Some of the Best Oscar Nominated Movies Never Won

I try to watch the Oscars as often as possible, and I routinely find that the movie that I liked best in a particular year is the winner for best picture. On a couple of occasions, however, I felt that there were some very good Oscar nominated movies that should have won, but did not.

Let's start with 2010, in which the best picture award went to “The Hurt Locker.” I thought that there were two movies that were better in “The Blind Side” and “Inglourious Basterds.” To me, they had better stories and were more interesting than the winner.

I was happy to see that Sandra Bullock received the Best Actress in a Leading Role award for “The Blind Side” and that Christoph Waltz won the award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for “Inglourious Basterds.”

Going back a few decades, in 1990, two Oscar nominated movies that did not get the nod for Best Picture were “Field of Dreams” and “Born on the Fourth of July.” Instead, it was “Driving Miss Daisy,” that won, and I never could understand why. I liked the movie all right, but to me, “Field of Dreams” in particular was such an iconic movie.

Then in 1993, one of my favorite Oscar nominated movies of all time, “A Few Good Men,” got beaten out by “Unforgiven.” I have to admit, I really did not like the movie “Unforgiven” that much, and I still scratch my head over that one.

In 1999, “Shakespeare in Love” beat out two Oscar nominated movies that I thought were much better, “Saving Private Ryan” and “Life is Beautiful.” That is one that actually made me a little angry, because I did not feel that “Shakespeare in Love” should have even been nominated, and I definitely don't think that it is on par with the other two.

“Million Dollar Baby” won in 2005, and don't get me wrong, I absolutely loved that movie. But I still think that “Ray,” another Oscar nominated movie, was a little better. That year was a bit too close to call, but I still thought that “Ray” should have won, and it always takes me aback a little when one wins that I didn't think would.

I know that it is all a matter of opinion and I am sure that there are some people out there who are looking at the movies that I like and thinking that I am out of my mind for suggesting that they should have won. I just feel that a lot of the Oscar nominated movies that did not win were better than the ones that did. Of course, that is probably why they were nominated in the first place.

Oscar nominated movies over the years

Oscar nominated movies are supposed to be the cream of the crop, the best films of the year. Too often, however, oscar nominated movies fall short of that mark and are predictably lumped into the best marketed films of the year. Or the most banal films of the year that have the most connected producers.

The Academy has been giving out Oscar nominations for over seventy years now, and the process of making the nominations has, in itself, become big business. Because business mixes into the process, then, you can be sure that oscar nominated movies aren't always going to be the best ones, but rather the ones with the most people in high places pushing for its consideration.

The history of The Academy - Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which oversees oscar nominated movies - goes back to 1929. Since then oscar nominated movies have gained both audience and prestige from the Academy's work, and that continues to this day.

The Academy was originally started by Louis B. Mayer, legendary head of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, as a way to settle labor disputes. He also intended the academy to improve the image of the industry, and as a result came up with an awards show with a banquet. What was to come would eventually be the biggest night of stars seen anywhere in the world.

The original Oscar nominated movies from taht first year were Wings, by William Wellman, which was the eventual winner, The Racket by Lewis Mileston, and 7th Heaven by Frank Borzage. Wings is better rememberd today for being the film that launched Gary Cooper's career than any other profound effect it had on the industry, though Wellman is considered by many to be one of the finest directors of the silent era.

Until 1940 oscar nominated movies were nominated for "Best Production." At that point the award was changed to "Best Picture." There were also many more oscar nominated movies, with as many as 10 getting noms before the academy put a limit of five oscar nominated movies in any year starting in 1944.

Some of the most award-winning movies, though, haven't aged that well. For every "The Best Years of Our Lives," there's been a "The Greatest Show on Earth." For every "Casablanca" there's been a "Marty", and for every "Bridge on the River Kwai" there's been a "Ben-hur." So the Academy, while enduring, is nothing if not mistake-prone.