NEWS

Oklahoman Movie Critics Rank Their Favorites for the Year Without a Doubt, Blue Ribbon Goes to "Pulp Fiction," Scott Says

Scott Schuldt

After the natural high of the great 1993 movie year, it seemed inevitable 1994 would suffer in comparison.

While it didn't come close to equaling 1993's output of superior movies and it certainly had its share of dogs, 1994 did offer a lot in the way of pure fun such as "Speed," "Four Weddings and a Funeral," "The Mask" and many others.

Here though, we recognize the best of the 107 releases from 1994 I've managed to see, recognizing that an unusually high number of limited release films weren't available for viewing before making this list.

First, the honorable mentions, movies that received a rating of 8 but didn't make the final cut. The runners-up are, alphabetically: "Bullets Over Broadway," "China Moon," "Interview With the Vampire," "The Professional" and "That's Entertainment III. " Now, my 10 best films of 1994:

1. Pulp Fiction There was no contest for the best film of 1994. Quentin Tarantino's witty script, fluid direction and impeccable cast made for the year's best movie ride. It was vulgar, occasionally disturbing but always mesmerizing.

The effectiveness of "Pulp Fiction" was proved by those who complained about its violence. In fact, only six people died in the course of the movie, one of them offscreen. It was Tarantino's talent for actually showing the effects of violence vividly that made it seem more violent than something like "True Lies," which killed off scores of bad guys but earned no scorn.

2. Quiz Show Here was a film that was as smart and nearly as witty as "Pulp Fiction" as it dramatized the game show scandal of the 1950s, when America first questioned television's authority.

A great ensemble of actors including Ralph Fiennes, John Turturro, Rob Morrow, Paul Scofield and David Paymer, Paul Attanasio's wonderful script and Robert Redford's most inspired directing yet combined to make this a completely memorable tale.

3. Forrest Gump The year's biggest grossing movie also happened to be one of the best as Tom Hanks starred as a dim man who wanders through a half-century of American history, sometimes as a participant, other times as a bystander.

A friend of mine said after seeing "Gump" that he'd just seen every movie ever made, and that isn't far off the mark as the vast narrative crosses different genres and tones, scoring in every one.

An intelligent movie about a simple man.

4. Reality Bites It was funny watching as older critics had adverse reactions to this time-capsule of a movie about love and life in the 13th generation starring the never-better Winona Ryder and Ethan Hawke.

In fact, one Chicago newspaper critic was so disturbed by a perceived attack on his boomer generation that he criticized the film for being another lame satire on Southern California - despite the fact the film was set in Houston.

That aside, "Reality Bites" was touching, funny and memorable and also contained one of the year's best forgotten supporting performances by Janeane Garofalo as Ryder's roommate.

5. Ed Wood Tim Burton finally put it all together in his best film, an unexpectedly affectionate tribute to the uniquely untalented creator of "Plan 9 From Outer Space" and some of the other "worst films of all time. " Johnny Depp's wonderful rapport with Martin Landau's unforgettable and amazing portrait of the old, morphine-addicted Bela Lugosi were the major assets of this funny and touching biography, filmed in glorious black-and-white.

6. The Shawshank Redemption In many ways, this film version of a Stephen King novella was even more fable-like than the monster hit "Forrest Gump. " Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman gave two of their best performances as inmates who develop an unlikely friendship during their mutual incarcerations.

7. Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould The most pleasant surprise to sneak into Oklahoma City in 1994, this unusual Canadian film combined documentary interviews with short re-creations of the life and work of acclaimed pianist Glenn Gould.

This highly unusual biography was the most inspired use of film in quite some time and a definite treat for discriminating moviegoers.

8. Little Women Perhaps the most unexpected gift of all major studio releases this year, Winona Ryder scored again in this fiery, intelligent adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's classic novel.

Ryder's supporting cast, especially Christian Bale as neighbor Laurie and Kirsten Dunst as young Amy, helped make this touching tale one of the year's best.

9. Red Oklahoma City has been deprived of the opportunity to see the amazing and supposedly final works by Polish filmmaker Krzysztof Kieslowski. "Blue," released late last year, is on video. "White" is due for home viewing soon.

"Red," the final work in his three-color trilogy based on the colors and concepts behind the French flag, turned out to be his most amazing work, broaching ideas more than story but never failing to be less than mesmerizing. Reuniting Kieslowski with Irene Jacob, the star of his "The Double Life of Veronique," this film expounded on that film's ideas with much more success. Let's hope this colors local screens soon.

10. Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle If there is anything many of the best films of 1994 have in common, it is their literate nature and none is more so than this witty but haunting tale of Dorothy Parker and her comrades at the Algonquin Round Table in 1920s New York.

Jennifer Jason Leigh gave the year's best lead performance as Parker and received solid support from Campbell Scott as Robert Benchley.

Writer-director Alan Rudolph made a winning companion piece to his 1988 film "The Moderns," this time focusing on the literary members of the Lost Generation who stayed at home during the Prohibition Era. BIOG: NAME:

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