What could be more Seattle than a much more deliberative version of the Academy Awards, an awards ceremony that takes 20 years to decide on the best course of action? Thus, we are home to the 20/20 Awards, which this year looked back to the 1992 Academy Awards slate, with an eye toward redressing any critical wrongs.
Almost 100 film professionals are members of the voting syndicate, which includes screenwriters Stewart Stern (Rebel Without a Cause) and Dirk Blackman (Underworld: Rise of the Lycans), and directors Craig Johnson (True Adolescents) and Daniel Gildark (Cthulu), to name a few.
Last year, Scorsese’s Goodfellas wrested its Best Picture Felix from Dances With Wolves, and when the news broke, as 20/20 President Kris Kristensen is delighted to recount, Scorsese’s people made arrangements for his award to be collected, prompting the fledgling ceremony to in fact create a physical award.
This year, in contrast, Jonathan Demme’s Silence of the Lambs demonstrated more lasting appeal, making off with five “Odd Couples,” which is what the 20/20 people call the combination of an Oscar and a Felix. As in ’92, it won for best film, director, actor, actress, and adapted screenplay.
But where in ’92 Jack Palance (City Slickers) and Mercedes Ruehl (The Fisher King) went home with statuettes for their supporting work, at the 20/20 Awards, Geena Davis won for her work in Thelma & Louise, and John Goodman for Barton Fink. Delicatessen won for best foreign film, Hearts of Darkness for documentary, and The Commitments for best score. Raise the Red Lantern scooped up cinematography, while Barton Fink collected another nod for art direction.
Present to accept their Felixes in person were director Fax Bahr (Hearts of Darkness) and Warren Franklin, (best visuals FX for Terminator 2). Producer Ed Saxton, by video, accepted the Felix for best picture.
Here is the complete list of 20/20 Award winners:
(*) denotes an Oscar winner
BEST PICTURE – THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS*
BEST DIRECTOR – Jonathan Demme – THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS*
BEST ACTOR – Anthony Hopkins – THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS*
BEST ACTRESS – Jodie Foster – THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS*
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR – John Goodman – BARTON FINK
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS – Geena Davis – THELMA & LOUISE
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY – Callie Khouri – THELMA & LOUISE*
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY – Ted Tally – THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS*
BEST FOREIGN FILM – DELICATESSEN
BEST DOCUMENTARY – HEARTS OF DARKNESS: A FILMMAKER’S APOCALYPSE
BEST SCORE – Wilson Pickett – THE COMMITMENTS
BEST SONG – Until The End Of The World – UNTIL THE END OF THE WORLD
BEST EDITING – Conrad Buff, Mark Goldblatt, Richard A. Harris – TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – Lun Yang – RAISE THE RED LANTERN
BEST ART DIRECTION – Dennis Gassner – BARTON FINK
BEST COSTUME – Valerie Pozzo di Borgo – DELICATESSEN
BEST MAKEUP – THE ADDAMS FAMILY
BEST VISUAL FX – TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY*
BEST SOUND DESIGN – TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY*
