What's the most undeserving Best Picture winner ever?
01-26-03, 01:10 AM
#103
Banned by request
I have to add my vote for Dances With Wolves. I saw this in a class for production design (one of my teachers worked on it, so he forced us to watch it), and I absolutely hated it.
In the defense of Shakespeare In Love, it's a really good movie, and far superior to Saving Private Ryan, which I felt was two action sequences sandwiching a horribly manipulative film.
In defense of Gandhi, I don't care if it's revisionist history, as a movie, it's fantastic. Far better than A Beautiful Mind, which also has its share of lies and half-truths.
I agree that Oliver! and Out Of Africa should not have won, but have to disagree with An American In Paris. This is kind of the "Rocky/Taxi Driver/Network" situation. An American In Paris, The African Queen, and A Streetcar Named Desire are all great films, and I wouldn't complain if any of the other two had won that year, just as I can't complain that An American In Paris did win.
In the defense of Shakespeare In Love, it's a really good movie, and far superior to Saving Private Ryan, which I felt was two action sequences sandwiching a horribly manipulative film.
In defense of Gandhi, I don't care if it's revisionist history, as a movie, it's fantastic. Far better than A Beautiful Mind, which also has its share of lies and half-truths.
I agree that Oliver! and Out Of Africa should not have won, but have to disagree with An American In Paris. This is kind of the "Rocky/Taxi Driver/Network" situation. An American In Paris, The African Queen, and A Streetcar Named Desire are all great films, and I wouldn't complain if any of the other two had won that year, just as I can't complain that An American In Paris did win.
01-26-03, 01:48 AM
#104
DVD Talk Legend
Originally posted by msharkm
But I want to throw another into the mix: Silence of the Lambs
Explanation: It won mostly due to the politics of the system. Foster and Hopkins
were (deservedly) going to win the Acting awards and the voters just started marking
everthing with SOTL. While entertaining, the movie was basically a feminist/lesbian recruitment film. The final scene is pretty laughable. Anyone who knows anything about guns knows that if you're using a revolver and you're in a combat situation you are going to have it cocked immediately.
But I want to throw another into the mix: Silence of the Lambs
Explanation: It won mostly due to the politics of the system. Foster and Hopkins
were (deservedly) going to win the Acting awards and the voters just started marking
everthing with SOTL. While entertaining, the movie was basically a feminist/lesbian recruitment film. The final scene is pretty laughable. Anyone who knows anything about guns knows that if you're using a revolver and you're in a combat situation you are going to have it cocked immediately.
That said: In order of least deserving:
Gladiator
Titanic
A Beautiful Mind
The English Patient
Shakespeare in Love
Chariots of Fire
Gigi
Ordinary People
02-12-03, 03:07 PM
#106
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Originally posted by msharkm
I will 2nd (or 3rd or 15th) votes for Dancing with Wolves and Titanic.
But I want to throw another into the mix: Silence of the Lambs
Explanation: It won mostly due to the politics of the system. Foster and Hopkins
were (deservedly) going to win the Acting awards and the voters just started marking
everthing with SOTL. While entertaining, the movie was basically a feminist/lesbian recruitment film. The final scene is pretty laughable. Anyone who knows anything about guns knows that if you're using a revolver and you're in a combat situation you are going to have it cocked immediately.
Won't be watching the show again this year: another poor year for films. LOTR is
the only good movie and it really isn't that good.
PS - Rocky was a great movie - get past the fact that Stallone made many
horrendous movies and take a look at the movie. It's a movie about having
dreams and achieving them.
I will 2nd (or 3rd or 15th) votes for Dancing with Wolves and Titanic.
But I want to throw another into the mix: Silence of the Lambs
Explanation: It won mostly due to the politics of the system. Foster and Hopkins
were (deservedly) going to win the Acting awards and the voters just started marking
everthing with SOTL. While entertaining, the movie was basically a feminist/lesbian recruitment film. The final scene is pretty laughable. Anyone who knows anything about guns knows that if you're using a revolver and you're in a combat situation you are going to have it cocked immediately.
Won't be watching the show again this year: another poor year for films. LOTR is
the only good movie and it really isn't that good.
PS - Rocky was a great movie - get past the fact that Stallone made many
horrendous movies and take a look at the movie. It's a movie about having
dreams and achieving them.
Have you seen any of the others nominated?
Chicago is poular, but it was good as well...
