Friday, February 05, 2010

How Many Bests is Best?

So the last time there were ten best picture nominees was 1943? In the 30's and early 40's, it was common to have a long list of nominated contenders but since the winner will still be the winner regardless how long the list, why, after six decades, are there ten nominees again? Could it be that the Academy is sick of hearing how this film or that one was "snubbed" (gawd, I hate that word) when it was actually just further down the list? Whatever. I'm just amused that in this "Hangover", "Role Models" and "Superbad" generation, two contenders for Best Picture begin with the word "up" --- and "yours" isn't part of either title.

Former Best Picture Winners

2008 - Slumdog Millionaire
2007 - No Country for Old Men
2006 - The Departed
2005 - Crash
2004 - Million Dollar Baby
2003 - Lord of the Rings, Return of the King
2002 - Chicago
2001 - A Beautiful Mind
2000 - Gladiator
1999 - American Beauty
1998 - Shakespeare in Love
1997 - Titanic
1996 - The English Patient
1995 - Braveheart
1994 - Forrest Gump
1993 - Schindler's List
1992 - Unforgiven
1991 - The Silence of the Lambs
1990 - Dances With Wolves
1989 - Driving Miss Daisy
1988 - Rain Man
1987 - The Last Emporer
1986 - Platoon
1985 - Out of Africa
1984 - Amadeus
1983 - Terms of Endearment
1982 - Gandhi
1981 - Chariots of Fire
1980 - Ordinary People
1979 - Kramer vs. Kramer
1978 - The Deer Hunter
1977 - Annie Hall
1976 - Rocky
1975 - One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1974 - The Godfather Part 2
1973 - The Sting
1972 - The Godfather
1971 - The French Connection
1970 - Patton