Oscar Best picture do overs. . .

[Jedbu]

I'm gonna try this and see what kind of selections get pitched here. The question is: which Oscar winners for Best Picture would you change if you could? It can be one of the other nominees or one that you think should have been picked. Remember, this is for just this one category, and to keep the posts from getting long-winded, keep your reasons short and sweet.

These are mine:

CAVALCADE-boring beyond belief!; substitute: CITY LIGHTS
THE GREAT ZIEGFELD-one of the most turgid and dull musicals ever; substitute: DODSWORTH
YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU-not one of Capra's best by a long shot; substitute: THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD
HAMLET-aside from Walton's score this has not aged well; substitute: THE TREASURE OF SIERRA MADRE
THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH-probably one of C. B.'s dullest movies; substitute: SINGIN' IN THE RAIN
AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS-almost unwatchable in some spots and the guest stars are really distracting nowadays; substitute: THE SEARCHERS
BEN-HUR-the 1925 silent is shorter and actually moves better; substitute: SOME LIKE IT HOT
OLIVER!-Carol Reed was better with crooks and spies; substitute: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY
MIDNIGHT COWBOY-aside from Hoffman's and Voight's performances, this film has not aged well; substitute: THE WILD BUNCH
KRAMER VS. KRAMER-as Hoffman said, "the soap opera won," and seems soapier than ever; substitute: MANHATTAN
CHARIOTS OF FIRE-except for the main title and Ian Holm very little has stayed with me from this film; substitute: RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
TERMS OF ENDEARMENT-I never really bought into this film except for Nicholson and Lithgow; substitute: THE RIGHT STUFF
SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE-Harvey Weinstein bought this award and I think it suffers from a terminal case of the cutes; substitute: SAVING PRIVATE RYAN
CRASH-are you kidding?; substitute: BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN

I'll be curious to see how this goes. . .

[JSWalsh]

Danny Peary wrote an entire book about this, which is a lot of fun. called ALTERNATE OSCARS. Be warned, it's one of those books you'll stay up all night reading.


Here's a list of winners, followed by other nominees that year.

I am assuming you mean any movie could be an alternate choice, but the nominees there are helpful reminders.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academy_Aw ... st_Picture

[AndyDursin]

For me personally I'd have gone with these if I WERE an Oscar voter

E.T. over GANDHI.

THE RIGHT STUFF over TERMS OF ENDEARMENT.

RAIDERS over CHARIOTS OF FIRE.

THE EXORCIST *or* AMERICAN GRAFFITI over THE STING.

RAGING BULL over ORDINARY PEOPLE.

JAWS over CUCKOO'S NEST.

FARGO over THE ENGLISH PATIENT.

STAR WARS over ANNIE HALL.

GOODFELLAS over DANCES WITH WOLVES.

SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION over FORREST GUMP.

[JSWalsh]

I don't know about you guys but I'm having trouble thinking of NOMINATED movies I'd give Best Picture to...

[JSWalsh]

1935 Winner:Mutiny on the Bounty//My Pick from the Nominees:
A Midsummer Night's Dream-This is one of those movies people either don't know or don't value enough. It includes a lot of stunt casting that actually works really well (Mickey Rooney as Puck), but that element has distracted from the excellence of the whole production. I've seen several versions of the play and this is the only one that catches the sense of the title.

1936 The Great Ziegfeld//Dodsworth-One of those movies you can watch after the passage of years and it seems to have gotten richer. I think it speaks to a viewer more as they get older and have more mileage behind them.

1937 The Life of Emile Zola //The Awful Truth--I haven't seen Zola, but Awful Truth is my favorite movie on this list so far. I only mention that because it doesn't get enough applause. But the last section runs out of steam--it doesn't wreck the movie but it is a comedown.

My actual pick would be:
Lost Horizon-Yeah it's Capra, which usually means I discount it instantly, but the movie has such an incredible scope and is executed so well, that it is one of the few fantasy-tinged movies that really says something about the world. Capra in this period isn't on the same page as me in terms of outlook, but this is a marvelous, bittersweet dream of a better world.

