ReasonForOurHope

Sunday, April 18, 2021

Sunday Best: What Should Have Won The Best Picture Oscar

 With the Oscars next week, it had me thinking about the awards and how they often fail to recognize what film is truly worth of the title "Best Picture."


I've been thinking about a post like this for a while.  But this week one of my favorite online writers began his list going through every single decade of the Academy Awards.  His knowledge of film and its history exceeds mine, so I do not think I will be that extensive.  

I've decided only to comment on what should have won Best Picture in a given year if:

1. I have seen the Best Picture winner.

2. I have seen at least one other nominee in the category

As I began to review the winners, I realized that while the number of movies I have seen is extensive (a number approaching 3,000), most of those films have been from the 1980's and forward.  My experience of "classic Hollywood" is very limited.  Feel free to use this as a critique of my film tastes and judgment.

The list reflects only films that have been nominated.  I've listed what films I think should be considered "Best" every year on this blog.  Most of them did not receive Oscar nominations for Best Picture.  So while I think that The Passion of the Christ is the best film of 2004 (and also tied for choice for best movie ever made), I cannot put it against the actual Best Picture winner, because it wasn't nominated.

If you want to know which movies I think were best in general per year, I have written about them multiple times, though it should probably be updated.


And now, here is my list.  Feel free to let me know your thoughts and where you agree or where you think I am going wrong.


1939

WINNER:  Gone with the Wind

OTHER NOMINEES I HAVE SEEN: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, The Wizard of Oz

WHAT SHOULD HAVE WON:  The Wizard of Oz


I am not one of the people who think that Gone with the Wind is as great as everyone says.  To be sure, it is a technical achievement, with incredibly complex characters, and great performances.  The main problem is that it is centered around an incredibly unlikeable main character who never really grows on you.  On the other hand The Wizard of Oz is not only a technical masterpiece for its day that still captures the imaginations of children in every generation, it is a story that still resonates.  How many of us can still conjure up the precise images from the film because they have burned into our brains.  And it has some of the most memorable songs in movie history.


1943

WINNER:  Casablanca

OTHER NOMINEES I HAVE SEEN: The Song of Bernadette

WHAT SHOULD HAVE WON:  Casablanca

The Academy got this one correct.  I could go on and on about how amazing Casablanca is and how Incredibly watchable it still is today.  The Song of Bernadette is also an excellent film with a powerful message of faith, but it cannot beat Casablanca


1946

WINNER:  The Best Years of Our Lives

OTHER NOMINEES I HAVE SEEN: It's a Wonderful Life

WHAT SHOULD HAVE WON:  It's a Wonderful Life

The Best Years of Our Lives is a great movie that I have seen multiple times since I first saw it just a few years ago.  It is a complex story about the lives of returning soldiers after WWII.  But It's a Wonderful Life is in my top ten movies of all time.  It is a film experience that can change who you are as a person and the way you look at life.  It is the kind of movie that makes you thank God that the art of cinema was invented.


1947

WINNER:  Gentlemen's Agreement

OTHER NOMINEES I HAVE SEEN: The Bishop's Wife

WHAT SHOULD HAVE WON:  Gentlemen's Agreement

Neither one of these films is bad, nor are they spectacular.  But the Gregory Peck film about lurking anti-semitism in society, despite its preachiness, has more depth.


1951

WINNER:  An American in Paris

OTHER NOMINEES I HAVE SEEN: Quo Vadis, A Streetcar Named Desire

WHAT SHOULD HAVE WON:  Quo Vadis

An American in Paris showcase some fantastic song and dance numbers, but Quo Vadis is an epic that should be held up along with The Ten Commandments and Ben-Hur.  If Charlton Heston had starred, I have no doubt that it would.  Quo Vadis is a love story between a Roman soldier and a Christian hostage that takes place against the backdrop of the 1st Roman persecution.  This is a movie I have seen dozens of times and it is a technical marvel with an amazing performance by Peter Ustinov as the evil Emperor Nero.

