Oscar Score Nominations and Winners: Now Discussing the Year 1967

TPM is far and away the best score. It should have won, no question.

Angela's Ashes, however, is a vastly underrated score and one that I regularly listen to. From the nominated scores, I would have picked that one.

The Talented Mr Ripley seems to be out of place here - it's the pop music that we love about the movie, not the orchestral score. It's a similar case with American Beauty, I think.

 

Nominations for the year 1998

Elizabeth - David Hirschfelder
Life Is Beautiful - Nicola Piovani
Pleasentville - Randy Newman
Saving Private Ryan - John Williams
The Thin Red Line - Hans Zimmer

WINNER: Life Is Beautiful by Nicola Piovani

With the exception of maybe adding Thomas Newman's score from Meet Joe Black, I have no real problem with the nominations themselves. I have seen each of these films and they are all good. I'm surprised Saving Private Ryan didn't win for best score. Not saying it was the best choice by far, just surprised. Nothing this year really floored me in any way. But each nomination was a solid work.

Works that were good, but not good enough include Shakespeare In Love by Stephen Warbeck, Star Trek: Insurrection by Jerry Goldsmith, Stepmom by John Williams, Playing By Heart by John Barry, The Prince of Egypt by Hans Zimmer, Les Miserables by Michel Legrand, Mulan by Jerry Goldsmith, The Truman Show by Burkhard Dallwitz, Armageddon by Trevor Rabin, and The Mask of Zorro by James Horner.

So my nominations might have been...

Life Is Beautiful - Nicola Piovani
Meet Joe Black - Thomas Newman
Pleasentville - Randy Newman
Saving Private Ryan - John Williams
The Thin Red Line - Hans Zimmer

 

I'm not surprised that Saving Private Ryan lost the Oscar. "Hymn to the Fallen" is an amazing cue, but it is the only truly memorable portion of the score and it only appears in the closing credits. I would've nominated Stepmom over it.

Of the other scores you suggested, I think Mask of Zorro, Mulan and Star Trek: Insurrection were all deserving of a nom. Of course, being blockbuster scores, they were completely ignored by the Academy.

 

Don't forget there was also a Best Original Musical or Comedy Score category at the Oscars this year and for some of the years prior to 1998. Warbeck's Shakespeare in Love score won the Oscar in this category and rightfully deserved it.

As for Life is Beautiful winning Best Original Dramatic Score, I think it is a great score, but probably does not have the depth of Williams' Saving Private Ryan. Life is Beautiful had an emotional main theme as did Saving Private Ryan, but it probably came down to Williams' history of 5 awards and Piovani's 0.

 

I've only heard Life is Beautiful in-film, and I don't really remember it.

Mask of Zorro should have at least got a nom. One of Horner's best, IMO. Oh, and Saving Private Ryan is overrated, especially "Hymn to the Fallen". I wouldn't have even nominated it, but it seems like this was a fairly average year.

 

Aaah yes, the Original score for Comedy ended in 1998. These things were so off an on over the years.

Well here are those nominations

A Bug's Life - Randy Newman
Mulan - Jerry Goldsmith
Patch Adams - Marc Shaiman
The Prince of Egypt - Hans Zimmer
Shakespeare In Love - Stephen Warbeck

WINNER: Shakespeare In Love by Stephen Warbeck

I might have given this win to Mulan. Disney movies do tend to deliver on the musical side of things and they did a wonderful job with Mulan. But the academy was in love with Shakespeare this year so...

 

It would've been nice to see The Mask of Zorro nominated. It really is a great fun and adventurous score.

