While in recent years, films likeParasiteandEverything Everywhere All at Oncehave been the rare cases in which one film dominated the entire season and won almost every major award leading up to theOscars, the race is rarely that cut and dry. Awards watchers love a good horse race, and more often than not, Best Picture winners are judged not only on their merit as individual films, but by what films they beat for the distinction.
Certainly, there are a fair number ofbad Best Picture winners, but the majority are simply solid, well-crafted works that were popular at the time of release. The Oscars don’t hand the award to a masterpiece likeThe Godfather: Part IIorOn the Waterfrontevery year, but that doesn’t mean everything else is aCrashor aDriving Miss Daisy. Many Best Picture winners are largely remembered and rewatched because of the win itself, and sometimes that can damage their long-term standing. It’s hard to shake the reputation of being an undeserving winner, and trying to ignore the fact that a film beat out one or more future classics can be difficult. Here are seven cases in which aperfectly good, respectable film was saddled with a soured reputation because of its Best Picture win.
‘The King’s Speech’ Beat David Fincher’s Critical Favorite ‘The Social Network’
While it also dethroned a stacked lineup of127 Hours,Black Swan,The Fighter,Inception,The Kids Are All Right,Toy Story 3,True Grit,andWinter’s Bone, 2021 Best Picture winnerThe King’s Speechwill forever be remembered as the movie that beatThe Social Network. Not only was the win undeserved, but it was emblematic of just how out of touch the Oscars were. Once again, afeel-good period piecewon over an edgy critical favorite destined to be a classic. Thewin has aged poorly asThe Social Networkcontinues to be relevant to recent eventsand topped many lists of the best films of the 2010s.
It’s an unfortunate situation in more than one way becauseThe King’s Speechis a really charming film. It’s a lot more entertaining than some of the stuffy historical films the Oscars go for, and the chemistry betweenColin FirthandGeoffrey Rushis generally delightful. Although its reputation of being “a film that should be shown in schools” seems like an example of damning with faint praise, there are a lot ofgood insights about British royal politics and the anxieties of public speaking that elevateThe King’s Speechover something downright insulting likeGreen Book. Had it not gone home with Best Picture,The King’s Speechwould most likely be remembered as a well-made crowdpleaser, and not as the film that stoleDavid Fincher’s Oscar.
Martin Scorsese’s ‘Raging Bull’ Overshadowed the Win of ‘Ordinary People’
Beating outRaging Bull,Coal Miner’s Daughter,The Elephant Man,andTess,Ordinary Peopleis a case in which a truly excellent film was overshadowed by its award competition. Yes,Martin Scorsese’sRaging Bullis one of the greatest filmsever made, but that doesn’t change the fact thatOrdinary Peopleis as well. The “family drama” was a popular genre among awards bodies at the time, andOrdinary People, anincredibly moving contemplation of grief and faith, opted for a more patient, studied approach over taxing melodrama and signature “Oscar clip” moments.
Robert Redfordshows remarkable mastery for a first-time director, letting each of the leads — includingMary Tyler Mooreas the complicated Beth Jarrett— have their moment to shine without feeling exploitative. However,Timothy Hutton’s lead performance puzzlingly took home a Best Supporting Actor award, a case of category fraud made even more unfortunate when considering Hutton’s co-starDonald Sutherlandwas shut out (somehow, the 85-year-old legend has never received an Oscar nomination).Raging Bullwas a film that instantly announced itself as a classic, but a more careful reflection ofOrdinary Peoplesuggests that the quality difference between the two isn’t as wide as it has been made out to be.
‘Kramer vs. Kramer’ Is No ‘Apocalypse Now’
It may shock you to realize thatKramer vs. Kramerwas the highest-grossing film of 1979, a year that saw the release of aStar Trekmovie, aMuppetsmovie, aRockysequel, and a James Bond movie. It was a very different time — every single Best Picture winner of the 1970s was also among the top ten highest-grossing films of the year.While it momentarily captured the zeitgeist,Kramer vs. Kramer’s win isn’t remembered as fondlygiven its win overFrancis Ford Coppola’s Vietnam epicApocalypse Now(although for my money, the Oscar should’ve gone toBob Fosse’s self-reflective musical masterpieceAll That Jazz). Along withApocalypse NowandAll That Jazz,Kramer vs. Kramerbeat outBreaking AwayandNorma Rae.
Kramer vs. Kramerhasn’t aged perfectly, but it’s one of therare examples of adivorce moviewhere both participants are given equal weight.Meryl Streep’s Joanna isn’t painted as unreasonably compulsive, and seeing just how big of a screw-up Ted (Dustin Hoffman) is only strengthens her perspective when she’s offscreen. Ted’s irresponsibility is well-handled, and his eventual custody win doesn’t absolve him of his mistakes. Hoffman’s treatment of Streep on-set has done more to harm the film’s legacy than anything, but as it standsKramer vs. Krameris an earnest, well-made drama. It’s just no Apocalypse Now.
Even in 1985,Out of Africafelt like a weird Best Picture winner when it won overWitness,Kiss of the Spider Woman,Prizzi’s Honor, andThe Color Purple. The movie wasn’t particularly acclaimed, and while it was one of the biggest films of the year, itsslow pacing and simplistic perspective on race relations generated blowback. It was also another example of the sweeping historical romance winning over edgier fare —Peter Weir’s masterful crime thrillerWitnesswould have been a much more exciting choice, and 1985 could’ve been a great year to recognize a box office smash likeBack to the Futureor an arthouse masterpiece likeBrazil.While it falls squarely within the oft-mischaracterized category of “Oscar bait,”Out of Africais certainly not the disaster that some may suggest it is. Meryl Streep andRobert Redford are so inherently charismaticthat they elevate even the soppiest of moments, and while it’s hardlySidney Pollack’s best work, he nonetheless put together a beautiful-looking film that’s stunning to watch on the big screen. If nothing else, the score fromJohn Barryis an all-time great.
