb.''
The Bobbitt award: To Bruce Willis who fought mightily, but still had his penis scenes cut from ``Color of Night.'' The cut meant the film went from an NC-17 to a R. No one went to see the movie anyway, even with the promise of less Bruce.
Business: Of the record 332 films released during the year, less than a third actually made a profit. The winners, though, were big winners, paying the bills for the flops. Sony, which owns Columbia and Tri-Star, took an amazing $2.7 billion in losses for the year. At year's end, the most promising business news was the establishment of a new studio by moviemaker Steven Spielberg, Disney-outcast Jeffrey Katzenberg and music billionaire David Geffen. They claim it will not be business as usual. We can only hope.
BEST PERFORMANCES
Actresses: Meg Ryan in ``When a Man Loves a Woman''; Jessica Lange in ``Blue Sky''; Winona Ryder in ``Little Women''; Juliette Lewis in ``Natural Born Killers''; and Susan Sarandon in ``Safe Passage.'' Opening later here: Sigourney Weaver in ``Death and the Maiden''; Miranda Richardson in ``Tom and Viv''; and Jennifer Jason Leigh in ``Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle.''
Actors: Tom Hanks in ``Forrest Gump''; John Travolta in ``Pulp Fiction''; Tommy Lee Jones in ``Cobb'' (yet to open here); Terence Stamp in ``The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert''; Ralph Fiennes in ``Quiz Show''; Hugh Grant in ``Four Weddings and a Funeral.''
Supporting Actors: Martin Landau in ``Ed Wood''; Gary Sinise in ``Forrest Gump''; Samuel L. Jackson in ``Pulp Fiction''; Chazz Palminteri in ``Bullets Over Broadway''; Dennis Quaid in ``Wyatt Earp''; John Turturro in ``Quiz Show.''
Supporting Actresses: Dianne Wiest in ``Bullets Over Broadway''; Karen Dunst in ``Interview With a Vampire''; Joan Plowright in ``Widow's Peak''; Glenn Close in ``The Paper.''
Underrated: ``Jimmy Hollywood,'' ``Wyatt Earp.''
So what can we expect from an industry that ends the year with a movie called ``Dumb and Dumber'' as the big hit?
As usual, the year came to an end with some of the year's most publicized entries not yet opening locally. Among the more eagerly awaited coming attractions are: ``Legends of the Fall,'' ``Death and the Maiden,'' ``Cobb,'' ``Nobody's Fool,'' ``Clerks,'' ``Heavenly Creatures,'' ``The Madness of King George,'' ``The Boys of St. Vincent'' ``Vanya on 42nd Street,'' ``Hoop Dreams'' and ``Red.''
The hunt for quality in 1995 begins. MEMO: From reality to vampires, some of the most memorable lines from movies
in '94/ Page E5
ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photos]
1. "Forest Gump"
2. "Pulp Fiction"
3. "Quiz Show"
4. "Four Weddings and a Funeral"
5. "Ed Wood"
6. "Eat Drink Man Woman"
7. "The Lion King"
8. "The Professional"
9. "Speed"
10. "Clear and Present Danger"
TOUCHSTONE
Meg Ryan gave one of the year's most memorable performances in
``When a Man Loves a Woman.''
KEYWORDS: TOP TEN MOVIES 1994 by CNB