# Least-deserved Best Picture Oscar, 2000-2009 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 22, 2010, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-deserved-best-picture-oscar-2000-2009/540390 "2010-05-22T18:48:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2010, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-deserved-best-picture-oscar-2000-2009/540390/21 "2010-05-23T20:53:12Z")
Definitely **Crash** – not because I preferred _Brokeback Mountain_ (haven’t seen it), but because I thought it was simply a bad movie (in fact, the only best picture winner I’ve seen that I would classify as such). The review in the Times put it well: “Mr. Haggis is eager to show the complexities of his many characters, which means that each one will show exactly two sides.” Exactly. Heavy-handed metaphor mixed with insultingly fake ambiguity. Painful to watch. Looking at the poll, as much as I liked _The Departed_ and _No Country for Old Men_, it was kinda an underwhelming decade for Best Picture winners, no? ---
**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2010, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-deserved-best-picture-oscar-2000-2009/540390/22 "2010-05-23T20:56:37Z")
I actually started [a similar thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=508025&page=3) last year, but it covered a quarter century instead of just a decade. Crash “won” there, as well. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2010, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-deserved-best-picture-oscar-2000-2009/540390/23 "2010-05-23T21:33:31Z")
> [@Sr\_Siete](#): > > I’m sorry but “A beautiful mind” was a truly idiotic bad movie-of-the-week crap. To add insult to injury, the dreadful Akiva Goldman even got a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for a completely made-up story with imbecilic lines like: > > _Alicia: How big is the universe? > Nash: Infinite. > Alicia: How do you know? > Nash: I know because all the data indicates it’s infinite. > Alicia: But it hasn’t been proven yet. > Nash: No. > Alicia: You haven’t seen it. > Nash: No. > Alicia: How do you know for sure? > Nash: I don’t, I just believe it. > Alicia: It’s the same with love I guess._ > Um. Big bang theory making the universe clearly\*\* finite\*\* anyone? Something a twelve year old should know about? > > And let’s not forget hallmark’s rejected cards like: > > _Nash: I’ve made the most important discovery of my life. It’s only in the mysterious equation of love that any logical reasons can be found. I’m only here tonight because of you. You are the only reason I am… you are all my reasons._ > > There’s not even a contest here. I had already voted (for Crash), and I remember liking Beautiful Mind quite a bit. After reading your post, though, I must say you make a good case. MMM ---
**Author:** ![Carmady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f04885/32.png) [@Carmady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carmady)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2010, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-deserved-best-picture-oscar-2000-2009/540390/24 "2010-05-23T21:49:25Z")
It has to be **A Beautiful Mind**. Not just because it was bad, but because that was a year that included: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Mulholland Dr. Spirited Away The Royal Tenenbaums Ghost World Moulin Rouge! Gosford Park ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-deserved-best-picture-oscar-2000-2009/540390/25 "2010-05-24T02:16:25Z")
> [@MTCicero](#): > > Everything you said, except replace **Brokeback** with **Munich**. There’s a movie called _Munich Mountain_? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![MTCicero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a4c791/32.png) [@MTCicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MTCicero)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-deserved-best-picture-oscar-2000-2009/540390/26 "2010-05-24T11:52:05Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > There’s a movie called _Munich Mountain_? > 😃 Yes. Well, it’s in pre-production, to be more specific. I understand that Uwe Boll will be directing. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-deserved-best-picture-oscar-2000-2009/540390/27 "2010-05-24T13:59:39Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > There’s a movie called _Munich Mountain_? > 😃 The forbidden love between an Israeli commando and a Palestinian terrorist. “Feisal, you son of a bitch! I wish I knew how to quit you!” ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-deserved-best-picture-oscar-2000-2009/540390/28 "2010-05-24T15:19:37Z")
**Crash** for being simplistic heavy-handed blatant guilt assuagement, a complete waste of time that even some very fine actors pulling their best teary-grief-faces couldn’t salvage. **Beautiful Mind** for being a Ron Howard paint by numbers direction, combined with an Acadamy-bait misunderstood asshole with disability overcomes challenges. About as artistically challenging as a rice cake dipped in ketchup. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-deserved-best-picture-oscar-2000-2009/540390/29 "2010-05-24T15:28:21Z")
I didn’t mind _Crash_ and thought _Brokeback_ was highly overrated, so I was satisfied with that win (although I liked _Munich_ better than both). My vote went to _Gladiator_. Okay, it was a weak field that year - but seriously? I nearly turned that movie off half way through. I would have preffered any of the other nominees to win. Also, I loved _Chicago_, so nyaah. ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-deserved-best-picture-oscar-2000-2009/540390/30 "2010-05-24T15:50:16Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > The forbidden love between an Israeli commando and a Palestinian terrorist. > > “Feisal, you son of a bitch! I wish I knew how to quit you!” Spit take! I voted for Crash, but I didn’t hate it. It was good. Just not Oscar great. I actually thought that was a weak year, as Brokeback was well shot, but boring as hell. Overall, looking at the list, this decade was not that bad. Not a lot of great films, but some really decent entries. The Dark Knight was the decade’s best film, and it failed to receive a nomination! ---
