75.)
War Movie(check), overly long (check), and a much better film left playing second fiddle (check).
Who it Beat: Fargo, Shine, Jerry Maguire, Secrets & Lies
What Should Have Won: Fargo
My Favorite Movie of 1996: Trainspotting
74.)
One the most popular movies in all of history, I remember the absolute fever that some people had when it came out. However, I was not one of those people who saw it multiple times to help it blow past a billion dollars. Back in the day when VHS was a thing, I would be just fine simply watching the second tape and calling it a day.
Who it Beat: As Good as It Gets, Good Will Hunting, L.A. Confidential, The Full Monty
What Should Have Won: L.A. Confidential
My Favorite Movie of 1997: L.A. Confidential
73.)
So in a way this is a bonus movie, because in the first ever Academy Awards there were two Best Picture Winners. Sunrise won Best Picture Unique and Artistic Production, whereas Wings won Best Picture, Production. I'm not sure the difference, but that's the way it was.
Who it Beat: Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness, The Crowd
What Should Have Won: Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans
My Favorite Movie of 1927: Metropolis
72
Oliver! (1968)Not the worst musical to win Best Picture, but it's definitely the head of one of the worst crops of nominees.
Who It Beat: The Lion in Winter, Rachel, Rachel, Funny Girl, Romeo and Juliet
What Should Have Won: The Lion in Winter
My Favorite of 1968: Once Upon a Time in the West
71.)
So a bunch of British dudes running beat out Indiana Jones? On a side note, 1981 was a great year for horror movies, with The Evil Dead and An American Werewolf in Paris both debuting.
What it Beat: On Golden Pond, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Atlantic City, Reds
What Should Have Won: Raiders of the Lost Ark
My Favorite of 1981: Raiders of the Lost Ark
70.)
An interesting look at King Henry VII trying to get a divorce and the man who told him to slow his role. It was not however, remotely close to the best that year.
Who It Beat: Alfie, The Russians are Coming! The Russians are Coming!, The Sand Pebbles, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
What Should Have Won: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
My Favorite of 1966: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
69.)
Not the most exciting Best Picture to have for your birth year. This year is also missing some of the more memorable films from the nominees including Full Metal Jacket, The Princess Bride, and The Untouchables. Not to mention personal favorites Spaceballs, Lethal Weapon, Angel Heart, and The Evil Dead II.
Who it Beat: Broadcast News, Hope and Glory, Moonstruck, Fatal Attraction
What Should Have Won: Broadcast News
My Favorite of 1987: The Princess Bride
68.)
Out of Africa (1985)Meryl Streep and Robert Redford are good and the scenery is even better, but the story is not the greatest. Back to the Future gets a Best Original Screenplay nomination, but is shut out of the big award.
Who it Beat: Witness, Prizzi's Honor, The Color Purple, The Kiss of the Spider Woman
What Should Have Won: The Kiss of the Spider Woman
My Favorite of 1985: Clue
67.)
A rollercoaster of emotions for this mother and daughter story. Jack Nicholson wins the Oscar for Supporting Actor with his portrayal of Shirley MacLaine's neighbor and hopeful lover. Boy 1983 was a depressing crop of films.
Who it Beat: Tender Mercies, The Right Stuff, The Dresser, The Big Chill
What Should Have Won: The Right Stuff
My Favorite of 1983: Return of the Jedi
66.)
The Lost Weekend (1945)Admittedly it's been years since I've watched this one, but it didn't particularly stay with me. Ray Milland turns in a strong performance to win Best Actor.
Who it Beat: Anchors Aweigh, Spellbound, Mildred Pierce, The Bells of St. Mary's
What Should Have Won: Mildred Pierce
My Favorite of 1945: Mildred Pierce
65.)
The Greatest Show on Earth (1952)Filled with big top excitement and fun cameos, The Greatest Show on Earth ends of being a middle of the road film to go with all the other middle of the road nominees. Look for Jimmy Stewart as a clown on the run from Johnny Law.
Who it Beat: Ivanhoe, High Noon, Moulin Rouge, The Quiet Man
What Should Have Won: High Noon
My Favorite of 1952: Umberto D
64.)
Jack Lemmon and Billy Wilder should make for a movie that ranks higher on this list and I wanted to like it more than I did, but when it was over, it didn't meet my expectations.
Who it Beat: Sons and Lovers, The Alamo, The Sundowners, Elmer Gantry
What Should Have Won: Elmer Gantry
My Favorite of 1960: Psycho
63.)
Gentleman's Agreement (1947)Gregory Peck pretends to be Jewish to cover a story about Anti-Semitism and then he finds out all of his friends and family suck.
Who It Beat: Crossfire, Great Expectations, Miracle on 34th Street, The Bishop's Wife
What Should Have Won: Miracle on 34th Street
My Favorite of 1947: Miracle on 34th Street
62.)
From Here to Eternity (1953)Love and boxing set with World War II in the background. The poster features one of the more iconic moments in cinema history and the fight scenes are well done, but I could without the inbetween.
Who It Beat: Roman Holiday, Shane, The Robe, Julius Caesar
What Should Have Won: Shane
My Favorite of 1953: Stalag 17
61.)
