Films of 1996

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Last Updated: 5/19/25
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). 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
The Crucible

2. Sling Blade
3. Mission: Impossible
4. Twister
5. Moll Flanders
Honorable Mentions: Executive Decision, It's My Party, Shine, Andersonville, and The Ghost and the Darkness


Best Actor
Billy Bob Thornton (Sling Blade)

2. Geoffrey Rush and Noah Taylor (Shine)
3. Al Pacino (City Hall)
4. Kevin Costner (Tin Cup)
5. Eric Roberts (It's My Party)
Honorable Mentions: Alec Baldwin (Ghosts of Mississippi), Chris Cooper (Lone Star), Tom Cruise (Jerry Maguire), Tom Cruise (Mission: Impossible), Daniel Day-Lewis (The Crucible), Val Kilmer (The Ghost and the Darkness), and Delroy Lindo (Soul of the Game)


Best Actress
Lili Taylor (I Shot Andy Warhol)

2. Ashley Judd and Mira Sorvino (Norma Jean and Marilyn)
3. Robin Wright (Moll Flanders)
4. Renee Zellweger (Jerry Maguire)
5.
Honorable Mentions: None


Best Supporting Actor
Armin Mueller-Stahl (Shine)

2. Vince Vaughn (Swingers)
3. Philip Seymour Hoffman (Twister)
4. Michael Caine (Blood and Wine)
5. Paul Scofield (The Crucible)
Honorable Mentions: Lucas Black (Sling Blade), Morgan Freeman (Moll Flanders), John Gielgud (Shine), Cuba Gooding, Jr. (Jerry Maguire), John Lynch (Moll Flanders), Joe Pantoliano (Bound), and James Woods (Ghosts of Mississippi)


Best Supporting Actress
Winona Ryder (The Crucible)

2. Courtney Love (The People vs. Larry Flynt)
3. Elizabeth Peña (Lone Star)
4. Stockard Channing (Moll Flanders)
5. Vanessa Redgrave (Mission: Impossible)
Honorable Mentions: Joan Allen (The Crucible) and Fairuza Balk (The Craft)


Best Director
Billy Bob Thornton (Sling Blade)

2. Nicholas Hynter (The Crucible)
3. John Sayles (Lone Star)
4. Jan de Bont (Twister)
5. Stephen Hopkins (The Ghost and the Darkness)
Honorable Mentions: Stuart Baird (Executive Decision), Pen Densham (Moll Flanders), Scott Hicks (Shine), Randal Kleiser (It's My Party), and Brian De Palma (Mission: Impossible)


Best Cinematography
Jack N. Green (Twister)

2. David Tattersall (Moll Flanders)
3. Andrew Dunn (The Crucible)
4. Stuart Dryburgh (The Portrait of a Lady)
5. Stephen H. Burum (Mission: Impossible)
Honorable Mentions: None


Best Editing
Michael Kahn (Twister)

2. Stuart Baird, Derek Brechin, Dallas Puett, Kevin Stitt, and Frank J. Urioste (Executive Decision)
3. Paul Hirsch (Mission: Impossible)
4. Roger Bondelli, Robert Brown, and Steve Mirkovich (The Ghost and the Darkness)
5. John Sayles (Lone Star)
Honorable Mentions: Peter Amundson (Daylight), David Bretherton and Robert C. Jones (City Hall), and Peter Greenaway and Chris Wyatt (The Pillow Book)


Best Original Screenplay
John Sayles (Lone Star)

2. Randal Kleiser (It's My Party)
3. William Goldman (The Ghost and the Darkness)
4. Ken Lipper, Paul Schrader, Nicholas Pileggi, and Bo Goldman (City Hall)
5. Jon Favreau (Swingers)
Honorable Mentions: None


Best Adapted Screenplay
Billy Bob Thornton (Sling Blade)

2. Arthur Miller (The Crucible)
3. Pen Densham (Moll Flanders)
4. David Koepp and Robert Towne (Mission: Impossible)
5. Diana Gould (Indecent Seduction)
Honorable Mentions: None


Best Documentary
When We Were Kings

2. The Battle Over Citizen Kane
3.
4.
5.
Honorable Mentions: None


Films Rated '10'
  1. The Crucible

  2. Sling Blade

  3. Mission: Impossible

Films Rated '9'
  1. Twister

  2. Moll Flanders

  3. Executive Decision

  4. It's My Party

  5. Shine

  6. Andersonville

  7. The Ghost and the Darkness

  8. Soul of the Game

Films Rated '8'
  1. Lone Star

  2. Night Falls on Manhattan

  3. Daylight

  4. Victory

  5. City Hall

  6. Fear

  7. The People vs. Larry Flynt

  8. Bullet

  9. Norma Jean and Marilyn

  10. Ghosts of Mississippi

  11. Indecent Seduction

Films Rated '7'
  1. Jerry Maguire

  2. Courage Under Fire

  3. The Siege at Ruby Ridge

  4. Escape From L.A.

  5. A Time to Kill

  6. That Thing You Do!

  7. The Craft

  8. Independence Day

  9. Eye for an Eye

  10. Exit in Red

  11. I Shot Andy Warhol

  12. Mother Night

  13. Gotti

  14. The Preacher's Wife

  15. The Truth About Cats and Dogs

Films Rated '6'
  1. 2 Days in the Valley

  2. Broken Arrow

  3. Freeway

  4. Unforgettable

  5. Bound

  6. The Juror

  7. The Phantom

  8. Eraser

  9. Hard Eight

  10. The Great White Hype

  11. Blood and Wine

  12. The Stupids

  13. Tin Cup

  14. The Fan

  15. Freshman Fall

  16. The Evening Star

  17. Evil Has a Face

  18. Kingpin

  19. Happy Gilmore

Films Rated '5'
  1. Extreme Measures

  2. Swingers

  3. Ransom

  4. The Glimmer Man

  5. The Substitute

  6. The Rock

  7. Down Periscope

  8. Full Circle

  9. Heaven's Prisoners

  10. DragonHeart

  11. Sgt. Bilko

Films Rated '4'
  1. Poison Ivy II: Lily

  2. Scream

  3. Last Man Standing

  4. The Spitfire Grill

  5. Primal Fear

  6. The English Patient

  7. The Rich Man's Wife

  8. Up Close & Personal

  9. Mulholland Falls

  10. In Cold Blood

  11. Basquiat

  12. From Dusk Till Dawn

  13. The Arrival

  14. Sunchaser

  15. Trees Lounge

  16. The Dentist

  17. Mars Attacks!

  18. Chain Reaction

  19. Rebound: The Legend of Earl "The Goat" Manigault

Films Rated '3'
  1. Trainspotting

  2. Feeling Minnesota

  3. The Portrait of a Lady

  4. Albino Alligator

  5. Crash

  6. Fargo

  7. Celtic Pride

  8. The Chamber

  9. Mary Reilly

  10. Michael Collins

  11. The Birdcage

  12. Last Dance

Films Rated '2'
  1. Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love

  2. Sleepers

  3. Phenomenon

  4. Striptease

  5. Evita

  6. Bio-Dome

  7. Tremors II: Aftershocks

  8. The Substance of Fire

  9. Black Sheep

  10. Hellraiser: Bloodline

  11. The Pillow Book

  12. Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie

  13. Two If by Sea

  14. Mr. Wrong

  15. Romeo and Juliet

  16. Marvin's Room

Films Rated '1'
  1. The Long Kiss Goodnight

  2. The Island of Dr. Moreau

  3. Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering

  4. American Buffalo