ARTS

Earlier this month, the Orlando Film Critics Circle got together to select the best movies of 1995.

As movie-centric circles go, this is a very exclusive group. Very, very exclusive.

In fact, it’s just me.

But what the organization lacks in numbers it more than makes up for in efficiency. It took no time at all to call the roll, read the minutes of the last meeting, tally the votes, declare the winners and adjourn for cappuccino and gossip.

Literally, no time at all.

For this year’s competition, I considered a movie eligible if it opened here in Central Florida during 1995. By category, then, the winners are:

Gangster picture: Get Shorty. Should this John Travolta film be considered a gangster picture, a comedy, an action movie, a literary adaptation or even a thriller? Whatever, it’s surely among the year’s best.

Docudrama: Apollo 13. Two-time Oscar winner Tom Hanks gives a low-key performance as astronaut Jim Lovell in this gripping, fact-based space adventure.

Comedy: Mighty Aphrodite, Clueless and To Die For score a three-way tie in this highly competitive category. Runners-up: Don Juan DeMarco and Miami Rhapsody.

Kiddie flick: A Little Princess. The best children’s movies aren’t just for kids, and A Little Princess is definitely one of those. So are the runners-up, Toy Story and Babe.

Action movie: Braveheart and Batman Forever. Sharing top honors in this category are Mel Gibson’s heartfelt tale of a Scottish Robin Hood and the third installment of the ongoing saga of Gotham City’s Dark Knight. Runners-up: Beyond Rangoon and Strange Days.

Thriller: Dolores Claiborne. Alluringly dark and powerful, this Stephen King adaptation spins a chilling yarn and features Kathy Bates and Jennifer Jason Leigh as the most dysfunctional mother and daughter since Absolutely Fabulous. Runners-up: Devil in a Blue Dress and The Usual Suspects.

Documentary: Crumb and Hoop Dreams. One tells the story of an underground cartoonist and his weird family; the other is a tale of two high-school hoopsters. The runner-up, Unzipped, concerns a fashion designer.

Film bio: Nixon, Carrington and Cobb. Tying for top honors are powerful films about a disgraced president, a truly odd couple and a monstrous baseball great.

Family drama: Unstrung Heroes. Diane Keaton’s poignant and hilarious coming-of-age story somehow sustains a devastatingly bittersweet mood for its entire length. Runners-up: Safe Passage and The Brothers McMullen, which could also be considered a sort of comedy.

Theatrical or literary adaptation: Vanya on 42nd Street. The final film from director Louis Malle, who died last month, is this superb, modern-dress adaptation of Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya. Runners-up: The Madness of King George and Persuasion.

Western: Wild Bill. Even though there wasn’t much competition in this category this year, this fine and ornery movie, starring Jeff Bridges as Wild Bill Hickok, richly deserves a mention.

Honorary: This category is for movies that I have seen at screenings but which have not yet opened in Central Florida. Look for Leaving Las Vegas, Richard III and Sense and Sensibility in early ’96.