The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was founded in 1927. Initially a committee was formed to solve labor problems and image issues throughout Hollywood. By 1929 a group was formed to award motion pictures for the previous two years. By 1934 the awards happened every year to recognize films released in the prior calendar year, and has been that way ever since. Over the years the Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars, has seen significant change and controversy, but has handed out yearly awards for now 90+ years.
Sean Fennessey of the Ringer described the Oscars "as a sketch in pencil, not the blueprint, for movie history. If you think of them as the blueprint, you'll be infuriated and take away bad lessons... But what the Oscars does is create conversation about the value of art. And that is meaningful in our society." I think that's a fair summation of why the Academy Awards matters. It would be easy to say that the Oscars is a sham of a ceremony, a politically charged self-aggrandizing commemoration of the biggest egos in Hollywood. That's not necessarily an incorrect statement. But having an awards ceremony that is recognized as the pinnacle of achievement in an art form creates important discussion and debate, as well as highlighting less popular films to the public that deserve an audience. Parasite improbably won Best Picture for 2019 in a stunning upset. Because of that, many movie-goers that would have never even considered watching a foreign language film will now be checking it out to see what they are missing.
As Sean's quote describes above, there are many things with which to be frustrated about the Oscars. The Best Picture race is evidence A. Do you want to know what Back to the Future, Alien, Empire Strikes Back, Do the Right Thing and Rear Window all have in common? None were even nominated for Best Picture. Again, this is why the Oscars are a sketch and not a blueprint, as all of these films are timeless classics.
Watching all 92 Best Picture winners was a sometimes pleasantly surprising and sometimes completely frustrating process. While I had seen a lot of these just in the natural course of time, it took me almost a year to focus in and get them all done. The biggest thing I learned? Politics and narrative mean way more than quality when it comes to awarding a winner each year. But I also got to see a lot of great films, some I would have never seen otherwise. I've tried to group them all into categories that can give you a sketch (in pencil) of the important films in Oscar history. Some of these films are my favorites of all time, others I wanted to turn off halfway through (and a few I actually did). But at the very least, all of them give a window into a particular year in movie history. Because the Oscars don't have the benefit of hindsight, there are much better lists that encompass movie history as a whole, but overall I'm glad I watched them all.
There are 92 movies on this list, so to prove that I actually watched them all, I'm going to number them as I write them in with a [1-92] to the side. Some of these will show up in multiple categories.
THE APEX OF THE VORTEX OF MOVIE TECHNOLOGY
These are the films that have everything- the triumvirate of critical success, audience appeal, and innovation of the art form. Ideally, every Best Picture would have some of this, but alas, this group is surprisingly small. Some of my all-time favorites are here, and these represent the years where the Academy got it right. To their credit, it's difficult to identify what will be timeless while still in the moment.
[1] The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) - The pinnacle of fantasy adventure
[2] Silence of the Lambs (1991) - The only horror film to win Best Picture
[3] Casablanca (1942) - The most quotable movie of all time
[4] Gone with the Wind (1939) - The grandest example of epic old Hollywood
[5] On the Waterfront (1954) - An all-star cast full of powerful performances
[6] The Godfather (1972) - Do I need to explain?
[7] The Godfather Part II (1974) - The sequel that somehow got better
[8] Rocky (1976) - The sports film that launched a thousand sports films
[9] One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) - The height of auteur driven 70's filmmaking
[10] Schindler's List (1993) - The pinnacle of holocaust films
[11] No Country for Old Men (2007) - One of the greatest movie villains of all-time
[12] It Happened One Night (1934) - The prototype for all rom coms
[13] Titanic (1997) - The ultimate spectacle love story
[14] Parasite (2019) - It's still early, but this will stand the test of time as a trailblazer for foreign films in the United States
[15] The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) - The ultimate post WWII fallout film
[16] All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) - The anti-war film from which all others are based
THE CLASSICS
This group is excellent in its own right. While they may not have a groundbreaking quality that comprises the group above, there are still some incredible movies here. The key with this group is their watchability. All are extremely entertaining, and hold up well today. As we go through these categories, it will become apparent that will not be the case every year. This is what the Oscar's should strive for every year. An artful film that is thought provoking but is also a movie that people can actually watch and enjoy. There may be some other narratives at play, but as I went through watching this list, these were simply really good movies.