 

For the year 1997


Dramatic Score

Amistad - John Williams
Good Will Hunting - Danny Elfman
Kundun - Philip Glass
LA Confidential - Jerry Goldsmith
Titanic - James Horner

WINNER: Titanic by James Horner


Comedic Score

Anastasia - David Newman
As Good As It Gets - Hans Zimmer
The Full Monty - Anne Dudley
Men In Black - Danny Elfman
My Best Friend's Wedding - James Newton Howard

WINNER: The Full Monty by Anne Dudley



The year Titanic swept the Oscars and took home what was it, 12 or 13 awards? It was up there and it included the score for best drama. James Horner did a great job and the oscars picked the right score for the win. It's really the main love theme that carries the score, that's alright. Didn't Horner bring in Celine Dion for the vocals to the end credits song against Cameron's will? That certainly worked out for them.

I think Amistad comes in second on the dramatic scores list. Another movie about a ship but with actual slavery and not figuratively speaking. Williams really nails Africa itself as a paradise of sorts and then hits you with the dark tones of the film.

I guess Goldsmith was trying not to repeat Chinatown with the score to L.A. Confidential. It's a good score and I'm okay with the nod, but I tend to think it's overrated.

Kundun I'm afraid I have never heard.

Good Will Hunting had a score that did well for background music and in key emotional moments I suppose, but did it deserve the nod? Nah.


As for the "comedic" scores, I have seen the Full Monty and I can't remember the score. Anne Dudley is no Rachel Portman that's for sure. Men In Black is a typical action score and frankly doesn't impress me. Anastasia is another film I haven't seen in a long long time and I don't remember the music. My Best Friend's Wedding... all I can remember is them singing at the dinner table and the start of the movie and not the score. As Good As It Gets I watched just the other. Great film but the score is nothing to write home about.


Scores not nominated (for whichever category) include the Peacemaker by Hans Zimmer, Con Air by Mark Mancina, Gattaca by Michael Nyman, The Fifth Element by Eric Serra, Rosewood by John Williams, Seven Years In Tibet by John Williams, The Lost World: Jurassic Park II by John Williams, Starship Troopers by Basil Poledouris, Tomorrow Never Dies by David Arnold, Princess Mononoke by Joe Hisaishi.

Princess Mononoke I wouldn't have mind seeing getting a nod. Starship Troopers perhaps. Seven Years In Tibet is beautiful. Surprised it didn't make it. The Lost World is a good sequel to Jurassic Park in terms of music, but not sure about an oscar nod. Tomorrow Never Dies is yet another great Bond score to add to the list.

 

Amistad is an underrated classic and one of the scores I've listened to the most. But in the year of Titanic, it didn't really stand a chance. I haven't heard any of the other nominated scores, so I can't comment any further.

 

Titanic is a weak score, plain and simple. I enjoyed it back then, but it has not aged well at all and simply rode the wave of the film's success (pun fully intended).

Could the studio not afford a real choir or did Horner actually think the synthesized vocals sounded good? Ugh. There is some decent action music, though, but Horner can write that stuff in his sleep.

L.A. Confidential, Good Will Hunting, and Amistad are all far better efforts.

 

The only score I've heard here is Titanic. It's decent enough, but by no means great.

 

I think Williams wins at exotic sounding music. Far more than Horner trying to sound Irish.

 

1996

Dramatic Score

The English Patient - Gabriel Yared
Hamlet - Patrick Doyle
Michael Collins - Elliot Goldenthal
Shine - David Hirschfelder
Sleepers - John Williams

WINNER: The English Patient by Gabriel Yared


Comedic Score

Emma - Rachel Portman
The First Wives Club - Marc Shaiman
The Hunchback Of Notre Dame - Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz
James and the Giant Peach - Randy Newman
The Preachers's Wife - Hans Zimmer

WINNER: Emma by Rachel Portman


With the Comedic Scores I've seen all the movies, but can't remember the scores to any of them except the Hunchback of Notre Dame because I have it on cd. I guess by 95 though, the academy was tired of seeing Disney win for such scores. But I liked it.


