# best and worst best pic (90's edition) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 21, 2000, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-best-pic-90s-edition/34066 "2000-09-21T23:27:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![minlokwat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minlokwat/32/2844_2.png) [@minlokwat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minlokwat)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2000, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-best-pic-90s-edition/34066/1 "2000-09-21T23:27:59Z")
Alright, here are the Best Picture winners for the last ten years. 1990 - Dances With Wolves 1991 - The Silence of the Lambs 1992 - Unforgiven 1993 - Schindler’s List 1994 - Forrest Gump 1995 - Braveheart 1996 - The English Patient 1997 - Titanic 1998 - Shakespeare in Love 1999 - American Beauty Which one is the best and which one is the worst? I go with Schindler’s List as the best. It had the greatest impact, made a powerful statement, was -reasonably- historically accurate, had great acting and was simply the most well-done. As for the worst, I know many will chime in with venomous condemnations of Titanic but I would vote for The English Patient. Everything that Elaine (Benes - you know, from Seinfeld) said about the movie is absolutely true. This movie drags on endlessly at a slug’s pace, is extremely hard to follow and just seems rather pointless. I have seen every movie on this list more than once and have tried to sit through The English Patient for a second go around. I just can’t do it. What do you think? ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2000, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-best-pic-90s-edition/34066/2 "2000-09-21T23:39:47Z")
Best: Schindlers List Worst: Dances with Wolves In fact, DWW shouldn’t be on that list. I’m sure I could name at least 25,654 movies made in 1990 that were better. ---
**Author:** ![oldscratch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ed655f/32.png) [@oldscratch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oldscratch)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2000, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-best-pic-90s-edition/34066/3 "2000-09-21T23:54:31Z")
Best Unforgiven. Worst Forrest (better than the sequal) Gump ---
**Author:** ![Ruffian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@Ruffian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruffian)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2000, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-best-pic-90s-edition/34066/4 "2000-09-22T01:01:31Z")
**Best:** _Schindler’s List_ It was (and remains) provocative, brutally realistic, and the most morally, spiritually, philosophically, mentally, and emotionally powerful film I’ve ever seen. A close second: _American Beauty_ Any other decade, and this would have topped. _Schindler’s List_ is an entirely different kind of film; _AB_ is a slightly more traditional format…but unique, potent, and both disturbing and beautiful at the same time. **Worst:** _Forrest Gump_ I think I was from the wrong generation to appreciate this film fully. It all seemed a little silly to me, and though it was a good film, it wasn’t particularly marvelous. I felt like I was sitting through a Baby Boomer’s memoirs while watching this, and found the experience rather forgetful. Meanwhile… **what about the films that _lost_ the Academy Awards?** What were the best and worst of them from this past decade? My two nominees for best: The kid flicks, _Babe_ and _Beauty and the Beast._ ---
**Author:** ![Lazarus7](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/67e7ee/32.png) [@Lazarus7](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lazarus7)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2000, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-best-pic-90s-edition/34066/5 "2000-09-22T08:01:51Z")
Best = Unforgiven Worst = Dances with Wolves No question about it … even though Braveheart, Schindler’s, and American B were all good fliccas ---
**Author:** ![hightechburrito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f6c823/32.png) [@hightechburrito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hightechburrito)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2000, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-best-pic-90s-edition/34066/6 "2000-09-22T08:08:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ruffian \* > **Meanwhile…what about the films that _lost_ the Academy Awards?** I say that _The Shawshank Redemption_ should have beaten _Forrest Gump_ for best picture. Hell, it should have beaten almost any of the other Best Picture winners. ---
**Author:** ![Kilt-wearin\_man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/82dd89/32.png) [@Kilt-wearin\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilt-wearin_man)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2000, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-best-pic-90s-edition/34066/7 "2000-09-22T08:14:49Z")
Best: Braveheart (I know, big surprise from the guy in the kilt…so sue me. It’s the only movie that has ever gotten me choked up. More than once. In the same viewing.) Worst: Dances with Wolves - I tried to watch it, because I had heard how well (and respectfully) it portrayed the Lokota Sioux. I didn’t even last 'till Dunbar got shipped out west. Couldn’t stand all the Costnerizing. Man, what an ego - some day, I’ll have someone who’s seen the movie watch it with me so they can fast forward through all the non-Lokota scenes, and I’ll be able to know what was so great about the movie. Shakespeare in Love? Well, it was a really good movie, and I laughed myself silly just spotting all the quotes that made their way into the dialogue, but best picture? There had to be a better choice. This one should have been first-runner-up picture - if the Best Picture has to step down, it will assume the Best Picture’s duties… ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2000, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-best-pic-90s-edition/34066/8 "2000-09-22T14:50:15Z")
