Since Rain Man took home the 1988 Oscar for Best Picture (as well as Best Director, Actor and Original Screenplay), there has never been another winner quite like it. A hot-headed Los Angeles hustler (Tom Cruise) and the autistic older brother (Dustin Hoffman) he didn’t know he had drive across the country in a 1949 Buick convertible and come to understand, accept and love each other. That’s pretty much it, anchored by an iconic performance from Hoffman ("Gotta watch Judge Wapner…I’m an excellent driver") that has grown larger in the culture than the film itself. Even though Rain Main was the highest grossing film of that year, scanning the list of the other Best Picture nominees — The Accidental Tourist, Dangerous Liaisons, Mississippi Burning, and Working Girl — I’m personally struck that 20 years later, the Academy could easily have voted any of them for the top prize over this relatively simple and straightforward story of sibling redemption.
That’s just what we’re asking Hollywood to do, in fact, in our Recall the Gold survey of the major Oscars categories from 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 years ago, and now, PopWatchers, we’re asking you to weigh in too. The Accidental Tourist won acclaim for its finely modulated, seriocomic portrait of the private anguish of a tour guide author (William Hurt) after his son’s untimely death. Geena Davis won a surprise Oscar for her supporting performance as the wacky dog trainer who melts Hurt’s heart, but the film also may have come off as too small and ponderous for some voters. Dangerous Liaisons ran no risk of seeming small, with its grandly melodramatic tale of sexual deceit in pre-Revolutionary France. But director Stephen Frears wasn’t nominated, and no film had won Best Picture without a best director nomination since 1932’s Grand Hotel. (Incidentially, that record would be broken just a year later when Driving Miss Daisy won Best Picture.) Mississippi Burning, one of the few Hollywood films to depict the civil rights struggles of the 1960s, came under intense scrutiny for fudging some of the facts of the real life murder investigation it depicted. And although Working Girl is pretty much a gem of modern workplace romantic comedy, romantic comedies almost never win Best Picture.
So, PopWatchers, is Rain Main still definitely, definitely the big winner in your eyes? Or is another film a better Best Picture? Vote in our poll below; if you need a reminder of each film, check out clips from each film after the jump (although some of the language is NSFW). While you’re at it, if you haven’t already, vote in all the other polls from our ongoing walk down Oscar’s memory lane. On Thursday, Dec. 18, we’ll take a look at the 2003 Best Actress race, and you can check out coverage of this year’s awards contenders in Dave Karger’s Oscar Watch blog.
The Accidental Tourist
Dangerous Liaisons
Mississippi Burning
Rain Man (language NSFW)
Working Girl
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Check out Dave Karger’s Oscar Watch blog!
Vote in our entire series of ‘Recall the Gold’ polls
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Comments (1-30) of 42 Add your comment
Wow—you even need to ask that question? None of the other 4 movies even came close, though great on their own. This is the best acting that Hoffman/Cruise have ever done. The story is also very touching. One of my 5 most favorite films of all time.
Do you seriously need to ask this question??? “Rain Man” is a gem of the movie and, except for “Working Girl” is the only one of the five to resonate with viewers 20 years later. “Rain Man” was one of the top movies of the 80’s with two great performances by Cruise (when he was a great actor) and especially Hoffman in one of his greatest performances. I love “Rain Man” and it’s simple message of the importance of family. None of the other four movies even come close.
I think Working Girl is sharp movie, full of great performances from ALL involved. It is rare for a romantic comedy to deliver such high quality and the Academy wouldn’t have looked bad rewarding a fine film such as this. However, Rain Man is also a very good film with great performances by its performers. It would be hard to “take” its award away.
This race has always left me scratching my head. Come on, Rainman as Best Picture. This film has one great quality, Dustin Hoffman’s performance and that’s it. Dangerous Liaisons on the other hand, still retains it’s bit after 20 years and still houses the greatest performance by Glenn Close. Dangerous Liaisons was far and away the Best Picture of 1988.
Show me a more formulaic route to winning an Oscar than a hackneyed assault on the mentally challenged, and I’ll show you some frosted s**t. Honestly, folks, in a span of no less than 5 years, we were treated to this debacle, “My Left Foot” (the most offensive of the lot, in my humble opinion), and that “Gump” fellow; all three of these took home trophies for offensively vindictive portrayals from their lead actors. “Does Tom Hanks hate retards?” one might surmise. A query which I am inclined to answer in the affirmative. These men are hate mongers, and I quite honestly can’t tell whether or not Cruise’s entire career has been one long, sick, drawn out joke about being mentally challenged. Just observe the trailer for “Valkyrie,” and you’ll understand my position here. If so, give this pint-sized buffoon a lifetime achievement award and forget that “Rain Man” ever existed. Speaking of head-crippled fools, a Malkovich movie was nominated in 1988. He is the George Wallace of the retarded
Dangerous Liasons, hands down. That film looks as fresh today as it did back then. I don’t recall who won the Oscar, but I remember thinking it could’ve been Glenn Close’s year. Love Barry Levinson, but “Avalon” and many other of his films were more deserving.
Working Girl was a good movie, but to sit throught the movie listening to Melanie Griffith’s voice was painful. The baby-voice is disgusting after a while.
