From 1989 to 2014
The movies that deserved the Oscar for BEST PICTURE
1989
The 1989 Oscar went to Driving Miss Daisy. The winner should have been Field of Dreams. From the speech below, to the catch with his dad, this movie was not just the best movie of 1989, it was one of the best movies of all time.
1990
The 1990 Oscar went to Dances With Wolves which was the correct choice. Goodfellas was an amazing movie, and struck a lot of people with it's graphic portrayal of the rise and fall of a mobster. While a great movie, it was not as good as the epic Dances With Wolves.
1991
The 1991 Oscar went to Silence of the Lambs which was correct again.Boyz n the Hood does not get as much credit as it should. If it had come out another year, Boyz n the Hood could have been the best picture.
1992
The 1992 Oscar went to Unforgiven. The Academy was on a roll, three straight! This one was easy, with the exception of The Last of the Mohicans, there wasn't much competition. Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman and Gene Hackman were part of possibly the greatest Western ever made.
1993
The 1993 Oscar went to Schindler's List, another flawless victory for the Academy. This was a "lay-up" since in just about any other year, Schindler's List would have been the best picture. Easily one of the top 15 movies of all time.
1994
The 1994 Oscar went to Forrest Gump. While Pulp Fiction was great as well, there may not be a better movie for any year than The Shawshank Redemption. The entire cast of this movie was superb, the story was top notch and the beauty of every scene is unparalleled.
1995
The 1995 Oscar went to Braveheart. While Braeheart was a good choice, Apollo 13 was a better movie, as was Se7en. Braveheart, Dances With Wolves and Gladiator a few years later feel like the same movie. Giving Oscars to all three seems silly. Morgan Freeman is again in this one (Se7en), he knows how to pick 'em.
1996
The 1996 Oscar went to The English Patient. Yawn... It was a good movie, but MAN was it boring for most of it. The Oscar should have gone to Fargo. It was fun, exciting, terrifying, funny, intelligent and beautifully shot. Another one of the greatest movies of all time.
1997
The 1997 Oscar went to Titanic. Yes, highest grossing, but the best? The Oscar should have gone to L.A. Confidential. Another great cast, another movie full of amazing performances and a very good story.
1998
The 1998 Oscar went to Shakespeare in Love.Another safe choice for the Academy, but the winner should have been The Truman Show. From Jim Carrey's performance as Truman Burbank to Ed Harris as Christof, this movie was incredible. Watch the final scene below for a reminder of its greatness.
1999
The 1999 Oscar went to American Beauty. While American Beauty was an incredibly wonderful movie, The Green Mile was the better picture. R.I.P. Michael Clarke Duncan, you were the standout in this movie full of stars.
2000
The 2000 Oscar went to Gladiator. Another epic, grand movie. It was too much like Braveheart. While Gladiator was an achievement for its size and scope, Cast Away was the better movie. Tom Hanks was the only person in the movie for most of its 2+ hour run time and man did he deliver a performance for the ages. See below for one of the few scenes where he has to share the screen. Notice that even when someone else is on screen with Mr. Hanks, he is still pretty much the only one talking.
2001
The 2001 Oscar went to A Beautiful Mind. In the midst of the Academy's love affair with Russell Crowe, they neglected some really good movies. This year it was The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. The best of the trilogy, people were not ready to award the series yet. Out of all three films, this one was the most deserving.
2002
The 2002 Oscar went to Chicago. While a great musical, it was not the best picture. The best picture should have gone to Gangs of New York. Daniel Day Lewis, Leonardo DiCaprio, New York City before it was the New York City as we know it today. Terrifying, captivating and kind of fun. Watch it again if you've forgotten its greatness.
2003
The 2003 Oscar went to The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. The Oscar should have gone to Mystic River. Tim Robbins turns in a stunning performance while the story keeps you guessing: Who committed that terrible crime? What a thriller!
2004
The 2004 Oscar went to Million Dollar Baby. The Oscar should have gone to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Another great performance by Jim Carrey, another Oscar snub. This time the entire movie was passed over, not even receiving an Oscar nomination for best picture. Kate Winslet was superb as Clementine. The progression of Joel & Clementine's relationship is absolutely beautiful.
2005
The 2005 Oscar went to Crash. Another "lay-up," Crash was Oscar worthy in EVERY scene. I dare you to watch it and not cry at some point.
2006
The 2006 Oscar went to The Departed. Back to back years. Congrats Academy. While this was one of the greatest movies of all time with an all-star cast, it's the kind of movie you can't watch again. It just takes too much out of you. If you haven't seen it, you have to watch it at least once. So brutal.
2007
The 2007 Oscar went to No Country for Old Men. This was an incredibly tough decision, but There Will Be Blood was the better picture. Man-oh-man was Daniel Day Lewis on top of his game... No Country for Old Men was so good and Javier Bardem was terrifying, but he would cower to Daniel Plainview.
2008
The 2008 Oscar went to Slumdog Millionaire. There was more than one picture more deserving than Slumdog in 2008: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Reader and the best movie of the year - The Dark Knight. Heath Ledger was not the only great performance in this movie. Everyone was on their "A-game." Superhero movies never get the credit that they deserve, but this movie was one of the best ever. Shame on you Academy. In the future, you'll be kicking yourselves for missing this one.
2009
The 2009 Oscar went to The Hurt Locker, the correct choice. While it was a slow year for movies, that does not take anything away from The Hurt Locker. It still could have won best picture any number of other years.
2010
The 2010 Oscar went to The King's Speech. With respects to Inception, The King's Speech was the better picture. Inception was the cinematic achievement of the year, while Colin Firth turned in the performance of the year.
2011
The 2011 Oscar went to The Artist. 2011 was a weak year for movies. Nothing else stood out enough to take The Artist from the top spot.
2012
The 2012 Oscar went to Argo. Another good choice by the Academy. 4 in a row! Both intense and suspenseful, this well written drama was full of action and great performances. Ben Affleck has been on a roll since Gone Baby Gone.
2013
The 2013 Oscar went to 12 Years a Slave.Another great year filled with great movies, but can you honestly say that any movie in recent memory pulled you in and made you feel like part of the film like Gravity did? If you saw Gravity in 3D, or in a movie theater you felt the terror, the suspense, the fear in Sandra Bullock's incredible performance. The Academy missed this one again, Sandra Bullock pulled a Tom Hanks (Cast Away - 2000) and thrilled us virtually all by herself.
Will the Academy get it right for the movies that came out in 2014? Tell me if I missed a movie that you thought was more deserving for any year. Thanks for reading!
