comment #1

cinefan says ...

20 minutes does not a Best Picture make. I just got the two-disc special edition DVD of L.A. Confidential and the film holds up incredibly well (far superior to Titanic, a film that doesn't hold up now at all).

comment #2

Craptastic says ...

"Born on The Fourth Of July" over "Driving Miss Daisy"

comment #3

JeffGP says ...

Do the Right Thing over Born on the Fourth of July.

comment #4

The InSneider says ...

Mystic River over LOTR: ROTK
Half Nelson AND Children of Men over The Departed
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly AND There Will Be Blood over No Country For Old Men

comment #5

bmcintire says ...

THE EXORCIST over THE STING
and
BARRY LYNDON or JAWS over ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST.
The adolescent in me still holds those grudges.

TITANIC struck me as a TOWERING INFERNO-type nomination when it happened. But the fucker won! Can you imagine that Irwin Allen crapfest (McQueen, Dunaway and Newman notwithstanding) having beaten out THE GODFATHER PART II, THE CONVERSATION, CHINATOWN and LENNY?

comment #6

Markj74 says ...

83: E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial

88: The Last Emperor

93: Unforgiven

98: Titanic

03: Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World

08: There Will Be Blood

comment #7

adaml says ...

So the Oscar handed out in 03 means 02 films right? In which case...

Road to Perdition or The Quiet American over Chicago
Tom Hanks or Michael Caine over Brody
Kirsten Dunst - The Cat's Meow over Kidman

comment #8

Mark says ...

Seems to be some confusion about the years in question. Driving Miss Dailsy was handed the award in 1990. None of the decision from InSneider apply. (Or are we talking about the year the movie was released, in which case Titanic doesn't apply.)

Chicago should've been snubbed in 2003 for any of the other nominmees.

comment #9

Markj74 says ...

Hmm, I messed up, Master and Commander was nominated in 04. In which case I'd pick The Pianist or The Two Towers over Chicago, surely one of the worst films to win Best Picture.

comment #10

huntermdaniels says ...

Didn't Quiet American go DTV?

And I know this is an unpopular sentiment but I think that Eyes Wide Shut is one of Kubricks best. I've seen that movie probably 6 times and I find it utterly hypnotic. Once I start watching I just cannot stop.

comment #11

Craptastic says ...

Mark,

Just let us vent, please. :)

comment #12

Josh Massey says ...

1983 is the year that really gets me. The Right Stuff should have easily beaten out Terms of Endearment (still a great film in its own right). And if The Right Stuff had won, the Academy would have done the correct thing four years later and handed the award to Broadcast News instead of Last Emperor - but since Brooks already had one...

Oh, and Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous over Crash. Or, you know, anything else that came out in '05.

comment #13

dangovich says ...

Kirsten Dunst?

comment #14

dixiedugan says ...

We play this game over at the Classic Board at the IMdB site...except we do all years. I haven't played in a long while but it's fun speculation.

comment #15

Mark says ...

I'd be more apt to give Titanic a pass if Rose+Jack hanky panky hadn't caused the lookouts to miss sight of the iceberg; if Rose hadn't killed Jack by not staying in the original rescue boat and then hogging the one piece of big floating wood; and finally if the diamond necklace that Rose throws away would have meant anything to Jack's spirit.

In short, I'd like Titanic more if Rose wasn't such a stupid stupid girl who killed jack, and then stupidly throws away millions of dollars for no reason.

comment #16

115thDreamer says ...

Variety has the actual ballot posted - it definitely refers to the years in question as the release dates, not the year the awards were given out. So, when they say '1998', they mean that year's films, not the awarding of films from 1997. And, you get to "recall" in the actor categories too, not just Best Picture. But, you do have to pick from the original five nominees in each category, so no "Half Nelson" or other stuff that wasn't nominated.

