Nick's Oscar History
The Oscars are pretty much like a 11th grade student class president election. It is a popularity contest. With that in mind I will go over the Oscars for the last 20 years excluding 2009 as I still haven’t seen Slumdog Millionaire. (I know, I know I will eventually sit down and watch it.)
2008 Winner – No Country for Old Men:
Nick’s Winner – No Country for Old Men – It is rare I agree with the academy but this is one case where they got it right. With that said, There Will Be Blood is an excellent film that in any other year would and should have won.
2007 Winner – The Departed
Nick’s Winner – United 93 – I don’t have a huge gripe here as I like the Departed. But, it is a remake of a Hong Kong film and not in my top 5 of Scorsese pictures. United 93 is a film making achievement. It is a very difficult movie to watch but, an incredible movie.
2006 Winner – Crash
Nick’s Winner – Hustle and Flow – I am in vast minority but, I really didn’t like Crash. I thought it was alright but in no way was it Oscar worthy. Hustle and Flow didn’t even get nominated and that is a shame. In what was a pretty weak year (And, yes I saw Brokeback Mountain and found it really, really boring) Hustle and Flow was my favorite. But there is no way the Academy is going to let a film with basically an all black cast win best picture.
2005 Winner – Million Dollar Baby
Nick’s Winner – Spider Man 2 – First off, Million Dollar Baby in my book is not a good movie. There were a couple of scenes I dug, but I saw that ending coming a mile away. I am not a huge Clint guy so that may be part of it. 2005 did not have a lot of great movies come out. I liked Sideways even if it was a tad pretentious. Spiderman 2 is probably my favorite super hero film ever. Even with Kirsten Dunst trying her best to ruin it, the movie still works.
2004 Winner – The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
Nick’s Winner – American Splendor – Again, I know I am in the minority but, I just didn’t like the Lord of the Rings series. It just isn’t my bag. The irony is I love everything else Peter Jackson has ever done. American Splendor is a movie I could watch again and again. Paul Giamatti didn’t get nominated and that is a crime.
2003 Winner – Chicago
Nick’s Winner – 28 Days Later – Much like The Lord of the Rings, Chicago is just not my cup of tea. 2003 wasn’t a banner year for cinema. 28 Days Later is a movie that the Academy would never nominate. I don’t care, this film was just great edge of your seat from beginning to end.
2002 Winner – A Beautiful Mind
Nick’s winner – Mulholland Drive – This is one of the biggest travesties of them all. A Beautiful Mind didn’t suck but, it wasn’t anything great either. Mulholland Drive didn’t even get nominated and that is a crock of shit. I stated it a couple of weeks ago that it was my favorite film of the decade and it still is.
2001 Winner – Gladiator
Nick’s Winner – Traffic – Gladiator is simply not a good movie. It doesn’t hold up and frankly I found it really, really bad and a little silly. Traffic on the other hand, still holds up 9 years later. So, many different stories inside the film and they are all rich and interesting.
2000 Winner – American Beauty
Nick’s Winner – Being John Malkovich – I liked American Beauty. Can’t say I loved it, but it is a good movie. However, Being John Malkovich is still one of my favorites. I can honestly say after watching that film that I had never seen anything like it before. It was so out there and yet it worked.
1999 Winner – Shakespeare in Love
Nick’s Winner – Saving Private Ryan – This is one of the biggest blunders of them all. Shakespeare in Love was a nice little movie that no one has thought about since 1999. Saving Private Ryan was a masterpiece of filmmaking. And you are talking about someone that isn’t the biggest Tom Hanks fan. How anyone could watch those 2 films and say Shakespeare in Love is better is beyond me.
1998 Winner – Titanic
Nick’s Winner – L.A. Confidential – I am on record for my dislike of Titanic. I found it to be a bloated way too long love story that happened to be set on the Titanic. L.A. Confidential is a movie I could watch 1,000 times and still never get sick of it. It’s a great crime story with a film noir kind of feel to it that was made so much better with a great cast.
