The "best" best Oscar winners: movies etc

[Mighty Jack]

We bitched about the times they got it wrong, how about when they got it right?

I know, I know, the Academy Awards are a joke, yadda, yadda, yadda – there have been books and blogs where folks have listed better choices… yet hells bells, those are only one person’s opinion as well.

But no - I’m not saying Oscars the avatar of great taste, but it is a part of our movie culture, and since this is where we talk movies, lets have a go, wont you?

Mine (best picture winners)

American Beauty
Years ago we interviewed Mike... and Mike hated this movie. I defended it and took a truckload of crap for it on this board. I still feel the scars.

And I still love this movie. The glowing way people spoke about Pulp Fiction or the Social Network in the other thread mirrors the same feelings I had for American Beauty. Plus at the time it echoed my own thoughts about materialism, feeling trapped, feeling like somehow, you lost your way. After my wife and I saw the film, in the car as I drove us home I could feel her staring at me…

“What?” I said

“That was scary.”

“Hu?”

“It’s like someone crawled in your head with some of that dialog.”

The Awards? Yeah I know it’s about politicking. The previous year Mirmax spent oodles trying to sway voters, and many feel stole the Best Picture Oscar from Dreamworks (Private Ryan). This year Dreamworks was determined not to let that happen again. And it’s funny; it was a low budget movie with not any huge stars or a big name director. Geffen could care less and Katzenberg dismissively called it “Spielberg’s hobby”. But when the dream team finally saw it they were blown away.

It wasn’t a given, many felt it would be too dark and not mainstream enough for Oscar... but when it won I just about did back flips. I normally don’t get too high, or low with these awards. I watch with some curiosity but not any true emotional investment. But I really, really wanted AB to get this.

So suck on that Mike Nelson, we are the champions! (kidding, kidding … I still love ya Mike)

Others:
I dig Clint Eastwood, and I dug Unforgiven and Million Dollar baby - so I was glad to see wins for both.

Old school:
On the Waterfront is (with 7 Samurai) my all time favorite movie. So I feel Oscar got that one right as well.

Yours?

[TheNewMads]

most definitely "the apartment," which won in, i think, 1961. just perfect in every way. it even nearly survived having shirley maclaine in it! others that spring to mind but that i can't remember off the top of my head if they actually won best picture are "his girl friday" and "2001: a space odyssey." (i think that won, didn't it?) i think the academy awards are such a degraded exercise that i rarely notice or remember who won best picture. the apartment used to be a movie i watched every year after catching it randomly on tv one time, but it never occurred to me it would be a nominee, so when i learned it had won best picture back in the day i was delighted.

(i agree about american beauty, by the way. great film, that. although i didn't really buy the floating bag thing.)

[TheNewMads]

did you ever hear the yarn that 2001: a space odyssey was a nominee for best costumes, but planet of the apes won because the academateers thought the apes in 2001 were real? i don't know for sure if it's true but it's a great story nonetheless.

[Mighty Jack]

The Apartment absolutely. Great choice and a great movie.

I agree with you also that I don't remember a lot of who won or lost, unless I'm working on a thread and look it up. I didn't know Chicago won best picture until it was brought up in the other thread. Then I was like, "Oh yeah, that's right". And there are movies I thought would have easily been nominated, then found out later they weren't.

[Mighty Jack]

Just watched "Once" again - I love the film to death - but it reminded me of how happy I was when the duo won for best song. Year after year Oscar gives awards to musical pablum (or the 'musically safe' at the least) and it was nice that something moving and seriously skilled and fantastic actually won in this category.

[inlovewithcrow]

Ray Milland was terrific in The Lost weekend

I liked Bridge over the River Kwai, so all the awards for that seem right.

I thought Shakespeare in Love was cleverly written and don't mind at all it got Best Picture

I can't argue with Audrey Hepburn for Roman Holiday, Joanne Woodward, Liza Minelli, Susan Sarandon, Kate Winslet...in fact I'd say they got the actress right more often than not.

And a list of the winning songs has some real jewels in the 50's and 60's.

[Shep]

"One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"

Alternately hilarious and heartbreaking, with arguably Nicholson's finest performance.

[zombiewhacker]

Schindler's List deserved every Oscar it got and frankly was screwed out of one more (Liam Neeson was nominated but lost.)

[zombiewhacker]

Actually, it was screwed out of two. Somehow Ralph Fiennes lost to Tommy Lee Jones (the latter winning for The Fugitive).