What is the worst film to win an Oscar?

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In case you need reminding:

http://us.imdb.com/Sections/Awards/Academy_Awards_USA/

And whoo boy are there some baffling choices over the years:

"American Beauty"/ "The Silence of the Lambs"/ "Chariots of Fire" - three remarkably mediocre films.

"The Deer Hunter"... racist gash.

"Shakespeare in Love"/ "The English Patient"/ "A Beautiful Mind"/ "Oliver!"... these are pretty dire films.

I guess "Forrest Gump" deserves a nod purely for winning in the same year that "Pulp Fiction" and "Shawshank" were ignored, but I don't think it's a bad film by any means...

― Mad.Mike, Monday, 25 October 2004 01:06 (twenty-one years ago)

then you are wrong!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Monday, 25 October 2004 01:07 (twenty-one years ago)

anyway the answer is the first one, wings (1927)! hello wings is a SITCOM not a MOVIE!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Monday, 25 October 2004 01:08 (twenty-one years ago)

Calum and Himself: A Love Story (Michael Moore's Oscar winning next effort in 2006)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 25 October 2004 01:09 (twenty-one years ago)

when fahrenheit 9/11 wins best picture it will be the answer to this question.

― keith m (keithmcl), Monday, 25 October 2004 01:09 (twenty-one years ago)

It's not bad in the way that something like "Shakespeare in Love" is bad. It moves along, it has some funny moments, it amuses. It also has a load of shit wrong with it (right wing, conservative undertones namely - overly American dream orientated), but I think it's entertaining enough.

P.S. What about "Ned and the doughnuts: One mans attempt to crack down on eating junk food, get in shape and get himself a social life"???

― Mad.Mike, Monday, 25 October 2004 01:10 (twenty-one years ago)

Life Is Beautiful

― A Million Talking Hot Dogs (AaronHz), Monday, 25 October 2004 01:24 (twenty-one years ago)

Are you talking about Gump? It's not the worst movie I've ever seen, true, but it may be the movie I hate the most.

― Kenan (kenan), Monday, 25 October 2004 01:26 (twenty-one years ago)

Every one from the last 12 years.

― Jeff-PTTL (Jeff), Monday, 25 October 2004 01:32 (twenty-one years ago)

TIFUCKINGTANIC

― MC Transmaniacon (natepatrin), Monday, 25 October 2004 01:39 (twenty-one years ago)

(it beat LA CONFIDENTIAL. DAMN IT.)

― MC Transmaniacon (natepatrin), Monday, 25 October 2004 01:41 (twenty-one years ago)

I was just coming to post that. It's obv. Titanic.

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Monday, 25 October 2004 01:41 (twenty-one years ago)

I forgot about "Titanic"!!!

To be fair, again, I don't think it is awful. It might be dire for the first half but the second half is a good special effects ride and puts you right at the front of a bloody nasty spectacle. What films was "Titanic" up against for the Oscar? I find it hard to believe it should have been best picture.

― Mad.Mike, Monday, 25 October 2004 01:42 (twenty-one years ago)

Like I said: LA CONFIDENTIAL. (And Good Will Hunting, As Good As It Gets and the Full Monty, so... um.)

― MC Transmaniacon (natepatrin), Monday, 25 October 2004 01:43 (twenty-one years ago)

It was definitely Titanic. It'd be Life is Beautiful but that won best foreign film so I think it was disqualified by this Mad Mike character.

― Allyzay Science Explosion (allyzay), Monday, 25 October 2004 01:44 (twenty-one years ago)

The Full Monty?!

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Monday, 25 October 2004 01:44 (twenty-one years ago)

Good Will Hunting is about 4 billion times better than Titanic, and it's only just ok for christ's sake.

― Allyzay Science Explosion (allyzay), Monday, 25 October 2004 01:44 (twenty-one years ago)

Sheesh, never mind the nominated films - I cannot believe they didn't nominate "Jackie Brown" and "Boogie Nights" for best picture. Either of them are so much better than "Titanic" it is unbelievable. They're better than "LA Confidential" and "As Good as it Gets" and "The Full Monty".

