Untitled Document

            I am something of a movie buff, and enjoy all aspects of the film going experience; from outrageous comedy to high-flying action, from super acting to brilliant cinematography, there isn’t much about the movies that I’m not impressed by. Thus, I see a good deal of films throughout the year, and I try to run the gamut in those that I view – I’ll attend small art house fair and popular summer blockbusters, and truth be told, I genuinely enjoy nearly every film I see on some level.
            Each February, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presents its list of nominees for outstanding achievement in that year’s films. I follow this process closely, making sure to view all of the nominees, and then comparing my favorites of the year with those selected by the Academy and presented by the stars themselves each magical Oscar night. This is truly one of my favorite times of the year.
            However, I invariably find that when contrasting my picks against the Academy’s, Oscar gets it wrong. Maybe they are too impressed by glamour, or are too tempted to shy away from hot button politics, but whatever the case may be – nearly every year, several of the best movies are snubbed. And so, as a service to you the reader, I will now reveal the REAL Best Pictures of each year, beginning in 1994 (which holds no significance other than it happens to be the year I started paying attention to the Oscars). I will also offer a contrast between my pick and the actual winner. The criteria I use to determine “Best” includes an amalgamation of things including but not necessarily limited to: acting performances, social importance, direction, visuals (including photography and special effects), and most importantly originality. Please take note; if you have yet to see the film listed below, you’ll want to rent them ASAP. And now with no further delay – The Real Winners Are:

1994

The Actual Winner Was – Forrest Gump. I liked this one well enough, but it got popularized and played out rather quickly. It’s lasting contribution is sure to be the film technique of “Gumping,” that is manipulating the film to place the a fictional character into a historical event or other unlikely place. It was family friendly and so the academy played it safe and picked it. Well, stupid is as…

The Real Best Picture Was – The Shawshank Redemption. Snubbed by the academy because of prison themes including forcible sodomy. Superbly acted by Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman, this flick is sure to be remembered among film lovers long after the last of us has forgotten why life is like a box of chocolates.

Honorable Mention – Pulp Fiction. Now obscured by imitation and parody, and referenced in pop-culture ad nauseum (see “Gump”), this one was extremely hip and fresh back in its time.

1995

The Actual Winner Was – Braveheart. I am not going to spend much time panning this pick because in truth it was a great epic film, and even more so because it dealt with classic American themes “freedom” while telling the historical story of an era most of us aren’t familiar with.   But it wasn’t the best picture.

The Real Best Picture Was – Dead Man Walking. Again victim of the academy hands-off policy because it dealt with an issue on which there is no clear consensus – capitol punishment. In fact, it made a pretty good case against it in a Presidential Election year in which both candidates favored it. Perhaps this is reason it wasn’t even nominated, and the talking pig movie was. I can’t speak to that, but I can testify to the brilliant direction of the aforementioned Tim Robbins, who forever captured a piece of the social confusion that was turn-of-the-century America.

Honorable Mention – The Usual Suspects. Rarely has their been a better plot with a more unpredictable ending. We’ll forgive them for casting that Baldwin.

1996

The Actual Winner Was – The English Patient. Give me a break. I just can’t figure out how this boring piece of melodramatic tripe managed to score Best Picture. Well, at least nearly everyone has already forgotten it.

The Real Best Picture Was – Fargo. A triumph of acting, directing and sheer filmmaking genius all converging on two hours of cinematic joy. It’s movies like this that make movies worth going to see. I will also note that it contains a particularly notable performance by Steve Buscemi as one of the most despicable characters ever portrayed on film.

Honorable Mention – Sling Blade. I really liked this one, mostly for the brilliant performance of Billy Bob Thornton who created a more than a character but came as close as you can come to bringing that character to life.

1997

The Actual Winner Was – Titanic. Let’s face it – this won because it was popular. Really, really popular, and those kind of dollars were enough to buy it a Best Picture nod as well. Oh, it wasn’t bad, but it was lackluster. It was full of historical anachronisms and the acting left quite a bit to be desired. But it goes to show you, there’s no stopping the big, expensive, popular epic.

The Real Best Picture Was – L.A. Confidential. Action, romance, suspense, and mystery – this one had it all. A brilliant cast helped, one that included veterans James Cromwell, Kevin Spacey and Kim Basinger as well as up and comer Russell Crowe. And I admit – this one had that certain hipness factor working for it as well.

Honorable Mention – Chasing Amy. This was the anti-Titanic. A love story that ventures in and out of various sexual subcultures, it’s a no-brainer why this one was snubbed. Still, it manages to be funny in a very high-minded way, and show us a relationship that exposes those raw parts of our souls that we’re all afraid to talk about. I found it very honest, and for that I commend it.

