Films of 1988

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Last Updated: 9/15/25
Total Films: 118
Note: The year of each film is according to IMDb. It sometimes changes without my knowledge. When I become aware, I will make adjustments. Like the Oscars, I select the best for each category: picture, actor, actress, supporting actor, supporting actress, director, cinematography, editing, original screenplay, adapted screenplay, and documentary. This is based on the movies I've actually seen, and miniseries and telefilms are fair game. Each winner is named along with the next four ordered runner-ups (which may be less) and honorable mentions (if any). These categories may be left blank if I feel there's no deserving winner. A ranked list of films is presented afterwards.



Best Picture
Dangerous Liaisons

2. Die Hard
3. Rain Man
4. A Cry in the Dark
5. Running on Empty
Honorable Mentions: A Fish Called Wanda and Things Change


Best Actor
John Malkovich (Dangerous Liaisons)

2. Tom Cruise (Rain Man)
3. River Phoenix (Running on Empty)
4. Joe Mantegna (Things Change)
5. Michael Murphy (Tanner '88)
Honorable Mentions: Jeff Bridges (Tucker: The Man and His Dreams), Michael Caine (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels), Keith Carradine (The Moderns), Daniel Day-Lewis (The Unbearable Lightness of Being), Robert De Niro (Midnight Run), Matt Dillon (Kansas), Harrison Ford (Frantic), Tom Hanks (Big), Judd Hirsch (Running on Empty), Tom Hulce (Dominick and Eugene), Edward James Olmos (Stand and Deliver), Sean Penn (Colors), Dennis Quaid (Everybody's All-American), Keanu Reeves (Permanent Record), Mickey Rourke (Homeboy), Forest Whitaker (Bird), Bruce Willis (Die Hard), James Woods (The Boost), and James Woods (Cop)


Best Actress
Jamie Lee Curtis (A Fish Called Wanda)

2. Meryl Streep (A Cry in the Dark)
3. Glenn Close (Dangerous Liaisons)
4. Sigourney Weaver (Gorillas in the Mist)
5. Debra Winger (Betrayed)
Honorable Mentions: Christine Lahti (Running on Empty)


Best Supporting Actor
Alan Rickman (Die Hard)

2. Dustin Hoffman (Rain Man)
3. Kevin Kline (A Fish Called Wanda)
4. Don Ameche (Things Change)
5. Lou Diamond Phillips (Stand and Deliver)
Honorable Mentions: Harry Anderson (Tanner '88), Hart Bochner (Apartment Zero), Richard Bradford (Permanent Record), Kevin Costner (Bull Durham), John Goodman (Everybody's All-American), Charles Grodin (Midnight Run), Martin Landau (Tucker: The Man and His Dreams), John Lone (The Moderns), Richard Masur (License to Drive), Sam Neill (A Cry in the Dark), Michael Palin (A Fish Called Wanda), Wallace Shawn (The Moderns), Reginald VelJohnson (Die Hard), and Christopher Walken (Homeboy)


Best Supporting Actress
Pamela Reed (Tanner '88)

2. Sean Young (The Boost)
3. Lena Olin (The Unbearable Lightness of Being)
4. Martha Plimpton (Running on Empty)
5. Geneviève Bujold (The Moderns)
Honorable Mentions: Juliette Binoche (The Unbearable Lightness of Being) and Emmanuelle Seigner (Frantic)


Best Director
John McTiernan (Die Hard)

2. Stephen Frears (Dangerous Liaisons)
3. Charles Crichton (A Fish Called Wanda)
4. Sidney Lumet (Running on Empty)
5. Alan Rudolph (The Moderns)
Honorable Mentions: Robert Altman (Tanner '88), Francis Ford Coppola (Tucker: The Man and His Dreams), Barry Levinson (Rain Man), David Mamet (Things Change), Fred Schepisi (A Cry in the Dark), and Marisa Silver (Permanent Record)


Best Cinematography
John Seale (Gorillas in the Mist)

2. Philippe Rousselot (Dangerous Liaisons)
3. Sven Nykvist (The Unbearable Lightness of Being)
4. Jan de Bont (Die Hard)
5. Vittorio Storaro (Tucker: The Man and His Dream)
Honorable Mentions: Juan Ruiz Anchía (Things Change), Stephen Goldblatt (Everybody's All-American), Toyomichi Kurita (The Moderns), and Miguel Rodríguez (Apartment Zero)