[17] Patton (1970)
[18] Gladiator (2000)
[19] Amadeus (1984)
[20] Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)
[21] Platoon (1986)
[22] Braveheart (1995)
[23] The Apartment (1960)
[24] The Deer Hunter (1979)
[25] Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
[26] Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
[27] You Can't Take it With You (1938)
[28] All About Eve (1950)
[29] Ordinary People (1980)
[30] The Sting (1973)
[31] The Lost Weekend (1945)
[32] The French Connection (1971)
[33] A Man for All Seasons (1966)
[34] The Departed (2006)
[35] Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)
[36] Gentleman's Agreement (1947)
[37] Mrs. Miniver (1942)
[38] Ben-Hur (1959)
[39]Gandhi (1982)
THE CLASSICS
This group is excellent in its own right. While they may not have a groundbreaking quality that comprises the group above, there are still some incredible movies here. The key with this group is their watchability. All are extremely entertaining, and hold up well today. As we go through these categories, it will become apparent that will not be the case every year. This is what the Oscar's should strive for every year. An artful film that is thought provoking but is also a movie that people can actually watch and enjoy. There may be some other narratives at play, but as I went through watching this list, these were simply really good movies.
[17] Patton (1970)
[18] Gladiator (2000)
[19] Amadeus (1984)
[20] Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)
[21] Platoon (1986)
[22] Braveheart (1995)
[23] The Apartment (1960)
[24] The Deer Hunter (1979)
[25] Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
[26] Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
[27] You Can't Take it With You (1938)
[28] All About Eve (1950)
[29] Ordinary People (1980)
[30] The Sting (1973)
[31] The Lost Weekend (1945)
[32] The French Connection (1971)
[33] A Man for All Seasons (1966)
[34] The Departed (2006)
[35] Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)
[36] Gentleman's Agreement (1947)
[37] Mrs. Miniver (1942)
[38] Ben-Hur (1959)
[39]Gandhi (1982)
[40] Rebecca (1940)
[41] The Hurt Locker (2009)
[42] Marty (1955)
[43] Forrest Gump (1994)
[44] West Side Story (1961)
[45] The Sound of Music (1965)
[46] Argo (2012)
[47] Rain Man (1988)
[48] 12 Years a Slave (2013)
THE LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT PICKS
A classic Oscar move is to award a performer or an artist for a later work after criminally snubbing their earlier masterpiece. Look no further than Al Pacino winning Best Actor for Scent of a Woman instead of any of his classic performances in some of the greatest movies of all time. These movies are not necessarily bad per se; in fact, a few on this list are some of my absolute favorites. But the reason for their win is not that the movie was the best of the year, it was that the Academy realized their boneheaded mistake for not recognizing an earlier work. You'll see what I mean.
[49] The Last Emperor (1987)
The Earlier Snub: All of director Bernardo Bertolucci's previous films
The Departed (2006)
The Earlier Snub: Tons of incredible Martin Scorsese films, but I'm going to go with Goodfellas
[50] Unforgiven (1993)
The Earlier Snub: This may very well be Clint Eastwood's best film, but the win here was certainly a culmination of a great career (that continues to this day).
Rebecca (1940)
The Earlier Snub: OK I'll admit this one doesn't make sense. But Alfred Hitchcock later had countless classic films that did not go on to win Best Picture including Rear Window, Psycho, Vertigo, and Dial M for Murder just to name a few. The real travesty here is that his only win is like his 9th best movie.
The Hurt Locker (2009)
The Earlier Snub: Basically every movie ever made by a female. This was the first Best Picture for a film directed by a woman. It only took 82 years!
[51] The Greatest Show on Earth (1952)
The Earlier Snub: Cecille B. DeMille was a titan of the industry in the 30's and 40's, so this award recognized him belatedly. This was also a travesty. The Greatest Show on Earth is basically 2 and a half hours of just footage of the circus. I wish I were kidding. This is one of two Best Picture winners I turned off before finishing.
THE SUBVERSIVE PICKS
Sometimes the Academy desperately wants to go against the grain. Whether it's a vocal minority or the feeling of a cultural wave, there are movies that seem to come out of left field to win Best Picture. The quality of this list varies. Some of them I really like (Marty), and others I despise (The Shape of Water).
[52] Moonlight (2016)
Favorite that was subverted: La La Land
[53] The Shape of Water (2017)
Favorite that was subverted: Get Out
[54] American Beauty (1999)
Favorite that was subverted: The Sixth Sense
Marty (1955)
Favorite that was subverted: Really nothing, this was just a very small, low budget movie that was a big surprise at the Awards.