Best: **Titanic** Worst: **Forrest Gump** Yeah yeah, I liked Titanic, but I did get ODed on the publicity. I was one of the few movies that I saw more than twice in the first theater release. With all due respect to the significance of **Shindler’s List** , it isn’t a movie I’d choose to watch on a Friday night, its important, but not very entertaining. It moves slow, and has several flaws that no one has the cander to critisize. Its best to just tip your hat, and give the movie its due, but a good movie is one I enjoy watching over and over, not one that I _should_ watch. Note: I never saw **Dances With Wolves** , **Shakespeare In Love** , or **The English Patient**. I have a feeling any or all of these three would take over the cellar. I agree I’d take **Shawshank Redemption** over most all of these movies, with the likely exception of **Titanic** and **Braveheart**. ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2000, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-best-pic-90s-edition/34066/9 "2000-09-23T22:06:31Z")
Best: Schindler’s List/American Beauty (tie) Worst: Titanic Over here in the UK the Oscars are routinely slated as honouring the worst of mainstream cinema. But I think that, out of the ten Best Picture winners, only three were bad. Unforgiven, The English Patient and Shakespeare in Love were enjoyable. Schindler’s List and American Beauty join LA Confidential as my three favourite American films of the decade. ---
**Author:** ![Jman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jman/32/4416_2.png) [@Jman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jman)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2000, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-best-pic-90s-edition/34066/10 "2000-09-24T04:12:20Z")
Wow…never saw Unforgiven or English Patient, so I guess I can’t judge those. Best: Braveheart. Tough choice here, since American Beauty and Braveheart are two of my all time favorite movies. Schindler’s List was outstanding, but I can only watch that about once every 5 or 6 years, so I can’t give it my vote, since I’m partly voting on which I’d want to see most again and again. Worst: I really can’t discern one. Of the ones I’ve seen, I liked all of them. Maybe DWW, but I still really liked that. Though I really enjoyed Shakespeare in Love, after watching Saving Private Ryan, I feel this should have won in 98. What a movie. I was bawling like a 5 year old during the final scene. Jman ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2000, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-best-pic-90s-edition/34066/11 "2000-09-24T04:29:51Z")
I just have to hijack for a quick second. I’ve seen all the movies in the list except “American Beauty.” _Tonight_ I rented it. The kids were in bed, my husband (who’s already seen it) is away, so I was gonna settle in and savor. Guess what was in the box? “American _Pie_.” ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2000, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-best-pic-90s-edition/34066/12 "2000-09-24T22:08:05Z")
I’m with **oldscratch** on this one. Best picture from that list: _Unforgiven._ A drastically underrated re-imagining of the American Western. A lot of people didn’t get the point of it, but that’s okay. Worst: _Forrest Gump._ A truly irritating film that basically tongued the prostate of the American Baby Boomer generation. Pandering apologia. If it made you feel good, then, well, good for you – you and your insecurities got suckered. Now leave me alone. Hmm, that was kind of harsh, wasn’t it? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Lux\_Fiat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bc79bd/32.png) [@Lux\_Fiat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lux_Fiat)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2000, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-best-pic-90s-edition/34066/13 "2000-09-25T06:26:39Z")
I think I’d also give my “best” vote to _Unforgiven_; it’s the “worst” that has a lot of contenders. But as mediocre as _Forrest Gump_ was, it did not suck like _Titanic_. _Titanic_ sucked like sucking was its job and it was up for a promotion. The plot made me wince, the dialogue appalled me, and the characters caused me psychosomatic pain. It was a spectacle in the most demeaning sense of that word, full of loud noises and shiny objects. As the movie ended, my overwhelming feeling was that of being deeply offended by the whole endeavor. I don’t know how anyone involved in that movie sleeps at night (Ranier Wolfcastle answer: “On piles of money.”). ---
**Author:** ![Sapphire\_Bullet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/96bed5/32.png) [@Sapphire\_Bullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapphire_Bullet)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2000, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-best-pic-90s-edition/34066/14 "2000-09-25T06:36:36Z")
[hijack] > [@](#): > > The glorious sunset of my heart was fading. Soon, the super karate monkey death car would park in my space. But Jimmy has fancy plans, and pants to match. -Jimmy James, Macho Business Donkey Wrestler Lux, you rock. 