Rain Man is one of the all-time worst Best Picture winners. The movie’s as simple-minded as its annoying title character. I’d take any of the other nominees over it, but I guess I’ll vote for Dangerous Liaisons, a period piece with real bite to it.
Jodie Foster won for The Accused.
Working girl. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!! The Academey Awards are just what the majority of group of drug addled wrinkled botoxed Cali folks thought up. Their choice doesn’t make one better than the other. How and what can you compare. My barometer. Did I enjoy it? I thought Beautiful Mind was a diaper full of hot shrimp tuurds!
Dangerous Liasons? John Malcovich as an object of female desire? hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhaahahahahahahahahahpeehahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahhahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahhahahahahhahahahahah
The best movie of 1988 wasn’t even nominated…Bull Durham
Dangerous Liasions was the movie. I love it. Almost as much as I love Clue.
The Best Picture of 1988 was a movie that was, not only a relentlessly entertaining and well-crafted hit at the time (and holds up remarkably well to this day), but incredibly influential, leading to dozens and dozens of ripoff.
The Best Picture of 1988 was…”Die Hard.” (I am not even kidding.)
I’m kind of surprised that Adam was surprised at the ‘Rain Man’ win, given that it had OSCAR stamped all over its forehead. It was a good movie, but ‘Dangerous Liaisons’ and even ‘Working Girl’ were better films. And if ‘Bull Durham’ was eligible that year, it’s a travesty it wasn’t nominated. Maybe the voters had fungus in their shower shoes.
Die Hard was the film to beat. As much as I love Working Girl, Melanie’s voice was a bit annoying.
I agree. A Beautiful Mind reminded me of the Emporers Clothes. What a load of nothing. And boring too! What, he imagined it. Like I see dead people. Wow. Give it an academy award.
I loved Rain Man; it still resonates with me 20 years later. For all the negativity directed at Tom Cruise these days, all you have to do is watch this movie to see that, yes, the man can really act. His role was as important as Dustin Hoffman’s in the flick. ‘Five minutes to Wapner’ yall….
Die Hard the best movie of 1988????Nah. Good movie, but it’s still your quintessential ‘popcorn flick.’ I can watch it anytime, but if you want an action movie for your best movie, how about Aliens from 1986????Now THAT was an Oscar winner….
I loved Rain Man…when it came out, and I was 10. I would have to give the revisionist Oscar to Dangerous Liaisons – amazing performances, great script, excellent costumes, Keanu Reeves… OK, not so much with the Keanu Reeves. But everything else holds up.
Another vote for Die Hard. Much more enjoyable movie than Rain Man. Good grief, everytime I see that Rain Man is on TV I cringe. Die Hard on the other hand…who can turn away from the action at Nakatomi Plaza?
I have always been partial to Dangerous Liasons and I also agree with someone who wrote earlier that it was Glenn Close’s best performance… who beat her that year anyway??? Also, Bull Durham really IS an excellent movie. And in response to Ben’s love for Clue… I F***IN LOOOOOVE CLUE!!!!!
Accidental Tourist was fantastic with Geena Davis who won an Oscar!
I will have to nominated “Aliens” as the best action film ever made. period.
Ok. Aliens wins.
My immediate thought was that 1988 was a pretty lousy year; all 5 movies are decent (didn’t see Miss Burning) but not typical Best Picture caliber. Rain Man in particular is one of those movies that doesn’t seem to hold up on repeated viewings. Maybe Ceballos is right w/ Die Hard.
Not to get TOO sidetracked, but I’m DEFINITELY down with JoeC’s suggestion that “Aliens” was “Best Picture”-worthy when it came out.
However, since we’re talking about this particular year, I have to stick with my “Die Hard” love. I also like the idea of throwing “Bull Durham” in the mix. I agree with Al Fredo that this wasn’t really the strongest crop of Best Picture nominees, so it would’ve been nice to see a longshot like “Die Hard” or “Bull Durham” get in.
Still, I totally agree that “Aliens” and “Die Hard” are as good as it gets when it comes to action movies.
If Dangerous Liaisons had had the guts to go with the actors who originated the roles on stage, then maybe it would have been Oscar worthy. But who in the world thinks John Malkovich (though hugely talented) is a better evil/sexy seducer than Alan Rickman??? And Glenn Close was way too old for her part. Folks I knew who saw the movie without knowing the book or play thought she was a sad older-woman character, which is not at all what she was supposed to be. Valmont doesn’t fall for the Pfeiffer character because she’s younger, but because she’s more virtuous…tearing Merteuil’s world-view to shreds…
What the Best Picture nominee should have been.
The Accidental Tourist
Bull Durham
Dangerous Liaisons
Running on Empty
Working Girl
1988 Oscar Best Picture nominees were mediocre at best but “Rain Man” brought “the
sunshine” to the category and deserved to take home the Oscar that year for Best Picture. My favorite Barry Levinson film
is “Avalon” so I was happy Mr. Levinson won
in 1988 for Best Director. Dustin Hoffman
is a terrific actor since his screen debut in “The Graduate.” But Tom Cruise deserved to be nominated in Best Actor cat. as well that year. This is (in my opinion) Mr. Cruise’s 2nd best acting role…the best, of course, is “Born On The Fourth Of July.” I long for Cruise to return to some “meaty” roles. But I won’t see them only because I have boycotted Tom Cruise movies since the interview he did with Matt Lauer.