After all, it’s not a complete shutout for Black actors, as it was in 2016 when #OscarsSoWhite castigated the Academy for not having a single Black actor nominated for an Oscar out of 20 different acting categories, despite riveting performances by Michael B. Jordan in “Creed”, Will Smith in “Concussion” and Corey Hawkins in “Straight Outta Compton”.
When the 94th Academy Awards take place on March 27, 2022, its efforts for diversity – and its shortcomings – will be just as much on display as the designer gowns and outstanding performances.
The three Black actors nominated for the Academy’s highest honor this year are longtime Hollywood stars Denzel Washington and Smith, with Aunjanue Ellis as the third.
These recognitions come on the heels of intensified scrutiny of equitable representation within Hollywood – and concerted efforts by the Academy to diversify. Although there have been winners of color, no Black person has won an Oscar for directing, and only 20 acting awards have gone to performers of color in 94 years.
Given the 336 Oscars for acting that have been awarded over the ceremony’s lifetime, actors of color account for roughly 6% of overall wins.
“While the Academy has made strides, we know there is much more work to be done in order to ensure equitable opportunities across the board,” Academy CEO Dawn Hudson said in 2020. “The need to address this issue is urgent.”
Her response was in stark contrast to former Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs, the Academy’s first Black president, who was elected in 2013. When asked about the #OscarsSoWhite campaign in 2015 and whether the Academy had a diversity problem, she responded, “Not at all.”
As a scholar of American pop culture and race in media, I can say Hollywood has come a long way.
Hollywood diversity
On Jan. 15, 2015, Twitter user and activist April Reign first tweeted “#OscarsSoWhite they asked to touch my hair.” Within that day, the hashtag became viral and many Black actors and social activists used the tweet to protest Hollywood’s longstanding racism.
To the Academy’s credit, it responded to #OscarsSoWhite criticisms by making steps to reconfigure its nomination process that had resulted in such a lack of Black inclusion.
In 2020, for instance, the Academy established new representation and inclusion standards that take effect in 2024. According to its official statements, the new standards were designed to “encourage equitable representation on and off screen in order to better reflect the diversity of the movie-going audience.”
But critics have observed how films with virtually no Black characters like “The Irishman”still meet inclusion standards by employing a white female casting director and a Mexican cinematographer.
Racist Hollywood history
Racial drama started early in Hollywood.
The first groundbreaking feature-length movie, “The Birth of a Nation,” released in 1915, celebrated the Ku Klux Klan. The first talking film ever released in 1927, “The Jazz Singer,”, featured white actors in blackface.
The Academy kept alive this tradition, with echoes of racist minstrel shows from the early 20th century, in 2008 when Robert Downey Jr. received a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his role in blackface in “Tropic Thunder.”
Indeed, during the early history of Hollywood, Black characters were openly denigrated by the stereotypical images that they portrayed. Black actors were usually given badly written roles portraying weak, poor or otherwise disadvantaged characters who were dependent on white characters’ heroism.
In 2011, Octavia Spencer won an Oscar – also for playing a maid like McDaniel – for her role as Minny in “The Help”.
Still, in 2002, when Berry won, diversity was center stage in Hollywood. That same year, the Best Actor winner was Washington for his uncharacteristically villainous role in “Training Day.”
In addition that year, Poitier received a lifetime achievement award, an acknowledgment for many of his groundbreaking roles throughout his career.
Yet, five years after #OscarsSoWhite, British actress Cynthia Erivo represented the lone Black acting nomination in 2020 for her role as Harriet Tubman in “Harriet,” leaving Berry as the only Black female to ever be awarded Best Actress.
Overall, of the 86 Black acting nominations over the Academy’s 94-year period, over 40% of the nominations have been circulated among repeat contenders like Washington and Smith. Major studios often favor established, sure bets at the expense of new Black talent when it is time to recoup their investments at the box office.
With only a handful of the same Black names garnering nominations, the pool of Black talent celebrated is actually smaller than what it appears.
While in today’s movie climate the quantity of nonwhite images has undoubtedly improved, it is the quality of such roles that remain problematic.
The struggle continues
For the same industry that can reproduce exacting replicas, orchestrate mass battles and fashion accurate costumes, it is alarming that such a creative industry cannot figure out how to create substantive diversity onscreen.
Alternative outlets like Hulu and Netflix are demonstrating that viable audiences are willing to support a wide range of diverse products featuring increasingly diverse casts – with “Bridgerton” and “Squid Game” as a couple of recent examples.
But six years after #OscarsSoWhite, the Academy is still struggling to diversify the Hollywood film industry – perhaps a simple lack of imagination is to blame.
Frederick Gooding, Jr. does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
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Mirisch Corporation
The Academy Awards turn 94 in 2022, making the show just three years older than Clint Eastwood (if you can believe it). Like Eastwood, the prestigious awards ceremony has seen it all by now. Over decades, the Oscar has been handed out to an X-rated movie (“Midnight Cowboy”), three actors who didn’t speak a word throughout their respective films, and once to a man actually named Oscar (Hammerstein II, that is). Oh, and did we mention the time a naked man ran across the stage flashing a peace sign?
Odds are, you weren’t watching the Oscars the year you were born. And if you were, there’s a pretty solid chance you don’t remember it. Hence, you might be curious what film took home the top prize—Best Picture—that same year. Well, Stacker’s here to satiate your curiosity. We’ve compiled the list of Best Picture winners going all the way back to the first ceremony. Call it a trip down memory lane and a great way to catch up on some bona fide classics at the same time. Also, please be aware that the date listed for each entry is the year the film was released, meaning the movie wasn’t actually awarded Best Picture until the following year (or in some early instances, the year after that).
