Once again, the end of the year is upon us and pretty soon we’ll be inundated with list after list of nominees for every award show imaginable. Forget the Oscars, the Grammys or any of the MTV awards, here’s my list of nominees for 1996, based on my opinion, not any type of charts or polls.
Best Movie: “Independence Day.”
Usually, if a movie receives a lot of hype, I’m sick and tired of it before it even hits the screen, but this film lived up to it’s hype. I went in thinking I’d hate it, but came out loving it. It may not have any Oscar-winning performances or a sophisticated plot, but it was just so entertaining. And any movie that combines the acting abilities of Will Smith, aliens intent on destroying the world and a song by R.E.M. has to be good.
Best Actor: Denzel Washington.
Not only is he the sexiest man of the year according to People, but he can act too. In “Courage Under Fire,” his performance as a military officer investigating a possible medal of honor recipient was heartfelt and moving. Not only is Washington a believable actor, he’s also versatile. With his role in “The Preacher’s Wife,” released later this month, he goes from a military officer to an angel in one year.
Best Actress: Claire Danes.
1996 was the year for this up and coming young actress, who had small parts in numerous movies, such as “To Gillian on her 37th Birthday,” as well as her first staring role opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in “Romeo and Juliet.” In her most recent film, she made Shakespeare’s character of Juliet come to life with more emotion than ever thought possible.
Best Movie Soundtrack: “Romeo and Juliet.”
Who would think Shakespeare could ever contain such hip music? With songs from artists like Garbage, Des’ree, the Butthole Surfers and the Cardigans, the soundtrack provides the perfect music to illustrate the emotional, highly intense plot. And it’s also fun to listen to at home.
Best Album: “Bringing Down the Horse,” the Wallflowers.
I may be the only one, but I can’t get enough of this album. I love Jakob Dylan’s voice and the addition of instruments not usually heard in a roots rock band, like organ, give it a refreshingly new sound. Yet, at the same time, it reminds me of the rock standards like Bruce Springsteen I listened to while growing up.
Best Song: “Long December,” Counting Crows.
Since all of the hits off “August and Everything After” where grossly overplayed, I wasn’t expecting much from any new singles. But so far, the band’s second album, “Recovering the Satellites,” has produced two good singles: “Angels of the Silence,” and most notably, “Long December.” I can’t pinpoint why I love it so much, but it’s definitely a song that keeps running through my head all day.
Best New Group: The Wallflowers.
Though definitely not new, 1996 was the year the band received its first crack at popularity. With the story-telling songwriting of Bob Dylan’s son and other talented musicians to back him up, this band still has room to rise.
Best Concert: Stone Temple Pilots at Irvine Meadows.
The long awaited return of Scott Weiland certainly did not disappoint. Now reportedly clean and sober, Weiland gave a performance I won’t soon forget. Not only did the band play most songs from their newest album, “Tiny Music: Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop,” they also played older favorites such as “Wicked Garden” and “Creep.” Yeah, the concert may have been over hyped, but it was worth it.
Best Television Show: “E.R.”
I didn’t think it was possible, but this program just seems to get better with each season. Nothing else on television keeps me on the edge of my seat or gets me more emotionally involved with the plot than this show. Heck, I even shed a tear when Susan (Sherry Stringfeld) left Dr. Greene (Anthony Edwards) standing on the train platform two weeks ago.