"Good Will Hunting" is no better than "Titanic" surely?

― Mad.Mike, Monday, 25 October 2004 01:45 (twenty-one years ago)

BRAVEHEART!!

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Monday, 25 October 2004 01:47 (twenty-one years ago)

aparently none of you has seen the english patient. its the worst film, period.

― :|, Monday, 25 October 2004 01:47 (twenty-one years ago)

Anything that includes footage of The Fisk Homer is automatically better than Titanic

― MC Transmaniacon (natepatrin), Monday, 25 October 2004 01:48 (twenty-one years ago)

(Holy shit, Richard Pryor was an Oscar TV host in 1977?)

― MC Transmaniacon (natepatrin), Monday, 25 October 2004 01:49 (twenty-one years ago)

All completely confounding choices:

Chicago
Shakespeare in Love
Titanic
THE ENGLISH PATIENT OMG THIS IS TRULY A HORROR FEST OF BORING
I really want to say Schindler's List except I came up with an explanation in my head (confounding doesn't just mean terrible choices, it means terrible choices I can't even come up with a shitty explanation for) BUT OMG SCHINDLER'S LIST IS SUCH CRAP
Out of Africa
The Godfather Part II
Oliver!
Ben-Hur

I am not familiar enough with the competition in the earlier eras to really go further than that.

The best Oscar winner is Amadeus by far; how the fuck do they continually overlook things like LA Confidential and Goodfellas is beyond me.

― Allyzay Science Explosion (allyzay), Monday, 25 October 2004 01:50 (twenty-one years ago)

Out of Africa and The English Patient were both results of massive confusion by the Academy insomuch as they thought they were voting MOST BORING FILM EVER MADE and thanks to chad error it got all fucked up.

― Allyzay Science Explosion (allyzay), Monday, 25 October 2004 01:50 (twenty-one years ago)

titanic is so much better than la confidential it ain't even funny

― s1ocki (slutsky), Monday, 25 October 2004 01:53 (twenty-one years ago)

why do you guys like la confidential? it sucks!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Monday, 25 October 2004 01:54 (twenty-one years ago)

What's wrong with Godfather II?

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Monday, 25 October 2004 01:54 (twenty-one years ago)

xpost What's wrong with S1ocki?

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Monday, 25 October 2004 01:55 (twenty-one years ago)

Reasons why Good Will Hunting is better than Titanic:

1) It is 7 hours shorter.
2) It has Matt Damon instead of Leonardo DiCaprio. Science proves one is better than the other: Damon has also been in Ocean's 11 and The Bourne Identity, while DiCaprio was in Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet and that godawful embarassing crap Scorcese put out a couple years ago.
3) Nobody, not even Robin Williams, says that line about being someone's whore over being someone's wife.
4) Elliot Smith is v. slightly better than Celine Dion (this is akin to saying that Darth Vader is slightly better than the Emperor, granted)
5) Robin Williams is somewhat restrained in Good Will Hunting; Kathy Bates is not in Titanic.
6) Good Will Hunting did not have godawful obvious CGI as its "exciting climax" that you spend 9 months waiting to see.

The one redeeming feature of Titanic:
Billy Zane

― Allyzay Science Explosion (allyzay), Monday, 25 October 2004 01:59 (twenty-one years ago)

seriously! worst villain reveal EVER, shitty '80s "let's all team up" ending, kim basinger as hooker-with-a-heart-of-gold, why is this movie good?

― s1ocki (slutsky), Monday, 25 October 2004 02:00 (twenty-one years ago)

Unfortunately he's not referred to as "Billy Zane" in the film.

