It has been a few weeks since we last discussed the cinema of the ’90s, and a lot has gotten in the way. We got through the Thanksgiving holiday, then were blasted with a major week of awards, and now the Golden Globes have dropped—it feels like we’ve been thrust straight into Christmas and awards season. On one hand, I don’t want time to fly, but the awards this year aren’t really appealing to me all that much… so if I had the power to hold the Oscars tomorrow just to get it over with, I would! In other news, I think I’ve found my favorite horse in the race, but I still have a couple of films left to see, so until then, I’ll keep you all wondering.
One of my favorite assignments we did for the 2000s decade is one we’re bringing back—and honestly, it might be my all‑time favorite: REWRITE THE OSCARS! This is your chance to right the wrongs of the decade and declare which films and performances YOU would have chosen to win from 1990, the year of Dances with Wolves, to 1999, the year of American Beauty. The only rule: you have to pick from the actual nominees of that year. No replacements! So, let’s get going!
Jerm’s Official Rewrite the Oscars: The ’90s
1990
Picture: Goodfellas
Director: Martin Scorsese, Goodfellas
Actor: Kevin Costner, Dances with Wolves
Actress: Kathy Bates, Misery
Supporting Actor: Joe Pesci, Goodfellas
Supporting Actress: Whoopi Goldberg, Ghost
Original Screenplay: Ghost
Adapted Screenplay: Goodfellas
1991
Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
Director: Jonathan Demme, The Silence of the Lambs
Actor: Anthony Hopkins, The Silence of the Lambs
Actress: Jodie Foster, The Silence of the Lambs
Supporting Actor: Tommy Lee Jones, JFK
Supporting Actress: Jessica Tandy, Fried Green Tomatoes
Original Screenplay: Thelma & Louise
Adapted Screenplay: The Silence of the Lambs
*This is one of those years where they almost got everything right. I only changed the Supporting winners!*
1992
Picture: Unforgiven
Director: Clint Eastwood, Unforgiven
Actor: Clint Eastwood, Unforgiven
Actress: Emma Thompson, Howards End
Supporting Actor: Al Pacino, Glengarry Glen Ross
Supporting Actress: Marisa Tomei, My Cousin Vinny
Original Screenplay: Unforgiven
Adapted Screenplay: Howards End
1993
Picture: Schindler’s List
Director: Steven Spielberg, Schindler’s List
Actor: Liam Neeson, Schindler’s List
Actress: Holly Hunter, The Piano
Supporting Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape
Supporting Actress: Winona Ryder, The Age of Innocence
Original Screenplay: Sleepless in Seattle
Adapted Screenplay: The Age of Innocence
1994
Picture: Forrest Gump
Director: Robert Zemeckis, Forrest Gump
Actor: Morgan Freeman, The Shawshank Redemption
Actress: Susan Sarandon, The Client
Supporting Actor: Samuel L. Jackson, Pulp Fiction
Supporting Actress: Dianne Wiest, Bullets Over Broadway
Original Screenplay: Pulp Fiction
Adapted Screenplay: The Shawshank Redemption
1995
Picture: Sense and Sensibility
Director: Chris Noonan, Babe
Actor: Richard Dreyfuss, Mr. Holland’s Opus
Actress: Meryl Streep, The Bridges of Madison County
Supporting Actor: Kevin Spacey, The Usual Suspects
Supporting Actress: Kate Winslet, Sense and Sensibility
Original Screenplay: Toy Story
Adapted Screenplay: Sense and Sensibility
1996
Picture: Fargo
Director: Joel Coen, Fargo
Actor: Geoffrey Rush, Shine
Actress: Frances McDormand, Fargo
Supporting Actor: William H. Macy, Fargo
Supporting Actress: Lauren Bacall, The Mirror Has Two Faces
Original Screenplay: Fargo
Adapted Screenplay: The Crucible
1997
Picture: Titanic
Director: James Cameron, Titanic
Actor: Jack Nicholson, As Good as It Gets
Actress: Judi Dench, Mrs. Brown
Supporting Actor: Robin Williams, Good Will Hunting
Supporting Actress: Joan Cusack, In & Out
Original Screenplay: Good Will Hunting
Adapted Screenplay: L.A. Confidential
1998
Picture: Shakespeare in Love
Director: John Madden, Shakespeare in Love
Actor: Roberto Benigni, Life Is Beautiful
Actress: Gwyneth Paltrow, Shakespeare in Love
Supporting Actor: Ed Harris, The Truman Show
Supporting Actress: Judi Dench, Shakespeare in Love
Original Screenplay: The Truman Show
Adapted Screenplay: The Thin Red Line
1999
Picture: American Beauty
Director: Sam Mendes, American Beauty
Actor: Kevin Spacey, American Beauty
Actress: Annette Bening, American Beauty
Supporting Actor: Michael Clarke Duncan, The Green Mile
Supporting Actress: Angelina Jolie, Girl, Interrupted
Original Screenplay: American Beauty
Adapted Screenplay: The Green Mile
It’s now your turn, my friends! Rewrite the Oscars the way you feel they should have gone. As always, be kind, be respectful, and of course… Let’s Talk Cinema!
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By: Jeremy Jentzen
Title: Let’s Talk Cinema: The ’90s are back!
Sourced From: www.awardsdaily.com/2025/12/10/lets-talk-cinema-the-90s-are-back/
Published Date: Wed, 10 Dec 2025 05:09:08 +0000
