worst Best Picture-winning film ever (Oscars)

[throatybeard]

Explain.

People will probably have trouble with my including Kwai.

I wanted My Fair Lady and The Sound of Music in there but I knew I couldn't make it all musicals. I also saw Tearms of Endearment had 90% on RT so I backed off that.

2535, please repost your response. I had trouble with the poll and had to start over.

[2535Miles]

Explain.

People will probably have trouble with my including Kwai.

I wanted My Fair Lady and The Sound of Music in there but I knew I couldn't make it all musicals. I also saw Tearms of Endearment had 90% on RT so I backed off that.

2535, please repost your response. I had trouble with the poll and had to start over.
I almost went with Terms of Endearment for the same reason I am going with 1978's The Deer Hunter. I wholeheartedly believe this movie deserved the award but I saw it for the first time when my brother was on his first tour of Iraq. I bawled, and bawled, and bawled. This movie ruined me for days.

Edit: Wish this had been multiple choice :D

[pfrduke]

I voted for two - Chicago, which actually is the worst Best Picture winner I've seen, and Forrest Gump, which is the worst selection for Best Picture (winning over both Pulp Fiction and the Shawshank Redemption). I actually like Forrest Gump, but defeating what are arguably two of the 5-10 best films of all time was a travesty.

[pfrduke]

I wanted My Fair Lady and The Sound of Music in there but I knew I couldn't make it all musicals.

And good you left them off. This guy has a soft spot for My Fair Lady (now where'd that threat about things we're embarrassed to admit go . . .)

[snowdenscold]

Forrest Gump was actually '94, not '95 (that was Braveheart). I think FG, Shawshank and Pulp Fiction are all excellent so I wouldn't have a problem with any of them winning. FG did and I'm fine with that.

I haven't seen the first two so I couldn't comment.

I meant to vote for Chicago as my 2nd one but was distracted and hit submit before I did.

That brings up to Titanic. Gattaca, Good Will Hunting, and (in my mind, the real Best Picture that year) LA Confidential are three of my favorite movies and all from '97.

Oh, and it's not on there, but Gosford Park should have beaten out A Beautiful Mind in 2001 - but not many people have heard of it or seen it (it was nominated though) so it probably didn't get many academy votes.

I liked Crash and am happy it won - also, that movie has perhaps the single most emotionally intense moment of any film I've ever seen.

[dukemomLA]

There are many -- usually because of competition more deserving.

But I had to vote for The Greatest Show on Earth. Not necessarily a bad movie, but....the competition: High Noon

The again, (1956) Around the World in 80 Days won against Giant, The King & I, the Ten Commandments

Then in 1958, Gigi won rather than The Defiant Ones and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

and not to beat a dead horse, but in 1980, Ordinary People took home the prize rather than Raging Bull. (I'll stop here and leave the next 25+ years to others).

[YmoBeThere]

Hindsight bias...the Oscars awarded many years ago(particularly musicals) reflect the values and tastes of the time. I was reading an article somewhere that showed a distinct lack of understanding of the time context between generations. It used a nursing home example where the staff played Elvis Presley from the '60's for someone in their 70's who grew up with Big Band era music. The Elvis stuff may have been "old" for the person who chose it, but was hardly "contemporary" for the elderly person.

[Lavabe]

Oliver! was a weird year. The acting awards were impressive. Kate Hepburn (The Lion in Winter) TIED with Barbra Streisand (Funny Girl). Peter O'Toole (The Lion in Winter) lost to Cliff Robertson (Charly). I think the acting in Lion and Funny Girl cancelled each other out when it came to voting for best picture. Add in Romeo & Juliet and Paul Newman's "Rachel, Rachel" and I believe votes for Oliver! weren't competing with those of other nominees.

Meanwhile, "2001: A Space Odyssey" (Stanley Kubrick) was given a nomination for directing (Oliver! won that), but received NO nomination for best picture. I guess that movie wasn't appreciated back then as it is now.

My sentimental choice from that year was the over-the-top acting of Charlton Heston in Planet of the Apes.

Cheers,
Lavabe

[bdh21]

I voted for two - Chicago, which actually is the worst Best Picture winner I've seen, and Forrest Gump, which is the worst selection for Best Picture (winning over both Pulp Fiction and the Shawshank Redemption). I actually like Forrest Gump, but defeating what are arguably two of the 5-10 best films of all time was a travesty.

Really? I'd be voting for Shawshank if it had won best picture. I think Pulp Fiction deserved the honor.

[Duvall]

I voted for two - Chicago, which actually is the worst Best Picture winner I've seen, and Forrest Gump, which is the worst selection for Best Picture (winning over both Pulp Fiction and the Shawshank Redemption). I actually like Forrest Gump, but defeating what are arguably two of the 5-10 best films of all time was a travesty.

I don't understand.

[A-Tex Devil]

As others have said - Forest Gump. Quiz Show was also that year, along with Shawshank and Pulp Fiction. Forest Gump was pure schmaltz in my mind when I first saw it, and it doesn't hold up well for me either. I understand why people like it, and that's cool, but it wasn't Oscar-worthy.

Someone once said -- if you want an Oscar, play someone sick (physically or mentally) or slow, or ugly yourself up. Go back and look at best actor/actress awards and best pictures and it's pretty amazing how many winners fall into one of those categories.

[xenic]

I voted for two - Chicago, which actually is the worst Best Picture winner I've seen, and Forrest Gump, which is the worst selection for Best Picture (winning over both Pulp Fiction and the Shawshank Redemption). I actually like Forrest Gump, but defeating what are arguably two of the 5-10 best films of all time was a travesty.

PF and SR are both good movies, but IMO neither comes close to top 5-10 of all time.