-1

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Monday, 25 October 2004 02:01 (twenty-one years ago)

OH YEAH

7) The "poor people"/"rich people" stereotypes in Good Will Hunting were less offensive than the same stereotypes in Titanic

xpost because Russell Crowe beats the shit out of Guy Pearce in it and, let's be honest, that's all people want to see.

― Allyzay Science Explosion (allyzay), Monday, 25 October 2004 02:01 (twenty-one years ago)

la confidential has guy pearce and keving spacy in leading roles. which bombs it into upper mediocricy teritory.

crosspost. WRONG WRONG its the best villain reveal ever. are you nuts.

― :|, Monday, 25 October 2004 02:02 (twenty-one years ago)

hahaha "I'd rather be his whore than Billy Zane's wife!"

― Allyzay Science Explosion (allyzay), Monday, 25 October 2004 02:02 (twenty-one years ago)

russell crowe is a grizzled amoral cop who hates violence against women!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Monday, 25 October 2004 02:02 (twenty-one years ago)

are YOU nuts? the diabolical character who's been twirling his moustache the whole film is... the villain!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Monday, 25 October 2004 02:03 (twenty-one years ago)

RUSSELL CROWE BEATS UP GUY PEARCE, why aren't you listening to me?

See also: movies where Kevin Spacey gets shot halfway thru, always better than movies where Kevin Spacey doesn't get shot halfway thru.

― Allyzay Science Explosion (allyzay), Monday, 25 October 2004 02:03 (twenty-one years ago)

what a surprise! the most villainous character in the movie turned out to be the villain!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Monday, 25 October 2004 02:04 (twenty-one years ago)

I'd rather be his whore than Billy Zane's wife

I am putting this on a t-shirt with an arrow in an "I'm With Stupid" stylee

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Monday, 25 October 2004 02:04 (twenty-one years ago)

dude s1ocki what are you talking about now?

― Allyzay Science Explosion (allyzay), Monday, 25 October 2004 02:05 (twenty-one years ago)

I've seen 50 of them. the worst is Mrs. Miniver. a WW2 propaganda melodrama that people liked for its simplistic message/purpose rather than its quality. in one scene, mrs. miniver discovers a nazi soldier in her kitchen! and so on

in a movie newsgroup where this came up, "the greatest show on earth" got a lot of votes. i've avoided it.

"out of africa" is also shit.

people who think the worst winners were all in the last decade need to see more of the movies.

― a banana (alanbanana), Monday, 25 October 2004 02:05 (twenty-one years ago)

I think Titanic and Shakespeare in Love are both such beautiful and accurate answers to this query that I am left only to add my voice to the choir proclaiming these to be horrendous films unworthy of the high honor and praise that comes with an Oscar. However, I'm appalled at the selection of Schindler's List (which I felt made for compelling and moving viewing), and ADORE ADORE ADORE The Deer Hunter, which, unlike most Vietnam-themed films, actually bothered with humanizing and making sympathetic the American soldiers who were drafted into serving in this particular conflict. Besides, it's the only film to feature a Czech-American-style wedding ceremony at the beginning (or at least Andy Warhol claimed the wedding was actually more like the ones his Czech-American relatives had back in PA, vs. the Polish-American origins the film claimed).

― Sycophantic New Romantic (Dee the Lurker), Monday, 25 October 2004 02:06 (twenty-one years ago)

in a movie newsgroup where this came up, "the greatest show on earth" got a lot of votes. i've avoided it.

Ooh, I nearly forgot about this one. I must agree with the newsgroup people here, too. Adding it to the list....

(I've never seen Mrs. Miniver, FYI, but if you're saying it's "propagandistic", then hey, I would probably really like it, being Miss Patriot and all.)

― Sycophantic New Romantic (Dee the Lurker), Monday, 25 October 2004 02:08 (twenty-one years ago)

Honestly, judging by people I know, I think a rather large portion of people who've devoted their educational career to the study of anything to do with WWII regard Schindler's List as godawful twisted crap, but OTOH we might just all hate the shit out of Spielburg.

