The Oscar is the most coveted statuette in the entertainment industry. It is a symbol of prestige and awards superior work in Hollywood. Looking back at 90 years of Oscar history there have been a countless number of films nominated in the Best Picture category. We may remember some of the winners, but do we remember who lost?
1934 - 42nd Street
Though the plot of "Cavalcade" illustrated a realistic portrayal of how the events of London's history affected the social classes, "42nd Street" better illustrated the financial status of the US at the time while telling a stunning visual story. The triumphs of "42nd Street", accomplished by Busby Berkeley, included extravagant dance numbers presented in kaleidoscope shots.
1939 - Jezebel
Early in her career, Bette Davis starred in the Oscar-nominated film "Jezebel" which lost to Jimmy Stewart's film, "You Can't Take It With You". "Jezebel" was a fiery movie in which Bette plays a spoiled Southern belle who acts less than ladylike. Bette earned herself an Oscar nomination and win for this film, but the film itself deserved an Oscar win as well.
1941 - The Great Dictator
The film, "The Great Dictator" which was written, directed, produced, scored, and starred Charlie Chaplin lost the Oscar to "Rebecca". Charlie Chaplin may be best known for his character the Tramp, but arguably his best work was in "The Great Dictator". The amount of research he put into studying Hitler and his speeches to get the dialogue and mannerisms correct does not go unnoticed.
1942 - Citizen Kane
It's surprising to know that "Citizen Kane" a film that constantly lands atop greatest films list, lost the Oscar to "How Green Was My Valley". "Citizen Kane" was directed, produced, co-written, and starred Orson Welles who is said to have based the film off the life of William Randolph Hearst, the newspaper magnate. It is theorized that due to Hearst's extreme distaste for this film, he influenced the Academy and that is why it didn't win the Best Picture Oscar.
1945 - Double Indemnity
"Double Indemnity" lost the Oscar for Best Picture to the happy-go-lucky "Going My Way". "Double Indemnity" is a classic representation of the film noir genre, setting the standard for subsequent films; it has themes of secrecy, adultery, and greed.
1946 - Mildred Pierce
"Mildred Pierce" is arguably one of the best movies that Joan Crawford has ever done. Shockingly in 1946, it lost the Best Picture Oscar to "The Lost Weekend". "Mildred Pierce" covered the taboo topic of divorce and showed us how even the most unsuspecting people can commit the most heinous of crimes.
1947 - It's A Wonderful Life
"The Best Years Of Our Lives" is a film that focuses on how WWII affected our soldiers and their families; it won the Best Picture Oscar in 1947. "It's a Wonderful Life" has very similar elements to "The Best Years of Our Lives", it just doesn't show it from the viewpoint of a soldier.
1949 - The Red Shoes
"Hamlet" is always going to be considered a classic film, but "The Red Shoes" deserved a lot more praise than it ever received. "The Red Shoes" is essentially the original "Black Swan". The film focuses on how much a performer puts into their craft: the sacrifices they make, the training, the mental/physical turmoil, and the need for constant validation.
1957 - Giant
"Around The World in 80 Days" is a quirky movie that fails in comparison to the epic drama of "Giant". Being the last movie James Dean made before his untimely death, this film deserved every award for which it was nominated. "Giant" has breathtaking panoramic shots and did a fabulous job at illustrating the themes of racism, sexism, inequality, and greed.
1959 - Cat On A Hot Tin Roof
Overlooked at the 1959 Oscars was "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof". This film was adapted from the Tennesse Williams stage play and covers the sensitive topics of infertility, mental abuse, alcoholism, and death. The movie has an all-star cast including Elizabeth Taylor, Paul Newman, and Burl Ives; so it's unfortunate that it was overlooked in favor of a more light-hearted production.
1963 - To Kill A Mockingbird
Nominated the same year as "Lawrence of Arabia" was "To Kill a Mockingbird", based on the Pulitzer-prize winning novel. "To Kill a Mockingbird" is a phenomenal film that shines a light on the judicial system, racism, and prejudice. It reminds us that our children must be carefully taught, otherwise we'll pass our misconceptions on to the following generations.
1964 - Lilies of the Field
In 1964, both "Lilies of the Field" and "Tom Jones" are Oscar-nominated films adapted from books that are competing against one another in the Best Picture category. Though "Lilies of the Field" may not be as glorious or as adventurous as "Tom Jones", it deserved to win. "Lilies of the Field" is a sweet film. It covers themes of acceptance, freedom, and friendship.
