The Alternative Oscars: 1995

Ben Sanderson, a Hollywood screenwriter who lost everything because of his alcoholism, arrives in Las Vegas to drink himself to death. There, he meets and forms an uneasy friendship and non-interference pact with prostitute Sera.

Director: Mike Figgis | Stars: Nicolas Cage, Elisabeth Shue, Julian Sands, Richard Lewis

Votes: 134,722 | Gross: $32.03M

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE: Nicolas Cage, Leaving Las Vegas

other nominees: Anthony Hopkins, Nixon Harvey Keitel, Smoke Vincent Cassel, La Haine Steve Buscemi, Living in Oblivion

3. Before Sunrise (1995)

R | 101 min | Drama, Romance

8.1

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78 Metascore

A young man and woman meet on a train in Europe, and wind up spending one evening together in Vienna. Unfortunately, both know that this will probably be their only night together.

Director: Richard Linklater | Stars: Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy, Andrea Eckert, Hanno Pöschl

Votes: 339,483 | Gross: $5.54M

BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE: Julie Delpy, Before Sunrise

other nominees: Elisabeth Shue, Leaving Las Vegas Sharon Stone, Casino Annette Bening, The American President Nicole Kidman, To Die For

4. 12 Monkeys (1995)

R | 129 min | Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller

8

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75 Metascore

In a future world devastated by disease, a convict is sent back in time to gather information about the man-made virus that wiped out most of the human population on the planet.

Director: Terry Gilliam | Stars: Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe, Brad Pitt, Joseph Melito

Votes: 646,876 | Gross: $57.14M

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE: Brad Pitt, Twelve Monkeys

other nominees: Forest Whitaker, Smoke Gary Farmer, Dead Man Kevin Spacey, The Usual Suspects Peter Dinklage, Living in Oblivion

5. Smoke (1995)

R | 112 min | Comedy, Drama

7.4

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70 Metascore

A Brooklyn smoke shop is the center of neighborhood activity, and the stories of its customers.

Director: Wayne Wang | Stars: Harvey Keitel, William Hurt, Giancarlo Esposito, José Zúñiga

Votes: 38,145 | Gross: $8.35M

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE: Stockard Channing, Smoke

other nominees: Mira Sorvino, Mighty Aphrodite Catherine Keener, Living in Oblivion Rhea Perlman, Canadian Bacon Rene Russo, Get Shorty

6. La haine (1995)

Not Rated | 98 min | Crime, Drama

8.1

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24 hours in the lives of three young men in the French suburbs the day after a violent riot.

Director: Mathieu Kassovitz | Stars: Vincent Cassel, Hubert Koundé, Saïd Taghmaoui, Abdel Ahmed Ghili

Votes: 196,575 | Gross: $0.31M

BEST DIRECTOR: Mathieu Kassovitz, La Haine

other nominees: Terry Gilliam, Twelve Monkeys Tom DiCillo, Living in Oblivion Jim Jarmusch, Dead Man Martin Scorsese, Casino

7. Living in Oblivion (1995)

R | 90 min | Comedy, Drama

7.5

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81 Metascore

This ultimate tribute to all independent filmmakers takes place during one day on the set of a non-budget movie.

Director: Tom DiCillo | Stars: Steve Buscemi, Catherine Keener, Dermot Mulroney, Danielle von Zerneck

Votes: 20,167 | Gross: $1.15M

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Living in Oblivion

other nominees: Mighy Aphrodite Smoke Before Sunrise The Usual Suspects

8. Get Shorty (1995)

R | 105 min | Comedy, Crime, Thriller

6.9

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81 Metascore

A mobster travels to Hollywood to collect a debt, and discovers that the movie business is much the same as his current job.

Director: Barry Sonnenfeld | Stars: Gene Hackman, Rene Russo, Danny DeVito, John Travolta

Votes: 89,157 | Gross: $72.08M

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Get Shorty

other nominees: Twelve Monkeys Casino Leaving Las Vegas Apollo 13

9. Smoke (1995)

R | 112 min | Comedy, Drama

7.4

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70 Metascore

A Brooklyn smoke shop is the center of neighborhood activity, and the stories of its customers.

Director: Wayne Wang | Stars: Harvey Keitel, William Hurt, Giancarlo Esposito, José Zúñiga

Votes: 38,145 | Gross: $8.35M

BEST CASTING: Smoke

other nominees: Casino Get Shorty The American President Dead Man

10. Dead Man (1995)

R | 121 min | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy

7.5

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62 Metascore

On the run after murdering a man, accountant William Blake encounters a strange Native American man named Nobody who prepares him for his journey into the spiritual world.

Director: Jim Jarmusch | Stars: Johnny Depp, Gary Farmer, Crispin Glover, Lance Henriksen

Votes: 103,111 | Gross: $1.04M

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Dead Man

other nominees: La Haine Casino La cité des enfants perdus Se7en

11. Casino (1995)

R | 178 min | Crime, Drama

8.2

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73 Metascore

In Las Vegas, two best friends - a casino executive and a mafia enforcer - compete for a gambling empire and a fast-living, fast-loving socialite.

Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone, Joe Pesci, James Woods

Votes: 564,236 | Gross: $42.44M

BEST FILM EDITING: Casino

other nominees: La Haine Smoke Heat The Usual Suspects

12. The City of Lost Children (1995)

R | 112 min | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy

7.5

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73 Metascore

A scientist in a surrealist society kidnaps children to steal their dreams, hoping that they slow his aging process.

Directors: Marc Caro, Jean-Pierre Jeunet | Stars: Ron Perlman, Daniel Emilfork, Judith Vittet, Dominique Pinon

Votes: 71,684 | Gross: $1.51M

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN: La cité des enfants perdus

other nominees: Dead Man Twelve Monkeys Mighty Aphrodite Jumanji

13. Apollo 13 (I) (1995)

PG | 140 min | Adventure, Drama, History

7.7

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78 Metascore

NASA must devise a strategy to return Apollo 13 to Earth safely after the spacecraft undergoes massive internal damage putting the lives of the three astronauts on board in jeopardy.

Director: Ron Howard | Stars: Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, Kevin Bacon, Gary Sinise

Votes: 315,720 | Gross: $173.84M

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS: Apollo 13

other nominees: Jumanji La cité des enfants perdus Twelve Monkeys Species

14. The City of Lost Children (1995)

R | 112 min | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy

7.5

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73 Metascore

A scientist in a surrealist society kidnaps children to steal their dreams, hoping that they slow his aging process.

Directors: Marc Caro, Jean-Pierre Jeunet | Stars: Ron Perlman, Daniel Emilfork, Judith Vittet, Dominique Pinon

Votes: 71,684 | Gross: $1.51M

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: La cité des enfants perdus/The City of Lost Children (France)

other nominees: La Haine/Hate (France) Fermo posta Tinto Brass/P.O. Tinto Brass (Italy)