So....one could certainly argue "Mississippi Burning" over "Rain Man" in '88. In '93, as much as I admire Hanks, the Best Actor that year was Hopkins in "Remains of the Day". In '98 I was rooting for Nolte in "Affliction" over Benigni. And, in '03, I definitely would have skipped over LOTR and it's 4-5 false endings and gone for..."Lost In Translation", I guess. Seems kind of harsh to include 1993, though, inviting people to stick it to "Schindler's List", when that was one of the easiest calls in recent memory.

comment #17

Pinko Punko says ...

Hopkins was wonderful in "Remains of the Day"- and the film was better than the book, because it was warmer and less bleak. The film painted actual inner conflict, whereas the book was a study of denial until the very end.

comment #18

DarthCorleone says ...

Limiting myself to one answer per year. Also, I'm not searching the lists of overlooked independent films that didn't receive nominations that year. My memory isn't that good.

'03 - Adaptation.
Tough to choose, but I'm a big Kaufman fan, and this is the only Nicolas Cage performance that I think is perfect. He annoys me most of the rest of the time. I love the whole meta angle, and Chris and Meryl are wonderful. I'm not a Chicago hater like many seem to be; I enjoyed it. It just doesn't warrant the title of "Best."

'98 - Boogie Nights
No contest. Great performances from a terrific ensemble. Funny, heartwrenching, and thrilling all at the same time. Titanic is a technical marvel, but the screenplay and characters just come off as flat to me.

'93 - The Player
I have no beefs with Unforgiven; it's one of my favorite films and was worthy of the title. And it seems odd to be choosing two meta Hollywood flicks in this short list. (Three if you count the porn industry as "Hollywood," although Boogie Nights isn't "meta.") But I simply love The Player. It's my favorite Altman film. Robbins plays it great, and all the weaving supporting players and cameos create quite the tapestry. Just a perfect film with a perfect ending.

'88 - Full Metal Jacket
Now we're reaching back to a time that I wasn't as aware of film, but I've managed to see most of the major candidates from that year. I saw Kubrick's Vietnam film as a young teenager, and it freaked me the fuck out. This is one of the first films I saw that made me realize I like to tap into that dark, disturbed part of human nature in my cinematic viewing.

'83 - Blade Runner
Nice that I got the chance to throw in a little sci-fi genre representation here. This film rules. It's probably the best filmic testament to what literary sci-fi aims to be - philosophical, existential, etc., as opposed to the primarily mindless actioners that have come to representation the genre. It has the most stunning production design I've ever seen in any film, and that Vangelis score just sweeps you up and takes you away.

comment #19

BurmaShave says ...

Sneider I must admit you've got balls to take on two of the recent Best Picture wins basically no one has a problem with. I'd tend to agree though, as I think CHILDREN OF MEN is the film of the decade.

comment #20

DarthCorleone says ...

Aw, damn. Oh, well. The thread started out with the year of the ceremony, so that's what I did. Maybe I'll come back and do the actual years of release.

comment #21

JaySmire says ...

Film by release year:

70- Mash over Patton
73- American Graffiti over The Sting
79- Apocalypse Now over Kramer Vs. Kramer
80- Raging Bull over Ordinary People
81- Raiders over Chariots
82- ET over Ghandi
85- Anything over Out of Africa
86- Hannah over Platoon (but I have no problem with Platoon)
89- None of the 5 films should have even been nominated. Here are five better that year:
Do the Right Thing
Henry the V
Crimes and Misdemeanors
Sex, Lies and Videotape
The Fabulous Baker Boys
90 -Goodfellas over Dances with Wolves
92- Player (should have been nominated) over Unforgiven
94- Pulp Fiction over Forest
95- Let's not even get into this shame. Winner (and not even nominated) hands down- Leaving Las Vegas
97- LA confidential over Titantic (Billy Zane, people. My God, what was that crap?)
98- Private Ryan over Shakespear in Love
2000- Traffic over Gladiator
2001- Mullholland Drive (not nominated) over Beautiful Mind
2003- Lost in Translation over Return of the King
2005- Any nominee other than Crash
2006- United 93 (not nominated) over the departed

comment #22

JaySmire says ...

response to earlier post regarding The Right Stuff. At the time Right Stuff was probably running a distant third to Tender Mercies. It wasn't well received by all. I think its rep has grown over time. It also was a box office failure. I remember seeing it as a kid and loving it, but my parents found it boring saying " we lived it. Nothing new here".

