Films of 1988

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Last Updated: 3/5/25
Total Films: 113
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). Any of 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 Fish Called Wanda
5. A Cry in the Dark
Honorable Mentions: Running on Empty


Best Actor
John Malkovich (Dangerous Liaisons)

2. Kevin Kline (A Fish Called Wanda)
3. Tom Cruise (Rain Man)
4. River Phoenix (Running on Empty)
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), Keanu Reeves (Permanent Record), Mickey Rourke (Homeboy), Forest Whitaker (Bird), Bruce Willis (Die Hard), James Woods (The Boost), and James Woods (Cop)


Best Actress
Meryl Streep (A Cry in the Dark)

2. Glenn Close (Dangerous Liaisons)
3. Sigourney Weaver (Gorillas in the Mist)
4. Debra Winger (Betrayed)
5. Christine Lahti (Running on Empty)
Honorable Mentions: None


Best Supporting Actor
Alan Rickman (Die Hard)

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


Best Supporting Actress
Jamie Lee Curtis (A Fish Called Wanda)

2. Pamela Reed (Tanner '88)
3. Sean Young (The Boost)
4. Lena Olin (The Unbearable Lightness of Being)
5. Martha Plimpton (Running on Empty)
Honorable Mentions: Juliette Binoche (The Unbearable Lightness of Being), Geneviève Bujold (The Moderns), 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), 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: 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. Michael Schiffer (Colors)
5. Ramón Menéndez and Tom Musca (Stand and Deliver)
Honorable Mentions: 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.
4.
5.
Honorable Mentions: None


Films Rated '10'
  1. Dangerous Liaisons

  2. Rain Man

  3. Die Hard

  4. A Fish Called Wanda

  5. A Cry in the Dark

Films Rated '9'
  1. Running on Empty

  2. Colors

  3. Frantic

  4. Tucker: The Man and His Dream

  5. The Moderns

  6. Gorillas in the Mist

  7. The Naked Gun

  8. Vice Versa

Films Rated '8'
  1. The Boost

  2. Dominick and Eugene

  3. Masquerade

  4. Cop

  5. Above the Law

  6. Stand and Deliver

  7. Tanner '88

  8. Spoorloos

  9. Permanent Record

  10. Bird

  11. Midnight Run

  12. Coming to America

  13. 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. Everybody's All American

  2. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

  3. Clinton & Nadine

  4. Gotham

  5. Last Rites

  6. Crocodile Dundee II

  7. Watchers

Films Rated '5'
  1. Bloodsport

  2. Stormy Monday

  3. Working Girl

  4. Moving

  5. I'm Gonna Git You Sucka

  6. Midnight Crossing

  7. The Blob

  8. Criminal Law

  9. The Bourne Identity

  10. The Presidio

  11. Dakota

  12. The Chocolate War

  13. Shoot to Kill

  14. The Last Temptation of Christ

  15. Phantasm II

  16. 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. 976-EVIL

  8. Checking Out

  9. Poltergeist III

  10. Waxwork

Films Rated '3'
  1. The Dead Pool

  2. Twins

  3. Scarecrows

  4. Seven Hours to Judgment

  5. Remando al viento

  6. Wildfire

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

  8. Fright Night Part 2

  9. She's Having a Baby

  10. Earth Girls Are Easy

  11. Beaches

  12. The Lair of the White Worm

  13. D.O.A.

  14. Lady in White

  15. Child's Play

  16. Funny Farm

  17. Young Einstein

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

  19. Little Nikita

  20. Vampire's Kiss

Films Rated '2'
  1. Scrooged

  2. Talk Radio

  3. Heathers

  4. Pumpkinhead

  5. Dead Ringers

  6. Tequila Sunrise

  7. Bull Durham

  8. Who Framed Roger Rabbit

  9. Caddyshack II

  10. Without a Clue

  11. Punchline

  12. Police Academy 5: Assignment: Miami Beach

  13. Hellbound: Hellraiser II

  14. Sunset

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