[Lavabe]

As others have said - Forest Gump. Quiz Show was also that year, along with Shawshank and Pulp Fiction. Forest Gump was pure schmaltz in my mind when I first saw it, and it doesn't hold up well for me either. I understand why people like it, and that's cool, but it wasn't Oscar-worthy.

Someone once said -- if you want an Oscar, play someone sick (physically or mentally) or slow, or ugly yourself up. Go back and look at best actor/actress awards and best pictures and it's pretty amazing how many winners fall into one of those categories.

Difference of opinion: Take a look at both actors/actresses in the 2000's:

Best Actor in the 2000's
2000 Russell Crowe - Gladiator as Maximus
2001 Denzel Washington - Training Day as Alonzo Harris
2002 Adrien Brody - The Pianist as Wladyslaw Szpilman
2003 Sean Penn - Mystic River as Jimmy Markum
2004 Jamie Foxx - Ray as Ray Charles
2005 Philip Seymour Hoffman - Capote as Truman Capote
2006 Forest Whitaker - The Last King of Scotland as Idi Amin
2007 Daniel Day-Lewis - There Will Be Blood as Daniel Plainview

Best Actress in the 2000's
2000 Julia Roberts - Erin Brockovich as Erin Brockovich
2001 Halle Berry - Monster's Ball as Leticia Musgrove
2002 Nicole Kidman - The Hours as Virginia Woolf
*2003 Charlize Theron - Monster as Aileen
*2004 Hilary Swank - Million Dollar Baby as Maggie Fitzgerald
2005 Reese Witherspoon - Walk the Line as June Carter
2006 Helen Mirren - The Queen as The Queen
2007 Marion Cotillard - La Vie en Rose as Edith Piaf

I'll give you 2003 & 2004. I might give you Nicole Kidman for wearing a prosthetic nose.;) And hey, if having a death scene and a troubled life counts, well, I'd include Cotillard. Otherwise, I'm having trouble coming up with an amazing number of Oscar-winning actresses from 1980 - 1999 that fit the hypothesis, at least for the course of a movie.

Of course, I'll defer to Shammrog about his former avatar's TWO Oscars for best actress.;) Swank's performance in MDB was great.

On the actor side, I agree with your hypothesis during the 1984-1996 stretch (F. Murray Abraham, Cage, Hanks, Hanks, Dustin Hoffman, Hopkins, Pacino, Geoffrey Rush).

Other than that, I don't think the hypothesis is as amazing as you stated, especially in the 2000's.

Cheers,
Lavabe

[pfrduke]

PF and SR are both good movies, but IMO neither comes close to top 5-10 of all time.

That's why I said arguably. For what it's worth (and I don't think it's worth much), both poll in the top 5 of IMDB's top 250.

[Shammrog]

I would have voted "other," but I am not sure on this:

Did The English Patient win Best Picture? If it did, it gets my vote. It was one of the worst movies I have ever seen.

This may be sacrilege, but I also didn't like 2001: A Space Odyssey either...

[rockymtn devil]

I voted other. Titanic was not that great a movie and it beat L.A. Confidential which, as someone as already noted, was the best movie that year.

[xenic]

I would have voted "other," but I am not sure on this:

Did The English Patient win Best Picture? If it did, it gets my vote. It was one of the worst movies I have ever seen.

This may be sacrilege, but I also didn't like 2001: A Space Odyssey either...

Word. That movie is unbearable.

[rasputin]

I'm not sure which one it is, but between Gigi, The Sound of Music, and Kramer vs. Kramer, one is deserving.

[tecumseh]

Difference of opinion: Take a look at both actors/actresses in the 2000's:

Best Actor in the 2000's
2000 Russell Crowe - Gladiator as Maximus
2001 Denzel Washington - Training Day as Alonzo Harris
2002 Adrien Brody - The Pianist as Wladyslaw Szpilman
2003 Sean Penn - Mystic River as Jimmy Markum
2004 Jamie Foxx - Ray as Ray Charles
2005 Philip Seymour Hoffman - Capote as Truman Capote
2006 Forest Whitaker - The Last King of Scotland as Idi Amin
2007 Daniel Day-Lewis - There Will Be Blood as Daniel Plainview

Best Actress in the 2000's
2000 Julia Roberts - Erin Brockovich as Erin Brockovich
2001 Halle Berry - Monster's Ball as Leticia Musgrove
2002 Nicole Kidman - The Hours as Virginia Woolf
*2003 Charlize Theron - Monster as Aileen
*2004 Hilary Swank - Million Dollar Baby as Maggie Fitzgerald
2005 Reese Witherspoon - Walk the Line as June Carter
2006 Helen Mirren - The Queen as The Queen
2007 Marion Cotillard - La Vie en Rose as Edith Piaf

I'll give you 2003 & 2004. I might give you Nicole Kidman for wearing a prosthetic nose.;) And hey, if having a death scene and a troubled life counts, well, I'd include Cotillard. Otherwise, I'm having trouble coming up with an amazing number of Oscar-winning actresses from 1980 - 1999 that fit the hypothesis, at least for the course of a movie.

Of course, I'll defer to Shammrog about his former avatar's TWO Oscars for best actress.;) Swank's performance in MDB was great.

On the actor side, I agree with your hypothesis during the 1984-1996 stretch (F. Murray Abraham, Cage, Hanks, Hanks, Dustin Hoffman, Hopkins, Pacino, Geoffrey Rush).

Other than that, I don't think the hypothesis is as amazing as you stated, especially in the 2000's.

Cheers,
Lavabe
Well Ray Charles is blind. Ida Amin and Jimmy Markum and Daniel Day Lewis and Capote are all kind of "ugly" characters in some way.