Ordinary People.

The movie packs a wallop, and the acting (Timothy Hutton, Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore, Judd Hirsch, and a very young Elizabeth McGovern in a small part) is absolutely flawless. The film itself isn't perfect, yet I've grown to love it.

Unfortunately it beat Raging Bull, so the world chooses to reject it. Fuck that.

I thought it was better than Raging Bull myself. Not my favorite of Scorcese movies.

Crash

I thought it was a very well-crafted and emotionally resonant picture and while the characters were obviously overdrawn, I liked that. They served as methaphors, IMO. It was not the best nominee n its year (that'd be Munich), but it definitely should be cut some slack.

Argh!

Three posts in, and you've already ruined the thread, Lecter.

I'm probably going to be lynched for this, but Shakespeare in Love. While it was not as good as Saving Private Ryan by any means, it was still a fine movie that would been my #2 pick of that year.

I will also add A Beautiful Mind and Jennifer Connelly.

Dances With Wolves I'd add.

Goodfellas is good, but nothing more.

Dude, I agree wholeheartedly on Shakespeare in Love, a delightful film, and much better than Saving Private Ryan

I'll choose to ignore your second comment.

Glad I'm not the only one who thinks Saving Private Ryan is overrated. Way too much schmaltzy he was a hero! development of the characters, none of them had any internal factors past that to interest me at all, I hated the lack of character ambition Steven put in that movie. After the bombardment scene, the cliches and typical Spielberg sentimentality sets it and it's just decent. Plus the old man bookends is cringe-worthy.

I haven't seen SiL to judge though.

I agree too! Shakespeare in Love was excellent.

Peace,
Mike.

Shakespeare in Love and Ordinary People were both excellent.

Crash. A Beautiful Mind. Forrest Gump. Chicago.

Shakespeare in Love gets a lot of shit, so people forget that it was actually a wonderful movie.

Acting winners who've been unfairly maligned: Marisa Tomei comes to mind

SIL is a decent to mediocre movie, knowhere near the masterpiece SPR is IMO.
Also, Raging Bull was robbed, OP was good but RB is on another level, its one of the best films IMO.

Anyway, my pick would be Dances with wolves, IMO it deserved the oscars it got.

If you haven't seen it, you will probably love The Thin Red Line.

A better idea would be for him to watch, "The Thin Red Line", "The Big Red One" and "Come And See" all in one go to gauge the best anti-war movie.

STOP SAYING CRASH!!!

IT WAS GOD AWFUL!

Gladiator and Crash come to mind. Screw Chicago, that's easily the worst winner since 1989.

Driving Miss Daisy was a good winner.

I agree that Ordinary People and Shakespeare in Love have been unfairly tagged as undeserving Best Picture winners. Had Scorsese won Director in 1980, then the backlash probably wouldn't be as pronounced.

Marty on the other hand...

GO TO HELL!

I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE YELLING ABOUT!

YOU THINK YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE?!??!?? YOU HAVE NO IDEA!!!!!

I'M ANGRY ALL THE TIME, AND I DON'T KNOW WHY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh shit!

I have "film and politics" class in 30 mins. What are we watching today? CRASH.

That's what happens when you let a political science professor, not a film dude, teach the class. It's not entirely his fault; last year, he showed Do The Right Thing which apparently made the affluent white students here at the University uncomfortable and upset. As well it should.

And Christian, Marty's so great shakes but, damnit, I can rattle off at least 20 winners worse than it. At least.