I’m not sure if this was inspired by others following my lead to work on seeing every best picture nominee (I’ve currently seen all since 1973) or lingering frustration over The Dark Knight’s snubbing. Probably both. Either way, the following is a year-by-year examination of the best movies of the last twenty years that were not graced by the Academy with a best picture nomination. Winner and should-be winner in bold.
1989 – Glory
Nominated for five Oscars, it won three, including Best Supporting Actor – Denzel Washington. Based on the true story of an all black regiment in the Civil War. Powerful and entertaining. IMDb rating: 8.0
The nominees: Driving Miss Daisy, Born on the 4th of July, Dead Poets Society, Field of Dreams, My Left Foot
This was an incredibly tough year and the votes were no doubt evenly spread. I’d hate to dethrone any of these nominees, however, the snubbing of Glory is a greater injustice. I really like Driving Miss Daisy, but it’s the first to go.
Also snubbed: When Harry Met Sally…, Do the Right Thing, Henry V
How it should have played out: Glory, Born on the 4th of July, Dead Poets Society, Field of Dreams, My Left Foot
1990 – Misery
Kathy Bates won for Best Actress. A rare thing – a good horror movie. IMDb rating: 7.8
The nominees: Dances with Wolves, Awakenings, Ghost, The Godfather, Part III, Goodfellas
A much weaker year than ’89. No offense to Wolves, but you could argue that Glory would have won in this year. The nominations of Ghost and Godfather III are particularly weak. I haven’t seen Cyrano (only one I mention in this post that I haven’t seen), but it earned five nominations and, come on, Ghost is a 6.9 on IMDb.
Also snubbed: Hamlet, Cyrano de Bergerac
How it should have played out: Dances with Wolves, Awakenings, Misery, Goodfellas, Cyrano de Bergerac
1991 – Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Nominated for six Oscars and winner of four. Still considered a major milestone in film history for it’s groundbreaking special effects. Not really best picture material, but a stronger movie than all but two of that year’s nominees. IMDb rating: 8.5
The nominees: The Silence of the Lambs, Beauty and the Beast, Bugsy, JFK, The Prince of Tides
Beauty and the Beast is good, but it’s not like it stands higher above other animated musicals than does T2 among action movies. Bugsy is plain boring and forgettable. Tides is fine, but not best picture caliber.
Also snubbed: The Fisher King, Europa, Europa
How it should have played out: JFK, The Silence of the Lambs, Beauty and the Beast, Terminator 2, The Fisher King
1992 – Reservoir Dogs
Tarantino’s directorial debut. Ignored by the Academy probably for simply being too small at the time. Low budget, largely unknown cast – unforgettable action thriller. IMDb rating: 8.4
The nominees – Unforgiven, The Crying Game, A Few Good Men, Howard’s End, Scent of a Woman
Crying Game got this purely on shock value for its famous twist. Scent and Howard are good but far from great. I like Unforgiven but A Few Good Men is more memorable and entertaining.
Also snubbed: Malcolm X, Glengarry Glen Ross
How it should have played out: A Few Good Men, Unforgiven, Reservoir Dogs, Glengarry Glen Ross, Malcolm X
1993 – Tombstone
In my opinion, one of the best westerns ever made. I’m not a huge Val Kilmer fan, but he should have won best supporting actor for his job as Doc Holliday. Not only did the award go to an unchallenging role for Tommy Lee Jones in The Fugitive, but Kilmer wasn’t even nominated. IMDb rating: 7.7
The nominees – Schindler’s List, In the Name of the Father, The Fugitive, The Piano, The Remains of the Day
The year of the dramas apparently with only The Fugitive throwing in some thrills. All good shows, but nominations of any kind for the completely snubbed Tombstone and Groundhog Day would have added some life to the party.