With the dramatic scores the only one I haven't heard is Shine. Hamlet was okay but this isn't my favorite Doyle work for Shakespeare play. Sleepers is far from William's best work and frankly I wouldn't have nominated it. Michael Collins is great though. Really captures the struggle and the emotions. Especially towards the end. The English Patient probably is Yared's best work. So the win was justified.

Other scores not nominated include Broken Arrow by Hans Zimmer, Scream by Marco Beltrami, The Ghost and the Darkness by Jerry Goldsmith, Misssion: Impossible by Danny Elfman, Twister by Mark Mancina, The Phantom by David Newman, The Spitfire Grill by James Horner, and Primal Fear by James Newton Howard. They were good, but I understand the lack of nomination.

One's that could have gotten a nod or were snubbed include...

Star Trek: First Contact by Jerry Goldsmith - I'm sure the Academy was tired of Star Trek scores by then, but the main theme was awesome.

Fargo by Carter Burwell - Simple yet effective. One of the best.

Independence Day by David Arnold - One of the best scores of all time in my opinion. The themes are so bombastic.

Dragonheart by Randy Edelman - An underrated classic.

The Rock by James Newton Howard, Nick Glennie-Smith, and Harry Gregson-Williams - Perhaps overrated, but still very good for the movie.

My nominations might have gone for dramatic score...

Dragonheart - Randy Edelman
The English Patient - Gabriel Yared
Fargo - Carter Burwell
Independence Day - David Arnold
Michael Collins - Elliot Goldenthal

With...I can't decide who would win.

 

Out of the nominees, I'm only familiar with The Hunchback of Notre Dame (an underrated movie with an underrated score). Looking at some of the alternatives, it doesn't look like this was one of the strongest years in film music of the last decade (although I do enjoy parts of The Spitfire Grill and First Contact).

 

Shine is a fantastic score, and the only nomination I'm familiar with here.

I'm very glad that Independance Day didn't get nominated. A more nauseating main theme has yet to be written.

 

Nauseating? Really? Of all the scores to hear that expression, Independence Day? I thought it was adventurous.

 

Heh. It just strikes me as a very "America saves the world" type theme. Or maybe I'm just confusing it with the film as I seem to be doing lately.

 

1996

Dramatic Score

The English Patient - Gabriel Yared
Hamlet - Patrick Doyle
Michael Collins - Elliot Goldenthal
Shine - David Hirschfelder
Sleepers - John Williams

WINNER: The English Patient by Gabriel Yared

They made the right call. I'm actually suprised this soundtrack hasn't gotten more public recognition - IMHO it's one of the greatest scores ever made: haunting, poignant, ethereal - Yared did an amazing job.

 

Moving on to another year.


1995

Dramatic Score

Apollo 13 - James Horner
Braveheart - James Horner
The Postman - Luis Bacalov
Nixon - John Williams
Sense And Sensibility - Patrick Doyle

WINNER: The Postman by Luis Bacalov


Comedic Score

The American President - Marc Shaiman
Pocahontas - Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz
Sabrina - John Williams
Toy Story - Randy Newman
Unstrung Heroes - Thomas Newman

WINNER: Pocahontas by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz


I'll start with the comedic scores. Some great choices. The right score won though this wasn't Alan Menkens best work. His best days were with Howard Ashman. But it still holds strong and in my opinion was one of Disney's last great scores. If Poca didn't win, then I'd give it to The American President. A solid score by Shaiman. I've seen Unstrung Heroes but can't remember the score. Sabrina I suppose is a comedy. Certainly not one of Williams top 25 scores. Though the main theme is soft and beautiful as it should be. Works for the film. From Toy Story all I can remember is the song "you've got a friend in me."


With the dramatic scores it's also hard for me to judge because I've never seen the Postman aka Il Postino and it won for best score. But I've got the sneaking suspicion that it wasn't as good as Braveheart by James Horner. One of Horners all time best and most dramatic. Apollo 13 is also good too though not in my top 10 best Horner scores. Nixon is one of those underrated Williams scores and perhaps underrated by myself as I don't really like it all that much, nor hate it. Didn't care for the movie though. Sense and Sensibility is a decent movie and the score by Doyle improves it much. But not Doyles best work that year.