Chicago (2002)Hey a musical that's not half bad. "They Both Reached for the Gun", would get stuck in my head and it's also one of the few Best Picture winners that I watched in theaters.
Who it Beat: Gangs of New York, LOTR: The Two Towers, The Hours, The Pianist
What Should Have Won: The Pianist
My Favorite of 2002: Adaptation
60.)
Wings (1927)The first official winner of what is now the Best Picture category and like Sunrise is a silent film. Wings however, is brought to life by the score and the amazing WWI dogfight scenes that are captured brilliantly and you have a recipe for success.
Who It Beat: 7th Heaven, The Racket
What Should Have Won: Wings
My Favorite of 1927: Metropolis
59.)
World War I from the German perspective as a young man laments about the horrors of trench warfare. Lewis Milestone shows his range as he previously won an Oscar for Best Director in a Comedy Picture and would be nominated again for the comedy The Front Page.
Who It Beat: Disraeli, The Big House, The Divorcee, The Love Parade
What Should Have Won: All Quiet on the Western Front
My Favorite of 1930: All Quiet on the Western Front
58.)
The Life of Emile Zola (1937)Paul Muni plays a French writer who sticks it to the man by uncovering the truth about a military officer who is wrongly imprisoned. It's journalism vs corruption, which is right up my alley. Not up my alley is Muni playing a Chinese farmer in the also nominated The Good Earth.
Who It Beat: A Star is Born, Captain Courageous, Dead End, In Old Chicago, Lost Horizon, One Hundred Men and a Girl, Stage Door, The Awful Truth, The Good Earth
What Should Have Won: Stage Door
My Favorite of 1937: Le Grande Illusion
57.)
It's a dinner party gone horribly wrong as a rich bachelor (Jimmy Stewart) is accompanied by his snobbish parents to meet his fiance's eccentric family; except the come a day too soon.
Who It Beat: Alexander's Ragtime Band, Boys Town, Four Daughters, Grand Illusion, Jezebel, Pygmalion, Test Pilot, The Adventures of Robin Hood, The Citadel
What Should Have Won: The Adventures of Robin Hood
My Favorite of 1938: Bringing Up Baby
56.)
A self-loathing awkward bachelor meets a girl that he has a great time with, but will he decide to continue seeing her, or will his friends and family talk him out of it. Ernest Borgnine turns in a genuine performance.
Who It Beat: Love is a Many Splendored Thing, Mister Roberts, Picnic, The Rose Tattoo
What Should Have Won: Mister Roberts
My Favorite of 1955: The Trouble With Harry
55.)
The Artist (2011)The Artist is a fine picture, but this is one of those where you know the academy is going to fall all over itself for. It's a silent film about old Hollywood, I'm not sure why they even nominated the other movies. Moneyball, The Descendents, and War Horse are some of my favorite films, so this win is definitely a disappointment. Side note, I love the dog in this movie and he made it back-to-back strong years for terriers as the dog in Beginners was equally phenomenal.
Who It Beat: Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, Midnight in Paris, Moneyball, The Tree of Life, War Horse, Hugo, The Descendents, The Help
What Should Have Won: War Horse
My Favorite of 2011: A Separation
54.)
Green Book (2018)Did you ever wonder what Driving Miss Daisy would look like in the opposite set-up? Well look no further. Just like The Artist, you just scream at the academy and say what are you thinking. Once again, it's a fine movie, but I literally have either other nominee ranked higher on my 2018 list. And how is Mahershala Ali a supporting actor? He's literally in 85% of the movie!!!! He's one of two people on the freaking poster!!!
Who It Beat: Vice, Blackkklansman, Roma, A Star is Born, Black Panther, Bohemian Rhapsody, The Favourite
What Should Have Won: The Favourite
My Favorite of 2018: The Hate U Give
53.)
I mean it has Morgan Freeman, so that's pretty good right? But try and think of the memorable line from this film compared to "O Captain! My Captain!" or "If you build it, they will come."
Who It Beat: Field of Dreams, Dead Poets Society, Born on the Fourth of July, My Left Foot
What Should Have Won: Dead Poets Society
My Favorite of 1989: Dead Poets Society
52.)
This movie showcases the beauty, alongside fellow nominee The Wizard of Oz, of what would come to motion pictures that were shot in color. A grand epic that attempts to draw my sympathies for the way things went for plantation owners in the South after the Civil War, but frankly my dear I don't give a damn.
Who It Beat: The Wizard of Oz, Dark Victory, Goodbye, Mr. Chips, Love Affair, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Ninotchka, Of Mice and Men, Stagecoach, Wuthering Heights
What Should Have Won: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
My Favorite of 1939: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
51.)
Jamal has to prove he didn't cheat before he can answer the final question on the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. He reflects on his life and tells stories about how his experiences helped answer the questions asked. Dev Patel and Freida Pinto make their big screen debuts with Patel later earning an Oscar nom for his strong performance in Lion. This is also the final year of just five films being nominated as had been done since 1945.
Who it Beat: The Reader, Milk, Frost/Nixon, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
What Should Have Won: Milk
My Favorite of 2008: The Dark Knight
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