1957

WINNER:  The Bridge on the River Kwai

OTHER NOMINEES I HAVE SEEN: 12 Angry Men

WHAT SHOULD HAVE WON:  12 Angry Men

I expect that this will be one of my most controversial pics.  The Bridge on the River Kwai has much about it that is admirable, but it is a film that ultimately leaves you empty and borders on nihilism.  12 Angry Men has a wonderfully engaging script and the film manages to pull you in even though it is almost all set in one single room.


1959

WINNER:  Ben-Hur

OTHER NOMINEES I HAVE SEEN: Anatomy of a Murder

WHAT SHOULD HAVE WON:  Ben-Hur

Even though Anatomy of a Murder is one of the best courtroom dramas I have seen, it cannot compete with the epic nature of Ben-Hur.


1961

WINNER:  West Side Story

OTHER NOMINEES I HAVE SEEN: The Guns of Navarone

WHAT SHOULD HAVE WON:  West Side Story

West Side Story is one of the few movies that improves upon an already fantastic stage musical.  It's bright and bold colors work at first to show its romantic and idealized youth but then draw you deeper into violence and madness.  Guns of Navarone is a fine war movie, but it is not a better movie.


1962

WINNER:  Lawrence of Arabia

OTHER NOMINEES I HAVE SEEN: To Kill a Mockingbird

WHAT SHOULD HAVE WON:  Lawrence of Arabia

Like Bridge on the River Kwai, much of Lawrence left me cold.  But the sheer audacity of the directing and its amazing scope make the movie an experience that I am glad I had.  To Kill a Mockingbird is almost a better film, but it was close.


1965

WINNER:  The Sound of Music

OTHER NOMINEES I HAVE SEEN: Doctor Zhivago

WHAT SHOULD HAVE WON:  The Sound of Music

Another good choice by the Academy.  The Sound of Music is another timeless film that you can enjoy as a child and as an adult without losing any of its magic and wonder.  Doctor Zhivago is interesting, but ultimately empty.


1967

WINNER:  In the Heat of the Night

OTHER NOMINEES I HAVE SEEN: The Graduate, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner

WHAT SHOULD HAVE WON:  Guess Who's Coming to Dinner


Sydney Poitier was in the film that won and the one that should have won.  In the Heat of the Night is intentionally ugly and raw, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but once the central mystery is solved, it does not have any appeal for a rewatch.  Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, though it handles issues of race in an often awkward manner, is an interesting portrait of clashing generations, which makes the movie unstuck from its particular time period.  I've watched The Graduate several times and while it is very evocative, I cannot get over my constant annoyance at every single character.


1971

WINNER:  The French Connection

OTHER NOMINEES I HAVE SEEN: A Clockwork Orange, Fiddler on the Roof

WHAT SHOULD HAVE WON:  Fiddler on the Roof

Speaking of getting stuck in time, The French Connection is very much a movie of its decade and that is not a compliment.  It is full of grime and grit that is typical of films of the decade and has not aged nearly as well as most critics think.  Fiddler on the Roof, however, is as timeless as ever with its universal themes and its classic songs.


1973

WINNER:  The Sting

OTHER NOMINEES I HAVE SEEN: American Graffiti

WHAT SHOULD HAVE WON:  American Graffiti

This is also a controversial choice, but George Lucas' coming of age story, with its interweaving narratives, is a much more enjoyable watch.  Redford and Newman have star power and chemistry that make The Sting work so well, but American Graffiti moves on the strength of its script and the director's ability to help you connect to the characters.


1974

WINNER:  The Godfather Part II

OTHER NOMINEES I HAVE SEEN: The Conversation

WHAT SHOULD HAVE WON:  The Godfather Part II

How Coppola filmed both these movies in the same year is beyond me.  But The Conversation is actually not a good film.