Now which film do you sit down and watch when it comes on TV? Certainly not Terms of Endearment which hasn't aged well. So Right Stuff is definitely one for a revote.

comment #23

lazarus says ...

Blade Runner is '82, not '83, DC.

It's hard to pile on against Terms of Endearment, even as a big fan of The Right Stuff. Because Brooks really made a great film that threatens to go overboard into schmaltz, but never does.

Kaufman not winning is a shame, though.

comment #24

Derby says ...

anyone besides gwyneth paltrow for best actress.

comment #25

JaySmire says ...

I just remembered-- Kaufman wasn't even nominated for directing The Right Stuff so that film had very little chance of winning. How he could not have been nominated is crazy.

comment #26

DarthCorleone says ...

Lazarus>> I'm aware of that, and I corrected myself already. That still doesn't change the fact that I'm choosing Blade Runner for 1982 / awards of 1983. Mr. Wells stipulated the years the awards were actually given out (hence Titanic) and increments of five years going back, so I was following suit.

comment #27

Chapman Carruthers says ...

1995: Heat over Braveheart
1998: The Thin Red Line over Shakespeare in Love
1999: Magnolia over American Beauty
2000: Dancer in the Dark (or anything else for that matter, including a two hour still fame of Ron Jeremy's herpetic nutsack) over Gladiator

comment #28

The InSneider says ...

Burma, I think The Departed is great. It's the only movie set I've had the privilege to work on. I just prefer Infernal Affairs. So I thought it was kinda tough giving BP to a remake, even though of all the nominees, it was the most deserving. But I still carry a torch for Half Nelson and Ryan Gosling, and Children of Men still moves me after dozens of viewings. TWBB totally should've beaten that NCFOM last year, and I was never a big LOTR guy, despite my AICN lineage. Oh well... you can't change the past. And I think the whole EW revote is kind of stupid, especially with how serious it seems to be taking itself. That said, I grew up on EW and still love it. I just think the idea is a little silly. But I hold Oscar in high regard, even after all the fuck-ups of late.

comment #29

lazarus says ...

Thanks for pointing that out, Jay. The directors only matched up 3 for 5 with pic that year, and it's hard to begrudge Ingmar Bergman a nomination. But Kaufman is overlooked in favor of Mike Nichols for Silkwood? Bruce Freaking Beresford? Peter Yates?

You're right, though, it really had no chance at pic if they couldn't acknowledge its achievement in direction.

comment #30

Rev. Slappy says ...

A Beautiful Mind was a crapfest, I'd like to see that one recalled. I would like to have seen Pulp Fiction win over Gump.

comment #31

Nick Rogers says ...

Given the years and categories in question, here would be my picks:

2003 (when I started keeping my own lists)
Actor: Bill Murray, "Lost In Translation"
Supporting Actor: Tim Robbins, "Mystic River"
Actress: Rachel Weisz, "The Shape of Things"
Supporting Actress: Altagracia Guzman, "Raising Victor Vargas"
Director: Peter Jackson, "The Return of the King"
Picture: "The Return of the King"

1998 (based on ballot)
Actor: Edward Norton, "American History X" (fuck Roberto)
Supporting Actor: Billy Bob Thornton, "A Simple Plan"
Actress: Gwyneth Paltrow, "Shakespeare in Love"
Supporting Actress: Rachel Griffiths, "Hilary and Jackie"
Director: Steven Spielberg, "Saving Private Ryan"
Picture: "Saving Private Ryan"

