I think most people like a movie every now and again. In fact, some people head to the theaters on Memorial Day, right after their Burger Fests.
Some of these movies can be amazing and wonderful. And others can be absolutely painful to watch. It depends on the film and, perhaps more than anything, a person’s tastes in movies.
But many times, people concur on what is good and bad. Not only that, we have the Academy Awards that tell us which ones are the best of the best. Yet. After 94 years of Oscar’s best pictures, the Academy’s bound to get one wrong now and then.
Back in February, around the time of the award ceremony, USA Today published a list of fifteen films that won the Oscar for best picture and shouldn’t have. They also let us know which film should have won that year.
And. The winner is….
1942
Did win: “How Green Was My Valley”
Should have won: “Citizen Kane”
My take: Citizen Kane. By far.
1953
Did win: “The Greatest Show on Earth”
Should have won: “High Noon”
My take: High Noon. Gary Cooper gave it a good one here.
1967
Did win: “A Man for All Seasons”
Should have won: “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”
My take: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf. I mean. Elizabeth Taylor. Richard Burton. Like that?
1974
Did win: “The Sting”
Should have won: “The Exorcist”
My take: The Sting. It is one of my favorite movies. I wasn’t as impressed with the Exorcist. Linda Blair puking everywhere.
1980
Did win: “Kramer vs. Kramer”
Should have won: “Apocalypse Now”
My take: Toss up.
1982
Did win: “Chariots of Fire”
Should have won: “Raiders of the Lost Ark”
My take: Raiders of the Lost Ark. By far. Chariots was overrated in my opinion. None come better than Harrison Ford and all those snakes. And the little grape-eating monkey.
1986
Did win: “Out of Africa”
Should have won: “The Color Purple”
My take: Toss up.
1990
Did win: “Driving Miss Daisy”
Should have won: “Field of Dreams”
My take: Field of Dreams. Epic. Build it, and he will come. That cornfield. C’mon.
1995
Did win: “Forrest Gump”
Should have won: “Pulp Fiction”
My take: Forrest Gump. Pulp Fiction is a great film. But. My name’s Forrest. Forrest Gump.
1997
Did win: “The English Patient”
Should have won: “Fargo”
My take: Fargo. By far. It is one of the best movies ever, ever, ever.
1999
Did win: “Shakespeare in Love”
Should have won: “Saving Private Ryan”
My take: Saving Private Ryan. Epic WWII movie. Probably the best.
2005
Did win: “Million Dollar Baby”
Should have won: “The Aviator”
My take: No opinion. I thought both of them were just okay.
2006
Did win: “Crash”
Should have won: “Brokeback Mountain”
My take: Brokeback Mountain. Will break your heart if you have one.
2011
Did win: “The King’s Speech”
Should have won: “Black Swan”
My take: The King’s Speech. I couldn’t get through Black Swan. I loved the King’s Speech. Colin Firth was super.
2019
Did win: “Green Book”
Should have won: “BlacKkKlansman”
My take: I didn’t see BlacKkKlansman. I thought Green Book was just okay.
So there it is. I may not be a movie critic, but — oh wait — I guess in this case, I am a movie critic.
Watch on, my friends. Watch on. The good. The bad. And the ugly.
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“To avoid criticism say nothing, do nothing, be nothing.”
― Elbert Hubbard
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“If we had no faults we should not take so much pleasure in noting those of others.”
― François de La Rochefoucauld, Maxims
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“Don’t criticize what you can’t understand.”
― Bob Dylan
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