Also snubbed: Groundhog Day, Philadelphia
How it should have played out: Schindler’s List, Tombstone, Groundhog Day, The Remains of the Day, Philadelphia
1994 – Leon (The Professional)
A great movie that seems to have fallen completely through the cracks. In an odd parallel to Les Miserables, a hit-man takes in an orphaned young girl and they each fill a role badly needed in the life of the other. Make sure to opt for the more poignant international cut (Leon) over the American cut (The Professional). The American version removes all scenes of him training her to kill and those with chaste sexual tension. Natalie Portman’s first movie. IMDb rating: 8.6
The nominees: Forrest Gump, Pulp Fiction, The Shawshank Redemption, Quiz Show, Four Weddings and a Funeral
Strongest year since 1989. Weddings is the lightest fare, but still a very good show. Pulp and Shawshank are in a virtual tie for my favorite movie of all time. Pulp gets the tie breaker on sheer originality.
Also snubbed: Clerks
How it should have played out: Pulp Fiction, The Shawshank Redemption, Quiz Show, Forrest Gump, Leon
1995 – The Usual Suspects
The movie won for script and supporting actor (Kevin Spacey) and can’t get a nomination in the best pic category. Keep in mind this is a great movie even without its famous twists. IMDb rating: 8.7
The nominees: Braveheart, Apollo 13, Babe, Il Postino, Sense and Sensibility
Okay, Babe is fine, but it’s a joke as a best pic nominee. Only Braveheart and Apollo 13 are best pic material here. Some great movies got passed over this year. Voting must have been tight – real tight allowing a greased Babe to sneak in.
Also snubbed: Dead Man Walking, Seven, Before Sunrise, Leaving Las Vegas, Mr. Holland’s Opus, Richard III, Twelve Monkeys
How it should have played out: Braveheart, Apollo 13, The Usual Suspects, Dead Man Walking, Seven
1996 – Trainspotting
A little out-there, I know, but that’s just why it deserved a shot in this race. Ewan McGregor as a heroin junkie in his native Scotland. The life-affirming rant that bookends the film with altered subtext is genius. IMDb rating: 8.2
The nominees: The English Patient, Fargo, Jerry Maguire, Secrets & Lies, Shine
A pretty soft year where something like Trainspotting could have snuck in. Secrets was just boring. I need to rewatch Fargo and my change here reflects what I feel is now pretty much the consensus more than my personal opinion.
Also snubbed: Beautiful Girls, Sling Blade, Hamlet, Primal Fear
How it should have played out: Fargo, The English Patient, Shine, Trainspotting, Jerry Maguire
1997 – Chasing Amy
Ben Affleck falls in love with a lesbian in a movie that is every bit as dramatic as it is funny. Kevin Smith’s best movie by far. An indie that did manage a Golden Globe nomination for Joey Lauren Adams. IMDb rating: 7.5
The nominees: Titanic, As Good as It Gets, Good Will Hunting, L.A. Confidential, The Full Monty
A very strong year, but sorry, Monty, you get the boot. And Titanic is good, but it’s also the most titanically overrated movie ever. Good Will Hunting is one of my all-time favorites.
Also snubbed: Boogie Nights, Donnie Brasco
How it should have played out: Good Will Hunting, L.A. Confidential, As Good as It Gets, Chasing Amy, Titanic
1998 – American History X
I find it extremely unfortunate that many racists seem drawn to this film and are oblivious to the real point it is trying to make. It’s not terribly great film making, but the acting and its message resonate. Sorry, Roberto, Mr. Norton should have won the Oscar here, but I’ll give you the best picture prize. IMDb rating: 8.6
The nominees: Shakespeare in Love, Saving Private Ryan, Elizabeth, Life is Beautiful, The Thin Red Line
The big battle here was always the showdown between Shakespeare and Private Ryan and many were insulting by Shakespeare’s win. The real injustice was that Benigni quietly created one of the best films in history. Does anyone even remember Thin Red Line?
Also snubbed: Gods and Monsters, The Truman Show
How it should have played out: Life is Beautiful, Saving Private Ryan, Shakespeare in Love, American History X, Gods and Monsters
1999 – Fight Club
Obviously not for everyone. I remember thinking the preview to this looked horrible, but it is so much more than what it seems. Great acting, great characters, interesting social commentary. IMDb rating: 8.8
The nominees: American Beauty, The Sixth Sense, The Green Mile, The Cider House Rules, The Insider
I really like all of these movies, but someone is going to have to make room for Fight Club.
