The History of the Academy Awards: Best Picture – 2001

Patterns form where none exist for John (Russell Crowe) and Alicia Nash (Jennifer Connelly) in A Beautiful Mind.

The 74th annual Academy Awards for the film year 2001.  The nominations were announced on February 12, 2002 and the awards were held on March 24, 2002.

Best Picture:  A Beautiful Mind

• The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
• Moulin Rouge!
• Gosford Park
• In the Bedroom

Most Surprising Omission:  Mulholland Dr.

Best Eligible Film Not Nominated:  The Fabulous Destiny of Amélie Poulain

Best Eligible English-Language Film Not Nominated:  Mulholland Dr.

Rank (out of 84) Among Best Picture Years:  #6

 

The Year in Film: 2001

I’m a Lord of the Rings fanatic with a thing for Cate Blanchett. What were you expecting to see here?

My Top 20:

1. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
2. Moulin Rouge
3. The Fabulous Destiny of Amélie Poulain
4. Mulholland Dr.
5. Memento
6. Gosford Park
   
7. In the Bedroom
8. The Royal Tenenbaums
9. The Others
10. The Man Who Wasn’t There
11. Ghost World
12. Amores perros
13. Monster’s Ball
14. The Princess and the Warrior
15. A.I.  Artificial Intelligence
16. Vanilla Sky
17. Black Hawk Down
18. The Devil’s Backbone
19. Monsters Inc.
20. Harry Potter and the Sorceror’s Stone

 

The 100 Greatest Directors of All-Time 2.0: The Complete List

George Lucas and Steven Spielberg present a special Oscar to their hero: Akira Kurosawa

So, does this supersede my original list?  Well, lists are always organic – they grow and evolve over time.  I’ve fiddled with some of the categories and new films have come out and I’ve seen more films from some directors.  So, my original list was what it was in October of 2009.  This is where I am now, two years later, and one year overdue.  The list will continue to evolve over time.  The list never quite stops.  But here’s where I put it up.

I will remind people again that if you don’t see a director and you’re wondering why, please check the Introduction first.  It became clear on the original list that people didn’t read that instruction.  Please don’t repeat that.  And don’t ask about Godard.  See the Intro.

Also, we’ll again find out who reads this part, the film in parenthesis is not necessarily their best film (hell, with Mankiewicz, it’s his worst).  But it is the film I chose to write about, for whatever reason.

 

The History of the Academy Awards: Best Picture – 1993

"the list is life"

The 66th annual Academy Awards, for the film year 1993.  The nominations were announced on February 9, 1994 and the awards were held on March 21, 1994.

Best Picture:  Schindler’s List

• In the Name of the Father
• The Remains of the Day
• The Piano
• The Fugitive

Most Surprising Omission:  The Age of Innocence

Best Eligible Film Not Nominated:  The Age of Innocence

Rank (out of 83) Among Best Picture Years:  #12

 

The Year in Film: 1975

"You're gonna need a bigger boat."

My Top 20:

1. Jaws
2. Dog Day Afternoon
3. One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest
4. Monty Python and the Holy Grail
5. The Man Who Would Be King
6. Korol Lir
7. Amarcord
8. Barry Lyndon
9. The Sunshine Boys
10. The Mystery of Kaspar Hauser
11. Three Days of the Condor
12. Shampoo
13. Love and Death
14. And Now My Love
15. The French Connection II
16. The Story of Adele H
17. L’Invitation
18. Day of the Locust
19. The Great Waldo Pepper
20. A Brief Vacation

 

The History of the Academy Awards: Best Picture – 1970

George C. Scott as General George Patton - an Oscar that caused the Academy quite a bit of grief

The 43d annual Academy Awards for the film year 1970.  The nominations were announced on February 22, 1971 and the awards were held on April 15, 1971.

Best Picture:  Patton

• M*A*S*H
• Five Easy Pieces
• Airport
• Love Story

Most Surprising Omission:  Women in Love

Best Eligible Film Not Nominated:  The Twelve Chairs

Rank (out of 82) Among Best Picture Years:  #70

 

The Year in Film: 1970

the three demented stars of M*A*S*H: Elliot Gould, Tom Skerritt and Donald Sutherland

My Top 20:

1. M*A*S*H
2. Five Easy Pieces
3. Patton
4. Women in Love
5. The Twelve Chairs
6. Mississippi Mermaid
7. Lovers and Other Strangers
8. Floating Weeds
9. The Passion of Anna
10. The Milky Way
11. The Human Condition Part III
12. The Joke
13. Big Dig
14. The Aristocats
15. The Ballad of Cable Hogue
16. Catch-22
17. Tristana
18. My Night at Maud’s
19. Au Hasard Balthazar
20. The Wild Child