― Allyzay Science Explosion (allyzay), Monday, 25 October 2004 02:09 (twenty-one years ago)

no YOU are nuts. a) there is a decoy moustache twirling vilain who actually has a moustache; b) whatshisname is perfectly disguised as the lovable farmer from "babe"; c) the revael involves kevin spaye being shot dead. it is perfect. and lets team up endigns are the best thing abozut the 80s.

more crossposts than you can shake a stick at.

― :|, Monday, 25 October 2004 02:10 (twenty-one years ago)

I quite liked Shakespeare in Love and the way it medievalised the Chevy Chase 80's slob comedy. I am truly amazed it won an Oscar however - wow. That's an error of cosmic proportions.

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Monday, 25 October 2004 02:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Toss up between Oliver! and My Fair Lady and Mrs Miniver for me.

― beanz (beanz), Monday, 25 October 2004 02:12 (twenty-one years ago)

he's not disguised! he's mean the whole way through!

also i note that NO ONE has bothered to defend kim basinger in this movie (also her oscar deserves its own thread)

― s1ocki (slutsky), Monday, 25 October 2004 02:14 (twenty-one years ago)

WHATR ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THIS IS A PHOTO STILL FROM LA CONFIDENTIAL FEATURING TEH VILLAN, TEH FARMER OF BABE:

http://www.maildogmanager.com/pics/hcllalert/13img3.jpg

― Allyzay Science Explosion (allyzay), Monday, 25 October 2004 02:14 (twenty-one years ago)

to be fair My Fair Lady is a whole lot of crap.

― Allyzay Science Explosion (allyzay), Monday, 25 October 2004 02:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Skipping 56 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

i think the idea of the holocaust being "deeply affecting" is deeply fucked up, kenan

I know what you're getting at, I think -- that "Lionel Ritchie" has no place in an analogy that also includes "Holocaust." I'll be more careful with that. I think you do see my point, though.

― Hank Tenbeer (kenan), Monday, 25 October 2004 05:47 (twenty-one years ago)

god there are so many great actors around .... why is it that they have to hypothetically act in shit movies to get oscars?

― lemin (lemin), Monday, 25 October 2004 05:47 (twenty-one years ago)

i mean if ian mckellan and edward norton get snubbed for "Gods and Monsters" and "American History X" respectively, what then for them?

― lemin (lemin), Monday, 25 October 2004 05:49 (twenty-one years ago)

no kenan the objectionable part is the implication that the holocaust is an aesthetic experience that has been glossed over or watered down.

again, i know this wasn't your intended meaning, and i don't think you're a bad person or anything. i was just struct by how easily the (annoying) conventional wisdom re. schindler's list can tilt toward the grotesque with just a bit of prodding.

― amateur!!!st (amateurist), Monday, 25 October 2004 06:11 (twenty-one years ago)

"the original was so good"

― amateur!!!st (amateurist), Monday, 25 October 2004 06:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Norton's nomination in '98 was a surprise. Lots of people thought the fifth slot was going to go to Jim Carrey in The Truman Show.

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 25 October 2004 06:13 (twenty-one years ago)

x-post Yeah, I understand now. You're right. There I go being clever again.

― Hank Tenbeer (kenan), Monday, 25 October 2004 06:14 (twenty-one years ago)

There I go being clever again.

Oh jesus christ.

Is that what you call it?

― TOMBOT, Monday, 25 October 2004 06:16 (twenty-one years ago)

x-post Can I just give you a hug? I kinda want to give you a hug. You're so cool.

― Hank Tenbeer (kenan), Monday, 25 October 2004 06:16 (twenty-one years ago)

Tom, I was wrong and I'm admitting it. What else do you want?

― Hank Tenbeer (kenan), Monday, 25 October 2004 06:17 (twenty-one years ago)

and the cocks come out once again.

― todd swiss (eliti), Monday, 25 October 2004 06:18 (twenty-one years ago)

No.