Likewise, 2001’s Best Picture was met with some backlash upon its release. AgainstLord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring,Gosford Park,In the Bedroom,andMoulin Rouge!,A Beautiful Mindis far and away the weakest film within the lineup of 2001’s Best Picture hopefuls (which notably does not includeDavid Lynch’sMulholland DriveorRidley Scott’sBlack Hawk Down). Like many Best Picture winners, its “based on a true story” narrative is almost entirely inaccurate. Thedepiction of mental health issues, while praised by subject John Nash himself, was also up for debate. But is it abadmovie? Actually, no.
The 10 Actors With the Most Oscar Nominations
These iconic actors are often reorganized for their excellence by the Academy.
Ron Howardtook a risk by showing the film from Nash’s perspective and pulled off an impressive shock with the realization that Nash has imagined entire events and people. Furthermore,Russell Crowe’s performance as Nash is far more nuanced and compelling than his win the previous year forGladiator. The Oscars’ favoritism towards biopics about historical figures overcoming disability can’t be ignored, but not every film that falls into the category is worth dismissing entirely.
Renowned Classic ‘Citizen Kane’ Lost to ‘How Green Was My Valley’
John Fordreceived arecord-breaking four Academy Awardsfor Best Director (earning top honors forThe Informer, Grapes of Wrath,andThe Quiet Man), but surprisingly,How Green Was My Valleywas the only one of the bunch to actually take home Best Picture.How Green Was My Valleyis one of Ford’s best, combining the working class grittiness ofThe Informer, the romanticism ofThe Quiet Man, and the evolution of political views that he would focus on withThe Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Young Mr. Lincoln,andThe Long Voyage Home. Ford is one of the great cinematic humanists, andHow Green Was My Valleyis a moving depiction of the decline of a mining coalfield through the eyes of a child witnessing his family splinter apart.
But 1941 was the year ofCitizen Kane. How can you compete with that? Some would argue that only a select few Best Picture winners ever could, withThe Godfather, Casablanca,orSchindler’s Listcoming close. It would be difficult to stack up against what is widely considered to be the most influential movie ever made, but Ford’s film is still brilliant (if not necessarily comparable). Thedominance ofCitizen Kanetends to overshadow the fact that1941 was just a great year for film, period, withHow Green Was My Valleyalso winning Best Picture overThe Maltese Falcon,Blossoms in the Dust,Here Comes Mr. Jordan,Hold Back The Dawn,The Little Foxes,One Foot In Heaven,Sergeant York, andSuspicion.
‘Rain Man’ Felt Like a Safe Choice for Best Picture
This 1988 lineup of films is absolutely stellar. Among the nominees, you have one ofLawrence Kasdan’s finest screenplays ever withThe Accidental Tourist, one of the great ‘80s rom-coms inWorking Girl, the incendiary true-crime thrillerMississippi Burning, and the deserving winner, theruthlessly entertainingDangerous Liaisons. And the Oscar went to….Rain Man? Another case in which the highest-grossing film of the year also won Best Picture,Rain Manfeels like the safest possible choice in a year with better options(lest you forget snubs forBig, A Fish Called Wanda, Who Framed Roger Rabbit,andThe Last Temptation of Christ).
Rain Manmay feel like a boring winner, and the subsequent parodies over the years certainly haven’t improved its reputation. The Oscars certainly love road comedies that feel like they’re addressing a seemingly important topic, butRain Manthankfully avoids the forced historical reconciliation ofGreen BookorDriving Miss Daisyand focuses purely on the brotherly bond. It’s interesting to seeTom Cruiseweaponize his own charisma to play a flawed character, and despite some problematic moments, Dustin Hoffman is really charming.Barry Levinson’s films are generally very pleasant watches that don’t push the needle, andRain Manfits that description perfectly.
‘My Fair Lady’ Suffered in Comparison to Its Experimental Competitors
My Fair Ladywas a tremendous hit on Broadway, and likemany musicals of the era, it was considered ripe for an adaptation to the big screen. While it wasJulie Andrewswho had starred in the Broadway production,George Cukor’s cinematic version swapped her for the far more famousAudrey Hepburn; ironically, Andrews would win the Academy Award the same year for her performance in the fellow Best Picture nomineeMary Poppins, suggesting that she may have been the better choice all along. While Hepburn certainly lacks the inherent musical abilities that Andrew has, it doesn’t make her performance inMy Fair Ladyany less impressive; in fact, her physical comedy skills and great chemistry withRex Harrisonare what make the film so dynamic.
My Fair Ladymay have suffered in comparison to its fellow nominees, such asStanley Kubrick’s subversive dark comedyDr. Strangelove: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, which is a far more experimental and daring work and one that continues to have relevance today. Likewise,My Fair Ladybeat outZorba the GreekandBecket. The movie is also far less inventive than some of the other musical Best Picture winners, likeWest Side StoryandAn American in Paris.That being said,My Fair Ladyisstill a delightful adaptation that captures the vernacular of the stage production and makes it accessible.It perhaps would’ve coasted on its reputation as a “crowd pleaser” if it wasn’t named the definitive best film of 1964.
The 96th Academy Awards air on March 10, and will be available to stream online.