1993 (based on balloti)
Actor: Tom Hanks, "Philadelphia"
Supporting Actor: John Malkovich, "In the Line of Fire"
Actress: Holly Hunter, "The Piano"
Supporting Actress: Rosie Perez, "Fearless"
Director: Steven Spielberg, "Schindler's List"
Picture: "Schindler's List"

1988 (based on ballot)
Actor: Edward James Olmos, "Stand and Deliver"
Supporting Actor: Kevin Kline, "A Fish Called Wanda"
Actress: Jodie Foster, "The Accused"
Supporting Actress: Michelle Pfeiffer, "Dangerous Liaisons"
Director: Charles Crichton, "A Fish Called Wanda"
Picture: "Mississippi Burning"

1983 (based on ballot)
Actor: Robert Duvall, "Tender Mercies"
Supporting Actor: Sam Shepard, "The Right Stuff"
Actress: Meryl Streep, "Silkwood"
Supporting Actress: Glenn Close, "The Big Chill"
Director: Mike Nichols, "Silkwood"
Picture: "The Right Stuff"

comment #32

frankbooth says ...

"86- Hannah over Platoon"

BZZZZT! WRONG!

Correct answer is "neither of the above."

JaySmire falls through trap door into alligator pit.

comment #33

Zimmergirl says ...

I think people have the mistaken notion that the Academy are the People's Choice. What does this prove, this recall. Nothing. Does it exist to mix up Oscar voters who will feel overly self-conscious for their votes? It's all a bunch of shit anyway because people always hate the winner, almost always. Godfather I and II are mostly safe. Imagine if Titanic had lost. Can you imagine the outcry today? Can you even imagine??

comment #34

Dan Revill says ...

I would agree on the Master & Commander call. I think that had it not been for ROTK steamroller, then M&C would and should have won Best Picture. Mystic River is very good mind you, but there's just something about M&C that is untouchable.

comment #35

Josh Massey says ...

All That Jazz is 10 times the film Kramer vs. Kramer is. And if we had a 1988 revote right now, I'd seriously cast my ballot for Die Hard.

comment #36

lazarus says ...

I'm not sure about that, Aladdin. Master & Commander is great, but I doubt it had the votes Mystic River did, for better or worse.

And of course, the Academy made it up to Clint in a big way by creaming in their jeans for Million Dollar Baby, an even more overwrought film, over Scorsese's far superior The Aviator.

comment #37

Nick Rogers says ...

Best movies of each full year this decade: "Traffic," "The Royal Tenenbaums," "About Schmidt," "The Return of the King," "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," "A History of Violence," "United 93" and "There Will Be Blood."

comment #38

Pinko Punko says ...

There is no way Master and Commander would have won, although it is exceptional filmaking. Weir streamlined the storytelling so the film could work, yet didn't compromise the heart of the matter. Bettany's character had to be scaled back, but only in certain aspects. The film was a historical-naval-seafaring-adventure-buddy movie-action film- with quality in all aspects, including a great Russell Crowe performance. A film where I wish it had made enough money for a sequel. I think it topped 100 million, but it just didn't do enough, even though I know it has won over an extensive fanbase through cable showings.

comment #39

Rich S. says ...

1998: Shakespeare in Love over Saving Private Ryan

2008: Giants over Patriots

1988: Dodgers over A's

c1200 BCE: Greeks over Trojans

Life goes on. Get over it.

comment #40

Howlingman says ...

I LOVE Master and Commander -- one of those movies that seems to get better every time you watch it.

And in 1983 NO film came close to The Right Stuff, especially for a 10 year-old.

comment #41

DavidF says ...

I always say this but you have to remember that Oscar voters vote for OSCAR films. So, Do the Right Thing might be a better picture than Driving Miss Daisy and Pulp Fiction might bet better than Forrest Gump, but both are too "edgy" to have actually won.