[55] Shakespeare in Love (1998)
Favorite that was subverted: Saving Private Ryan
[56] Midnight Cowboy (1969)
Favorite that was subverted: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
THE SAFE PICKS
In contrast, some years the Academy will choose a very competent, if underwhelming movie as a sort of a truce with the movie going public when they don't want to step out on a limb. I found myself enjoying this group, but feeling underwhelmed. I was even more underwhelmed when I looked up some of the nominees that didn't win.
[57] Green Book (2018)
Actual Best Picture: A Star is Born
[58] Dances with Wolves (1990)
Actual Best Picture: Goodfellas
[59] The King's Speech (2010)
Actual Best Picture: The Social Network
[60] Spotlight (2015)
Actual Best Picture: Mad Max: Fury Road
THE "NOT QUITE READY FOR WHAT'S AHEAD" PICKS
The Academy is typically last in line to see where the industry is moving, and recognize the true innovators in their prime. There are ground-breaking, legendary movies that did not win Best Picture, and looking back it's baffling to say the least.
[61] Annie Hall (1977)
The Academy was not ready to reward: The jaw dropping spectacle of Star Wars
[62] Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
The Academy was not ready to reward: Comic book movies, and sensation of The Dark Knight
Forrest Gump (1994)
The Academy was not ready to reward: Outsider weirdo Quentin Tarantino's landmark Pulp Fiction
[63] Chariots of Fire (1981)
The Academy was not ready to reward: The template for the modern adventure film, Raiders of the Lost Ark
[64] Chicago (2002)
The Academy was not ready to reward: The fantasy epic The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (I suppose they only needed one more year)
[65] In the Heat of the Night (1967)
The Academy was not ready to reward: The hyper violence of Bonnie & Clyde, or the sensuality of The Graduate
[66] An American in Paris (1951)
The Academy was not ready to reward: The emotionally charged method acting of Marlon Brando in A Streetcar Named Desire
[67] Crash (2005)
The Academy was not ready to reward: The modern sexual politics of Brokeback Mountain
[68] How Green Was My Valley (1941)
The Academy was not ready to reward: The innovations of Citizen Kane
MOVIES THAT NEARLY GOT ELAINE BENES FIRED BY MR. PETERMAN
I'm not going to pretend that the classic Seinfeld episode "The English Patient" didn't color my viewing of this film. I'd seen that episode countless times before and can quote Elaine's frustrations by heart. However, I tried to go in with an open mind. Critics that I respect held it in very high regard, it has a great cast, and maybe I had a little more patience than Elaine. Maybe it wouldn't be that boring after all. Unfortunately, that was not the case. To quote Elaine: "Quit telling your stupid story about the stupid desert and just die already!"
[69] The English Patient (1996)
CLASSIC OSCAR BAIT
Oscar bait is a term that is thrown around quite often, but rarely defined. After watching all of these movies, I was able to pinpoint what Oscar Bait really means. Quintessential Oscar Bait is a movie that almost always highlights one of three things: 1. An important historical event 2. The life of an important historical person or 3. Preaches about some hot-button political issue in a very one-sided manner that panders to Hollywood. The following movies have these in spades. They are sometimes bad, lots of times decent, but almost rarely great.
[70] Out of Africa (1985)
[71] A Beautiful Mind (2001)
[72] The Artist (2011)
[73] From Here to Eternity (1953)
[74] Hamlet (1948)
The Last Emperor (1987)
The English Patient (1996)
THE TEN YEAR STRETCH WHERE MUSICALS TOOK OVER
From 1958-1968 a musical was chosen as Best Picture 5 times. Only 4 other musicals won in the other 84 Academy Awards combined. For whatever reason, the 60's were about musicals. And most of these are good! As a person that didn't really love musicals, it was a treat to be introduced to some of the best of all time, including several from the 1960's. Gigi is the only outlier here. There's no need for anyone to watch Gigi.
[75] Gigi (1958)
West Side Story (1961)
[76] My Fair Lady (1964)
The Sound of Music (1965)
[77] Oliver! (1968)
THE TRAVESTIES
The Academy has a much tougher time picking Best Picture than we'd like to admit. Most films don't enter the lexicon until a few years later, so there has to be some prescience on the voters part in order to pick a Best Picture winner that will hold up. These are examples of travesties that were glaring even in the moment. This is the group of picks that make the moviegoing public tune out the Academy Awards completely.