1997 Winner – The English Patient
Nick’s Winner – Fargo – Is anyone going to even try to argue that The English Patient is a better movie then Fargo? Try not falling asleep watching The English Patient, I dare you.
1996 Winner – Braveheart
Nick’s Winner – Twelve Monkeys – Braveheart and Gladiator might be my 2 least favorite films to win in the last 25 years. I am on record as a huge fan of the Terry Gilliam picture Twelve Monkeys. It was the first time I said to myself you know what Brad Pitt, isn’t a bad actor after all. 96 had a lot of good movies come out. Leaving Las Vegas, Casino, The Usual Suspects and Nixon were all better films then Braveheart.
1995 Winner – Forrest Gump
Nick’s Winner – The Shawshank Redemption – 95 had a ton of good nominees. I have been steadfast on my dislike for Forrest Gump. I know I am in the minority and that’s ok. Pulp Fiction also came out that year and that is also a great film. But sorry, I don’t want to meet the person who didn’t like Shawshank.
1994 Winner – Schindler’s List
Nick’s Winner - Schindler’s List – Spielberg created such a moving film that it is hard to argue. But, I have to give a shout out to Short Cuts, the Altman film that I absolutely love and in any other year would have gotten my vote.
1993 Winner – Unforgiven
Nick’s Winner – Glengarry Glen Ross – Now, I like Unforgiven and don’t have much of an issue with it winning. But for my money Glengarry Glen Ross is one of my favorites. An amazing cast that is just killing it with Mamet’s script. I think I know every line of dialogue in that film.
1992 Winner – The Silence of the Lambs
Nick’s Winner – The Silence of the Lambs – This is one of only 2 films to “sweep” the awards. Best picture, best director, best actor and best actress all came from Silence of the Lambs. Barton Fink is a movie I really love but cannot argue with academy on this one.
1991 Winner – Dances with Wolves
Nick’s Winner – Goodfellas – This is one of the mind bogglers of all time. This was when I knew the Oscar’s were a joke. Goodfellas is a masterpiece. It gets better each and every time I watch it. I know others disagree but in my mind this is Scorsese’s best work. Dances with Wolves is a boring time period piece that for some reason the academy has always loved.
1990 Winner – Driving Mrs. Daisy
Nick’s Winner – Do the Right Thing – Do the Right Thing didn’t even get nominated. How is that possible? I remember walking out of the theatre after watching it and being visibly effected. I knew I had just seen a masterpiece. Driving Mrs. Daisy is a maudlin film that pulls at the heart strings, in my mind ineffectively.
1989 Winner – Rain Man
Nick’s Winner – Die Hard – I know there is no way on God’s green earth that Die Hard would ever win an Oscar. But, I have to ask, why is that? Was a Die Hard a great film, I think so. They say the biggest form of flattery is imitation and there have been a million rip offs of Die Hard. From beginning to end that movie kept you on the edge of your seat. Rain Man is not a bad movie despite Tom Cruise being in it. But if you are at home and HBO is showing Die Hard and Showtime is showing Rain Man, which movie are you watching? I thought so.
2008 Winner – No Country for Old Men:
Nick’s Winner – No Country for Old Men – It is rare I agree with the academy but this is one case where they got it right. With that said, There Will Be Blood is an excellent film that in any other year would and should have won.
2007 Winner – The Departed
Nick’s Winner – United 93 – I don’t have a huge gripe here as I like the Departed. But, it is a remake of a Hong Kong film and not in my top 5 of Scorsese pictures. United 93 is a film making achievement. It is a very difficult movie to watch but, an incredible movie.
2006 Winner – Crash
Nick’s Winner – Hustle and Flow – I am in vast minority but, I really didn’t like Crash. I thought it was alright but in no way was it Oscar worthy. Hustle and Flow didn’t even get nominated and that is a shame. In what was a pretty weak year (And, yes I saw Brokeback Mountain and found it really, really boring) Hustle and Flow was my favorite. But there is no way the Academy is going to let a film with basically an all black cast win best picture.