02-12-03, 08:41 PM
#109
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Gladiotor
The movie is ok, but it boggles my mind how someone could say that it was the best picture that year.
There are others, but that one just sticks out like a sore thumb.
The movie is ok, but it boggles my mind how someone could say that it was the best picture that year.
There are others, but that one just sticks out like a sore thumb.
02-13-03, 08:42 AM
#110
My €0.02 of comments!
Personally, I think these movies were undeserving Best Picture winners:
A Beautiful Mind--Huh??
I thought the movie was not a bit manipulative, to say the least. I think The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring should have won instead.
Shakespeare in Love--was AMPAS voters overwhelmed by Miramax's very expensive PR campaign for the movie?
Out of Africa--was AMPAS voters too adverse to the black-themed movie A Color Purple, which was also nominated that year?
Oliver!--strange choice considering that 2001: A Space Odyssey was such a landmark film.
The Greatest Show on Earth--why it was chosen over High Noon and Singing in the Rain--both landmark movies--is beyond me.
A comment on a few winners that doesn't seem deserving but in fact were really deserving:
Gladiator--it won almost by default because 2000 was a terrible year for films.
Forrest Gump--it won because while Pulp Fiction is a very good movie, the sheer amount of violence in Pulp Fiction turned off not a few AMPAS voters.
Gandhi--it's a lot better movie than people think, despite its politics. The fact it had a feel of an epic movie sure swayed AMPAS voters, who were not a bit turned off by the excessive commercial tie-ins to E.T.: The Extraterrestrial.
Annie Hall--it was deserving because I (and many others) consider it Woody Allen's best film. I think AMPAS voters chose it over Star Wars because many voters were looking for a Woody Allen movie that got mainstream recognition, and Annie Hall was it.
Rocky--the first Rocky movie was truly an excellent movie, with very good storytelling and excellent acting performances. It was also an inspiring movie, the type that AMPAS voters are suckers for, definitely compared to Taxi Driver, which was not a bit of a downer to watch at times.
A Beautiful Mind--Huh??
I thought the movie was not a bit manipulative, to say the least. I think The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring should have won instead.Shakespeare in Love--was AMPAS voters overwhelmed by Miramax's very expensive PR campaign for the movie?
Out of Africa--was AMPAS voters too adverse to the black-themed movie A Color Purple, which was also nominated that year?
Oliver!--strange choice considering that 2001: A Space Odyssey was such a landmark film.
The Greatest Show on Earth--why it was chosen over High Noon and Singing in the Rain--both landmark movies--is beyond me.
A comment on a few winners that doesn't seem deserving but in fact were really deserving:
Gladiator--it won almost by default because 2000 was a terrible year for films.
Forrest Gump--it won because while Pulp Fiction is a very good movie, the sheer amount of violence in Pulp Fiction turned off not a few AMPAS voters.
Gandhi--it's a lot better movie than people think, despite its politics. The fact it had a feel of an epic movie sure swayed AMPAS voters, who were not a bit turned off by the excessive commercial tie-ins to E.T.: The Extraterrestrial.
Annie Hall--it was deserving because I (and many others) consider it Woody Allen's best film. I think AMPAS voters chose it over Star Wars because many voters were looking for a Woody Allen movie that got mainstream recognition, and Annie Hall was it.
Rocky--the first Rocky movie was truly an excellent movie, with very good storytelling and excellent acting performances. It was also an inspiring movie, the type that AMPAS voters are suckers for, definitely compared to Taxi Driver, which was not a bit of a downer to watch at times.
02-13-03, 08:52 AM
#111
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I'm in the minority here. I think for the most part that the Best Picture winners were at least what I would call "very good" movies.
Of the ones that I have seen that I thought were average, boring, or bad:
Ghandi
Ordinary People
Kramer vs. Kramer
The Greatest Show on Earth
Of the ones that I have seen that I thought were average, boring, or bad:
Ghandi
Ordinary People
Kramer vs. Kramer
The Greatest Show on Earth
02-13-03, 02:53 PM
#112
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My single pick for worst Best Film winner is by far Forrest Gump. I loathe that movie. I rarely totally loathe a movie, I can usually like something about everything, but I loathe Forrest Gump.
My opinions on some other commonly mentioned titles.....
I think The English Patient is one of the few years that the Academy got it right.