– Directors: William A. Wellman, Harry d’Abbadie d’Arrast
– IMDb user rating: 7.6
– Metascore: data not available
– Runtime: 144 minutes
Among the few successful actresses to transition from silent films to “talkies” was screen legend Clara Bow, who was still giving viewers the silent treatment in “Wings,” the first Best Picture Winner of all time. In the film, two World War I fighter pilots from different economic backgrounds square off over the same girl. One must imagine those pilots had more important things to worry about.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
– Director: Harry Beaumont
– IMDb user rating: 5.6
– Metascore: data not available
– Runtime: 100 minutes
In “The Broadway Melody,” two vaudevillian performers (who also are sisters) head off to Broadway in pursuit of acting dreams, only to get waysided by romantic endeavors. This film was the first with sound to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards, though a silent version was also released for all the movie theaters not yet equipped for audio.
Universal Pictures
– Director: Lewis Milestone
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Metascore: 91
– Runtime: 152 minutes
Here’s a film so violent it could make Tarantino blush. Indeed, “All Quiet on the Western Front” is a harrowing portrayal of WWI atrocity, as seen through the eyes of German soldiers. The movie was so controversial in Germany during the ’30s that resentful Nazis would routinely attack theaters using stink bombs and rats. As such, the film wasn’t properly screened in Germany until 1956.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
– Director: Edmund Goulding
– IMDb user rating: 7.3
– Metascore: data not available
– Runtime: 112 minutes
According to at least one guest at Berlin’s luxurious Grand Hotel, “Nothing ever happens…” However, this film of the same name would kindly disagree. The 1932 Best Picture winner features all sorts of romance and drama between the various people staying at the prestigious hotel. Starring big names like John Barrymore, Joan Crawford, and Greta Garbo, the movie was a hot seller right out of the gate, so much so that theaters charged a whopping $1.50 per ticket for the road-show, an exorbitant amount back then.
The decades-long story of two parallel families—one upper class and one working-class—takes center stage in Frank Lloyd’s “Cavalcade.” It’s all set against a backdrop of unforgettable events like World War I and the sinking of the Titanic. In fact, the film’s initial release date purposefully coincided with the 21st anniversary of the Titanic’s fateful journey.
Columbia Pictures Corporation
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
– Director: Frank Lloyd
– IMDb user rating: 7.7
– Metascore: 87
– Runtime: 132 minutes
It’s crew versus captain on the HMS Bounty in 1935’s “Mutiny on the Bounty.” One crew member refuses to partake in the uprising, but that doesn’t prevent him from being singled out and therefore forced to defend himself. The movie features no less than three unforgettable performances, making it the first and only film to receive three Best Actor nominations at the Oscars, winning none of them.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
– Director: Robert Z. Leonard
– IMDb user rating: 6.7
– Metascore: data not available
– Runtime: 176 minutes
Released in 1936, “The Great Ziegfeld” chronicles the extravagant saga of its titular character, Florenz Ziegfeld Jr., who amassed and lost vast fortunes as the producer of epic stage revues. This was the first biopic to take home the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Warner Bros.
– Director: William Dieterle
– IMDb user rating: 7.2
– Metascore: data not available
– Runtime: 116 minutes
Fresh on the heels of “The Great Ziegfeld” came “The Life of Emile Zola,” the second biopic to win Best Picture. It tells the story of an outspoken French writer who puts everything on the line to defend a falsely accused military captain. This was also the first film to receive 10 Academy Award nominations.
Frank Capra’s second (and final) Best Picture winner was also his first collaboration with actor James Stewart. In “You Can’t Take It With You,” Stewart—the scion of a wealthy business owner—falls in love with a secretary from the other side of the tracks. When the two families meet, a class war ensues, as do all sorts of memorable comedy, drama, and romance.
Selznick International Pictures
– Directors: Victor Fleming, George Cukor, Sam Wood
– IMDb user rating: 8.2
– Metascore: 97
– Runtime: 238 minutes
Based on the sweeping historical novel about the struggles of an eccentric woman during the Civil War era, 1939’s “Gone with the Wind” is accordingly a cinematic spectacle like no other. Expectations were so high on this one that when it premiered in Atlanta, the governor declared it a state holiday, with ticket prices soaring to 40 times over their normal rate. Similarly epic was the film’s runtime just under four hours, making “Gone with the Wind” the longest Best Picture winner in history. And if you think movies can’t make time fly, then you haven’t seen this movie.
Selznick International Pictures
– Director: Alfred Hitchcock
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Metascore: 86
– Runtime: 130 minutes
Alfred Hitchcock made his big Hollywood debut with 1940’s “Rebecca,” which garnered the iconic director his first and only Best Picture trophy. The film is about a woman who moves in with her new husband, only to discover that the shadow of his dead wife still looms large over both the household and the people therein. Behind the scenes, Hitchcock frequently clashed with producer David O. Selznick, going as far as banning Selznick from the set during shooting.
Twentieth Century Fox
– Director: John Ford
– IMDb user rating: 7.7
– Metascore: 88
– Runtime: 118 minutes
Just how good is John Ford’s 1941 “How Green Was My Valley?” Well, good enough to win Best Picture over “Citizen Kane” for starters. History has surely been kinder to the Orson Welles’ classic, but Ford’s effort nevertheless remains a poignant, moving film about a working-class family in a Welsh mining town. Fun fact: This is ‘Jeopardy!’ host Alex Trebek’s all-time favorite film.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
– Director: William Wyler
– IMDb user rating: 7.6
– Metascore: data not available
– Runtime: 134 minutes
It’s life during (WWII) wartime in 1942’s “Mrs. Miniver,” with actress Greer Garson playing the title role. The harrowing propaganda film was directed by William Wyler, a German-born Jew who wanted the U.S. to get involved in the war. Wyler was in fact so committed to the cause that he joined the U.S. Army shortly after filming, returning from the experience to claim his movie had been too mild in its depiction.
