New York Film Critics Name ‘Fargo’ Best of 1996

NEW YORK —  The venerable yet unpredictable New York Film Critics Circle went its own way Thursday, selecting “Fargo,” the Coen brothers’ offbeat black comedy, as best film of 1996. Geoffrey Rush, who plays the shattered pianist David Helfgott in Scott Hicks’ “Shine,” was selected best actor. Emily Watson, the star of Danish director Lars von Trier’s “Breaking the Waves,” was chosen best actress, while Von Trier was chosen best director.

It was a good day for independent movie companies, not such a good one for the major studios. With the exception of Albert Brooks and Monica Johnson, who won the prize for best screenplay (for the not-yet-released Paramount film “Mother”), and Courtney Love, best supporting actress for Columbia’s upcoming “The People vs. Larry Flynt,” all the honorees are affiliated with independent or subsidiary distributors.

The big winners were October Films, which distributed “Breaking the Waves” and also picked up the best foreign film prize for Iranian director Jafar Panahi’s “The White Balloon”; and Gramercy Pictures, whose “When We Were Kings”--the Muhammad Ali-George Foreman “Rumble in the Jungle” documentary directed by Leon Gast--was chosen best nonfiction film. Gramercy also distributed the Coen brothers’ “Fargo.”

Having made only a couple of films in the last 20 years, Harry Belafonte was cited as best supporting actor for his work in Robert Altman’s “Kansas City” (released by Fine Line Features). Robby Muller’s work on both “Breaking the Waves” and Jim Jarmusch’s “Dead Man” was chosen as best cinematography. Stanley Tucci and Campbell Scott, co-directors of “Big Night,” won for best first feature. An award for distinguished reissue was given to Alfred Hitchcock’s 1958 masterpiece “Vertigo.”

The New York Film Critics Circle, founded in 1935, is the second major critics organization to announce year-end choices. The New York-based National Board of Review voted Monday, selecting “Shine” best film and Frances McDormand (“Fargo”) and Tom Cruise (“Jerry Maguire”) best performers. The Los Angeles Film Critics will vote Saturday.