[78] Driving Miss Daisy (1989)
The reason: Do the Right Thing
The Greatest Show on Earth (1952)
The Reason: This movie has aged horribly. I'm sure that documentary style depictions of the circus were much better received in 1952, but in 2020 it's excruciating. Plus, let's get real, Singin' in the Rain came out this year and wasn't nominated for Best Picture.
The Shape of Water (2017)
The Reason: Don't nobody wanna see a lady hooking up with a fish for 2 hours.
[79] Going My Way (1944)
The Reason: It's not that Going My Way is bad, it's that Double Indemnity is that good.
Gigi (1958)
The Reason: Gigi is not a great musical; there are no great singers, dancers, and the tunes just aren't catchy. The most recognizable song "Thank Heaven for Little Girls" is fantastically cringey when heard in 2020. But the real reason this was such a travesty is that Vertigo, one of Alfred Hitchcock's masterpieces came out this year.
[80] Around the World in 80 Days (1956)
The Reason: This film is a 3-hour long showcase for different locations around the world, but as for a compelling story or characters? You won't find that here.
THE BEST OF A WEAK YEAR
Sometimes a Best Picture winner is chosen because even though nothing stands out, something has to win. "Weak year" is a relative term. There are some good/great films that came out these years, but nothing in the Best Picture nomination pool that really jumps out at you. Looking at this group of Best Picture winners, these are all in the "pretty good" range. But of the other contenders, nothing else really stands out to warrant much second-guessing.
[81] Million Dollar Baby (2004)
The underwhelming Best Picture contenders: Finding Neverland, The Aviator, Ray, Sideways
Argo (2012)
The underwhelming contenders: Silver Linings Playbook, Zero Dark Thirty, Amour, Lincoln, Les Miserables, Django Unchained, Life of Pi, Beasts of the Southern Wild
[82] Terms of Endearment (1983)
The underwhelming contenders: The Big Chill, Tender Mercies, The Right Stuff, The Dresser
Rain Main (1988)
The underwhelming contenders: Working Girl, Dangerous Liaisons, Mississippi Burning, The Accidental Tourist
[83] All the King's Men (1949)
The underwhelming contenders: A Letter to Three Wives, The Heiress, Battleground, Twelve O'Clock High
[84] Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)
The underwhelming contenders: American Sniper, Boyhood, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Imitation Game, Selma, The Theory of Everything, Whiplash
[85] Tom Jones (1963)
The underwhelming contenders: America America, Cleopatra, How the West Was Won, Lillies of the Field
OLD MOVIES THAT ARE BORING
Have you ever seen a movie from the 20's or the early 1930's? It's difficult to accurately judge them almost 100 years later. Some of the all time greats still hold up quite nicely (The General, It Happened One Night), but the sort of "middle ground" is tough to assess. This group of films were interesting cultural documents, but proved difficult to find entertainment value. It's almost as if the filmmakers just decided that since they had an interesting subject, a driving narrative was not necessary. That is decidedly NOT the case.
[86] Cavalcade (1933)
[87] Grand Hotel (1932)
[88] The Great Ziegfeld (1936)
[89] Cimarron (1931)
OLD MOVIES THAT STILL HOLD UP
This is a group of old movies that despite being released in the 20's and 30's still hold up under a modern lens. Whether it's the impressive silent film special effects of Wings, the blueprint for the romantic comedy in It Happened One Night, or the epic scope of Gone With the Wind, I would recommend giving these a shot.
[91] Wings (1927)
You Can't Take it With You (1938)
It Happened One Night (1934)
Gone With the Wind (1939)
Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)
THE LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT PICKS
A classic Oscar move is to award a performer or an artist for a later work after criminally snubbing their earlier masterpiece. Look no further than Al Pacino winning Best Actor for Scent of a Woman instead of any of his classic performances in some of the greatest movies of all time. These movies are not necessarily bad per se; in fact, a few on this list are some of my absolute favorites. But the reason for their win is not that the movie was the best of the year, it was that the Academy realized their boneheaded mistake for not recognizing an earlier work. You'll see what I mean.