Humphrey Bogart stars as an expatriate club owner who helps refugees secure passage to America out of Morocco in Casablanca. The classic film is among the finest ever made, thanks primarily to impeccable performances and a screenplay overloaded with catchy dialogue. Speaking of that legendary script, it was later passed around under a different name in the 1980s, with most of the unwitting professional readers chastising it for having “too much dialog” and “not enough sex.” To those readers’ credit, the script would have definitely felt supremely dated when stacked against the cinematic norms of the time.
Paramount Pictures
– Director: Leo McCarey
– IMDb user rating: 7.1
– Metascore: data not available
– Runtime: 126 minutes
In “Going My Way,” a priest (Bing Crosby) helps revive a rundown church in a poor neighborhood using the magic of song and dance. The film marked the first time a Best Picture winner also took home the trophy for Best Song. This is additionally the only movie to have an actor (Barry Fitzgerald) receive simultaneous nominations for Best Actor and Best Actor in a Supporting Role.
Paramount Pictures
– Director: Billy Wilder
– IMDb user rating: 7.9
– Metascore: data not available
– Runtime: 101 minutes
Based on a harrowing novel, Billy Wilder’s “The Lost Weekend” centers on an alcoholic during what very well might be his final bender. In addition to receiving Best Picture, the movie also garnered a Best Actor win for Ray Milland. Upon accepting the Oscar, Milland walked on stage, said nothing, and walked off.
Samuel Goldwyn Company
– Director: William Wyler
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Metascore: 93
– Runtime: 170 minutes
In “The Best Years of Our Lives,” three soldiers return from World War II and find it nearly impossible to reintegrate into society. The film is yet another anti-war classic directed by William Wyler, who strived for authenticity, going as far as demanding all wardrobes be purchased off the rack and worn by each actor before shooting even began.
Twentieth Century Fox
– Director: Elia Kazan
– IMDb user rating: 7.2
– Metascore: data not available
– Runtime: 118 minutes
Elia Kazan directed “Gentleman’s Agreement,” a film about a man who goes undercover as a Jew to experience anti-Semitism firsthand. The serialized novel upon which the movie was based was inspired by real-life events, where a Mississippi senator stood before Congress and spewed a number of bigoted remarks to rapturous applause.
It’s no secret that the title role in Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”—about a young prince avenging his father’s death—is among the juiciest and most desired in the history of acting. Perhaps that’s why Laurence Olivier directed this adaptation, thereby casting himself as the tragic figure. In return for his efforts, the picture received no less than four Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actor.
Columbia Pictures Corporation
– Director: Robert Rossen
– IMDb user rating: 7.5
– Metascore: data not available
– Runtime: 110 minutes
Larger-than-life figure Huey Long was reportedly the inspiration behind “All the King’s Men,” about an ambitious politician who gets corrupted on his way up (and down) the ladder. To reap more and more power, the film’s main character consistently yields to populist appeal. Sound familiar?
Twentieth Century Fox
– Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
– IMDb user rating: 8.3
– Metascore: 98
– Runtime: 138 minutes
Speaking of climbing the ladder and stepping on many heads along the way, 1950’s “All About Eve” follows a ruthless actress who finagles her way onto the stage by manipulating a theater company. The film features a bevy of female talent and currently holds the title for the most female acting Oscar nominations in a single film.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
– Director: Vincente Minnelli
– IMDb user rating: 7.2
– Metascore: 83
– Runtime: 114 minutes
Everyone’s in love and they feel like singing and dancing about it in 1951’s “An American in Paris.” The movie stars Gene Kelly as a struggling American painter who gets into trouble while staying in the world’s most romantic city. Capping off the musical is a 17-minute song and dance number that took a month to film and cost the studio half a million dollars.
Paramount Pictures
– Director: Cecil B. DeMille
– IMDb user rating: 6.6
– Metascore: data not available
– Runtime: 152 minutes
In “The Greatest Show on Earth,” director Cecil B. DeMille puts circus performers in the spotlight, layering various subplots underneath the overarching spectacle. Many of the movie’s scenes were filmed at the Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey circus, as well as the Hippodrome Parade, where the actors performed alongside authentic circus performers.
An army private finds love and conflict at a Hawaiian military base in “From Here to Eternity.” The movie endures primarily thanks to a famous kissing scene on the beach between Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr, a scene made even more realistic because the two were romantically involved at the time.
Columbia Pictures Corporation
– Director: Elia Kazan
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Metascore: 91
– Runtime: 108 minutes
Before he was stunning audiences as the godfather, screen legend Marlon Brando played a down-on-his-luck longshoreman battling union corruption in Elia Kazan’s “On the Waterfront.” Brando would later confess to being disappointed in his performance. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences felt otherwise, awarding him Best Actor at the Oscars.
Hecht-Lancaster Productions
– Director: Delbert Mann
– IMDb user rating: 7.7
– Metascore: data not available
– Runtime: 90 minutes
Tightly made on a shoestring budget, 1955’s “Marty” is about a jaded male butcher and equally jaded female teacher who give love one last chance. Along with Billy Wilder’s “The Lost Weekend,” this film remains one of just two movies to win both the Palme d’Or prize at Cannes and Best Picture at the Oscars.
Michael Todd Company
– Directors: Michael Anderson, John Farrow
– IMDb user rating: 6.7
– Metascore: 69
– Runtime: 175 minutes
Delighted with the possibilities of modern (at the time) transportation, a 19th-century English gentleman wagers he can span the entire earth in just 80 days in the fittingly named “Around the World in Eighty Days.” Production on the film was as wide-reaching as the plot itself, breaking numerous records for its time. By the time shooting was complete, the cast and crew had traveled no less than 4 million miles, having worked with just under 70,000 extras in 13 different countries.