1998

The Actual Winner Was – Shakespeare in Love. Yeah, this was good – funny and romantic and all that. But I couldn’t help but feel that I was being force-fed some of its ironic humor. That and the fact that it contained interchangeable parts with fellow nominee “Elizabeth.”

The Real Best Picture Was – Saving Private Ryan. Long the Academy’s whipping boy, big money man Spielberg actually managed to direct another historical gem here. The pinnacle of its genre, it was also unfortunately mixed up in 1998 with “The Thin Red Line,” a terrible war movie. When looking back at 1998 in fifty years, I have to believe that this is the one that we’ll remember.

Honorable Mention – Out of Sight. George Clooney declares himself hip-ass badboy alongside a very sexy J. Lo in one of the decade’s slickest, hippest films. It might not be a Capra classic, but it was damn cool.

1999

The Actual Winner Was – American Beauty. Remember when I said the nearly always got it wrong? This was an exception.

The Real Best Picture Was – American Beauty. I thought this film’s brilliance lie in the way that it captured the dark side of suburban American life at this point in our history. Millennial America will be looked at as a time of prosperity and exuberance, and this film will forever remind us what lurked beneath the surface. Even if you or your family isn’t like the Burnam’s, you know your neighbors are…

Honorable Mention 1 (I get two because of the other two being the same) - Three Kings. The return of counterculture badass George Clooney along with fellow hipsters Mark Wahlberg and Ice Cube. This was an anti-war flick that totally panned American strategy during Desert Storm, which in itself was an interesting message, not to mention the fun plot about the gold.

Honorable Mention 2 - Being John Malkovich. Not understood by many, this has to be one of the weirdest and yet one of the most original plots ever conceived. And it was awfully funny, too.

2000

The Actual Winner Was – Gladiator. See “Braveheart, Titanic.”

The Real Best Picture Was – Wonder Boys. Pothead Lit professor accidentally mentors depressed gay student while trying to seduce the Chancellor’s wife. And the Academy didn’t like that??? This one was great – fresh plot, outstanding acting and that intangible hipness.

Honorable Mention – Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. Incredibly convoluted plot, but breathtaking visuals, this one just felt cool, although when I try to explain why it comes out in Mandarin Chinese.

I know you are sitting out there, disagreeing. Who made you a film critic? You got something to say? THEN BRING IT ON!!!