[49] The Last Emperor (1987)
The Earlier Snub: All of director Bernardo Bertolucci's previous films
The Departed (2006)
The Earlier Snub: Tons of incredible Martin Scorsese films, but I'm going to go with Goodfellas
[50] Unforgiven (1993)
The Earlier Snub: This may very well be Clint Eastwood's best film, but the win here was certainly a culmination of a great career (that continues to this day).
Rebecca (1940)
The Earlier Snub: OK I'll admit this one doesn't make sense. But Alfred Hitchcock later had countless classic films that did not go on to win Best Picture including Rear Window, Psycho, Vertigo, and Dial M for Murder just to name a few. The real travesty here is that his only win is like his 9th best movie.
The Hurt Locker (2009)
The Earlier Snub: Basically every movie ever made by a female. This was the first Best Picture for a film directed by a woman. It only took 82 years!
[51] The Greatest Show on Earth (1952)
The Earlier Snub: Cecille B. DeMille was a titan of the industry in the 30's and 40's, so this award recognized him belatedly. This was also a travesty. The Greatest Show on Earth is basically 2 and a half hours of just footage of the circus. I wish I were kidding. This is one of two Best Picture winners I turned off before finishing.
THE SUBVERSIVE PICKS
Sometimes the Academy desperately wants to go against the grain. Whether it's a vocal minority or the feeling of a cultural wave, there are movies that seem to come out of left field to win Best Picture. The quality of this list varies. Some of them I really like (Marty), and others I despise (The Shape of Water).
[52] Moonlight (2016)
Favorite that was subverted: La La Land
[53] The Shape of Water (2017)
Favorite that was subverted: Get Out
[54] American Beauty (1999)
Favorite that was subverted: The Sixth Sense
Marty (1955)
Favorite that was subverted: Really nothing, this was just a very small, low budget movie that was a big surprise at the Awards.
[55] Shakespeare in Love (1998)
Favorite that was subverted: Saving Private Ryan
[56] Midnight Cowboy (1969)
Favorite that was subverted: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
THE SAFE PICKS
In contrast, some years the Academy will choose a very competent, if underwhelming movie as a sort of a truce with the movie going public when they don't want to step out on a limb. I found myself enjoying this group, but feeling underwhelmed. I was even more underwhelmed when I looked up some of the nominees that didn't win.
[57] Green Book (2018)
Actual Best Picture: A Star is Born
[58] Dances with Wolves (1990)
Actual Best Picture: Goodfellas
[59] The King's Speech (2010)
Actual Best Picture: The Social Network
[60] Spotlight (2015)
Actual Best Picture: Mad Max: Fury Road
THE "NOT QUITE READY FOR WHAT'S AHEAD" PICKS
The Academy is typically last in line to see where the industry is moving, and recognize the true innovators in their prime. There are ground-breaking, legendary movies that did not win Best Picture, and looking back it's baffling to say the least.
[61] Annie Hall (1977)
The Academy was not ready to reward: The jaw dropping spectacle of Star Wars
[62] Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
The Academy was not ready to reward: Comic book movies, and sensation of The Dark Knight
Forrest Gump (1994)
The Academy was not ready to reward: Outsider weirdo Quentin Tarantino's landmark Pulp Fiction
[63] Chariots of Fire (1981)
The Academy was not ready to reward: The template for the modern adventure film, Raiders of the Lost Ark
[64] Chicago (2002)
The Academy was not ready to reward: The fantasy epic The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (I suppose they only needed one more year)
[65] In the Heat of the Night (1967)
The Academy was not ready to reward: The hyper violence of Bonnie & Clyde, or the sensuality of The Graduate
[66] An American in Paris (1951)
The Academy was not ready to reward: The emotionally charged method acting of Marlon Brando in A Streetcar Named Desire
[67] Crash (2005)
The Academy was not ready to reward: The modern sexual politics of Brokeback Mountain
[68] How Green Was My Valley (1941)
The Academy was not ready to reward: The innovations of Citizen Kane
MOVIES THAT NEARLY GOT ELAINE BENES FIRED BY MR. PETERMAN
I'm not going to pretend that the classic Seinfeld episode "The English Patient" didn't color my viewing of this film. I'd seen that episode countless times before and can quote Elaine's frustrations by heart. However, I tried to go in with an open mind. Critics that I respect held it in very high regard, it has a great cast, and maybe I had a little more patience than Elaine. Maybe it wouldn't be that boring after all. Unfortunately, that was not the case. To quote Elaine: "Quit telling your stupid story about the stupid desert and just die already!"