Columbia Pictures Corporation
– Director: David Lean
– IMDb user rating: 8.2
– Metascore: 87
– Runtime: 161 minutes
Directed by David Lean, “The Bridge on the River Kwai” is about British prisoners of war forced to build a bridge, which nearby allies plan to blow up. The film is a testosterone-charged affair, featuring brilliant performances from actors like Alec Guinness and William Holden. As usual, David Lean was meticulous and determined in his execution, once traveling 150 miles just to capture the perfect sunset.
A popular Broadway musical gets the Hollywood treatment in 1958’s “Gigi,” which follows a wealthy playboy who develops feelings for his young courtesan in training. To celebrate the film winning nine Oscars, all of MGM’s telephone operators were instructed to answer calls with the greeting, “Hello, M-Gigi-M,” the day after the ceremony.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
– Director: William Wyler
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Metascore: 90
– Runtime: 212 minutes
The subject of “Ben-Hur” is Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish prince who seeks revenge on his Roman betrayers at the turn of the first century. Starring Charlton Heston in the lead role, the film almost single-handedly raised the bar on what a Hollywood blockbuster could look like. Nowhere is that more obvious than during the movie’s climactic chariot race scene, which required shooting 263 feet of film for every one foot actually used.
Mirisch Corporation
– Director: Billy Wilder
– IMDb user rating: 8.3
– Metascore: 94
– Runtime: 125 minutes
Another classic from Billy Wilder, “The Apartment” is about an accountant who loans his bachelor pad out to various executives in his company, so that they might safely engage in extramarital trysts. Things get complicated when one of those trysts involves a girl that the protagonist has been pining after. In addition to its Best Picture win, the movie frequently appears on all sorts of “greatest movies” lists and even nabbed the #1 spot in Film4’s 50 Movies to See Before You Die.
Mirisch Corporation
– Directors: Jerome Robbins, Robert Wise
– IMDb user rating: 7.6
– Metascore: 86
– Runtime: 153 minutes
Hollywood musicals don’t get much better than 1961’s “West Side Story,” with a stack of 10 Oscars to prove it (the most for any musical). The spectacular film—about two lovers from rivaling New York City gangs—updated “Romeo & Juliet” for a young and wildly receptive audience. The songs in this one are so good, they’ll stick with you for years.
Horizon Pictures (II)
– Director: David Lean
– IMDb user rating: 8.3
– Metascore: 100
– Runtime: 218 minutes
Arguably David Lean’s finest achievement, “Lawrence of Arabia” tells the true story of T. E. Lawrence, a British officer who led an Arab uprising against the Turks during WWI. Peter O’Toole played the lead and learned to ride a camel for the part. In a strange case of art imitating life, O’Toole was thrown from his camel and nearly killed shooting a battle scene in which the real T. E. Lawrence was likewise nearly killed.
Albert Finney plays Tom Jones in the 1963 movie of the same name, about an irrepressible adventurer who’s no slouch with the ladies. This was reportedly the last movie JFK watched before he was assassinated. One must wonder if the famously libidinous president saw a bit of himself in the main character.
Warner Bros.
– Director: George Cukor
– IMDb user rating: 7.8
– Metascore: 95
– Runtime: 170 minutes
Long before 1999’s “She’s All That” (which you may not remember) came the far more reputable “My Fair Lady,” about a conceited professor who bets he can transform a lowly flower girl into a member of high society. During filming, actor Rex Harrison wore a microphone in his necktie that would occasionally pick up transmissions from passing police cars.
Robert Wise Productions
– Director: Robert Wise
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Metascore: 63
– Runtime: 172 minutes
Fresh on the heels of her performance in the smash hit “Mary Poppins,” screen legend Julie Andrews appeared in the equally sensational “The Sound of Music.” In the film, she plays Maria, a former nun left in charge of seven unruly children. Never short on ambition or talent, Andrews learned to play guitar exclusively for the role.
Highland Films
– Director: Fred Zinnemann
– IMDb user rating: 7.7
– Metascore: 72
– Runtime: 120 minutes
“A Man for All Seasons” revolves around the story of Thomas More, a Catholic lawyer who refuses to acknowledge the divorce of King Henry VIII. This is one among just four productions to win both Best Play at the Tonys and Best Picture at the Oscars.
Mirisch Corporation
– Director: Norman Jewison
– IMDb user rating: 8.0
– Metascore: 75
– Runtime: 110 minutes
A dedicated African American detective squares off against racist locals while investigating a murder in 1967’s “In the Heat of the Night.” The movie takes place in Mississippi, but most of the filming was done in Illinois due to lingering racial tensions in the South. To keep their breath from showing in the cold Illinois air, actors would suck down ice chips and then spit them out right before Director Norman Jewison yelled, “Action.”
Based on “Oliver Twist” by Charles Dickens, 1968’s “Oliver!” follows the adventures of an escaped orphan who—with the help of a mentor—learns to pickpockets to survive. A young Mark Lester played the title character, who had difficulty crying on demand during a specific musical number. To compensate, the crew would cut onions right next to his eyes, thereby unleashing the waterworks.
Jerome Hellman Productions
– Director: John Schlesinger
– IMDb user rating: 7.8
– Metascore: 79
– Runtime: 113 minutes
By today’s standards, 1969’s “Midnight Cowboy” would hardly be considered controversial, but at the time of its release, the movie caused quite a stir, earning an “X” rating from the MPAA. That makes the film—about a small-town hustler who moves to the big city—the only “X” rated film to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards. In 1971, the rating for “Midnight Cowboy” changed to “R,” even though nothing in the movie had been altered.