Scores that weren't nominated for dramatic or comedic score include Mr. Holland's Opus by Michael Kamen, The Quick and the Dead by Alan Silvestri, A Pyromaniac's Love Story by Rachel Portman, Casper by James Horner, the Usual Suspects by John Ottman, Beyond Rangoon by Hans Zimmer, The Englishman Who Went Up A Hill And Came Down A Mountain by Stephen Endelman, To Die For by Danny Elfman, Waterworld by James Newton Howard, Dead Presidents by Danny Elfman, Congo by Jerry Goldsmith, and Dalores Claiborne by Danny Elfman.

Scores that were snubbed in my opinion include...

Cutthroat Island by John Debney - I guess it was snubbed because the movie sucked. Which is a shame because many a great scores meet this same fate and their one chance for glory comes during award season only to be shut out.

First Knight by Jerry Goldsmith - Another one that I'm sure was snubbed because the movie wasn't up to critics taste. But that battle music was so good.

A Little Princess by Patrick Doyle - Far better than Doyle's score for Sense and Sensibility. But I guess for S&S, because the movie was good, the score itself was elevated. But it's not like A Little Princess was a bad film in itself. Shame on those nominators.

Batman Forever by Elliot Goldenthal - I think this score is underrated. It was a different take on Batman and it worked. It's adventurous, playful, spooky, and a real trip. One of Goldenthal's best.

Restoration by James Newton Howard - One of the best period pieces I've ever heard.

Crimson Tide by Hans Zimmer - This was a total snub. One of Zimmer's all time best scores. Better than Nixon, Sense and Sensibility, and Apollo 13. This is one of those years that has me baffled as to what they were thinking.

 

I watched Pocahontas the other day and the score holds up extremely well. Especially that heavenly final cue. A deserving win.

On the drama side, I haven't heard anything from The Postman, so I can't comment. But Braveheart is perhaps Horner's best and Apollo 13 isn't far behind. I think the situation in 1995 was the same as this year with JW's double nominations: Horner split the vote.

Nixon has that amazing cue "1960s: The Turbulent Years", but I haven't heard anything else from the score.

 

'95 was Horner's last great year. Both scores deserved their nominations.

 

I have not heard *any* of these scores.

 

Not even Braveheart?

 

In film, yes. Out of film, no.

 

Now on to 1994. This year it was just original score.

Forrest Gump - Alan Silvestri
Interview With The Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles - Elliot Goldenthal
The Lion King - Hans Zimmer
Little Women - Thomas Newman
The Shawshank Redemption - Thomas Newman

WINNER: The Lion King by Hans Zimmer.

Thoughts: Good choice for the winner. The tracks on the soundtrack entitled "this land" and "to die for" are especially good. One of Zimmer's best works.

Forrest Gump would have been my second choice for the win. The main theme, the running theme are all great. Perhaps Alan Silvestri's best.

Interview With A Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles by Elliot Goldenthal was great too. He really does horror well. My favorite music comes when they're kidnapped by the Theater of Vampires.

The Shawshank Redemption is one of Thomas Newman's best too. But his score for Little Women, shouldn't have been nominated.

Overall it was a great year for music.

Scores that weren't nominated though include Wyatt Earp by James Newton Howard, Star Trek: Generations by Dennis McCarthy, The Road to Wellville by Rachel Portman, Guarding Tess by Michael Convertino, Jumanji by James Horner, Iron Will by Joel McNeely, Speed by Mark Mancina, Legends of the Fall by James Horner, Maverick by Randy Newman, and the Crow by Graeme Revell.


Two that I wouldn't have minded nominations for include Ed Wood by Howard Shore and Stargate by David Arnold. Stargate is Arnolds best work in my opinion and Ed Wood is underrated.