The ones that always bug me are Ghandi over ET and Shakespeare in Love over Saving Private Ryan. The latter is odd for me because I think SiL is a really, really good movie fully deserving of second place - and the Weinstein's bought it first place...

I like Titanic. I liked it then and I'm not into the backlash thing. Ditto for Lord of the Rings - the "too many endings" thing is lazy criticism. It has precisely the endings it needs after 10 hours of storytelling (and that's with the elimination of one of Tolkien's most important thematic endings).

Jackson and company worked their asses off, turning an unfilmable book into three great movies - period. IF nothing else, people should be happy to see the academy breaking its own rules by rewarding a "fantasy" film.

Other random comments? I love The Right Stuff and it seems like natural Best Picture stuff (fun, sweeping, American), and it's hard to dispute Goodfellas but Dancing With Wolves is a damned good film that, like Titanic, gets hurt by backlash.

comment #42

Zimmergirl says ...

I agree, David F. People love to hate the winners. Oscar voters are not film critics and they're not fans; they're people who work IN the industry. They vote for entirely different reasons.

comment #43

Michael says ...

Next year is the 10 year anniversary of Kevin Spacey (American Beauty) stealing the prize from Russell Crowe (The Insider).

comment #44

Josh Massey says ...

Have the politics really drove away this many commenters? Six months ago, this thread would have achieved triple digits, easy.

comment #45

MDOC says ...

Massey,

Yes.

I was thinking that Pulp Fiction should have won best picture but I forgot it went up against Forrest Gump. Wells just took a shot at Gump, but it deserved the glory. hate on Gump all you want but it's the kind of movie that will play every year around the holidays for the next 50 years and families will gather round and watch it and mist up every time. Gump could have easily been awful, Zemeckis and Hanks really knocked it out of the park.

comment #46

Rich S. says ...

Josh,

Yes, that is exactly what's happened. Just wait until after the election. You'll be able to hear crickets.

comment #47

I,Claudius says ...

1982 (from the ballot)

Tootsie over the interminable, tedious Ghandi

Sidney Pollack (Tootsie) over Richard Attenborough (Ghandi)

Dustin Hoffman (Tootsie) over Ben Kingsley (Ghandi)

Jessica Lange (Frances) over Meryl Streep (Sophie's Choice) - the most overrated performance in film history?

John Lithgow (World According to Garp) over Louis Gossett (An Officer and a Gentleman)

Glenn Close (World According to Garp) Over Jessica Lange (Tootsie)

comment #48

frankbooth says ...

Clearly, ACORN is responsible for driving away the commenters.

comment #49

Abbey Normal says ...

I have always despised Forrest Gump and all it stands for...

To me, giving that award to Gump and not Pulp Fiction was a generational "fuck you," a shiv driven between the ribs of Gen X by self-important Academy Boomer shitbags. They should all be ashamed of themselves.

comment #50

ZacharyTF says ...

2003:
Best Picture - The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
Best Director - Peter Jackson for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
Best Actor - Johnny Depp for Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.
Best Actress - Charlize Theron for Monster.
Best Supporting Actor - Tim Robbins for Mystic River.
Best Supporting Actress - Marcia Gay Harden for Mystic River.

1998:
Best Picture - Saving Private Ryan.
Best Director - Steven Spielberg for Saving Private Ryan.
Best Actor - Tom Hanks for Saving Private Ryan.
Best Actress - Cate Blanchett for Elizabeth.
Best Supporting Actor - Ed Harris for The Truman Show.
Best Supporting Actress - Lynn Redgrave for Gods and Monsters.

1993:
Best Picture - Schindler’s List.
Best Director - Steven Spielberg for Schindler’s List.
Best Actor - Liam Neeson for Schindler’s List.
Best Actress - Angela Bassett for What’s Love Got To Do With It.
Best Supporting Actor - Ralph Fiennes for Schindler’s List.
Best Supporting Actress - Emma Thompson for In the Name of the Father.

