Year-by-year Best In Film.

[hardercore]

Decided to up and do this one day when I had nothing else to do. Just for fun - Oscars be damned - offer up your personal opinion. Feel free to post as many or as little categories as you like, for as many or as little years as you'd like. The most current, of course, is for 2008. I managed to go back a decade, starting with a category I made up:

Misc. Achievement in Film
for Visual Effects & Makeup: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

2007 - for Originality of Vision: Todd Haynes, I’m Not There
2006 - for Producing, Directing & Composing: Clint Eastwood, Flags of Our Fathers & Letters From Iwo Jima
2005 - for Producing, Directing, Writing & Performance: George Clooney, Good Night and Good Luck & Syriana
2004 - for Originality of Vision: Charlie Kaufman & Michel Gondry, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
2003 - for Cinematic Adaptation: Peter Jackson, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring; The Two Towers; The Return of the King
2002 - for contribution to Cinematography: Conrad L. Hall, Road to Perdition
2001 - for Breakthrough Performance: Naomi Watts, Mulholland Dr.
2000 - for Music: Almost Famous
1999 - for Technical Craft: The Matrix

Art Direction/Production Design
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

2007 - Atonement
2006 - Children of Men
2005 - King Kong
2004 - The Aviator
2003 - The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2002 - Chicago
2001 - Amélie
2000 - Gladiator
1999 - American Beauty

Cinematography
Wally Pfister, The Dark Knight

2007 - Janusz Kaminski, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
2006 - Emanuel Lubezki, Children of Men
2005 - Rodrigo Prieto, Brokeback Mountain
2004 - Robert Richardson, The Aviator
2003 - Cesar Charlone, City of God
2002 - Conrad L. Hall, Road to Perdition
2001 - Bruno Delbonnel, Amélie
2000 - Stephen Soderbergh, Traffic
1999 - Dante Spinotti, The Insider

Editing
Chris Dickens, Slumdog Millionaire

2007 - Christopher Rouse, The Bourne Ultimatum
2006 - Christopher Rouse, United 93
2005 - Claire Simpson, The Constant Gardener
2004 - Stephen Schaffer, The Incredibles
2003 - Stephen Mirrione, 21 Grams
2002 - Martin Walsh, Chicago
2001 - Dody Dorn, Memento
2000 - Stephen Mirrione, Traffic
1999 - Dylan Tichenor, Magnolia

Score
Hans Zimmer & James Newton Howard, The Dark Knight

2007 - Jonny Greenwood, There Will Be Blood
2006 - Javier Navarette, Pan’s Labyrinth
2005 - Gustavo Santaolalla, Brokeback Mountain
2004 - Rolfe Kent, Sideways
2003 - Howard Shore, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2002 - Danny Elfman, Chicago
2001 - Howard Shore, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
2000 - Clint Mansell, Requiem For A Dream
1999 - Thomas Newman, American Beauty

Foreign Language Film
Waltz With Bashir

2007 - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
2006 - Pan’s Labyrinth
2003 - City of God
2001 - Amélie

Animated Film
WALL•E

2007 - Ratatouille
2006 - Cars
2005 - Howl’s Moving Castle
2004 - The Incredibles
2003 - Finding Nemo

Adapted Screenplay
Justin Haythe, Revolutionary Road

2007 - Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be Blood
2006 - William Monahan, The Departed
2005 - Larry McMurtry & Diana Ossana, Brokeback Mountain
2004 - Richard Linklater & Kim Krizan, Before Sunset
2003 - Braulio Mantovani, City of God
2002 - Ronald Harwood, The Pianist
2001 - Rob Festinger & Todd Field, In The Bedroom
2000 - Stephen Gaghan, Traffic
1999 - Eric Roth & Michael Mann, The Insider

Original Screenplay
Martin McDonagh, In Bruges

2007 - Brad Bird, Ratatouille
2006 - Paul Greengrass, United 93
2005 - George Clooney & Grant Heslov, Good Night and Good Luck
2004 - Charlie Kaufman, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
2003 - Guillermo Arriaga, 21 Grams
2002 - Todd Haynes, Far From Heaven
2001 - Guillame Laurant & Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Amélie
2000 - Cameron Crowe, Almost Famous
1999 - Alan Ball, American Beauty

Ensemble
The Dark Knight

2007 - No Country For Old Men
2006 - The Departed
2005 - Brokeback Mountain
2004 - Sideways
2003 - 21 Grams
2002 - Chicago
2001 - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
2000 - Almost Famous
1999 - Magnolia

Supporting Actress
Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona

2007 - Cate Blanchett, I’m Not There
2006 - Rinko Kikuchi, Babel
2005 - Michelle Williams, Brokeback Mountain
2005 - Cate Blanchett, The Aviator
2003 - Renée Zellweger, Cold Mountain
2002 - Catherine Zeta-Jones, Chicago
2001 - Jennifer Connelly, A Beautiful Mind
2000 - Kate Hudson, Almost Famous
1999 - Julianne Moore, Magnolia

Supporting Actor
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight

2007 - Javier Bardem, No Country For Old Men
2006 - Alan Arkin, Little Miss Sunshine
2005 - Jake Gyllenhaal, Brokeback Mountain
2004 - Thomas Haden Church, Sideways
2003 - Sean Astin, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2002 - Paul Newman, Road to Perdition
2001 - Ian McKellen, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
2000 - Benicio del Toro, Traffic
1999 - Al Pacino, The Insider

Actress
Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road

2007 - Julie Christie, Away From Her
2006 - Helen Mirren, The Queen
2005 - Reese Witherspoon, Walk The Line
2004 - Kate Winslet, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
2003 - Naomi Watts, 21 Grams
2002 - Julianne Moore, Far From Heaven
2001 - Naomi Watts, Mulholland Dr.
2000 - Ellen Burstyn, Requiem For A Dream
1999 - Annette Bening, American Beauty