Also snubbed: South Park, Boys Don’t Cry, Magnolia
How it should have played out: American Beauty, Fight Club, The Insider, The Green Mile, The Sixth Sense
2000 – Almost Famous
This omission had me livid at the time. It won the Golden Globe for best comedy (over Chocolat). Cameron Crowe wins the Oscar for best screenplay to go with its three other nominations. Based on Crowe’s actual experiences as a 15-year-old writer for Rolling Stone Magazine, the movie plays as one long love letter to music. One of my all-time favorites. IMDb rating: 8.0
The nominees: Gladiator, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Traffic, Chocolat, Erin Brokovich
Solid year. Gladiator has since grown on me, and though I did like it at first I found myself arguing against it simply because it could have been so much later. [Minor spoiler coming if you haven’t seen Gladiator]. When Maximus reveals himself in the arena to the emperor who thought he had been killed, I was thinking, “What has it been? Two weeks? Make it twenty years and then you have a story. Give me The Count of Monte Cristo for a revenge story”
Also snubbed: Requiem for a Dream, Amores Perros, Billy Elliot, Quills, The Contender
How it should have played out: Almost Famous, Gladiator, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Traffic, Requiem for a Dream
2001 – Memento
A drama/thriller about a man who can’t make new memories trying to track down his wife’s murderer. And it’s told in such a way that you find yourself struggling to keep the memory of previous scenes fresh in your mind. The breakout movie for director Christopher Nolan. A major criticism has always been supposed plot-holes, but I’ve seen this movie several times and I just don’t buy that argument. You can pick every movie apart if you are so inclined. IMDb rating: 8.6
The nominees: A Beautiful Mind, The Fellowship of the Ring, Gosford Park, In the Bedroom, Moulin Rogue
What is with the token British nominations that pop up most every year? Gosford Park, go win a BAFTA and leave the rest of us alone!
Also snubbed: Training Day, Iris, Monster’s Ball, I am Sam, Ali
How it should have played out: Fellowship of the Ring, Moulin Rouge, Memento, A Beautiful Mind, Training Day
2002 – Adaptation.
I couldn’t stop grinning for 30 minutes after seeing this movie in the theater. It is pure genius – a movie about writing the script for THIS movie. Charlie Kaufman had to be thinking his career was over when he had the guts to turn this script in. He made himself the main character of the screenplay for a book that has nothing to do with him (it’s about flowers) and the film actually contains the line, “I’ve written myself into my screenplay.” It was nominated for four Oscars and Chris Cooper won best supporting actor. IMDb rating: 7.9
The nominees – Chicago, The Two Towers, The Pianist, Gangs of New York, The Hours
Chicago pales in comparison to Moulin Rouge as a movie musical. And although The Pianist wasn’t my favorite movie this year, the fact that it won for best director, script, and actor but somehow lost to Chicago for the overall prize, blows my mind.
Also snubbed: Hero, About Schmidt, Far From Heaven, Catch Me if You Can, Frailty, Talk to Her, Road to Perdition, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Frida
How it should have played out: The Pianist, The Two Towers, Gangs of New York, Adaptation., Hero
2003 – City of God
Roger Ebert constantly complains about the Academy’s selection process for foreign films and if anything proves what a joke it is, it’s the fact that City of God managed to earn a Best Director nomination without earning a best foreign film nomination. This is an absolute classic exploring gang life in Rio de Janeiro. IMDb rating: 8.8
The nominees: The Return of the King, Master and Commander, Mystic River, Lost in Translation, Seabiscuit
All good shows but since Return of the King is the only other masterpiece here, the other four are all in the way. In America and Whale Rider are two of the most emotionally touching movies I’ve ever seen.