1988:
Best Picture - Rain Man.
Best Director - Martin Scorsese for The Last Temptation of Christ.
Best Actor - Tom Hanks for Big.
Best Actress - Jodie Foster for The Accused.
Best Supporting Actor - Kevin Kline for A Fish Called Wanda.
Best Supporting Actress - Geena Davis for The Accidental Tourist.

1983:
Best Picture - The Right Stuff.
Best Director - Ingmar Bergman for Fanny and Alexander.
Best Actor - Robert Duvall for Tender Mercies.
Best Actress - Debra Winger for Terms of Endearment.
Best Supporting Actor - Jack Nicholson for Terms of Endearment.
Best Supporting Actress - Glenn Close for The Big Chill.

comment #51

Chapman Carruthers says ...

This place is a borderline ghost town these days. Bremerton after the inevitable defense cuts, or Flint, right now, and always. Reminds me of something Leonard Cohen wrote, sorta:

The river is swollen up with rusty cans
and the trees are burning in your promised land.
And there are no milk cartons upon your stoop, (thanks Milkman)
and there are no grapes upon the vine,
and there are no chocolates in the boxes anymore,
and there are no diamonds in the mine.

comment #52

PrisonJake says ...

How about American Beauty over Magnolia, The Insider, Being John Malkovich, Fight Club, and The Talented Mr. Ripley in '99? Sure, AB is a great movie, but not the "best" of that year, in my opinion.

Also, Barton Fink wasn't even nominated in '91, and should've beaten The Silence of the Lambs. They're both two of my favorite films, but I think Barton's the best Coens film and probably gets the least amount of credit.

comment #53

MDOC says ...

Silence of the Lambs is a great film. I'm actually still suprised the academy did the right thing and honored it.

comment #54

T. S. Idiot says ...

1983:
The Right Stuff
Bergman for Fanny and Alexander
Conti for Reuben, Reuben
Walters for Educating Rita
Shepard for The Right Stuff
Hunt for Year of Living Dangerously

1988:
Rain Man (in a weak crowd)
Levinson for Rain Man
Hoffman for Rain Man
Close for Dangerous Liaisons
Guinness for Little Dorrit
Pfeiffer for Dangerous Lisisons

1993:
In the Name of the Father (in a strong crowd)
Sheridan for In the Name of the Father
Hopkins for Remains of the Day
Hunter for The Piano
Fiennes for Schindler's List (wish Keitel had been nominated)
Paquin for The Piano

1998:
Shakespeare in Love
Malick for Thin Red Line
Nolte for Affliction
Blanchett for Elizabeth
Coburn for Affliction
Griffiths for Hilary and Jackie

2003:
Master and Commander
Weir for Master and Commander
Murray for Lost in Translation
Castle-Hughes for Whale Rider
Baldwin for The Cooler
Hunter for Thirteen

comment #55

Josh Massey says ...

"They're both two of my favorite films, but I think Barton's the best Coens film and probably gets the least amount of credit."

What about The Godfather Part III getting a nomination over Miller's Crossing? Who would make that argument today?

comment #56

PrisonJake says ...

I tried to block that from my memory.

comment #57

TheJERMSguy says ...

Judy Davis over Marisa Tomei

Sam Jackson over Martin Landau

Shawshank Redemption over Forrest Gump

Robert Duvall (Apostle) over Jack Nicholson (Good as it gets)

Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon over Gladiator

Citizen Kane over How Green Was My Valley

Ian McKellen over Roberto Benigni!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

comment #58

JB Moore says ...

Martin Landau was a good pick in '94/'95. He deserved it.

Jackson should have been nominated for (and won) best ACTOR that year. I always felt that the academy screwed up in nominating him for supporting actor instead of leading.

And speaking of ED WOOD, it deserved noms for pic, Depp, and Burton. It's a career high for everyone.

comment #59

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