Best Editing
Arthur Schmidt (Who Framed Roger Rabbit)

2. John F. Link and Frank J. Urioste (Die Hard)
3. Robert Estrin (Colors)
4. Mick Audsley (Dangerous Liaisons)
5. John Jympson (A Fish Called Wanda)
Honorable Mentions: Sam O'Steen (Frantic)


Best Original Screenplay
John Cleese (A Fish Called Wanda)

2. Ron Bass and Barry Morrow (Rain Man)
3. Alan Rudolph and Jon Bradshaw (The Moderns)
4. David Mamet and Shel Silverstein (Things Change)
5. Michael Schiffer (Colors)
Honorable Mentions: Ramón Menéndez and Tom Musca (Stand and Deliver) and Arnold Schulman and David Seidler (Tucker: The Man and His Dream)


Best Adapted Screenplay
Christopher Hampton (Dangerous Liaisons)

2. Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Souza (Die Hard)
3. Thomas Rickman (Everybody's All-American)
4.
5.
Honorable Mentions: None


Films Rated '10'
  1. Dangerous Liaisons

  2. Rain Man

  3. Die Hard

  4. A Cry in the Dark

Films Rated '9'
  1. Running on Empty

  2. A Fish Called Wanda

  3. Things Change

  4. Colors

  5. Frantic

  6. Tucker: The Man and His Dream

  7. The Moderns

  8. Gorillas in the Mist

  9. The Naked Gun

  10. Vice Versa

Films Rated '8'
  1. The Boost

  2. Dominick and Eugene

  3. Masquerade

  4. Everybody's All-American

  5. Cop

  6. Above the Law

  7. Stand and Deliver

  8. Tanner '88

  9. Spoorloos

  10. Permanent Record

  11. Bird

  12. Midnight Run

  13. Coming to America

  14. Eight Men Out

Films Rated '7'
  1. The Unbearable Lightness of Being

  2. Big

  3. Betrayed

  4. Rambo III

  5. The Great Outdoors

  6. License to Drive

  7. Apartment Zero

  8. Mississippi Burning

  9. The Deceivers

  10. Homeboy

  11. Two Moon Junction

  12. The Beast of War

  13. The Seventh Sign

  14. Bat*21

  15. Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers

  16. They Live

  17. Monkey Shines

  18. Kansas

  19. The Accused

Films Rated '6'
  1. Bull Durham

  2. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

  3. Funny Farm

  4. Clinton & Nadine

  5. Gotham

  6. Last Rites

  7. Crocodile Dundee II

  8. Watchers

Films Rated '5'
  1. Bloodsport

  2. Caddyshack II

  3. Stormy Monday

  4. Working Girl

  5. Moving

  6. I'm Gonna Git You Sucka

  7. Midnight Crossing

  8. The Blob

  9. Criminal Law

  10. The Bourne Identity

  11. The Presidio

  12. Dakota

  13. The Chocolate War

  14. Shoot to Kill

  15. The Last Temptation of Christ

  16. Phantasm II

  17. Killer Klowns From Outer Space

Films Rated '4'
  1. Cocktail

  2. Action Jackson

  3. Young Guns

  4. Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers

  5. Clean and Sober

  6. Jack's Back

  7. The Bear

  8. 976-EVIL

  9. Checking Out

  10. Poltergeist III

  11. Waxwork

Films Rated '3'
  1. The Dead Pool

  2. Twins

  3. Jack the Ripper

  4. Tequila Sunrise

  5. Scarecrows

  6. Seven Hours to Judgment

  7. Remando al viento

  8. Wildfire

  9. A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master

  10. Fright Night Part 2

  11. She's Having a Baby

  12. Earth Girls Are Easy

  13. Beaches

  14. The Lair of the White Worm

  15. D.O.A.

  16. Lady in White

  17. Child's Play

  18. Young Einstein

  19. Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood

  20. Little Nikita

  21. Vampire's Kiss

Films Rated '2'
  1. Scrooged

  2. Talk Radio

  3. Heathers

  4. Pumpkinhead

  5. Dead Ringers

  6. Who Framed Roger Rabbit

  7. Switching Channels

  8. Without a Clue

  9. Punchline

  10. Police Academy 5: Assignment: Miami Beach

  11. Hellbound: Hellraiser II

  12. Sunset

Films Rated '1'
  1. The Serpent and the Rainbow

  2. School Daze