― TOMBOT, Monday, 25 October 2004 06:18 (twenty-one years ago)

haha

― Hank Tenbeer (kenan), Monday, 25 October 2004 06:18 (twenty-one years ago)

xpost
yeah i thought carrey would get nominated too at the time, but in retrospect it probably was a good thing he didn't. his performance is only remarkable relative to all his other performances.

― lemin (lemin), Monday, 25 October 2004 06:19 (twenty-one years ago)

I've always liked Schindler's List but after I saw The Pianist, it went down a few rungs.

― Riot Gear! (Gear!), Monday, 25 October 2004 06:24 (twenty-one years ago)

Now that should have won best picture, dammit.

― Riot Gear! (Gear!), Monday, 25 October 2004 06:25 (twenty-one years ago)

There was a genius article in The Believer comparing the two. Look it up.

― Hank Tenbeer (kenan), Monday, 25 October 2004 06:25 (twenty-one years ago)

YEAH WHAT ARE YOU LAZY? LOOK IT UP, ASSHOLE.

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 25 October 2004 06:27 (twenty-one years ago)

jeez, alright guys! I will!

― Riot Gear! (Gear!), Monday, 25 October 2004 06:28 (twenty-one years ago)

That was not the tone I was aiming for.

― Hank Tenbeer (kenan), Monday, 25 October 2004 06:28 (twenty-one years ago)

i hate movies

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Monday, 25 October 2004 07:05 (twenty-one years ago)

gentleman's agreement is also awful.

― Sympatico (shmuel), Monday, 25 October 2004 08:34 (twenty-one years ago)

Chicago, Braveheart or Rocky, for me.

― Kevin Gilchrist (Mr Fusion), Monday, 25 October 2004 08:39 (twenty-one years ago)

You know, kudos to the person who beat me to this:

Schindler's List is an excellent, moving film but The Pianist really blew it away for me. Polanski's film is so much less black and white. Spielberg, it seems to me, has a "black and white" view of humanity that even in something as moving and horrifying as Schindler's List maybe comes to the forefront a bit, where it might have been a bit more interesting to throw in some shades of gray. But I think Schindler's List is still a masterwork, well deserving of its Oscar.

Chicago aint so bad. Not Oscar material but not terrible. My Fair Lady... uhm...

― Mad.Mike, Monday, 25 October 2004 09:07 (twenty-one years ago)

Oliver fucking rocks, one of Oliver Reed's best, most nuanced performances. As a purely cincematic experience it works too, transcending it's origins in the musical theatre, unlike say, 'Chicago' or 'My fair lady'.

If you want Oscar winniing pish how about 'Terms of endearment'.

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Monday, 25 October 2004 09:23 (twenty-one years ago)

the sound of music, wtf?

― Jay Kid (Jay K), Monday, 25 October 2004 12:48 (twenty-one years ago)

I know most people here agree that Gwyneth Paltrow should not have won best actress for Shakespeare in Love, but the worst thing is that she beat Cate Blanchett.

― jocelyn (Jocelyn), Monday, 25 October 2004 13:21 (twenty-one years ago)

(scans list) Gigi? Surely there were much better movies released in 1958.

― jocelyn (Jocelyn), Monday, 25 October 2004 13:25 (twenty-one years ago)

Good lord, I forgot Benigni's ridiculous posturing when he won the Oscar was even extra annoying because he beat out Norton and McKellen. Jesus god, who will kill that man for me?

― Allyzay Science Explosion (allyzay), Monday, 25 October 2004 14:00 (twenty-one years ago)

um, what about Gladiator? Worse CGI than Titianic, less exciting than Braveheart.