Twentieth Century Fox
– Director: Franklin J. Schaffner
– IMDb user rating: 8.0
– Metascore: 91
– Runtime: 172 minutes
Written by Francis Ford Coppola and directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, 1970’s “Patton” details the exploits of a famous military general (whose name you can guess) during WWII. In addition to Best Picture, the film also garnered a Best Actor win for lead actor George C. Scott, who refused to accept it on the grounds that the Oscars were a “two-hour meat parade.”
Philip D’Antoni Productions
– Director: William Friedkin
– IMDb user rating: 7.7
– Metascore: 94
– Runtime: 104 minutes
It’s two New York City cops versus a ring of drug smugglers in 1971’s “The French Connection.” The film was directed by William Friedkin, who would eventually follow it up with “The Exorcist” two years later. Among the movie’s most iconic moments is an extended car chase sequence, which even includes an unscripted crash.
Paramount Pictures
– Director: Francis Ford Coppola
– IMDb user rating: 9.2
– Metascore: 100
– Runtime: 175 minutes
The Best Picture to which all other Best Pictures aspire, 1972’s “The Godfather” might single-handedly justify the existence of awards ceremonies altogether. Accordingly, the movie is nothing short of cinematic perfection. Adapted from the novel by Mario Puzo (who also co-wrote the screenplay), Francis Ford Coppola’s exploration of the Corleone crime family remains as vital today as it was upon its debut. To think, Paramount Studios reportedly tried to replace Coppola numerous times during shooting. Had the studio prevailed, movie history simply wouldn’t be the same.
In 1973’s “The Sting,” a con man enlists the help of a fellow hustler to get revenge on a crime boss who killed his friend. The premise might sound heavy, but the film stays notably light on its feet, offering quick-witted dialogue and no shortage of good old ragtime piano music.
Paramount Pictures
– Director: Francis Ford Coppola
– IMDb user rating: 9.0
– Metascore: 90
– Runtime: 202 minutes
Nowadays, most sequels are formula-bound retreads merely capitalizing on the box office success of a predecessor which only makes “The Godfather: Part II” that much better in retrospect. The film alternates between the ongoing saga of Michael Corleone and the story of his father’s ascension to power decades earlier. To play a young Vito Corleone, Robert De Niro not only learned to speak Sicilian, but moved to Sicily and lived there for three months.
Fantasy Films
– Director: Milos Forman
– IMDb user rating: 8.7
– Metascore: 84
– Runtime: 133 minutes
In the long run, the year 1975 might belong to Spielberg’s “Jaws,” but it was Miloš Forman’s “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” that took home all that Oscar gold. Adapted from the bestselling novel, the movie tells the story of a criminal who pleads insanity and gets sent to a mental institution, where he tries to organize an uprising against an oppressive nurse. Starring Jack Nicholson in the lead role, the film swept at the Oscars, winning not just Best Picture, but Best Actor, Best Actress (Louise Fletcher), Best Director, and Best Screenplay as well. The only other movies to achieve such a feat were 1934’s “It Happened One Night” and 1991’s “Silence of the Lambs.”
Chartoff-Winkler Productions
– Director: John G. Avildsen
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Metascore: 70
– Runtime: 120 minutes
Who wouldn’t want to be born the year “Rocky” won Best Picture at the Oscars? Written by and starring a then-unknown Sylvester Stallone, the inspirational film tells the story of a struggling boxer who gets his shot at a major fight. Proving just how invested he was in the cause, Stallone literally flattened his knuckles during a scene where Rocky punches hanging meat carcasses.
Jack Rollins & Charles H. Joffe Productions
– Director: Woody Allen
– IMDb user rating: 8.0
– Metascore: 92
– Runtime: 93 minutes
Woody Allen was already a popular comedian and filmmaker by the time he made “Annie Hall,” but the movie elevated his name and his craft into the annals of cinematic history for good (present day scandals notwithstanding). In the movie, Allen’s character is a neurotic comedian who falls in love with Annie, a kooky girl from the Midwest played by Diane Keaton. Having more or less designed the outfits she wore in the film, Keaton ended up sparking a short-lived fashion craze in the late ’70s.
The first Best Picture winner centered on the Vietnam War, “The Deer Hunter” tells the story of small-town friends whose lives are changed dramatically by their wartime experiences. The cast is overflowing with talent with stars like Robert De Niro, Meryl Streep, Christopher Walken, and John Cazale all turning in unforgettable performances. Sadly, John Cazale (who was Meryl Streep’s partner at the time) would pass away from cancer soon after shooting wrapped.
Columbia Pictures
– Director: Robert Benton
– IMDb user rating: 7.8
– Metascore: 77
– Runtime: 105 minutes
Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep play two divorced parents fighting over custody of their son in 1979’s “Kramer vs. Kramer.” A handful of the film’s most iconic scenes were unscripted, including one where Hoffman’s character throws a glass of wine against the wall, genuinely terrifying Streep at the time.
Paramount Pictures
– Director: Robert Redford
– IMDb user rating: 7.8
– Metascore: 86
– Runtime: 124 minutes
Robert Redford’s directorial debut, “Ordinary People” tells the story of two well-heeled parents whose lives are uprooted by the sudden death of their oldest son. Redford originally wanted fellow actor Richard Dreyfuss to star and called him to discuss. Dreyfuss answered the phone and said, “I can’t talk to you right now, I’m having a nervous breakdown,” and then hung up. Suffice to say, the role went to another actor (Donald Sutherland).
Twentieth Century Fox
– Director: Hugh Hudson
– IMDb user rating: 7.1
– Metascore: 78
– Runtime: 125 minutes
Two British track stars of different religious persuasions square off in “Chariots of Fire,” which takes place in 1924. The film is notable not just for winning Best Picture, but also for nabbing Best Original Music Score. Indeed, composer Vangelis’ theme music still resonates to this day.
