I’ve been thinking about this for awhile, so I’m just gonna do it, because it’s interesting to me. Every year people argue about what should and shouldn’t win the Oscar. So, I’m going to start looking back at the past and offer my opinion about what REALLY should have been named Best Picture from 5,10,15,20 years ago, etc. I haven’t decided just how far back I’ll go each year, so feel free to offer your opinions In the comments.
As I ponder this, I’m thinking about the films that have stood the test of time. These are the films that we still watch, discuss, and revere after we have lived with them for awhile. I think it will be interesting to see how these opinions change (or don’t) every 5 years.
So here we go. I’m starting with 2019 as the jumping-off point, since we are about to award the 2019 films.
I give you, the 1st Annual Hindsight Oscars:
5-Year Award (2014):
Oscar winner: Birdman
Hindsight Winner: Birdman
5 years isn’t much time to really gauge the staying power of a film, and this one is really just personal preference. I think in 5 years we might be discussing Winter Soldier in this spot because people are still talking about it with reverence now. We shall see. Til then, this is one year that I think the Academy got it right.
10-Year Award (2009)
Oscar Winner: The Hurt Locker
Hindsight Winner: Inglourious Basterds
This felt like a year where the Oscar went to a film that was vital for its time, but I don’t hear anyone speak of The Hurt Locker with the same affection as Tarantino’s film. This will be interesting to revisit in another 5 years.
15-Year Award (2004)
Oscar Winner: Million Dollar Baby
Hindsight Winner: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Another tough call. This will be interesting again in 5 years. The smart money was on The Aviator until Eastwood’s Million Dollar Baby came out. I go back to The Aviator more often just because Million Dollar Baby is so gut-wrenching. However, the third Harry Potter film was a ginormous hit and stands as arguably the best in the franchise. It’s my favorite of the 8 films, mostly because of Alfonso Cuaron’s direction. When you can put your stamp on a franchise film, you’ve done something right. And people still talk about it to this day.
20-Year Award (1999)
Oscar Winner: American Beauty
Hindsight Winner: The Matrix
This was a monster year for film, with our 2 winners along with Fight Club and a ton of other great films that still get watched today. Fight Club would be a strong runner-up here, but I think The Matrix deserves it because it changed the way films were made and inspired countless filmmakers (both good and bad). The fact that I haven’t even mentioned Star Wars in 1999 should earn me some objectivity points. If The Matrix came out today, it would be a Best Picture nominee, without a doubt.
25-Year Award (1994)
Oscar Winner: Forrest Gump
Hindsight Winner: Pulp Fiction
I don’t think I need to write anything else here. Although The Shawshank Redemption will no doubt have its share of supporters
30-Year Award (1989)
Oscar Winner: Driving Miss Daisy
Hindsight Winner: The Little Mermaid
I could make an argument for Dead Poets Society here. Or Batman. Or even Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade, but I’m striving for intellectual honesty, and you cannot deny the impact that Disney’s first animated hit in years has had on our society and film in general. It was the beginning of a run that lasted decades, and it cannot be overstated how prominent it remains in the lives of many.
35-Year Award (1984)
Oscar Winner: Amadeus
Hindsight Winner: Ghostbusters
This one was easy and difficult at the same time. I think the Academy got it right at the time, and Amadeus is a tremendous film, but EVERYONE loves Ghostbusters, and it has obviously remained in our consciousness, and is still gaining fans today. The reboot is proof positive of its legacy. Plus, it did a lot of great work with special effects!
40-Year Award (1979)
Oscar Winner: Kramer Vs Kramer
Hindsight Winner: Alien
How many of you have seen Kramer Vs Kramer? More than once? It was necessary for the time, but it’s not one people seek out. Apocalypse Now could lay claim to this award, but the fact that it falls apart in the last act makes it a tough sell for me. Alien is a damn-near perfect film, and is revered to this day. It succeeds on every front: writing, acting, effects, editing, direction. It’s a fun fun FUN flick, and changed cinema forever.
45-Year Award (1974)
Oscar Winner: The Godfather Part II
Hindsight Winner: The Godfather Part II
I will entertain no discussion on this.
I think anything I could say beyond 1979 is probably something that has already been said and is obvious by this point. I just wanted to mention The Godfather Part II.
Thanks for reading! See you next year!