1938 You Can't Take It with You//The Adventures of Robin Hood-My pick because it's such a lively, fun romp, though I think I may choose Grand Illusion... if I ever see it.

1939 Gone with the Wind //The Wizard of Oz-I haven't seen it in decades and may never watch it again, but it is an indelible part of all Americans' memories. Gone with the Wind is mostly a chick flick, even though it has a strong male lead and Oz has a girl in the lead. But Dorothy stands for all kids who feel helpless and hopeless. The ending is a huge crock, but otherwise this is a stunning movie.

[Eric Paddon]

I most certainly would NOT substitute Ben-Hur, which IMO is the greatest movie ever made, period. To me, I've always felt the attempts to run down it's Best Picture status have more to do with critics disdain for the subject matter (given how most of those critics are the same ones who rave about "Spartacus" which IMO is overrated)

[Paul MacLean]

1965: Doctor Zhivago over The Sound of Music.

1968: The Lion in Winter over that schmaltzy musical Oliver.

1969: On Her Majesty's Secret Service over Midnight Cowboy.

1974: Chinatown over The Godfather Part II.

1975: Barry Lyndon over One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

1978: Superman over The Deer Hunter.

1979: Apocalypse Now over Kramer vs. Kramer.

1980: Tess over Ordinary People.

1981: Raiders over Chariots of Fire...but only by a narrow margin!

1982: Blade Runner or The Road Warrior over Ghandi.

1983: I'm with Andy -- The Right Stuff over Terms of Endearment.

1984: I have to split the Oscar three ways, between Amadeus, A Passage to India and The Killing Fields (The Bounty was pretty awesome too actually).

1985: Ran over Out of Africa.

1986: The Mission over Platoon (heck, Howard The Duck was better than Platoon!)

1987: Fatal Attraction over The Last Emperor (Fatal Attraction holds a special meaning for me because I was experiencing the exact same thing as Michael Douglas' character right at the time of the film's release -- and I hadn't even slept with her!).

[JSWalsh]

Eric, it's funny that you mention BEN HUR and SPARTACUS. I've been a fan of Kubrick's for decades, and while there is much I love in SPARTACUS it was always a little dull to me. I couldn't figure out why, because I enjoyed the sets, the acting in the Rome scenes, etc. The reason was right in front of me--I just find Kirk Douglas boring and always have, and it's no more complicated than that. Plus I think Kubrick's lack of humor (which isn't about jokes) is in evidence here--taking some out of the wind out of this gasbag hero might have added some much-needed juice to this.

It's beautifully shot, has some great acting from Laughton and others, great visuals and music, but...it's dull.

I only saw BEN HUR fairly recently and really enjoyed it. Visually it's spectacular, and the central hero is a lot more interesting and human than Spartacus, who's presented to us as a demigod from the get-go. The photography has warmth, and the acting is great across the board.

It's funny to me because I've always liked Kubrick and watched SPARTACUS several times, thinking it was me. Lately I've been souring a bit on Kubrick. Meanwhile I've read a book about Wyler, and have watched DIRECTED BY WILLIAM WYLER a dozen times over the years. His approach to the material is a lot less studied and spontaneous. And as his daughter, I think, said, it took a Jew to make a great movie about Jesus. I think that remove gave Wyler the ability to be less intimidated by the subject matter.

[Paul MacLean]

I most certainly would NOT substitute Ben-Hur, which IMO is the greatest movie ever made, period. To me, I've always felt the attempts to run down it's Best Picture status have more to do with critics disdain for the subject matter (given how most of those critics are the same ones who rave about "Spartacus" which IMO is overrated)

Spartacus is a great film, but I agree that it gets elevated above other epics of the time for being a "secular" Roman epic (as well as the way it draws parallels between McCarthyism and Crassus' "enemies list"). Kubrick's attachment to the film also gives it some street cred among cineastes (I've known Kubrick fans who've said "I hate those old Roman epics, all except for Spartacus which is brilliant!"). And while he certainly placed his stamp on the material, it is not finally a "Stanley Kubrick film", as he was a just a hired gun (and finally fell out with Kirk Douglas who had ultimate creative control).