1967 - Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
The 1967 Academy Awards included two films going head to head for the Best Picture Oscar both adapted from stage plays. Elizabeth Taylor gives her best onscreen performance in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?". The film was shot in black and white as a way to enhance the aged makeup looks of the actors to further exaggerate how weary and tired they appear on screen.
1968 - The Graduate
It's hard to believe that such an iconic film with quotes that always end on AFI's top list did not win the Oscar back in 1968. "The Graduate" includes a soundtrack mostly by Simon and Garfunkel, which for the time was a very bold and risky move; it worked in tandem with the social commentary of the film which spoke about relationships, commitment, and adolescence.
1969 - Funny Girl
Back in 1969, "Funny Girl" was nominated, but went home empty-handed, except for Barbra Streisand who did win the Best Actress Oscar. It is constantly considered as the best movie musical ever made: "Funny Girl" is shot beautifully and it has some of the most amazing costumes, designed by Irene Sharaff, to have ever graced the big screen.
1981 - Raging Bull
"Ordinary People" won the Best Picture Oscar in 1981, but against "Raging Bull" it shouldn't have stood a chance. "Raging Bull" took many risks, the first and most obvious being that Martin Scorsese chose to film this movie in black and white. It may seem like a film about boxing, but it's truly a film about the human experience, how we work through our problems, and emotions.
1982 - On The Golden Pond
Unfortunately, "On the Golden Pond" lost to "Chariots of Fire". It's a charming story about a daughter trying to reconnect her deteriorating relationship with her father. It has themes of forgiveness, aging, and death. "On the Golden Pond" is refreshing as the cast is primarily made up of older actors, a demographic that Hollywood tends to exclude from films.
1986 - The Color Purple
"Out of Africa" starring Meryl Streep and Robert Redford won the Oscar for Best Picture over "The Color Purple" in 1986. "The Color Purple" had every right to win the Oscar. The film covers topics of incest, sexism, poverty, and domestic violence. It's a magnificent story that follows Celie as she transforms into finding her worth and her place in life.
1988 - Moonstruck
"The Last Emperor" is a biopic of the life of Puyi, the last Emperor of China, but "Moonstruck" is a fictionalized story rooted in reality through the clever dialogue and acting by the entire cast. There's even a magical quality about "Moonstruck" that makes us believe that almost anything can happen when a gorgeous moon lights up the night sky.
1990 - Dead Poet's Society
"Driving Miss Daisy" may be a good film on its own bringing up discussions about racism and antisemitism in the South. However, "Dead Poets Society" is a beautiful film with themes of being true to oneself, standing up for what you believe in, and not following the norm. This film covers the sensitive topics of suicide, grief, punishment, and accountability of one's actions.
1993 - Scent of a Woman
"Scent of a Woman" was a remake of an Italian film, but should have won the golden statuette. The film has a beautiful character development and arc for Al Pacino and Chris O'Donnell's characters. It focuses more on who these characters are and how they are different from when we are initially introduced to them.
1999 - Saving Private Ryan
"Saving Private Ryan" is known as one of the best war movies ever made. However, it lost the Best Picture Oscar to "Shakespeare in Love" in 1999. "Saving Private Ryan" does a perfect job of showing what it was like on the front lines as well as demonstrating the ever-lasting effects these events had on our soldiers as they experience episodes of PTSD.
2000 - The Green Mile
The film that should have won the 2000 Best Picture Oscar: "The Green Mile". This movie is a masterpiece that shows audiences that inmates are people too; people who have backstories, families, emotions, and some of them are falsely imprisoned. It makes us reconsider our judicial system as well as what it means to uphold the law.
2001 - Erin Brockovich
"Gladiator" was a visually stunning film starring Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix; the film deserved praise and accolades, but not the Best Picture Oscar. "Erin Brockovich" is one of the strongest female characters in cinematic history: a single mom working to support her family while also pursuing a career in law, acting as a voice for people who don't have one.
2009 - Milk
"Milk" impacted American culture by giving us a look into the life of what it was like to be an openly gay politician, as well as a gay man, in the 1970's. Frankly, the film was overshadowed and one of the biggest reasons it didn't win was that people were uncomfortable with a movie of this content winning the Oscar.