International Film Investors
Paramount Pictures
– Director: James L. Brooks
– IMDb user rating: 7.4
– Metascore: 79
– Runtime: 132 minutes
If you like brilliant comedy and drama in equal measure, look no further than “Terms of Endearment” from “The Simpsons” producer James L. Brooks. The movie stars Debra Winger and Shirley MacLaine as a mother and daughter duo who aren’t always on the same page. It’s hard to describe the film without talking about the ending, and it’s hard to talk about the ending without ruining the film. All we can say is: Should you put this one on, make sure you have a box of tissues close by.
AMLF
– Director: Milos Forman
– IMDb user rating: 8.4
– Metascore: 88
– Runtime: 160 minutes
It’s the story of Mozart as told by his bitter rival in Miloš Forman’s “Amadeus.” The movie won Best Picture at the Oscars, but not without a minor flub. Specifically, a 71-year-old Sir Laurence Olivier took the stage, opened the envelope and announced the winner outright, completely forgetting to announce the other contenders. Of course, that’s nothing compared to 2017’s “Moonlight” fiasco.
Mirage Enterprises
– Director: Sydney Pollack
– IMDb user rating: 7.2
– Metascore: 69
– Runtime: 161 minutes
In 1985’s “Out of Africa,” a Danish baroness played by Meryl Streep falls in love with a big game hunter played by Robert Redford. Between the two lead roles and the premise itself, this is the dramatic movie that Hollywood just doesn’t make anymore. Most of the film (about 70%) was shot on location in Africa.
Hemdale
– Director: Oliver Stone
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Metascore: 92
– Runtime: 120 minutes
Filmmaker Oliver Stone infuses a harrowing personal experience with plenty of artistic license in 1986’s “Platoon,” which he wrote and directed. The movie deals with a young soldier at odds with both his squad and himself during the Vietnam War. Among the film’s stars is a young Charlie Sheen, who claims he would have fallen out of a helicopter if actor Keith David hadn’t pulled him back in.
Recorded Picture Company (RPC)
– Director: Bernardo Bertolucci
– IMDb user rating: 7.7
– Metascore: 76
– Runtime: 163 minutes
Directed by Italian filmmaker Bernardo Bertolucci, “The Last Emperor” chronicles the rise and fall of Pu-Yi, China’s last official emperor (hence the title). The movie takes us behind the walls of China’s famous Forbidden City, which apparently provided an excellent soundproof environment during shooting. Not counting movies that had their ratings later changed, this is the first PG-13 film to win Best Picture at the Oscars.
Dustin Hoffman portrays autistic savant Raymond Babbitt in 1988’s “Rain Man,” which co-stars Tom Cruise as Raymond’s brother. Hoffman was originally slated to play Cruise’s role, but switched gears after seeing a blind savant with cerebral palsy named Leslie Lemke play concertos on piano by ear. Meanwhile, a scene where Hoffman’s character regurgitates plane crash statistics was conspicuously removed from most airline versions.
Tig Productions
– Director: Kevin Costner
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Metascore: 72
– Runtime: 181 minutes
If you’re watching Martin Scorsese’s “Goodfellas” for the 10th time and asking yourself why it didn’t win Best Picture, Kevin Costner’s “Dances with Wolves” is your answer. The movie stars Costner as a Civil War lieutenant assigned to a remote outpost where he befriends wolves and Native Americans. To get a buffalo to charge during a key scene, the crew lured the animal in with his favorite treat: a pile of Oreo cookies.
Strong Heart/Demme Production
– Director: Jonathan Demme
– IMDb user rating: 8.6
– Metascore: 85
– Runtime: 118 minutes
Adapted from Thomas Harris’ brilliant novel, “The Silence of the Lambs” is about a novice FBI Agent who seeks help from a homicidal psychiatrist to catch a killer. That psychiatrist, of course, is none other than Dr. Hannibal Lecter, one of the most iconic villains in movie history. Actor Anthony Hopkins drew from various influences to perfect the role. For instance, he came upon the menacing voice by combining the voices of Truman Capote and Katharine Hepburn.
Universal Pictures
– Director: Steven Spielberg
– IMDb user rating: 9.0
– Metascore: 94
– Runtime: 195 minutes
As a champion of both blockbusters and children’s movies, Steven Spielberg caught Hollywood by surprise when he announced plans to direct a film about a man who helps save 1,100 Jews during the Holocaust. That film was “Schindler’s List,” and studio executives were originally against making it, preferring that Spielberg stick to mainstream fare and happy endings. Time has certainly proven those executives wrong.
Paramount Pictures
– Director: Robert Zemeckis
– IMDb user rating: 8.8
– Metascore: 82
– Runtime: 142 minutes
Hollywood is like a box of chocolates—you never know what you’re gonna get. In 1994, audiences got “Forrest Gump,” about an intellectually impaired man with a heart of gold and a story for every event or occasion. The film is a nonstop buffet of memorable characters, scenes, and lines. One of the movie’s most notable characters is Bubba, a military friend with a disposition similar to Gump’s. Dave Chappelle was offered the role, but he turned it down because he thought the movie would tank, a decision he would later regret.
Icon Entertainment International
– Director: Mel Gibson
– IMDb user rating: 8.4
– Metascore: 68
– Runtime: 178 minutes
Mel Gibson’s second directorial effort (not counting an obscure documentary), “Braveheart” is about a Scottish rebel who leads an uprising against British rule. A slew of extras were used in the film, and apparently, some of them forgot to discard their sunglasses and watches, prompting reshoots.
Miramax
– Director: Anthony Minghella
– IMDb user rating: 7.4
– Metascore: 87
– Runtime: 162 minutes
A WWII plane crash victim recalls romance and intrigue in 1996’s “The English Patient.” The movie clocks in at a lengthy 162 minutes, which is actually way shorter than director Anthony Minghella intended. He shaved 88 minutes off the original cut.