I also don't have a problem with Shakespeare In Love winning because I do think it is a better film than Saving Private Ryan, BUT of the nominees, THE THIN RED LINE should have won.
ok, Driving Miss Daisy does suck.......and I don't think much of Dances With Wolves
was Titanic the best movie of 1997? No. Is any movie that wins Best Picture usually the best film that year? Rarely. But I have no problem with Titanic winning Best Picture......what can you do when Boogie Nights wasn't nominated?? Titanic did manage to sweep all of the technical awards....
My opinions on some other commonly mentioned titles.....
I think The English Patient is one of the few years that the Academy got it right.
I also don't have a problem with Shakespeare In Love winning because I do think it is a better film than Saving Private Ryan, BUT of the nominees, THE THIN RED LINE should have won.
ok, Driving Miss Daisy does suck.......and I don't think much of Dances With Wolves
was Titanic the best movie of 1997? No. Is any movie that wins Best Picture usually the best film that year? Rarely. But I have no problem with Titanic winning Best Picture......what can you do when Boogie Nights wasn't nominated?? Titanic did manage to sweep all of the technical awards....
02-13-03, 03:01 PM
#113
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Originally posted by Bonkie
Hey guys, here's a movie that SHOULD have won Best Picture! It's about having dreams and achieving them!
Hey guys, here's a movie that SHOULD have won Best Picture! It's about having dreams and achieving them!
02-13-03, 03:15 PM
#114
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By the way, I do not think that Gladiator and Forrest Gump were undeserving. IMHO, Gump is a better movie than Fiction; and Gladiator is a much better movie IMHO than such movies as Traffic (UNBELIEVABLY overrated) and CTHD.
I do have to say that although I have never seen Dances with Wolves, there is no way that it could have been better than Goodfellas. And while Taxi Driver is a phenomenal movie that just seems to get better with age, Rocky is an equally deserving choice (and the fact that Rocky has been imitated [even by its own director and also the sequels] so much dillutes what its impact was. I mean, if Taxi Driver has been followed by Taxi Driver 2: the Return Trip and Taxi Driver 3: JFK to the Upper East Side, then the original might not be looked upon with the same regard that it currently is (You can argue this point both ways about Star Wars as far as sequels, but Star Wars has not been frequently imitated like Rocky).
And as for thins that have been mentioned as undeserving, although again I have not seen these two movies, I cannot see Ordinary People and Driving Miss Daisy as being worthy.
I do have to say that although I have never seen Dances with Wolves, there is no way that it could have been better than Goodfellas. And while Taxi Driver is a phenomenal movie that just seems to get better with age, Rocky is an equally deserving choice (and the fact that Rocky has been imitated [even by its own director and also the sequels] so much dillutes what its impact was. I mean, if Taxi Driver has been followed by Taxi Driver 2: the Return Trip and Taxi Driver 3: JFK to the Upper East Side, then the original might not be looked upon with the same regard that it currently is (You can argue this point both ways about Star Wars as far as sequels, but Star Wars has not been frequently imitated like Rocky).
And as for thins that have been mentioned as undeserving, although again I have not seen these two movies, I cannot see Ordinary People and Driving Miss Daisy as being worthy.
02-13-03, 08:03 PM
#117
Moderator
Titanic
But it could be something like Gigi for all I know...
Don't flame me for the Gigi comment. I've never seen the movie, which is the point. It's likely the least deserving "Best Picture" is a movie I've never seen, and may never see for that matter.
But it could be something like Gigi for all I know...
Don't flame me for the Gigi comment. I've never seen the movie, which is the point. It's likely the least deserving "Best Picture" is a movie I've never seen, and may never see for that matter.
02-13-03, 08:15 PM
#118
DVD Talk Hero
Originally posted by msharkm
But I want to throw another into the mix: Silence of the Lambs
Explanation: It won mostly due to the politics of the system. Foster and Hopkins were (deservedly) going to win the Acting awards and the voters just started marking everthing with SOTL. While entertaining, the movie was basically a feminist/lesbian recruitment film.
But I want to throw another into the mix: Silence of the Lambs
Explanation: It won mostly due to the politics of the system. Foster and Hopkins were (deservedly) going to win the Acting awards and the voters just started marking everthing with SOTL. While entertaining, the movie was basically a feminist/lesbian recruitment film.
Originally posted by brizz
That has got to be the most ridiculously inane post in this entire thread....
That has got to be the most ridiculously inane post in this entire thread....
I'm still waiting for my membership card.
