5 films that should have won the Best Picture Oscar

1.  Brokeback Mountain  (2005)

To think that Brokeback is just a gay cowboy film is beyond stupid.  To say that it is a beautifully tragic bi-sexual love story is probably more like it.  It's a gripping film with powerful performances that take you to the heights and depths of human emotion.  And the film that beat it to the top gong?  Crash is unrealistic and (despite trying so hard to be clever) told its audience nothing about its central topic of racism.

What won instead?  Crash

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2.  Goodfellas  (1990)

Goodfellas shows us the rise and eventual fall of gangster Henry Hill.  Superbly directed by Martin Scorsese and containing phenomenal performances from Ray Liotta and Joe Pesci, this is my number one gangster film. However, it wasn't good enough to win the Best Picture as Kevin Costner's reasonable but extremely soppy Dances With Wolves took the gong.

What won instead?  Dances With Wolves

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3.  Saving Private Ryan  (1998)

This is probably the most realistic war movie that you're likely to see.  It makes you truly realise how terrifying it must have been to be involved and how horrifying the whole process of war really is.  Spielberg's directing is at an all-time high and the performance of all the cast is perfect.  Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed Shakespeare in Love but how the hell did it beat this giant of a film?!

What won instead?  Shakespeare in Love

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4.  The Last Picture Show  (1971)

This is one of the best coming-of-age dramas that has ever been made.  Despite being in black-and-white, it is still a beautiful picture that focuses around the lives of teenagers in a small Texan town.  As for the film that beat it, The French Connection has a paper-thin plot and is only famous for its pretty impressive car chase.

What won instead?  The French Connection

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5.  Pulp Fiction  (1994)

It hurts me to type this because Forrest Gump is my favourite film of all time!  However, the editing, the music, and the directing of Pulp Fiction were well ahead of the game and really it should have won.  

What won instead?  Forrest Gump

Should it have won Best Picture? (2000)

Here's a quick browse at previous winners of the Academy Award for Best Picture and, in comparison to fellow nominees only, whether or not they should have won the top gong.

2000 winner:

• Gladiator  (directed by Ridley Scott)

Runners Up:

• Chocolat  (directed Lasse Hallstrom) 
• Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon  (directed by Ang Lee)
• Erin Brokovich  (directed by Steve Soderbergh)
• Traffic  (directed by Steve Soderbergh)

Should Gladiator have won?

• Despite some historical inaccuracies and technical hitches, I'm going to say yes.  Gladiator keeps you emotionally engaged and rooting for the protagonist right until the end, and yet avoids the cheese and cliché of a film like Rocky, for example.  Russell Crowe's steely performance is so believable that we accept he can take on a the great challenges thrown at him in the Colosseum.

How does it compare to the other nominees?

• Whilst Chocolat may have had some not-so-deep meaning of being open-minded towards new things, I found it little more entertaining than middle-of-the-road rom-com.
• Crouching Tiger was a visual feast and contained fight sequences that matched up to those in Gladiator.  However, in terms of excitement and emotion, Gladiator is victorious.
• Erin Brokovich probably wins on plot and emotional engagement, and is Gladiator's closest rival in my opinion, but as an overall spectacle I'd still pick Gladiator.  
• Traffic is a visually excellent film.  Soderbegh excels with his directing here and the cast all do a fantastic turn.  Is it as exciting as Gladiator?  I'm afraid not.