[69] The English Patient (1996)
CLASSIC OSCAR BAIT
Oscar bait is a term that is thrown around quite often, but rarely defined. After watching all of these movies, I was able to pinpoint what Oscar Bait really means. Quintessential Oscar Bait is a movie that almost always highlights one of three things: 1. An important historical event 2. The life of an important historical person or 3. Preaches about some hot-button political issue in a very one-sided manner that panders to Hollywood. The following movies have these in spades. They are sometimes bad, lots of times decent, but almost rarely great.
[70] Out of Africa (1985)
[71] A Beautiful Mind (2001)
[72] The Artist (2011)
[73] From Here to Eternity (1953)
[74] Hamlet (1948)
The Last Emperor (1987)
The English Patient (1996)
THE TEN YEAR STRETCH WHERE MUSICALS TOOK OVER
From 1958-1968 a musical was chosen as Best Picture 5 times. Only 4 other musicals won in the other 84 Academy Awards combined. For whatever reason, the 60's were about musicals. And most of these are good! As a person that didn't really love musicals, it was a treat to be introduced to some of the best of all time, including several from the 1960's. Gigi is the only outlier here. There's no need for anyone to watch Gigi.
[75] Gigi (1958)
West Side Story (1961)
[76] My Fair Lady (1964)
The Sound of Music (1965)
[77] Oliver! (1968)
THE TRAVESTIES
The Academy has a much tougher time picking Best Picture than we'd like to admit. Most films don't enter the lexicon until a few years later, so there has to be some prescience on the voters part in order to pick a Best Picture winner that will hold up. These are examples of travesties that were glaring even in the moment. This is the group of picks that make the moviegoing public tune out the Academy Awards completely.
[78] Driving Miss Daisy (1989)
The reason: Do the Right Thing
The Greatest Show on Earth (1952)
The Reason: This movie has aged horribly. I'm sure that documentary style depictions of the circus were much better received in 1952, but in 2020 it's excruciating. Plus, let's get real, Singin' in the Rain came out this year and wasn't nominated for Best Picture.
The Shape of Water (2017)
The Reason: Don't nobody wanna see a lady hooking up with a fish for 2 hours.
[79] Going My Way (1944)
The Reason: It's not that Going My Way is bad, it's that Double Indemnity is that good.
Gigi (1958)
The Reason: Gigi is not a great musical; there are no great singers, dancers, and the tunes just aren't catchy. The most recognizable song "Thank Heaven for Little Girls" is fantastically cringey when heard in 2020. But the real reason this was such a travesty is that Vertigo, one of Alfred Hitchcock's masterpieces came out this year.
[80] Around the World in 80 Days (1956)
The Reason: This film is a 3-hour long showcase for different locations around the world, but as for a compelling story or characters? You won't find that here.
THE BEST OF A WEAK YEAR
Sometimes a Best Picture winner is chosen because even though nothing stands out, something has to win. "Weak year" is a relative term. There are some good/great films that came out these years, but nothing in the Best Picture nomination pool that really jumps out at you. Looking at this group of Best Picture winners, these are all in the "pretty good" range. But of the other contenders, nothing else really stands out to warrant much second-guessing.
[81] Million Dollar Baby (2004)
The underwhelming Best Picture contenders: Finding Neverland, The Aviator, Ray, Sideways
Argo (2012)
The underwhelming contenders: Silver Linings Playbook, Zero Dark Thirty, Amour, Lincoln, Les Miserables, Django Unchained, Life of Pi, Beasts of the Southern Wild
[82] Terms of Endearment (1983)
The underwhelming contenders: The Big Chill, Tender Mercies, The Right Stuff, The Dresser
Rain Main (1988)
The underwhelming contenders: Working Girl, Dangerous Liaisons, Mississippi Burning, The Accidental Tourist
[83] All the King's Men (1949)
The underwhelming contenders: A Letter to Three Wives, The Heiress, Battleground, Twelve O'Clock High
[84] Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)
The underwhelming contenders: American Sniper, Boyhood, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Imitation Game, Selma, The Theory of Everything, Whiplash
[85] Tom Jones (1963)
The underwhelming contenders: America America, Cleopatra, How the West Was Won, Lillies of the Field
OLD MOVIES THAT ARE BORING
Have you ever seen a movie from the 20's or the early 1930's? It's difficult to accurately judge them almost 100 years later. Some of the all time greats still hold up quite nicely (The General, It Happened One Night), but the sort of "middle ground" is tough to assess. This group of films were interesting cultural documents, but proved difficult to find entertainment value. It's almost as if the filmmakers just decided that since they had an interesting subject, a driving narrative was not necessary. That is decidedly NOT the case.