2005 Winner – Million Dollar Baby
Nick’s Winner – Spider Man 2 – First off, Million Dollar Baby in my book is not a good movie. There were a couple of scenes I dug, but I saw that ending coming a mile away. I am not a huge Clint guy so that may be part of it. 2005 did not have a lot of great movies come out. I liked Sideways even if it was a tad pretentious. Spiderman 2 is probably my favorite super hero film ever. Even with Kirsten Dunst trying her best to ruin it, the movie still works.
2004 Winner – The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
Nick’s Winner – American Splendor – Again, I know I am in the minority but, I just didn’t like the Lord of the Rings series. It just isn’t my bag. The irony is I love everything else Peter Jackson has ever done. American Splendor is a movie I could watch again and again. Paul Giamatti didn’t get nominated and that is a crime.
2003 Winner – Chicago
Nick’s Winner – 28 Days Later – Much like The Lord of the Rings, Chicago is just not my cup of tea. 2003 wasn’t a banner year for cinema. 28 Days Later is a movie that the Academy would never nominate. I don’t care, this film was just great edge of your seat from beginning to end.
2002 Winner – A Beautiful Mind
Nick’s winner – Mulholland Drive – This is one of the biggest travesties of them all. A Beautiful Mind didn’t suck but, it wasn’t anything great either. Mulholland Drive didn’t even get nominated and that is a crock of shit. I stated it a couple of weeks ago that it was my favorite film of the decade and it still is.
2001 Winner – Gladiator
Nick’s Winner – Traffic – Gladiator is simply not a good movie. It doesn’t hold up and frankly I found it really, really bad and a little silly. Traffic on the other hand, still holds up 9 years later. So, many different stories inside the film and they are all rich and interesting.
2000 Winner – American Beauty
Nick’s Winner – Being John Malkovich – I liked American Beauty. Can’t say I loved it, but it is a good movie. However, Being John Malkovich is still one of my favorites. I can honestly say after watching that film that I had never seen anything like it before. It was so out there and yet it worked.
1999 Winner – Shakespeare in Love
Nick’s Winner – Saving Private Ryan – This is one of the biggest blunders of them all. Shakespeare in Love was a nice little movie that no one has thought about since 1999. Saving Private Ryan was a masterpiece of filmmaking. And you are talking about someone that isn’t the biggest Tom Hanks fan. How anyone could watch those 2 films and say Shakespeare in Love is better is beyond me.
1998 Winner – Titanic
Nick’s Winner – L.A. Confidential – I am on record for my dislike of Titanic. I found it to be a bloated way too long love story that happened to be set on the Titanic. L.A. Confidential is a movie I could watch 1,000 times and still never get sick of it. It’s a great crime story with a film noir kind of feel to it that was made so much better with a great cast.
1997 Winner – The English Patient
Nick’s Winner – Fargo – Is anyone going to even try to argue that The English Patient is a better movie then Fargo? Try not falling asleep watching The English Patient, I dare you.
1996 Winner – Braveheart
Nick’s Winner – Twelve Monkeys – Braveheart and Gladiator might be my 2 least favorite films to win in the last 25 years. I am on record as a huge fan of the Terry Gilliam picture Twelve Monkeys. It was the first time I said to myself you know what Brad Pitt, isn’t a bad actor after all. 96 had a lot of good movies come out. Leaving Las Vegas, Casino, The Usual Suspects and Nixon were all better films then Braveheart.
1995 Winner – Forrest Gump
Nick’s Winner – The Shawshank Redemption – 95 had a ton of good nominees. I have been steadfast on my dislike for Forrest Gump. I know I am in the minority and that’s ok. Pulp Fiction also came out that year and that is also a great film. But sorry, I don’t want to meet the person who didn’t like Shawshank.