**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-deserved-best-picture-oscar-2000-2009/540390/31 "2010-05-24T16:15:54Z")
Gladiator, because that v Crouching Tiger? never saw crash though so who knows ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-deserved-best-picture-oscar-2000-2009/540390/32 "2010-05-24T17:11:51Z")
I voted for _The Departed_. In my opinion it should not have won because it’s just an inferior copy of a better existing movie. It’s like giving the Best Picture Oscar to the _Star Wars Special Edition_. I agree with what **Sir T-Cups** said about RotK, that it seems like another example of the Oscars’ Circle of Ineptitude. The others I either haven’t seen or haven’t seen what they were competing with. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-deserved-best-picture-oscar-2000-2009/540390/33 "2010-05-24T17:21:29Z")
For me, it was a tossup between Chicago and Crash. My hate for Zellwegger won out. ---
**Author:** ![Rib\_Eye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/53a042/32.png) [@Rib\_Eye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rib_Eye)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-deserved-best-picture-oscar-2000-2009/540390/34 "2010-05-24T17:26:12Z")
**No Country for Old Men** SUUUUCKED. **There Will Be Blood** was a better film by several orders of magnitude and **Juno** was pretty great too. ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-deserved-best-picture-oscar-2000-2009/540390/35 "2010-05-24T18:52:46Z")
No Country is overrated, and was almost my choice. However, it had an all world acting performance that will keep it relevant. There Will Be Blood gets the same description, but was boring. ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-deserved-best-picture-oscar-2000-2009/540390/36 "2010-05-24T19:02:20Z")
I have to go with 2003’s **Lord of the Rings: Return of the King** Not a worthy picture, and especially when it’s held up against **Master and Commander** and **Mystic River**. All time winner is, of course, Forrest Gump. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Speak\_to\_me\_Maddie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Speak\_to\_me\_Maddie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speak_to_me_Maddie)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-deserved-best-picture-oscar-2000-2009/540390/37 "2010-05-24T19:25:52Z")
> [@Carmady](#): > > It has to be **A Beautiful Mind**. > > Not just because it was bad, but because that was a year that included: > > The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring > Mulholland Dr. > Spirited Away > The Royal Tenenbaums > Ghost World > Moulin Rouge! > Gosford Park Wow! All of those movies, excepting **Moulin Rouge** , are far, far better films than **A Beautiful Mind**. Nevertheless I voted for **Crash**. That anyone would consider it to be even a _good_ film, much less the _best_ film leaves me speechless. I’m not a big fan of most of the films on the list. I’ll only rewatch **Gladiator** , **LOTR** , and **NCFOM** ; the only one I own on DVD is **LOTR**. But I recognize considerable dramatic value and talent in all the films except **Crash** , which is trash. ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-deserved-best-picture-oscar-2000-2009/540390/38 "2010-05-24T20:15:20Z")
1. Chicago - not only is it a bad movie but it beat out four deserving movies, which include the best of the Lord of the Rings movies (an opinion I’ve come to recently) and a movie filled with some of the best acting of the decade (The Hours). 2. Crash - this was a pretty weak year, overall. It’s a worse movie than Chicago but I’d be pretty annoyed if any of the others won except maybe good night, and good luck. 3. A Beautiful Mind - Boring standard Ron Howard movie. I also think Gosford Park should’ve won this year. It happens to be a favorite of mine. There are other years (most of them with the exception of No Country for Old Men) in which a movie I deem the best doesn’t win (Traffic for instance) but in most cases at least I enjoyed the movie that won at least on some level. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-deserved-best-picture-oscar-2000-2009/540390/39 "2010-05-24T20:20:29Z")
What do people dislike about _Chicago_? Is it the Zellwegger factor? I wouldn’t call it a “Great” movie, but I thought it was funny and enjoyable, with great music. ---
**Author:** ![pinkyvee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/6de8d8/32.png) [@pinkyvee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkyvee)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-deserved-best-picture-oscar-2000-2009/540390/40 "2010-05-24T20:40:20Z")
Slumdog got my vote. I preferred Frost/Nixon or Benny Button. Both of those films I can watch more than once. Slumdog was just OK for me. 2008 also rans: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Frost/Nixon Milk The Reader [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-deserved-best-picture-oscar-2000-2009/540390.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/least-deserved-best-picture-oscar-2000-2009/540390.md?page=3)