― A Nairn (moretap), Monday, 25 October 2004 14:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Gladiator was a lotmore fun than Titanic

― sometimes i like to pretend i am very small and warm (ex machina), Monday, 25 October 2004 14:13 (twenty-one years ago)

the "aesthetic experience" argument is kinda interesting to me

― s1ocki (slutsky), Monday, 25 October 2004 16:06 (twenty-one years ago)

amateurist please articulate why for everyone, as i can't figure out how to.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Monday, 25 October 2004 16:06 (twenty-one years ago)

Gladiator is pretty damn good.

Though was i only one who thought the "happy" ending where the black guy begins his trip back to Africa was a bit shit, considering that back then he'd have been lynched the minute he left the arena?

― Mad.Mike, Monday, 25 October 2004 16:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Sorry, LA Confidential is a marvellous (but yes! flawed!) film.

Alex is right, it IS Braveheart.

― adam. (nordicskilla), Monday, 25 October 2004 16:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Or whatever won the year X-2 came ou!!!

― adam. (nordicskilla), Monday, 25 October 2004 16:16 (twenty-one years ago)

I just realized I've only seen one of the Best Picture winners this decade, and I only saw it (Beautiful Mind) because the movie I went to see was sold out.

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 25 October 2004 16:18 (twenty-one years ago)

la confidential is a marvellously shitty film, adam, i agree

― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 02:08 (twenty-one years ago)

so is gladiator for that matter

― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 02:08 (twenty-one years ago)

LA Confidential not as good as Devil in Blue Dress, Fear, Mulholland Drive, Bulletproof; maybe as good as Terminal Velocity, Kiss the Girls, that Tommy Lee Jones movie, whatever it was called (I forget); probably better than Guilty As Sin and City Hall. Not as good as The Long Goodbye, first two Ashley Judd movies, first two or three Denzel movies. Not as good as Baby's Day Out, Baby Geniuses, that Superbabies movie (I think it was a sequel); probably on par with The River Wild, The Devil's Advocate; definitely better than See Spot Run, Big Momma's House. Not as good as Harry and the Hendersons (the TV show, much more interesting than the movie). Not as good as anything John Lithgow ever did. I forget how good his early stuff was; maybe I'll check it out sometime.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 02:19 (twenty-one years ago)

You lie like dog, The Devil's Advocate is a great, great film.

― Allyzay Science Explosion (allyzay), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 02:23 (twenty-one years ago)

you're the movie version of chuck eddy

― Sympatico (shmuel), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 02:24 (twenty-one years ago)

i love the devil's advocate. i have even performed a monologue from it live on stage on several occasions.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 02:24 (twenty-one years ago)

i havent avoided the greatest show on earth, and its boring, not bad in the lurid spectacle way...my vote
braveheart

― anthony, Tuesday, 26 October 2004 04:25 (twenty-one years ago)

dave kehr wrote a really interesting article on forrest gump, arguing that it's a much darker and more troubling film if you see it in the context of robert zemeckis's career. i haven't seen the movie since it came out, but that article made me want to see it again. his first sentence won me over: "the hardest films to defend are those that everyone loves."

laurence olivier's hamlet needs to be mentioned. it's not terrible, but olivier is painfully miscast, and the film looks even clunkier by comparison with orson welles' macbeth, from the same year.

― J.D. (Justyn Dillingham), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 06:15 (twenty-one years ago)

I like Oliver! Humph.

― Matos W.K. (M Matos), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 21:04 (twenty-one years ago)

Another vote for Gladiator. It wasn't even ocassionally entertaining the way Forrest Gump was, nor occasionally touching the way Titanic was, nor occasionally cool in it's bathos the way Braveheart was. It was merely an empty spectacle without a heart.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 21:12 (twenty-one years ago)

OTM

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 21:16 (twenty-one years ago)

SAYS YOU YOU QUEER GIRAFFE

― Ralph Cifaretto (synkro), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 21:40 (twenty-one years ago)

Oliver! rulez, ur all gay.

Seriously, it's better than the majority of movies that win for Best Film.

― Leon Czolgosz (Nicole), Tuesday, 26 October 2004 21:57 (twenty-one years ago)

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