Back to: Home \| Archive
Jung On : The Real Best Pictures	April 3, 2001
I am something of a movie buff, and enjoy all aspects of the film going experience; from outrageous comedy to high-flying action, from super acting to brilliant cinematography, there isn’t much about the movies that I’m not impressed by. Thus, I see a good deal of films throughout the year, and I try to run the gamut in those that I view – I’ll attend small art house fair and popular summer blockbusters, and truth be told, I genuinely enjoy nearly every film I see on some level. Each February, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presents its list of nominees for outstanding achievement in that year’s films. I follow this process closely, making sure to view all of the nominees, and then comparing my favorites of the year with those selected by the Academy and presented by the stars themselves each magical Oscar night. This is truly one of my favorite times of the year. However, I invariably find that when contrasting my picks against the Academy’s, Oscar gets it wrong. Maybe they are too impressed by glamour, or are too tempted to shy away from hot button politics, but whatever the case may be – nearly every year, several of the best movies are snubbed. And so, as a service to you the reader, I will now reveal the REAL Best Pictures of each year, beginning in 1994 (which holds no significance other than it happens to be the year I started paying attention to the Oscars). I will also offer a contrast between my pick and the actual winner. The criteria I use to determine “Best” includes an amalgamation of things including but not necessarily limited to: acting performances, social importance, direction, visuals (including photography and special effects), and most importantly originality. Please take note; if you have yet to see the film listed below, you’ll want to rent them ASAP. And now with no further delay – The Real Winners Are: 1994 The Actual Winner Was – Forrest Gump. I liked this one well enough, but it got popularized and played out rather quickly. It’s lasting contribution is sure to be the film technique of “Gumping,” that is manipulating the film to place the a fictional character into a historical event or other unlikely place. It was family friendly and so the academy played it safe and picked it. Well, stupid is as… The Real Best Picture Was – The Shawshank Redemption. Snubbed by the academy because of prison themes including forcible sodomy. Superbly acted by Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman, this flick is sure to be remembered among film lovers long after the last of us has forgotten why life is like a box of chocolates. Honorable Mention – Pulp Fiction. Now obscured by imitation and parody, and referenced in pop-culture ad nauseum (see “Gump”), this one was extremely hip and fresh back in its time. 1995 The Actual Winner Was – Braveheart. I am not going to spend much time panning this pick because in truth it was a great epic film, and even more so because it dealt with classic American themes “freedom” while telling the historical story of an era most of us aren’t familiar with. But it wasn’t the best picture. The Real Best Picture Was – Dead Man Walking. Again victim of the academy hands-off policy because it dealt with an issue on which there is no clear consensus – capitol punishment. In fact, it made a pretty good case against it in a Presidential Election year in which both candidates favored it. Perhaps this is reason it wasn’t even nominated, and the talking pig movie was. I can’t speak to that, but I can testify to the brilliant direction of the aforementioned Tim Robbins, who forever captured a piece of the social confusion that was turn-of-the-century America. Honorable Mention – The Usual Suspects. Rarely has their been a better plot with a more unpredictable ending. We’ll forgive them for casting that Baldwin. 1996 The Actual Winner Was – The English Patient. Give me a break. I just can’t figure out how this boring piece of melodramatic tripe managed to score Best Picture. Well, at least nearly everyone has already forgotten it. The Real Best Picture Was – Fargo. A triumph of acting, directing and sheer filmmaking genius all converging on two hours of cinematic joy. It’s movies like this that make movies worth going to see. I will also note that it contains a particularly notable performance by Steve Buscemi as one of the most despicable characters ever portrayed on film. Honorable Mention – Sling Blade. I really liked this one, mostly for the brilliant performance of Billy Bob Thornton who created a more than a character but came as close as you can come to bringing that character to life. 1997 The Actual Winner Was – Titanic. Let’s face it – this won because it was popular. Really, really popular, and those kind of dollars were enough to buy it a Best Picture nod as well. Oh, it wasn’t bad, but it was lackluster. It was full of historical anachronisms and the acting left quite a bit to be desired. But it goes to show you, there’s no stopping the big, expensive, popular epic. The Real Best Picture Was – L.A. Confidential. Action, romance, suspense, and mystery – this one had it all. A brilliant cast helped, one that included veterans James Cromwell, Kevin Spacey and Kim Basinger as well as up and comer Russell Crowe. And I admit – this one had that certain hipness factor working for it as well. Honorable Mention – Chasing Amy. This was the anti-Titanic. A love story that ventures in and out of various sexual subcultures, it’s a no-brainer why this one was snubbed. Still, it manages to be funny in a very high-minded way, and show us a relationship that exposes those raw parts of our souls that we’re all afraid to talk about. I found it very honest, and for that I commend it. 1998 The Actual Winner Was – Shakespeare in Love. Yeah, this was good – funny and romantic and all that. But I couldn’t help but feel that I was being force-fed some of its ironic humor. That and the fact that it contained interchangeable parts with fellow nominee “Elizabeth.” The Real Best Picture Was – Saving Private Ryan. Long the Academy’s whipping boy, big money man Spielberg actually managed to direct another historical gem here. The pinnacle of its genre, it was also unfortunately mixed up in 1998 with “The Thin Red Line,” a terrible war movie. When looking back at 1998 in fifty years, I have to believe that this is the one that we’ll remember. Honorable Mention – Out of Sight. George Clooney declares himself hip-ass badboy alongside a very sexy J. Lo in one of the decade’s slickest, hippest films. It might not be a Capra classic, but it was damn cool. 1999 The Actual Winner Was – American Beauty. Remember when I said the nearly always got it wrong? This was an exception. The Real Best Picture Was – American Beauty. I thought this film’s brilliance lie in the way that it captured the dark side of suburban American life at this point in our history. Millennial America will be looked at as a time of prosperity and exuberance, and this film will forever remind us what lurked beneath the surface. Even if you or your family isn’t like the Burnam’s, you know your neighbors are… Honorable Mention 1 (I get two because of the other two being the same) - Three Kings. The return of counterculture badass George Clooney along with fellow hipsters Mark Wahlberg and Ice Cube. This was an anti-war flick that totally panned American strategy during Desert Storm, which in itself was an interesting message, not to mention the fun plot about the gold. Honorable Mention 2 - Being John Malkovich. Not understood by many, this has to be one of the weirdest and yet one of the most original plots ever conceived. And it was awfully funny, too. 2000 The Actual Winner Was – Gladiator. See “Braveheart, Titanic.” The Real Best Picture Was – Wonder Boys. Pothead Lit professor accidentally mentors depressed gay student while trying to seduce the Chancellor’s wife. And the Academy didn’t like that??? This one was great – fresh plot, outstanding acting and that intangible hipness. Honorable Mention – Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. Incredibly convoluted plot, but breathtaking visuals, this one just felt cool, although when I try to explain why it comes out in Mandarin Chinese. I know you are sitting out there, disagreeing. Who made you a film critic? You got something to say? THEN BRING IT ON!!!