1976

WINNER:  Rocky

OTHER NOMINEES I HAVE SEEN: All the President's Men

WHAT SHOULD HAVE WON:  Rocky

Again, the Academy chose correctly.  Seeing this movie as a stand alone film and not a part of the long franchise that it became, it feels very much a movie of its time, except that Stallone was able to connect Rocky's journey with the struggle for dignity that we all face and so made it timeless.


1979

WINNER:  Karmer vs. Kramer

OTHER NOMINEES I HAVE SEEN: Apocalypse Now

WHAT SHOULD HAVE WON:  Apocalypse Now

Both of these movies are dark in their own ways and both are pessimistic.  And Apocalypse Now is arguably completely nihilistic in its world-view.  But that movie is hypnotizing in its direction as it feels like you sink further and further into perdition.


1980

WINNER:  Oridnary People

OTHER NOMINEES I HAVE SEEN: The Elephant Man

WHAT SHOULD HAVE WON:  Ordinary People

The Elephant Man is better looking film, but Redford's very confident and restrained direction makes the emotional beats of this movie so incredibly poignant.


1981

WINNER:  Chariots of Fire

OTHER NOMINEES I HAVE SEEN: Raiders of the Lost Ark

WHAT SHOULD HAVE WON:  Raiders of the Lost Ark

Chariots of Fire is movie a pure boring pretension.  Raiders is a timeless crowd-pleaser that people will still be watching in 100 years.


1986

WINNER:  Platoon

OTHER NOMINEES I HAVE SEEN: Children of a Lesser God, The Mission

WHAT SHOULD HAVE WON:  The Mission

Granted I have not seen Platoon since I was a child, but it cannot compete with the sheer power, beauty, and tragedy of The Mission.  Watching The Mission is like having your soul raised up and your heart broken.  Children of a Lesser God is fine, but cannot compete.


1988

WINNER:  Rain Man

OTHER NOMINEES I HAVE SEEN: Working Girl

WHAT SHOULD HAVE WON:  Rain Man

The right movie won.  Working Girl is a good picture, but Hoffman and Cruise made a classic.


1989

WINNER:  Driving Miss Daisy

OTHER NOMINEES I HAVE SEEN: Dead Poets Society, Field of Dreams

WHAT SHOULD HAVE WON:  Field of Dreams

This was a tough one, since all the movies are good, but Field of Dreams is the most original and only works because it is able to make the audience believe in the magic of baseball.  That is no small feat.


1990

WINNER:  Dances with Wolves

OTHER NOMINEES I HAVE SEEN: Awakenings, Ghost, the Godfather Part III, Goodfellas

WHAT SHOULD HAVE WON:  Awakenings

This is another controversial choice and I know I have to give Dances with Wolves another watch, but Awakenings is such a moving story with one of Robin Williams' best performances.  The movie is engaging and heartbreaking while still being incredibly hopeful.


1991

WINNER:  The Silence of the Lambs

OTHER NOMINEES I HAVE SEEN: Beauty and the Beast, JFK

WHAT SHOULD HAVE WON:  JFK

This is not an endorsement of its historical accuracy, but as a film JFK draws you and keeps you on the edge throughout.  Not a lot of movies could end their third act with such a long monologue, but Oliver Stone causes you to become so invested in the story that you hang on every word.  The Silence of the Lambs is also a classic, but JFK just narrowly beats it out.


1992

WINNER:  Unforgiven

OTHER NOMINEES I HAVE SEEN:  A Few Good Men, Scent of a Woman

WHAT SHOULD HAVE WON:  A Few Good Men

Another controversial choice.  I rewatched Unforgiven a few months ago and it is better than I orginally remember.  But Clint Eastwood, as a director, tends to let his movies plod along a little too long.  A Few Good Men is on of the best courtroom dramas with a killer script and a great cast.


