The Top 10 Worst Best Picture Snubs

Seems Like “Best Picture” Doesn’t Always Go to the Best Picture…

Let’s face it, the Academy isn’t infallible when it comes to their pick for Best Picture. In fact, the older I get the more I find my tastes clashing with theirs. Like so many of you, I’ve thrown my hands up in bewilderment over some of their choices for Best Picture in the past, wondering if they saw the same movies I did. The truth is that there is a huge disconnect between the Academy and modern audiences. That’s why this week I’m pointing out some of their biggest mistakes when it comes to the Best Picture category. Of course, hindsight is 20-20, and I’m sure no one could have known how big some of these films would become. Then again, you would think that the Academy would be able to recognize things like that when they see it. Unlike a lot of my top 10 lists, this one is going to be in chronological order since almost all of these mistakes were equally frustrating. 

1971- The French Connection vs A Clockwork Orange

Yes, The French Connection has one hell of a car chase in it, and it is a classic. However, the fact remains that A Clockwork Orange deserved to win Best Picture that year. It’s a hard movie to watch, but it’s commentary on the dangers of society becoming desensitized to violence was ahead of its time. Malcolm McDowell also turned in the performance of his career as the sadistic and psychotic Alex who leads a gang on a never-ending quest of ultra-violence in the future. I’ve seen both films and only one of them really blew my mind with its brazen imagery and brutal commentary. Even today, you won’t see many theaters re-screening The French Connection, but I’ve seen A Clockwork Orange on the big screen a few times.  

1977- Annie Hall vs Star Wars

Do I really need to explain why Star Wars deserved to win Best Picture in 1977? It gave birth to one of the biggest film franchises and fandoms of all time. People are absolutely crazy about the franchise. While some of the more recent films haven’t been extraordinary, they’ve still had a bigger impact on popular culture than Annie Hall ever did. I’m not arguing that Annie Hall is a bad movie because it’s not. That doesn’t change the fact that it was never anywhere near as influential as Star Wars. This is probably the best example of the disconnect between the Academy and the rest of the world. For them, if a film is accessible to the unwashed masses than it certainly could never be good enough to win Best Picture. 

1981- Chariots of Fire vs Raiders of the Lost Ark

Once again, the Academy decided that a widely loved movie couldn’t possibly be worthy of Best Picture. Not even the greatest adventurer of all time could win over those pretentious, old snobs. Then again, maybe they just have something against Harrison Ford. Obviously, Raiders of the Lost Ark is one of the most beloved movies of all time. It’s a staple of many of our childhoods. I watched it more times than I can count as a kid. It’s a movie that taught me at a young age that Nazis sucked, and if you ever meet one, you should promptly punch them in the face. Of course, Chariots of Fire isn’t a bad movie. It’s a great one, but it is nowhere near as impactful or entertaining as Raiders of the Lost Ark.  

1982- Gandhi vs E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

Let me start by saying that Gandhi wasn’t exactly the great guy history makes him out to be. There’s evidence to support that he was a hypocrite, racist, and just an all-around creep. Toss in the fact that Gandhi is brutally long at 3 hours and will bore you to tears for half of it, and I think the Academy definitely picked the wrong movie for Best Picture. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, on the other hand, is a wonderful family film about a remarkable friendship. It’s about putting aside fear and hate in order to let friendship blossom. Who didn’t love watching this film as a kid? Hell, who didn’t love getting a chance to share it with their own kids? Even 8-year-old me had enough sense to know E.T. was an incredible movie when he first saw it. Maybe the Academy needs more 8-year-olds?     

1994- Forrest Gump vs The Shawshank Redemption

This is probably the most debatable of all my picks for Best Picture screw-ups. 1994 was a pretty great year for movies, and I’ll admit that the Academy had their work cut out choosing the best. While I love Forrest Gump, The Shawshank Redemption has been sitting pretty as the highest-rated movie on IMDb for as long as I can remember. That means that of all the movies ever made and after 2 million votes, it’s considered the best of them all. Ergo, I think it also probably deserved to win Best Picture in 1994 as well. Of all the mistakes the Academy has made over the years this is probably the easiest to forgive. However, it’s undeniable proof that they seem to have very different tastes from the rest of us.