Article By Abbey Archer
It’s awards season in Hollywood, and the Academy Awards are the end-all of awards when it comes to film. Since its inception in 1927, the awards show has transformed from a simple radio broadcast to the glitzy red carpet event that we all know today. For 90 years, the top prize of Best Picture is always the most anticipated — and for the most part, the Academy gets it right. And then there are some times where the voters get it very, very wrong. As your residential Oscars expert, let me be your guide the next couple weeks leading up to this year’s show, starting out with my picks for 5 Oscar picks that are great … and some that are, frankly, not.
RIGHT: (1972)
THE GODFATHER is, quite literally, the Godfather of crime epics. (Thank you, I’m here all night.) Chronicling the Corleones over a decade, from New York to Nevada, the film takes a cerebral look at each member of the family, and especially details the truly excellent character transformation of Michael Corleone — which continues on in the equally incredible Part II (also a Best Picture winner). There’s a reason this film has stood the test of time, and why it’s consistently regarded as one of the greatest films ever. But you’ll have to find out for yourself.
WRONG: MY FAIR LADY (1964)
Let me clarify right off the bat: MY FAIR LADY is not a bad film. The performances and songs are enjoyable, but it’s overlong and hasn’t held up very well in the 54 years since its release. Fellow contender MARY POPPINS is the superior musical, clearly. However, the political dark comedy from Stanley Kubrick should have been the winner. DR. STRANGELOVE straddles a fine line between mockery and truth, and Peter Sellers‘ threefold performance alone is enough to watch this. The comedy may not be for everyone, but poking fun at nuclear destruction during the Cold War deserves high praise.
BETTER PICK: DR. STRANGELOVE, OR HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE BOMB (1964)
RIGHT: ORDINARY PEOPLE (1980)
I’m aware this is a controversial pick, as this was the year RAGING BULL and THE ELEPHANT MAN were also up for the win. But what ORDINARY PEOPLE brings to the table is a deeply profound look at what happens to a family when a death occurs. Donald Sutherland and Mary Tyler Moore — in a role that will make you hate her — are outstanding, but it’s Timothy Hutton who shines the brightest, winning a deserved Best Supporting Actor Oscar. This film goes into some depressing territory in the form of therapy sessions, but it feels so intimate that you’ll almost forget you’re not watching real life.
WRONG: DRIVING MISS DAISY (1989)
DRIVING MISS DAISY is a charming film that features stellar performances from Jessica Tandy (who won) and Morgan Freeman (who didn’t). But is it really the best picture of 1989? No. For the record, that honor belongs to KIKI’S DELIVERY SERVICE, but that wasn’t nominated. In a close second, however, is DEAD POET’S SOCIETY, a film that, on the surface, follows a teacher’s unconventional methods at an all-boys academy. But it’s more about going against unrealistic expectations, and Robin Williams is so good as the inspiring John Keating, who is a very underrated film character. Carpe diem, indeed.
BETTER PICK: DEAD POETS SOCIETY (1989)
RIGHT: AMADEUS (1984)
To say that this film adaptation of the play is 100% true is foolhardy … but boy, what a ride. AMADEUS is about Mozart (shocker!) and Antonio Salieri‘s subtle rivalry in the classical music scene. Between award-winning performances (F. Murray Abraham as Salieri; Tom Hulce should have won as Mozart), and some really great, irreverent humor, this film is a masterpiece of telling a story through music, showing the genius of someone who was a brat rising and falling in the public’s graces.
WRONG: FORREST GUMP (1994)
It pains me to put FORREST GUMP on the “wrong” side of winners. I honestly love this film, and I’m not the only one, clearly. But I can’t, with a clear conscious, say that this deserved to win over THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, a film that is so profoundly powerful and personal — and amazing. It is one of the only films that makes my husband cry (aww), it has stayed on IMDb’s Top 250 films list, and the fact that it’s based on a Stephen King story that isn’t screwed-up-creepy is pretty noteworthy. I’m underselling this, I know, but trust me: it should have been the winner Oscar night.
BETTER PICK: THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION (1994)
RIGHT: SCHINDLER’S LIST (1993)
I have sung my praises and undying love for this film before, so I’ll make this relatively brief. SCHINDLER’S LIST transcends the scope of filmmaking and pierces you through your heart, rips it out of your chest, and nails itself to the wall like art. (Super gross metaphor, I know, but it’s true.) Ralph Fiennes was robbed of a Supporting Actor Oscar, by the way. I love Tommy Lee Jones as much as the next grumpy sonovagun, but his performance in THE FUGITIVE is NOT better than Fiennes’ portrayal of a soulless Nazi commandant. Don’t argue with me on this; you will not win.
WRONG: SHAKESPREARE IN LOVE (1998)
For the record, I actually really love SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE. It’s one of the more rewatchable films to win Best Picture, and it’s a fun, lighthearted film. But to say it is even an ounce better than Steven Spielberg‘s SAVING PRIVATE RYAN is laughable. It could be argued that the film isn’t as good after the immortalized opening sequence on Normandy beach (which, if you make it through that without wanting to vomit, is a feat in and of itself), but there’s something compelling about watching a band of brothers traverse WWII to find one person and send him back home. It’s never boring, it’s hard to swallow, and it’s Spielberg at his very best.
BETTER PICK: SAVING PRIVATE RYAN (1998)
RIGHT: SPOTLIGHT (2015)
2015 was a superb year for films: every film nominated for Best Picture deserved to be there. (Except you, BROOKLYN. Who did you make out with to get yourself on that list?) And the Academy got it right with this pick. SPOTLIGHT recounts the Boston Globe’s Spotlight team uncovering the sexual abuse scandal within the Catholic Church. It’s an emotional film without being over-sentimental; it’s a film that will make you angry without ramming you over the head. Every performance is aces across the board, and the writing is intelligent and doesn’t rely on show and spectacle to get its point across. Not since ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN has a film about journalism been so relevant to our time in history.
WRONG: CRASH (2005)
Did you really think I wasn’t going to bring up this elephant in the room? CRASH may be the biggest upset in Oscar-winning history (minus last year’s LA LA LAND debacle), and it’s still regularly written and talked about since its big win. But contrary to popular belief, I am not picking BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN as the more deserved opponent; that film, unfortunately, has aged as well as a Lifetime Made-For-TV drama. No, I’m going with Spielberg again, this time with MUNICH. It tells the true story of Israel’s secret retaliation against the Palestinian terrorist’s hit on the 1972 Olympics massacre in Munich, and it is something else. The film is somewhat of a departure to Spielberg drama and action, dealing with some pretty heavy topics of murder and revenge, with some great acting and thrills thrown into the fray. If I’m being honest, CAPOTE would have been a good pick, too; and even the overlooked GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK is a solid entry for the Oscar. But MUNICH’S psychological fallout of one man’s soul is something fascinating to behold, and it deserved to be the Top Goose of 2005.
BETTER PICK: MUNICH
There are several other winners that are really awesome (CASABLANCA, THE STING, AMERICAN BEAUTY, 12 YEARS A SLAVE) and others that are not (THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH, AROUND THE WORLD IN EIGHTY DAYS, OUT OF AFRICA, THE ENGLISH PATIENT) that I just as easily could have written about, but for now, there you have it. Stay tuned for more Oscars talk this month!