1993

WINNER:  Schindler's List

OTHER NOMINEES I HAVE SEEN: The Fugitive, The Piano, The Remains of the Day

WHAT SHOULD HAVE WON:  Schindler's List

This is a no-contest winner in any year that it would have been nominated.


1994

WINNER:  Forrest Gump

OTHER NOMINEES I HAVE SEEN: Four Weddings and A Funeral, Pulp Fiction, Quiz Show, The Shawshank Redemption

WHAT SHOULD HAVE WON:  The Shawshank Redemption

This is one of the years where nearly every single film nominated is deserving of the honor (except Four Weddings and.a Funeral, which is terrible).  Forrest Gump, Pulp Fiction, and The Shawshank Redemption all have stood the test of time (sadly the excellent Quiz Show has not).  But Shawshank stands above the other nominees.  I believe it is still the highest ranked movie of all time on IMDB and it is also in my top 10.  Possibly a perfect film.


1995

WINNER:  Braveheart

OTHER NOMINEES I HAVE SEEN: Apollo 13

WHAT SHOULD HAVE WON:  Braveheart

Again, either film deserves all of the accolades they receive.  But Braveheart, being another one of my top ten films, stands above.  To steal a phrase from The Simpsons, watching this movie embiggins the soul.


1997

WINNER:  Titanic

OTHER NOMINEES I HAVE SEEN: As Good as it Gets, The Full Monty, Good Will Hunting, LA Confidential.

WHAT SHOULD HAVE WON:  Titanic

If the Academy voted the way it does now, I'm guessing that The Full Monty would have won Best Picture.  This is one of the rare occasions where I have seen all the other nominees and all of them are actually good (The Full Monty is a movie that should absolutely repel me and yet there is something endearing about it despite its sleazy topic).  But Titanic is a masterpiece of movie-making.  Look past the hype and you will see masterful direction of a love story that hits all the romantic chords you could want.


1998

WINNER:  Shakespeare in Love

OTHER NOMINEES I HAVE SEEN: Elizabeth, Life is Beatiful, Saving Private Ryan, The Thin Red Line

WHAT SHOULD HAVE WON:  Saving Private Ryan

I have been thinking about making this list ever since the night that Shakespeare in Love beat out Saving Private Ryan.  In the grand scheme of things, this is not a big deal, but I was so upset at the time beacuse of he artistic injustice of it all.  Saving Private Ryan is one of Spielberg's best movies and that is no small compliment.  It is a movie that is still dearly loved by audiences and is constantly found by younger viewers who are affected deeply.  Life is Beautiful is also a fantastic film that could also have won, but either would have been better than Shakespeare in Love


1999

WINNER:  American Beauty

OTHER NOMINEES I HAVE SEEN: The Green Mile, The Insider, The Sixth Sense

WHAT SHOULD HAVE WON:  The Green Mile

At the time, I thought American Beauty was great.  As I have gotten older, I have soured on the movie in general.  But The Green Mile is still has touching and sad as ever


2000

WINNER:  Gladiator

OTHER NOMINEES I HAVE SEEN: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Erin Brockovich, Traffic

WHAT SHOULD HAVE WON:  Gladiator

One of the last great movies by Ridley Scott, this movie made Russell Crowe a star and is one of the best sword and sandal epics.


2001

WINNER:  A Beautiful Mind

OTHER NOMINEES I HAVE SEEN: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Moulin Rouge!

WHAT SHOULD HAVE WON:  The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

This was a tough one because A Beautiful Mind may be Ron Howard's best movie and it is fantastic.  But put up against Fellowship, the Peter Jackson epic first chapter wins.


2002

WINNER:  Chicago

OTHER NOMINEES I HAVE SEEN: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

WHAT SHOULD HAVE WON:  The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

This one is easier.  Chicago does not hold up nearly as well as Two Towers after nearly two decades.