Universal Pictures
– Director: John Madden
– IMDb user rating: 7.1
– Metascore: 87
– Runtime: 123 minutes
Famous playwright William Shakespeare is short on cash and out of ideas until he meets the lovely Viola, who becomes the inspiration behind “Romeo and Juliet” in 1998’s “Shakespeare in Love.” According to legend, lead actress Gwyneth Paltrow took the script off friend Winona Ryder’s desk and then auditioned for the part behind Rider’s back. Suffice to say, the two haven’t been friends since.
DreamWorks
– Director: Sam Mendes
– IMDb user rating: 8.4
– Metascore: 84
– Runtime: 122 minutes
“American Beauty” explores the dark side of suburbia, featuring a sexually confused Bible thumper, a cheating housewife, and a middle-aged father swooning over an underage girl. Screenwriter Alan Ball’s original idea came to him after hearing about Amy Fisher, aka “The Long Island Lolita,” who shot the wife of her lover.
DreamWorks
– Director: Ridley Scott
– IMDb user rating: 8.5
– Metascore: 67
– Runtime: 155 minutes
In the spirit of epic movies like Ben-Hur and Spartacus came Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator.” The massively popular “sword and sandals” movie finds Russell Crowe playing Roman General Maximus, who seeks revenge on the emperor that betrayed him. To say Crowe gave the role his all would be an understatement. Among the injuries he endured while filming were a broken foot bone, a cracked hip bone, some popped bicep tendons, a gash to the face and the loss of feeling in his right forefinger.
Universal Pictures
– Director: Ron Howard
– IMDb user rating: 8.2
– Metascore: 72
– Runtime: 135 minutes
After physically battling tigers and warriors in 2000’s “Gladiator,” Russell Crowe dealt with a different struggle in 2001’s “A Beautiful Mind” when he played mentally troubled mathematician John Nash. Specifically, the Ron Howard film chronicles Nash’s descent into schizophrenic madness as a genius professor and government cryptographer. While the movie reportedly plays loose with several facts, it stays somewhat true to the math, putting Nash’s actual equations up on the chalkboard during a teaching scene.
Miramax
– Director: Rob Marshall
– IMDb user rating: 7.2
– Metascore: 81
– Runtime: 113 minutes
By 2002, the big Hollywood musical was mostly a relic of the past, but that didn’t stop “Chicago” from reigning supreme at the box office and awards shows. Telling the story of two murderesses who pursue fame to get off death row, the Broadway adaptation was a song and dance extravaganza with every cast member firmly committed to his or her role. In fact, Richard Gere spent three months learning to tap dance, for a scene that took only half a day to shoot.
The final installment of Peter Jackson’s Lord of Rings trilogy, 2003’s “The Return of the King” finds the forces of good and evil fighting over the dominion of Middle-earth. Meanwhile, hobbits Frodo and Sam struggle to destroy a ring of unimaginable power. The blockbuster movie was an indisputable smash hit in every sense, bringing whole new meaning to the word “sweep” by winning all 11 Oscars for which it was nominated. That also gives it the highest perfect score in Academy Award history.
Warner Bros.
– Director: Clint Eastwood
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Metascore: 86
– Runtime: 132 minutes
What starts as a somewhat traditional sports film slowly evolves into one of cinema’s most heart-wrenching dramas in Clint Eastwood’s “Million Dollar Baby.” The movie finds Eastwood himself playing a highly regarded boxing trainer, who reluctantly agrees to train an ambitious female boxer. This is one of only two boxing movies to win Best Picture (the other being Rocky).
Bob Yari Productions
– Director: Paul Haggis
– IMDb user rating: 7.8
– Metascore: 66
– Runtime: 112 minutes
The intersecting lives of various races and ethnicities in Los Angeles lay the groundwork for Paul Haggis’ “Crash,” which took home the top prize at the Oscars in 2004. Loaded with talent and made on a modest budget of $6 million, the movie caused some controversy after winning Best Picture over the heavily favored “Brokeback Mountain.” In response to the win, author Annie Proulx (who wrote the short story upon which “Brokeback Mountain” was based) delivered a scathing article against the Academy’s decision for The Guardian.
Warner Bros.
– Director: Martin Scorsese
– IMDb user rating: 8.5
– Metascore: 85
– Runtime: 151 minutes
Martin Scorsese had already dreamed up some of cinema’s greatest achievements by the time he made “The Departed,” which (unjustly) remains his only Best Picture win to date. Taking place in Boston, the film tells the story of two undercover operatives on opposite sides of the law during an investigation into the Irish mob. The movie was a remake of a Chinese action flick called “Infernal Affairs,” which Scorsese purposely avoided watching until shooting was wrapped.
Paramount Vantage
– Directors: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
– IMDb user rating: 8.2
– Metascore: 91
– Runtime: 122 minutes
Leave it to the Coen brothers to do award-winning justice to Cormac McCarthy’s novel “No Country for Old Men,” about a man who chances upon a suitcase full of drug money and then finds himself in the crosshairs of a psychopathic killer. The film takes place in Texas in 1980, and one of the characters makes reference to dope dealers killing a federal judge the year before. As it turns out, this was a real event, and the judge’s killer was actor Woody Harrelson’s father.
In Kathryn Bigelow’s “The Hurt Locker,” we follow a fearless bomb squad maverick as he dismantles explosives during the Iraq War. It’s a film that subsists almost entirely on tension, whereas every moment might be the hero’s last. Despite its taut execution, audiences didn’t exactly flock to the theaters, and this film, when adjusted for inflation, remains the lowest-grossing Best Picture winner since box office receipts were regularly counted.
