When you look at the Academy Award-winning films of 1998, you see a list of films that have worn their 10 years well. You may be surprised that these films are turning 10 this year, because they have all stood up well over the past decade. Included here are the Academy Award winning films that are turning 10 in 2008, as well as some of the Oscar nominees from 1998. Use this list for a trip down memory lane, to gear up for the Oscars, or to add to your NetFlix rental list.
Academy Award-Winning Films Turning 10 in 2008
Shakespeare in Love (1998)
Shakespeare in Love rightly swept the Oscars in 1998, at least for us romantics it did. Shakespeare in Love is a lovingly written screenplay which pays as much homage to a turn of phrase as it does to the bard himself. The screenplay was written by Tom Stoppard and Marc Norman.
Shakespeare in Love was also sweeping and encompassing in every costume, in every scene, and in every gesture. It was filled with humor, good cheer and drama. Unlike some winning films of the Academy Award for Best Picture, Shakespeare in Love in not painful to watch. It is quite the opposite. The entire movie is a delight from start to finish. Watching Shakespeare in Love does not feel like a school assignment or a cultural obligation.
Joseph Fiennes was delicious and funny as the frantic Will Shakespeare searching for inspiration so he can pay his debts. Gwyneth Paltrow flawlessly plays the lovely Viola and the who falls in love with Will Shakespeare. In a modern twist her character poses as a male in order to be in the play. In Shakespearean times, men played all the roles, even the female characters. Despite playful turn on history, Shakespeare in Love remains true to its time, and does not bear the stamp of 1988.
The Academy made the right choice because Shakespeare in Love has easily stood the test of the previous 10 years.
At the 1999 Oscars (for 1998 movies), Shakespeare in Love won the following Oscars:
Best Picture
Best Actress in a Leading Role: Gwyneth Paltrow
Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen
Best Art Direction-Set Decoration
Best Costume Design
Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Judi Dench
Best Music, Original Musical or Comedy Score
It was also nominated for the following Oscars: John Madden for Best Director, Geoffrey Rush as Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Make Up, and Best Sound.
Academy Award-Winning Films Turning 10 in 2008:
Saving Private Ryan (1988)
Another Oscar winner turning 10 this year is Saving Private Ryan. Saving Private Ryan won the Steven Spielberg the coveted Oscar Award for Best Director. Saving Private Ryan also won Oscars for Best Cinematography, Best Effects – Sound Effects Editing, Best Film Editing and Best Sound.
Saving Private Ryan was also nominated for Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Actor Nomination for Tom Hanks,
Saving Private Ryan is another film that has been able to hold up in 10 years time. The film is a who’s who of strong male leads including Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Vin Diesel, Edward Burn and Tom Sizemore. It also includes Adam Goldberg, Ted Danson, and Giovanni Ribisi (Avatar, 1009).
Saving Private Ryan is a moving human drama which brings the reality of war to a family level. The setting is WWII but the emotional impact is relevant today.
Academy Award-Winning Films Turning 10 in 2008:
Gods and Monsters(1998)
Another Academy Award film turning 10 in 2008 is Gods and Monsters. Gods and Monsters won the Academy Award 10 years ago for
Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium.
Academy Award-Winning Films Turning 10 in 2008:
What Dreams May Come
Interestingly, What Dreams May Come stands opposite Shakespeare in Love on the enjoyment spectrum. This Academy Award winner is also about love, but it’s also about loss, death and suicide. It’s heaviness equals the levity of Shakespeare in Love.
Visually, What Dreams May Come is one of the most stunning films to watch. Emotionally, it is one of the most difficult Academy Award winning films to view.
Some films which were technically made in 1997 received Academy Awards in 1999 for at the Academy Award ceremony for 1998 movies. For that reason, the following films are not mentioned in the heart of the article. You may still enjoy them:
Roberto Benigni won the Best Actor Oscar for Life is Beautiful (1997).
James Coburn won the Best Actor in a Supporting Role Oscar for Affliction (1997).
Sources
IMDB
Oscar.org
