The Oscars are undoubtedly the most prestigious film industry awards. The final ensemble award is announced at the end, and the Best Picture winner will be chosen.
The Oscars, also known as the Academy Awards, have seen their fair share of hits and misses since 1929. (And no, we are not going to give any opinion on “The Slap”) Here are some recent snubs from the history of Best Picture winners.
M. Night Shyamalan’s “The Sixth Sense.”
Year: 2000
Sam Mendes won the Best Picture Award for “American Beauty”,
This could be due to recency bias. However, it is a valid reason. American Beauty has not held up over the years. The film stars Kevin Spacey, who is known for his role in grooming teenagers into loving partners. Spacey was recently accused of sexual assault in 2017. He is currently trying to get back on his feet in the film industry.
The movie isn’t as compelling as Shyamalan’s The Sixth Sense, despite its controversy. Prior to Shyamalan’s recent failures in feature-length films, he was a master at unique storytelling. He brought out great performances from Bruce Willis and Haley Joel Osment.
Spike Lee’s “BlacKkKlansman”.
Year: 2019
Peter Farrelly won the Best Picture Award with “The Green Book”,
They had an entirely different energy than the 91st Academy Awards. It was an Oscar filled with black energy. This was the year “Black Panther” & “BlacKkKlansman” were released. We are left with The Green Book, despite all those entries. While I think Black Panther wasn’t good enough to win Best Picture in my opinion, Lee’s BlacKkKlansman is a better overall story. Additionally, I agree with many who see The Green Book to be tone-deaf.
The Green Book was well-shot and featured some outstanding actors in Viggo Mortensen or Mahershala Ali. However, the message about race relations did not reach the majority of viewers. The Green Book, directed by Peter Farrelly, can be considered a step forward. From directing “Dumb and Dumber”, “Osmosis” and “Osmosis” to Best Picture Winner, he went on to direct “Dumb and Dumber”. He tried something new, which I can’t fault.
“Brokeback Mountain”, by Ang Lee
Year: 2006
Best Picture Winner: “Crash” by Paul Haggis
The crash is a film that moviegoers are constantly changing their minds about. Although the film has a strong cast, its message about racism/sexism is too heavy-handed and stereotypical and doesn’t resonate well with many viewers today.
Brokeback Mountain, however, was far more progressive than it looked at the time. It also features great performances by Jake Gyllenhaal, Heath Ledger, and Heath Ledger. It was speculated that not many Academy voters at the time were very progressive, which could explain why Crash won. In retrospect, Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountains was always the clear winner.