See-Saw Films
– Director: Tom Hooper
– IMDb user rating: 8.0
– Metascore: 88
– Runtime: 118 minutes
The story of King George VI—who had to overcome a speech impediment before properly ascending to the throne—provides the subject for 2010’s “The King’s Speech.” Colin Firth plays the lead role and his Oscar win for Best Actor kicked off a brief string of Academy Awards going to actors or actresses playing famous politicians. Specifically, Meryl Streep won the following year for playing Margaret Thatcher and Daniel Day-Lewis won the year after that for his portrayal of Abraham Lincoln.
Studio 37
– Director: Michel Hazanavicius
– IMDb user rating: 7.9
– Metascore: 89
– Runtime: 100 minutes
As incredible as it sounds, 1927’s “Wings” (which takes the first spot on this list) was the only silent film to win Best Picture all the way up until 2012, when “The Artist” took home the top prize. The latter entry is in many ways about the silent era itself, featuring a movie star and dancer in the late 1920s and early 1930s, whose lives are uprooted by the introduction of “talkies.”
Warner Bros.
– Director: Ben Affleck
– IMDb user rating: 7.7
– Metascore: 86
– Runtime: 120 minutes
A group of CIA agents take the guise of a Hollywood production team to rescue American hostages in 2012’s “Argo.” The film saw actor Ben Affleck taking on directing duties for the third time, while also playing one lead. To create a stronger sense of time and place, Affleck gave the film an intentionally grainy look, modeling the aesthetic after 1970s political thrillers.
From director Steve McQueen came “12 Years a Slave,” about a free man in the North who’s abducted and sold into southern slavery during the 1800s. McQueen pulls no punches in his depiction of Southern injustice, and the movie accordingly features copious amounts of physical and emotional cruelty. In an ode to authenticity, McQueen used the same tree during a lynching scene that was once used for actual lynching. Flanking the tree are the real graves of murdered slaves.
New Regency Pictures
– Director: Alejandro G. Iñárritu
– IMDb user rating: 7.7
– Metascore: 87
– Runtime: 119 minutes
Perhaps drawing from personal experience, Michael Keaton plays a down-on-his-luck actor looking to revitalize his career in 2014’s “Birdman.” It’s the first Best Picture winner to be shot entirely in digital. Such newfound freedom allowed director Alejandro G. Iñárritu to get downright experimental during filming, famously making the film look as though it was shot in one long take (which it almost was).
Participant Media
– Director: Tom McCarthy
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Metascore: 93
– Runtime: 129 minutes
Investigative journalism commonly makes for high brow Hollywood fare, but rarely takes home Best Picture at the Oscars. Changing that trend was 2015’s “Spotlight,” about a group of Boston Globe reporters who expose a widespread pedophilia scandal going on within the local Catholic Archdiocese. Many of the actual reporters depicted in the film were on hand to help, and furthermore duly impressed with their on-screen counterparts. Reporter Walter Robinson (played by Michael Keaton in the film) is quoted as saying, “My persona has been hijacked. If Michael Keaton robbed a bank, the police would quickly have me in handcuffs.”
A24
– Director: Barry Jenkins
– IMDb user rating: 7.4
– Metascore: 99
– Runtime: 111 minutes
The Miami-centric “Moonlight,” written and directed by Barry Jenkins, is dual parts coming-of-age and sexual identity exploration. Captivating both visually and emotionally, the Best Picture winner marked the breakout of Ashton Sanders and career cementing of Mahershala Ali (who won Best Supporting Actor). The announcement goes down in history, however, as the presenters mistakenly read “La La Land” as the winner before the correction was made.
Fox Searchlight Pictures
– Director: Guillermo del Toro
– IMDb user rating: 7.3
– Metascore: 87
– Runtime: 123 minutes
Guillermo del Toro directed and co-wrote, along with Vanessa Taylor, “The Shape of Water,” which is viscerally parallel to his other dark fantasy work. This time—with central romantic themes taking place in the 1960s—a humanoid amphibian (Doug Jones) and a cleaner (Sally Hawkins) fall in love at the lab where he is held and she works. Besides taking home Best Picture Honors, “The Shape of Water” was awarded for Production Design, Original Score, and Director.
This Peter Farrelly comedy-drama film based on true events tells of African American pianist Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali) and his friendship with Italian American driver Frank Vallelonga (Viggo Mortensen) as they tour America’s Deep South in the early 1960s. The “Green Book” is named after a guidebook for African American travelers during the Jim Crow era. Besides Best Picture, it took home Supporting Actor (Ali), and Original Screenplay.
The first non-English language film to win for Best Picture, this South Korean black comedy-meets-horror film centers on the poor Kim family as they scheme to get hired by the affluent Park family by posing as qualified individuals who are of no relation to each other. As they slowly infiltrate the Parks’ house, keeping their secret becomes more sinister and untenable. “Parasite” has been praised by critics for its interrogation of “class rage” and extreme wealth inequality resulting from late stage capitalism in South Korea. Along with Best Picture, the film won Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best International Feature Film.
Cor Cordium Productions
– Director: Chloé Zhao
– IMDb user rating: 7.3
– Metascore: 93
– Runtime: 107 minutes
Winning for Best Director (with Chloé Zhao being the first woman of color and the second woman ever to win this award) and Best Actress (Frances McDormand’s third win), as well as for Best Picture, “Nomadland” follows the widow Fern (played by McDormand) as she packs up her life and goes on the road. In her travels, she encounters other nomads, who teach her how to care for herself as well as how a community can be formed even among transients.
Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs attends the Celebration of Black Cinema on Dec. 2, 2019, in Los Angeles. Randy Shropshire/Getty Images for the Celebration of Black Cinema
In this 1938 photograph, Hattie McDaniel is seen in her role as Mammy in the movie ‘Gone with the Wind.’ Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images
Actors Denzel Washington and Halle Berry pose while holding their Oscar statues in 2002. Lee Celano/AFP via Getty Images