While I do love Spartacus, and think it is perhaps a technically more even picture than Ben-Hur, I consider Ben-Hur the superior and more meaningful film.

[JSWalsh]

Paul,

I've given this a lot of thought, and I finally have to just come out and say it:

Put a coat on when you're recording outside in the snow!

There, I've said my piece.

[Eric Paddon]

Spartacus is a great film, but I agree that it gets elevated above other epics of the time for being a "secular" Roman epic (as well as the way it draws parallels between McCarthyism and Crassus' "enemies list").

Exactly right, Paul. There are a lot of critics who love it only because it appeals more to their present day secularism and radicalism. I think it's got great technical virtues and a great score, but Spartacus's plight is simply less well-written than the ordeal Judah Ben-Hur has to go through. Plus, I get irritated by how the same critics will run down Heston's acting in Ben-Hur but not say a word on how awful Tony Curtis is and how his acting is straight out of the bad school of 50s epics.

[Paul MacLean]

Paul,

I've given this a lot of thought, and I finally have to just come out and say it:

Put a coat on when you're recording outside in the snow!

There, I've said my piece.

Hey, I wear a coat when its below 20 degrees!

[JSWalsh]

Tony Curtis really sticks out in that cast. Everyone else seems to fit, and he just sticks out, giving a very surface-y performance.

[AndyDursin]

BTW I was just giving out OTHER NOMINEE picks in a given year over the actual winner.

If you want to go through movies that weren't even nominated that's another story

[JSWalsh]

1940 Winner: Rebecca//My pick from the nominees:Rebecca, surprisingly enough. While strong cases might be made for The Grapes of Wrath and The Great Dictator, and Our Town, The Letter and Philadelphia Story are favorites of mine, I think Rebecca is the film of this bunch which accomplishes what it's aiming for most successfully.

1941 How Green Was My Valley //Citizen Kane-I mean, is there even a question as to why? I'd give it to The Maltese Falcon if Kane didn't come out this year--Valley is beautiful and enjoyable but just isn't in the same solar system.

1942 Mrs. Miniver//The Magnificent Ambersons - Even in its disembowled state, it's an evocative portrait of a family coming apart due to progress. I'd give it to the movie based purely on what is on the screen, though. The sets and photography are used to tell the story. There's some great acting, too, by Agnes Moorehead, Tim Holt, Joseph Cotten and others--Major Amberson's fireside delusional muttering is one of the most chilling images of a man at the end of his life, and knowing it.

1943 Casablanca//I agree.


1944 Going My Way//Double Indemnity - This is a tough one for me because I like Gaslight and Since You Went Away better. But Double Indemnity shows Wilder in control of his misanthropy, and the story is engrossing enough to carry the viewer along. The filmmaking is excellent on a technical level, of course, but I think it's Wilder's refreshing (at this point--it grew tiresome later) cynicism that makes this my pick.

1945 The Lost Weekend//Agreed.

1946 The Best Years of Our Lives//Agreed, though if I could I'd give a nice Second Place award to The Razor's Edge.

1947 Gentleman's Agreement//Great Expectations - A surprise, to me. Crossfire was laudable but only intermittently interesting, and I enjoyed The Bishop's Wife more than any of these. But Expectations is one of the very few films that really captures Dickens.

1948 Hamlet//The Treasure of the Sierra Madre - No contest (though The Red Shoes deserves recognition for being a stunning-looking movie that everyone should see). Treasure is a tough and uncompromising look at men driven by greed. Walter Huston's laugh--and Tim Holt's reaction--at the end make one of those scenes that could only happen in the movies, not in a book, on stage or even in real life.


1949 All the King's Men//A Letter to Three Wives - Wonderful writing, and Makiewicz's staging isn't as stiff as it was in All About Eve the following year. I also liked the characters, even Kirk Douglas' blowhard. The Heiress is also worthy, due to the characters and the surprising respect given the book by Wyler. (I hated the more "sophisticated" version Washington Square.)