Also snubbed: 21 Grams, Cold Mountain, House of Sand and Fog, Monster, In America, Whale Rider
How it should have played out: The Return of the King, City of God, In America, Whale Rider, Mystic River
2004 – Kill Bill: Vol. 2
Volume 1 didn’t really do a lot for me. It seemed all style and little substance. That was until the story was completed in volume 2. Looking at the whole thing as one big movie elevates it to rival Pulp Fiction. Ignored completely by the Oscars, it did get two Golden Globe acting nominations. IMDb rating: 8.0
The nominees: Million Dollar Baby, The Aviator, Finding Neverland, Ray, Sideways
This was the year Aviator was supposed to win everything for Scorsese before Baby snuck in at the last minute to steal the show (and rightfully so). I probably should have highlighted Hotel Rwanda, but Kill Bill is the more interesting choice. Hotel Rwanda is so emotionally powerful it transcends movies and is a required life experience.
Also snubbed: Hotel Rwanda, Closer, Collateral, Kinsey, Maria Full of Grace
How it should have played out: Million Dollar Baby, Hotel Rwanda, Kill Bill: Vol. 2, The Aviator, Collateral
2005 – Brick
Had to pick this one because most of you probably haven’t seen it, or even heard of it. Style points are off the charts here, it’s film noir featuring modern high school students. I heard the screenwriter say in an interview he even chose some words just because of the way they sounded not because of the meaning. Joseph Gordon-Levitt tries to unravel the labyrinth of a local crime syndicate to figure out what happened to his ex-girlfriend. IMDb rating: 7.6
The nominees: Crash, Brokeback Mountain, Munich, Capote, Good Night, and Good Luck.
Munich is the only one here I didn’t care for. I’ll save my rant on how Speilberg is overrated for another day.
Also snubbed: Walk the Line, Cinderella Man, Match Point, A History of Violence
How it should have played out: Crash, Brokeback Mountain, Brick, Capote, Good Night, and Good Luck.
2006 – Blood Diamond
This one caught me completely off guard. I was just expecting a slightly better than average action movie and found one of the biggest snubs on this entire list. The acting is great, the action is compelling and never forced, and the ending is unforgettable. IMDb rating: 8.0
The nominees: The Departed, The Queen, Letters from Iwo Jima, Babel, Little Miss Sunshine
Babel was good but the weakest in a sort of trilogy begun with Ameros Perros and continued in 21 Grams. Departed was helped by the Aviator’s loss two years earlier. Letters is so much more than your standard war movie. Queen – see note above concerning Gosford Park.
Also snubbed: Dreamgirls, Little Children, The Last King of Scotland, Children of Men
How it should have played out: The Departed, Letters from Iwo Jima, Blood Diamond, Babel, The Last King of Scotland
2007 – Once
One of the best musicals ever and it’s not really a musical; the characters just happen to be musicians. Not only that, instead of hiring actors to play musicians, the director hired musicians to act. You may remember them from the Oscar win for best original song. I challenge you to watch this movie, find the Oscar clip on youtube of them winning, and not cry. It can’t be done. IMDb rating: 8.1
The nominees: No Country for Old Men, There Will be Blood, Juno, Michael Clayton, Atonement
Atonement can go hang out with The Queen and Gosford Park in timeout. I absolutely love Daniel Day-Lewis and he definitely deserved the Oscar here, but the movie was missing something for me. Michael Clayton surprised me in much the same fashion as Blood Diamond, but it got its nomination.
Also snubbed: Sweeney Todd, Into the Wild, 3:10 to Yuma, Charlie Wilson’s War
How it should have played out: No Country for Old Men, Juno, Michael Clayton, Once, Into the Wild
2008 – The Dark Knight
If you were around me at all during the most recent Oscar season, you’ve already heard me complain non-stop about this omission. If not, check it my comments here: http://hesaidshesaidfilm.blogspot.com/2009/01/top-movies-of-2008.html IMDb rating: 8.9
The nominees: Slumdog Millionaire, Milk, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Frost/Nixon, The Reader
The Reader is considerably better than the other British fare I complained of above, but it doesn’t belong in this race. And I still can’t forgive the last 15 minutes of Ben Button.
Also snubbed: Changeling, The Visitor, The Wrestler, Doubt
How it should have played out: The Dark Knight, Slumdog Millionaire, Milk, The Visitor, Changeling