2003

WINNER:  The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

OTHER NOMINEES I HAVE SEEN: Lost in Translation

WHAT SHOULD HAVE WON:  The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

While Lost in Translation has some wonderful performances and character moments, it cannot compete.


2006

WINNER:  The Departed

OTHER NOMINEES I HAVE SEEN: Little Miss Sunshine

WHAT SHOULD HAVE WON:  The Departed

I know people rag on this movie as a lesser Scorsese film, but I think it is excellent and definitely better than Little Miss Sunshine


2007

WINNER:  No Country for Old Men

OTHER NOMINEES I HAVE SEEN: Juno, There Will Be Blood

WHAT SHOULD HAVE WON:  Juno

No Country for Old Men would retain is place if it did not completely and utterly fall apart in the third act to become a different film.  Juno is offbeat and delightful from start to finish.


2009

WINNER:  The Hurt Locker

OTHER NOMINEES I HAVE SEEN: Avatar, The Blind Side, Inglorius Basterds, Up, Up in the Air

WHAT SHOULD HAVE WON:  Up

The Hurt Locker is raw, but it actually fairly boring.  Up is one of the best films to come out for the last twenty years.  It is a perfect film from start to finish.


2010

WINNER:  The King's Speech

OTHER NOMINEES I HAVE SEEN: Black Swan, The Fighter, Inception, The Social Network, Toy Story 3, True Grit, Winter's Bone

WHAT SHOULD HAVE WON:  Inception

Even after all the hype died down, Inception is still an incredibly smart, slick, and visually stunning film.  The King's Speech is a fairly good movie (though it has some odd moral problems with it).  Toy Story 3 could be another worthy winner, but I'll have to go with Inception.


2011

WINNER:  The Artist

OTHER NOMINEES I HAVE SEEN: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, The Help, Hugo, Moneyball, War Horse

WHAT SHOULD HAVE WON:  The Help

None of these nominees are truly great, great films.  But of the ones nominated, The Help is probably the best of them, with the best writing and performances.


2012

WINNER:  Argo

OTHER NOMINEES I HAVE SEEN: Django Unchained, Lincoln, Les Miserables, Silver Linings Playbook, Zero Dark 30

WHAT SHOULD HAVE WON:  Lincoln

This was a tough one.  Back in 2012, I chose Les Miserables as my best picture.  But as time has gone on, it's emotional impact has come more from its music than the directing and performances.  Argo is also an incredible film, that still holds up and is worthy of the prize, but Lincoln is just too good and too much of a timeless film to not have won.  


2014

WINNER:  Birdman

OTHER NOMINEES I HAVE SEEN: American Sniper, Boyhood, The Imitation Game, The Theory of Everything, Whiplash

WHAT SHOULD HAVE WON:  American Sniper

Birdman has its moments, but it is a film that is too self-indulgent and up its own rear-end about the artistry of performance.  American Sniper might be the best movie that Clint Eastwood has directed, which makes it even more compelling that he did so this late in his career.  The movie is tense and dramatic while knowing how to use emotional restraint properly.


2017

WINNER:  The Shape of Water

OTHER NOMINEES I HAVE SEEN: Dunkirk, Lady Bird

WHAT SHOULD HAVE WON:  Dunkirk

The Shape of Water might be one of the worst movies ever to win Best Picture.  And while Dunkirk is not Christopher Nolan's best, it is head and shoulders above the other nominees.


2018

WINNER:  Green Book

OTHER NOMINEES I HAVE SEEN: Black Panther, BlackkKlansman, Bohemian Rhapsody, A Star is Born.

WHAT SHOULD HAVE WON:  Bohemian Rhapsody

I greatly enjoyed Green Book, so I was pleased when it won.  And even though I am deeply conflicted about Bohemian Rhapsody's themes, the artistry with which it was made told a very human story where my heart broke constantly for Freddie Mercury.  The effective incorporation of Queen's greatest hits didn't hurt either.


Thoughts?




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