🙂 [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2000, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-best-pic-90s-edition/34066/15 "2000-09-25T14:09:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by minlokwat \* > Alright, here are the Best Picture winners for the last ten years. > 1990 - Dances With Wolves > 1991 - The Silence of the Lambs > 1992 - Unforgiven > 1993 - Schindler’s List > 1994 - Forrest Gump > 1995 - Braveheart > 1996 - The English Patient > 1997 - Titanic > 1998 - Shakespeare in Love > 1999 - American Beauty > > Which one is the best and which one is the worst? Schindler’s List is the best film on he list, easy. It’s the best written and directed, and the best photographed and acted by very wide margins. Of all those movies I would argue that Liam Neeson’s performance is the best of any actor in any of those films. I’d say the worst of the bunch is “The English Patient,” which IMO is one of the worst films to ever win Best Picture. Titanic," with “Dances With Wolves” are close seconds. The sad part is that I’d say fewer than half the films on the list deserved Best Picture. “Dances With Wolves,” “Titanic,” “The English Patient,” “Shakespeare In Love” and “American Beauty” were all terrible choices. They were good films, but in each case there were better films that could have been given the award. But if you think THIS list is mediocre, take a look at the winners from the 80’s. A more boring lineup of films would be impossible to imagine. I’m surprised as the level of vitriol “Forrest Gump” has always received; I thought it was a fantastic movie. And conversely I’m endlessly surprised at how much people love The Shawshank Redemption, which was good but not that good. My choice for the biggest ripoff of the decade would be either **Goodfellas** or **The Sixth Sense.** I would rank them as such: No-Brainer Classic: Schindler’s List Excellent: Unforgiven The Silence of the Lambs Very Good: Braveheart Forrest Gump Bad Choice, But Still A Really Good Movie: Titanic Dances With Wolves Shakespeare in Love American Beauty Yuck: The English Patient ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2000, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-best-pic-90s-edition/34066/16 "2000-09-25T14:23:08Z")
Here is a list of the Best Picture winners from the 1980’s: 1980 - Ordinary People 1981 - Chariots of Fire 1982 - Gandhi 1983 - Terms of Endearment 1984 - Amadeus 1985 - Out of Africa 1986 - Platoon 1987 - The Last Emperor 1988 - Rain Man 1989 - Driving Miss Daisy If you asked me to name the ten best films of the 1980’s, I am confident none of these films would make it. Maybe Gandhi. Three questions/points: 1. Is there any human being on Earth would could watch a movie marathon consisting of these ten films and NOT die of boredom? I mean, you might wake up for “Platoon” or some of the funny parts of “Rain Man,” but what a boring lineup. 2. Is there anyone who was not actually part of the cast and crew of “Out of Africa” who remembers what it was about? Note: You can’t say it was about Africa and get credit. 3. The following films were released in the 1980’s and did NOT win Best Picture: Raging Bull Raiders of the Lost Ark Glory The Killing Fields Back to the Future Full Metal Jacket The Color Purple Field of Dreams The Last Emperor has the amazing distinction of beating out FOUR films that were all better than it was: Broadcast News, Fatal Attraction, Hope and Glory, and Moonstruck. So if you thought the 1990’s had some bad choice, have a look at the 1980’s choices. Eeeeyuck. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2000, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-best-pic-90s-edition/34066/17 "2000-09-25T14:49:28Z")
> [@](#): > > The Last Emperor has the amazing distinction of beating out FOUR films that were all better than it was: Broadcast News, Fatal Attraction, Hope and Glory, and Moonstruck. _Hope and Glory_ maybe, but we’ll have to agree to disagree on the other three. _Last Emperor_ is, IMHO, an **amazing** film. I’ll certainly give you _Terms of Endearment_, _Out of Africa_, _Rain Man_, and _Driving Miss Daisy_, though. The last is an especially egregious offense, winning as it did the same year _Do the Right Thing_ came out. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2000, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-best-pic-90s-edition/34066/18 "2000-09-25T15:02:06Z")
I can’t believe that _Dances With Wolves_ got such a bad time. It’s one of my favorite movies. Anyway the list in decending order. 1. Schindler’s List 2. Dances With Wolves 3. Unforgiven 4. Braveheart 5. American Beauty 6. The Silence of the Lambs 7. Forrest Gump (btw if The Shawshank Redemptionn was in the list it would be no.2) 8. Shakespeare in Love 9. Titanic 10. The English Patient As for **RickJay’s** post re: 80’s IMO Gandhi, Platoon and The Last Emperor all should be there. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2000, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-best-pic-90s-edition/34066/19 "2000-09-25T15:22:26Z")
[quote] Worst: Forrest Gump. A truly irritating film that basically tongued the prostate of the American Baby Boomer generation. Pandering apologia. If it made you feel good, then, well, good for you – you and your insecurities got suckered. Now leave me alone. [quote] All true, and well-said, to boot. And not only that, but Tom Hanks turned in one of the worst fake Southern accents in the history of film. It was an accent unto itself. Forrest Gump is one annoying movie, all the way around. Do Baby Boomers never tire of staring at their own navels? I will also agree that the list of 80’s winners is pretty pathetic. For my money, of those winners, only **Gandhi** , **Amadeus** and **Platoon** earned their statues. I can’t agree with you about **The Color Purple** , **RickJay**. That movie sucked out loud. It was supposed to be set in rural Georgia (where I grew up), but I didn’t recognize anything familiar in the movie. All I saw was a whole _bunch_ of cliches. Ruined the movie for me. Some other fine non-winners from the 80’s (IMHO):[ul][li]The Untouchables[/li][li]Blade Runner[/li][li]Ran[/li][li]The Shining[/li][li]A Christmas Story[/li][li]Stand By Me[/li][li]This Is Spinal Tap[/li][li]Brubaker[/li][li]Angel Heart[/li][li]Radio Days[/li]Big[/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2000, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-best-pic-90s-edition/34066/20 "2000-09-25T15:28:08Z")
Oh yes, and some good 80’s films from Down Under:[ul][li]Breaker Morant (1980) - I cannot believe that Ordinary People beat this one out in 1980. Was Breaker Morant even nominated?[/li][li]Gallipoli (1981)[/li][li]The Year My Voice Broke (1987)[/li][/ul] [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-best-pic-90s-edition/34066.md?page=2)