"Shawshank Redemption" should have kicked "Forrest Gump" butt. That's when I lost faith in the Academy.

But what do I know? I went back and watched "Crash" again.

I stopped caring when "Pulp Fiction" lost to "Forrest Gump."

I think 1963 was probably the year the Academy made the most mistakes in Nominations and Awards."Hud" should have won over "Tom Jones" and "Cleopatra should not have been nominated for best Picture.It was the most boring movie of the 1960s and almost ruined Twentieth Century Fox before their fortunes turned around in 1965.

@jen and heather: yeah, 94 was a strong year. i see "pulp" as 97's "l.a. confidential" to "titanic" -- never had a chance. but "shawshank" is in my top 5 of all time.

@martin: i'm loving the perspective here. you're welcome to comment on my blog posts anytime.

Will, the history of the Oscar Best Picture winners is ripe with injustice. Prime examples:

"Saving Private Ryan" should have won over "Shakespeare in Love."

"Raging Bull" should have won over "Ordinary People."

"Citizen Kane" should have beat "How Green Was My Valley."

"High Noon" should have walloped the atrocious "The Greatest Show on Earth."

Ugh, I'm stopping. I'm getting heartburn.

@felicia: oh, "citizen kane" is THE prime example. it's widely regarded as the best film of all time, yet it went 1-for-9, winning an oscar for screenplay.

also, "the insider" and "gangs of new york" combined for 17 oscar nominations and ended their nights with goose eggs. both were masterfully made films and deserved better. at least the year titanic won 11 naked guys, the other best pic nominees each were awarded something.

but im on the "shakespeare" side of the 98 argument.

Amen to "L.A. Confidential" over "Titanic". That's what should have won Best Picture in '97. Heck, "Boogie Nights" was also a '97 movie, and that was better than "Titanic."

Brokeback Mountain definately should have won over Crash.

"Valley Girl" got no respect!

(not the same Jason as above)
You guys are crazy. Quiz Show should've won in 94, not Pulp Fiction nor Shawshank (both are vastly over-praised in my book);
Titanic was wholly deserving in 97 (LA Confidential was excellent too, though, no question).
Sullivan's Travels or Meet John Doe or Ball of Fire could also lay legitimate claim to the 1941 title, but for crying out loud. It's not like How Green Was My Valley is some slouch picture, it was John Ford after all.

I never really get into what "should have won", because whatever wins is what should have won because that's how the votes broke. This is America, after all.

Saving Private Ryan should have won over American Beauty

@1st jason: boogie nights was aiight, but i couldnt sit through that again. it got really weird about halfway through the film.

@jamie: thats what im talkin about!!!

@kathy: oh, kathy [shakes head]

@2nd jason: quiz show was a great film, too! and i also would have voted for titanic. as for the way america votes, maybe the supreme court should decide the oscars. (ggrrrrr, you made me go political)

@pk: thats an interesting statement. american beauty's competition that year was "the insider," "cider house rules," "sixth sense" and "green mile."

... and i forgot one: a beautiful mind -- wtf?

Alright, Alright, I'll play (but only cuz I can't live-blog with Donald this year...Reel Pride is having an Oscar party fund-raiser).

I don't want to cover every year, so here are my highlights (nothing before 1960, or this will be wayyy too long):

1960: Psycho over The Apartment

1963: The Birds over Tom Jones (the academy really hated Hitchcock)

1964: Dr Strangelove over My Fair Lady (the academy REALLY hated Stanley Kubrick)

'68: 2001: A Space Odyssey over Oliver (Oliver?!?)

'71: A Clockwork Orange over French Connection (they just hated Stanley!)

'79: this one REALLY bugs me: APOCOLYPSE NOW, people!! Know what did win? Kramer vs Kramer.

'80: Must've been the feel-good era. Raging F'ing Bull over Ordinary People. RAGING BULL didn't win!!

'84: Personal choice: The Killing Fields over Amadeus

'92: I wanted The Crying Game over Unforgiven

'94: While I really loved Forrest Gump, I think The Shawshank Redemption should've won.

'96: Fargo OR Sling Blade over the maudlin English Patient

'98 The Thin Red Line OR Saving Private Ryan over Shakespeare in Love

'05: Brokeback OR Good Night, And Good Luck over the miserable 'Crash.' This was the worst.

okay, I can't resist a couple of historical bloops:

King Kong (1932) over Cavalcade. The Wizard of Oz over Gone With the Wind (shame it was such a great year for all film). THE GRAPES OF WRATH over Rebecca. Rebecca! Such tripe. A Streetcar Named Desire over An American in Paris. Some Like it Hot over Ben Hur.

And finally, Vertigo definitely should've beaten Gigi. Poor Alfred.

Thanks Will for asking. Sorry I'll miss you, Donald, but I'll read it all when I get home...

What's with the Forrest Gump haters? Lt. Dan FTW!!!

Goodfellas losing to Dances With Wolves and Pulp Fiction not even nominated the year Forrest Gump won. Two of the biggest crimes in Oscar history.

@alex: well, pulp was nominated for 7 oscars (including best picture, and it won for screenplay). but i hear you, man.

MILK should have won Best Picture this year. INTO THE WILD should've been nominated (and maybe won!) last year. Eddie Vedder's music for INTO THE WILD should've been nominated AND definitely won last year! And Hal Holbrook should've won Best Supporting Actor for INTO THE WILD. That film was snubbed and cheated last year! It's still the most memorable film of that year--for many of us.