Actor
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler

2007 - Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood
2006 - Leonardo DiCaprio, The Departed & Blood Diamond
2005 - Heath Ledger, Brokeback Mountain
2004 - Clint Eastwood, Million Dollar Baby
2003 - Sean Penn, Mystic River
2002 - Adrien Brody, The Pianist
2001 - Tom Wilkinson, In The Bedroom
2000 - Russell Crowe, Gladiator
1999 - Russell Crowe, The Insider

Director
Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight

2007 - Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be Blood
2006 - Martin Scorsese, The Departed
2005 - Ang Lee, Brokeback Mountain
2004 - Alexander Payne, Sideways
2003 - Fernando Meirelles, City of God
2002 - Rob Marshall, Chicago
2001 - Christopher Nolan, Memento
2000 - Stephen Soderbergh, Traffic
1999 - Michael Mann, The Insider

Best Film
Revolutionary Road

2007 - There Will Be Blood
2006 - The Departed
2005 - Brokeback Mountain
2004 - Sideways
2003 - 21 Grams
2002 - Chicago
2001 - Memento
2000 - Almost Famous
1999 - The Insider

[Blu Man]

The Dark Knight owns.

[Zen Peckinpah]

Did the top six categories:

Animated Film
2008 - WALL-E
2007 - Persepolis
2006 - A Scanner Darkly
2004 - The Incredibles
2001 - Monsters Inc.
1999 - tie: South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut and The Iron Giant

Adapted Screenplay
2008 - Christopher Nolan, Jonathan Nolan & David S. Goyer - The Dark Knight
2007 - Joel & Ethan Coen - No Country for Old Men
2006 - William Monahan, The Departed
2005 - Eric Roth, Munich
2004 - Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor, Sideways
2003 - Brian Helgeland, Mystic River
2002 - Ronald Harwood, The Pianist
2001 - John Cameron Mitchell, Hedwig and the Angry Inch
2000 - Mary Harron & Guinevere Turner, American Psycho
1999 - Jim Uhls, Fight Club

Original Screenplay
2008 - Martin McDonagh, In Bruges
2007 - Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg, Superbad
2006 - Guillermo del Toro, Pan's Labyrinth
2005 - George Clooney & Grant Heslov, Good Night, and Good Luck.
2004 - Brad Bird, The Incredibles
2003 - Sofia Coppola, Lost in Translation
2002 - Charlie Kaufman, Adaptation.*
2001 - Wes Anderson & Owen Wilson, The Royal Tenenbaums
2000 - Cameron Crowe, Almost Famous
1999 - Alan Ball, American Beauty

Ensemble
2008 - The Dark Knight
2007 - No Country For Old Men
2006 - The Departed
2005 - Sin City
2004 - Sideways
2003 - Mystic River
2002 - Adaptation.
2001 - The Royal Tenenbaums
2000 - Traffic
1999 - Magnolia

Supporting Actress
2008 - Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
2007 - Cate Blanchett, I’m Not There
2006 - Rinko Kikuchi, Babel
2004 - Virginia Madsen, Sideways
2003 - Hope Davis, American Splendor
2002 - Meryl Streep, Adaptation.
2001 - Gwyneth Paltrow, The Royal Tenenbaums
2000 - Kate Hudson, Almost Famous
1999 - Julianne Moore, Magnolia

Supporting Actor
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight

2007 - Javier Bardem, No Country For Old Men
2006 - Mark Wahlberg, The Departed
2005 - Mickey Rourke, Sin City
2004 - tie: Thomas Haden Church, Sideways/David Carradine, Kill Bill: Vol. 2
2003 - Tim Robbins, Mystic River
2002 - Chris Cooper, Adaptation.
2001 - Ben Stiller, The Royal Tenenbaums
2000 - Benicio del Toro, Traffic
1999 - Tom Cruise, Magnolia

Actress
2008 - Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
2006 - Kate Winslet, Little Children
2005 - Maria Bello, A History of Violence
2004 - Kate Winslet, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
2003 - Naomi Watts, 21 Grams
2001 - Naomi Watts, Mulholland Dr.
2000 - Ellen Burstyn, Requiem For A Dream
1999 - Annette Bening, American Beauty

Actor
2008 - Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
2007 - Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood
2006 - Leonardo DiCaprio, The Departed
2005 - Philip Seymour Hoffman, Capote
2004 - Paul Giamatti, Sideways
2003 - Sean Penn, Mystic River
2002 - Adrien Brody, The Pianist
2001 - Gene Hackman, The Royal Tenenbaums
2000 - Christian Bale, American Psycho
1999 - Kevin Spacey, American Beauty

Director
2008 - Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight
2007 - Joel & Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men
2006 - Martin Scorsese, The Departed
2005 - Robert Rodriguez & Frank Miller, Sin City
2004 - Alexander Payne, Sideways
2003 - Clint Eastwood, Mystic River
2002 - Roman Polanski, The Pianist
2001 - David Lynch, Mulholland Dr.
2000 - Stephen Soderbergh, Traffic
1999 - David Fincher, Fight Club

Best Film
2008 - The Dark Knight
2007 - No Country for Old Men
2006 - The Departed
2005 - Munich
2004 - Sideways
2003 - Mystic River
2002 - The Pianist
2001 - The Royal Tenenbaums
2000 - American Psycho
1999 - American Beauty

[dhmac]

This sounds a lot like Danny Peary's "Alternate Oscars" book in which he picked what he thought should have won the Oscars (it went up to 1991). These are what he picked (and I wish he did a website or something for the years from 1992 onward).