[86] Cavalcade (1933)
[87] Grand Hotel (1932)
[88] The Great Ziegfeld (1936)
[89] Cimarron (1931)
[90] The Broadway Melody (1929)
OLD MOVIES THAT STILL HOLD UP
This is a group of old movies that despite being released in the 20's and 30's still hold up under a modern lens. Whether it's the impressive silent film special effects of Wings, the blueprint for the romantic comedy in It Happened One Night, or the epic scope of Gone With the Wind, I would recommend giving these a shot.
[91] Wings (1927)
You Can't Take it With You (1938)
It Happened One Night (1934)
Gone With the Wind (1939)
Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)
All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
[92] The Life of Emile Zola (1937)
Best Decade: The 1970's
The 70's has so many amazing films and is only brought down by a couple of classics (Annie Hall and The French Connection) that most people love, I just didn't care for.
Worst Decade: The 1950's
While the 1950's has one of my favorite movies of all time (On the Waterfront), overall this collection of 10 is extremely lacking. 3 of my least favorites in Gigi, The Greatest Show on Earth, and Around the World in 80 Days really drag it down.
Best Surprise: It Happened One Night
Biggest Disappointment: Midnight Cowboy
Ultimate Best Picture Power Rankings:
Tier 1: Would recommend to anyone for any reason
Best Decade: The 1970's
The 70's has so many amazing films and is only brought down by a couple of classics (Annie Hall and The French Connection) that most people love, I just didn't care for.
Worst Decade: The 1950's
While the 1950's has one of my favorite movies of all time (On the Waterfront), overall this collection of 10 is extremely lacking. 3 of my least favorites in Gigi, The Greatest Show on Earth, and Around the World in 80 Days really drag it down.
Best Surprise: It Happened One Night
Biggest Disappointment: Midnight Cowboy
Ultimate Best Picture Power Rankings:
Tier 1: Would recommend to anyone for any reason
- The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
- Gladiator
- The Departed
- The Godfather
- The Godfather Part II
- On the Waterfront
- No Country for Old Men
- The Silence of the Lambs
- The Apartment
- The Hurt Locker
- It Happened One Night
- Schindler's List
- Casablanca
- The Best Years of Our Lives
- The Sound of Music
- One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
- The Bridge on the River Kwai
- Braveheart
- Parasite
- Marty
- The Sting
- Kramer vs. Kramer
- Amadeus
- Rocky
- Gone with the Wind
- Rebecca
- Forrest Gump
- The Deer Hunter
- Platoon
- 12 Years a Slave
- Ordinary People
- Gentleman's Agreement
- Argo
- West Side Story
- The Life of Emile Zola
Tier 2: Would recommend to most people - Gandhi
- All About Eve
- All Quiet on the Western Front
- Oliver!
- The Lost Weekend
- You Can't Take it With You
- Spotlight
- A Man For All Seasons
- Mrs. Miniver
- Mutiny on the Bounty
- My Fair Lady
- Rain Man
- Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
- A Beautiful Mind
- Titanic
- Unforgiven
- Patton
- All the King's Men
- Chicago
- Ben-Hur
- The King's Speech
- Green Book
- Wings
- From Here to Eternity
- In the Heat of the Night
- Dances with Wolves
- The Last Emperor
- Terms of Endearment
- Slumdog Millionaire
- Million Dollar Baby
- Lawrence of Arabia
Tier 3: Would recommend to those interested in film history - An American in Paris
- Moonlight
- Shakespeare in Love
- The Artist
- How Green Was My Valley
- The French Connection
- Annie Hall
Tier 4: Would recommend to Oscar completists only - Driving Miss Daisy
- The Broadway Melody
- Cimarron
- Tom Jones
- Going My Way
- Midnight Cowboy
- The English Patient
- Hamlet
- Chariots of Fire
- Crash
- Cavalcade
- Gigi
- Out of Africa
- Around the World in 80 Days
- Grand Hotel
- American Beauty
- The Shape of Water
Tier 5: Would recommend to those looking to take a nice nap - The Great Ziegfeld
- The Greatest Show on Earth