1994 Winner – Schindler’s List
Nick’s Winner - Schindler’s List – Spielberg created such a moving film that it is hard to argue. But, I have to give a shout out to Short Cuts, the Altman film that I absolutely love and in any other year would have gotten my vote.
1993 Winner – Unforgiven
Nick’s Winner – Glengarry Glen Ross – Now, I like Unforgiven and don’t have much of an issue with it winning. But for my money Glengarry Glen Ross is one of my favorites. An amazing cast that is just killing it with Mamet’s script. I think I know every line of dialogue in that film.
1992 Winner – The Silence of the Lambs
Nick’s Winner – The Silence of the Lambs – This is one of only 2 films to “sweep” the awards. Best picture, best director, best actor and best actress all came from Silence of the Lambs. Barton Fink is a movie I really love but cannot argue with academy on this one.
1991 Winner – Dances with Wolves
Nick’s Winner – Goodfellas – This is one of the mind bogglers of all time. This was when I knew the Oscar’s were a joke. Goodfellas is a masterpiece. It gets better each and every time I watch it. I know others disagree but in my mind this is Scorsese’s best work. Dances with Wolves is a boring time period piece that for some reason the academy has always loved.
1990 Winner – Driving Mrs. Daisy
Nick’s Winner – Do the Right Thing – Do the Right Thing didn’t even get nominated. How is that possible? I remember walking out of the theatre after watching it and being visibly effected. I knew I had just seen a masterpiece. Driving Mrs. Daisy is a maudlin film that pulls at the heart strings, in my mind ineffectively.
1989 Winner – Rain Man
Nick’s Winner – Die Hard – I know there is no way on God’s green earth that Die Hard would ever win an Oscar. But, I have to ask, why is that? Was a Die Hard a great film, I think so. They say the biggest form of flattery is imitation and there have been a million rip offs of Die Hard. From beginning to end that movie kept you on the edge of your seat. Rain Man is not a bad movie despite Tom Cruise being in it. But if you are at home and HBO is showing Die Hard and Showtime is showing Rain Man, which movie are you watching? I thought so.
posted by 10withmop at 10:01 AM
2 Comments:
Wow Kris, you need to watch Mullholland Drive again. It is a brilliant piece of film making. I was talking about that one with your husband and I know he liked it.
I know I am in the vast minority but, I just don't think Million Dollar Baby is a good movie. Again, I am not a Clint fan and maybe that is it. Spiderman 2 has it all. A great story, great action and a great villain. Still my favorite comic book influenced film. But that is just my opinion.
I agree with you on Crash. It is only enjoyable as a comedy. Otherwise, I find it heavy handed, pretentious, and, at times, pretty goddamn unbelievable. Now, the Cronenberg film of the same name is a masterpeice.
A pox on Chicago for winning and bringing back the musicial.
Mulholland Drive is pretty great, and gets better with repeated viewings (Kris, ahem, I’m looking in your direction), but I never expected it to win an Oscar. It just isn't that kind of movie. Or, I should say, the Academy is not that smart.
Gladiator sucks. There, I said it. Traffic is another film that improves with age. I am only now beginning to appreciate it.
On the flipside: American Beauty, which I liked when I first saw it, really gets worse with repeated viewings. Ugh, I liked this film? Was I ever that young…
I’m a big supporter of Shakespeare in Love. Must be the literature geek in me. But I hear you… it probably didn’t need to win best picture.
I have yet to see Titanic, but I don’t think I need to.
12 Monkeys rules! Braveheart… not so mcuh.
I just saw Schindler’s List for the first time in 2009. It was pretty powerful, but I’ll still go with Short Cuts as the best film of that year. Or maybe The Piano—was that the same year?
I like The Silence of the Lambs, but it didn’t deserve an Oscar. Barton Fink is a much better film.
You know my hatred for Dances with Wolves. Goodfellas was robbed.
The irony of Driving Miss Daisy, a patronizing film, beating maybe the finest achievement any black director has ever made is really hilarious. And sad.
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