The decades coming to a close, and we could bump this thread when we've seen the 2009 oscars, but I figured let's go ahead and get started.
My question is simple, what was the best year for the oscars and the worst year for the oscars. That is which year had the best films that got proper recognition from the oscars, and which year had horrible films get recognized, or great films lack recognition.
So what was the best year of the last 9 and what was the worst?
*note, make the year as the year they were made, not the year the oscars gave the awards, (i.e. slumdog was a 2008 film not a 2009 film)

Worst- 2005: Let's go down the line:
BP: Crash, perhaps the worst film to ever win this award, the film is not terrible, (I give it a 2/5) but it's pretty close with its "beat you over the head till you can't remember how bad this is" style and illogical unrealistic dialogue and hypocritical yet over-the top points.
BA: can't comment, haven't seen capote, but considering my love for PSH and what I've heard, I bet this is the best category of the year, not that that's hard.
BAs: Witherspoon gave a solid performance in an excellent film. But it was hardly an award performance for a movie that I feel tricked its way to recognition. Moreover I don't think even the oscars thought she should get the award, but gave it to here to compensate the film.
BSA: Haven't seen syriana, but jake gylenhall's performance was truly beautiful and the fact that he wasn't recognized (and this movie was only recognized for the directing overall) is a crime. Giamatti was also excellent in Cinderella Man, but the fact that Matt Dillon was even nominated destroys the whole category.
BSAs: Don't really have much to say here, the only film I've seen is BM, but Williams was also marvelous in this and I wish she'd won.
BD: Thank god he won, otherwise I would call this the worst year ever. But still the film deserved so much more than it got, and seeing the hags name on that list is just wrong.

Overall: Crash overwhelming BM for BP automatically makes this a terrible year. But moreover, BM was almost entirely ignored, as was the fantastic GNAGL, in favor of movies like Crash and WTL, which is just a sin.

Best- 2007: Again, let's go by category.
BP: NCFOM was my favorite movie for over a year and a half, and while it no longer is, it remains towards the very top of my list. It is so beautifully directed, told and acted, and the fact that it not only won this award but dominated the year, despite being somewhat unconventional for the oscars IMO, makes this a great year out of the gate.
BA: DDL gives perhaps the performance of the decade here. He is haunting, set, brilliant, dark, insightful and just magnificient. His performance was everything it should be and more, and getting the recognition from the oscars made me happy on the inside.
BAs: This is the one category I haven't seen much of (only watched juno/savages) Laura Linney was great, but I don't know about Collitard's performance, so I don't know what to think.
BSA: Another incredible performance. How do you not love the horrifying villian, that was so much more than the insane phsyco killer, but in the most subtle ways. He really deserved this award and I'm pleased he got it.
BSAs: I think Amy Ryan was incredible and would've liked to see GBG get an ward, but if anyone had to beat her it would definitely be swinton's haunting but accurate rendition of the greed obsessed corporate bitch.
BD: I think this is a given. They were even more amazing here than ever before. Thomas-Anderson was incredible too and I love Reitman, and his work in the wonderful Juno, but the Cohen's deserved it and got it.

Overall: it was a great year for film, and the oscars got it just about right. I was irritated slightly that Into the wild and Gone Baby Gone weren't recognized more than Michael Clayton and Atonement, but there were so many great films this year, the oscars did the best they could.

Best - 2007
Worst - 2001

Worst = 2005

Best = 2003

2001/6 were pretty bad.

2004/8 were great.

Obviously, the year when julia roberts won over the 3 best performances of the decade.

Best - ROTK's sweep it's a once (or twice) in a lifetime experience
Worst - Last year.

I loved Slumdog, at least. Otherwise, yeah, '09 was bad.

Originally I had Crash/Capote/Good Luck as the worst. But I think last year's The Reader/Frost Nixon duo is probably just as bad. Slumdog overshadowing the awards in the year of WALLE and TDK makes it worse.

The Reader is not nearly as bad as crash, although both are very weak, haven't seen capote, I think Good Luck is great though and Frost is okay but dull. Slumdog overshadowing Wall-e/TDK is a crime, but not any more of one than Crash overshadowing BM. I think the thing that puts '08 above is that Penn won for Milk.

You can't mention Brokeback in the same sentence as TDK and WALL-E. Brokeback had its shot at the big dance, and failed. The other two didnt even have a chance to compete.

You should really try to catch up on all the nominated films. It's hard to have a firm grasp on which year was best/worst if you havent seen everything ,

I made this thread to get other people's opinions. I started watching films a year and a half ago, (at least that's when I started really watching them) I can't catch up on everything all at once. I'm working on it.

if you are seriously interested in film, you will not seriously consider the recent oscar winners serious fare.

I get that and I think its great that you're on this cinematic journey of late. It's just your second post was full of observations based on extremely limited information. It's much easier to gauge what's what post Oscars if you've seen all the nominees in a given category.

But snack is right (it happens every 6 months or so). I wouldn't use the Oscars, certainly 2000-present as a barometer for quality.

Use your own opinion for quality.

Best = ROTK sweep
Worst = The year Brokeback Mountain was beaten by Crash, what a totally travesty.

2005 and Crash winning was definitely the worst but 2004 comes close solely because of the crime of not nominating 2 of the best films not only of the year but the decade so far - Before Sunset and Kill Bill - in Best Picture, Director, Actor, and Actress.

Sunset managed to get a screenplay nom and that saves it from being the worst Oscars EVER!

Hard to say which was the best. ROTK sweeping was one of the sweetest things ever, but even I (teen with a LOTR hard on at the time) would admit it didn't deserve ALL its wins. It's hard to pick a good year. Every year had something seriously wrong. I guess 2003 comes closest.