# List the best movies not even NOMINATED for Best Picture **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 27, 2002, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-the-best-movies-not-even-nominated-for-best-picture/100411 "2002-03-27T17:56:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-the-best-movies-not-even-nominated-for-best-picture/100411/1 "2002-03-27T17:56:07Z")
Let’s make a list of some of the greatest movies not even **nominated** for Best Picture. (All-time, not just this year.) Here’s my starter list: **Lone Star** **The Untouchables** **Rushmore** There are of course many more. Your additions? For reference, you can find a complete list of nominees (year-by-year) [here](http://www.filmsite.org/oscars.html). ---
**Author:** ![HelloKitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecccb3/32.png) [@HelloKitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelloKitty)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-the-best-movies-not-even-nominated-for-best-picture/100411/2 "2002-03-27T18:04:53Z")
Memento Requiem For A Dream The Truman Show ---
**Author:** ![Kepi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kepi/32/7251_2.png) [@Kepi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kepi)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-the-best-movies-not-even-nominated-for-best-picture/100411/3 "2002-03-27T18:51:20Z")
**Glory** **The Princess Bride** ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-the-best-movies-not-even-nominated-for-best-picture/100411/4 "2002-03-27T19:00:06Z")
**2001** –I never realized it wasn’t nominated for Best Picture and am shocked by its omission. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-the-best-movies-not-even-nominated-for-best-picture/100411/5 "2002-03-27T19:04:56Z")
There are just too many to name. There are only five Best Picture nominees (though there were more in the beginning) and Hollywood usually puts out more than five good movies each year. Plus there is always a nominee or two that are nowhere near the best of the year. In addition, the academy routinely ignores fantasy, science fiction, and comedies. Some choices, though: _3 Kings_ (few films were so overlooked by the Academy as this one) _Psycho_ _Rear Window_ _12 Monkeys_ ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-the-best-movies-not-even-nominated-for-best-picture/100411/6 "2002-03-27T19:15:14Z")
Point well taken, **RealityChuck** , so let’s focus then on movies which (in hindsight) are shocking in their omission. Some good examples so far. I’ll add one more: **Blade Runner** Thoughtful and thought-provoking science fiction, well-directed and well-acted. And in hindsight, very influential. Of course, the Academy hates science fiction. (See **NDP** ’s post.) ---
**Author:** ![KillerHamster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/41988e/32.png) [@KillerHamster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KillerHamster)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-the-best-movies-not-even-nominated-for-best-picture/100411/7 "2002-03-27T21:03:09Z")
Rear Window would probably be the best movie not nominated. ---
**Author:** ![Fish42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/4da419/32.png) [@Fish42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish42)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-the-best-movies-not-even-nominated-for-best-picture/100411/8 "2002-03-27T21:16:44Z")
A nowhere complete list (in chronological order) of notable non-nominees: City Lights (1931) King Kong (1933) Duck Soup (1933) The Bride of Frankenstein (1935) The 39 Steps (1935) Modern Times (1936) Bringing Up Baby (1938) Fantasia (1940) Sullivan’s Travels (1941) Notorious (1946) Black Narcissus (1947) Red River (1948) The Third Man (1950) Strangers on a Train (1951) Singing in the Rain (1952) The Big Heat (1953) Rear Window (1954) Night of the Hunter (1955) Rebel without a Cause (1955) The Searchers (1956) The Killing (1956) Paths of Glory (1957) The Sweet Smell of Success (1957) Touch of Evil (1958) Vertigo (1958) Psycho (1960) Repulsion (1965) Blow Up (1966) Two for the Road (1967) 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) The Wild Bunch (1969) Badlands (1973) Mean Streets (1973) Manhattan (1979) The Empire Strikes Back (1980) Do the Right Thing (1989) ---
**Author:** ![jk1245](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/49beb7/32.png) [@jk1245](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jk1245)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-the-best-movies-not-even-nominated-for-best-picture/100411/9 "2002-03-27T21:45:40Z")
I’d agree with most of those on this list and add **Hoop Dreams**. Yeah, yeah, yeah, it’s a documentary and they never get nominated for anything, but still. One of the best films about American life I’ve ever seen. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-the-best-movies-not-even-nominated-for-best-picture/100411/10 "2002-03-27T21:45:55Z")
Further to the post by **Fish42** , many of the films listed received no nominations at all. These include _The Searchers, Touch of Evil, City Lights, Modern Times_ and _The Night of the Hunter_ all of which are in IMDB’s best 250 films of all time. To further illustrate what a crap shoot the Oscars are _Paths of Glory_ is number 38 all time at IMDB, it too was nominated for nothing. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-the-best-movies-not-even-nominated-for-best-picture/100411/11 "2002-03-27T21:53:30Z")
Well, you also got all your pre-Oscar movies: Intolerance, Broken Blossoms, The General, The Kid, The Merry Widow, Foolish Wives, The Cheat, It, Cleopatra, Under Two Flags, The Big Parade . . . etc., etc. . . . ---
**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:** [March 27, 2002, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-the-best-movies-not-even-nominated-for-best-picture/100411/12 "2002-03-27T22:37:17Z")
I was gonna name _Do the Right Thing_, but I was too slow. Instead, I’ll name _The Player_ (1992). ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-the-best-movies-not-even-nominated-for-best-picture/100411/13 "2002-03-27T23:56:51Z")
Excalibur Legends of the Fall ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-the-best-movies-not-even-nominated-for-best-picture/100411/14 "2002-03-28T00:01:03Z")
**The Little Mermaid**. IMO, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Airblairxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Airblairxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airblairxxx)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-the-best-movies-not-even-nominated-for-best-picture/100411/15 "2002-03-28T00:32:06Z")
Two recent ones: **Almost Famous** **The Wonder Boys** ---
**Author:** ![Jabba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5e925/32.png) [@Jabba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jabba)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-the-best-movies-not-even-nominated-for-best-picture/100411/16 "2002-03-28T01:22:16Z")
That’s a fine list, **Fish**. It must make depressing reading for those who persist in taking the Oscars seriously, if indeed there are any such people left. ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-the-best-movies-not-even-nominated-for-best-picture/100411/17 "2002-03-28T01:44:48Z")
**O Brother, Where Art Thou? Blazing Saddles Chicken Run Inherit the Wind** (1960) ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-the-best-movies-not-even-nominated-for-best-picture/100411/18 "2002-03-28T01:50:39Z")
**West Side Story** beat **Judgement at Nuremburg** WTSOAF? ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-the-best-movies-not-even-nominated-for-best-picture/100411/19 "2002-03-28T02:04:56Z")
Little Big Man (1970) no nomination for Dustin Hoffman for this one either. Chief Dan George nominated for best supporting actor, the only nomination it got. ---
**Author:** ![Yondan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/278dde/32.png) [@Yondan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yondan)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2002, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-the-best-movies-not-even-nominated-for-best-picture/100411/20 "2002-03-28T02:26:28Z")
I can’t possibly add to this already encyclopedic list, so I’ll just raise a tiny little point. **Some of the movies suggested here _really_ suck!** Therefore, how about instead of just listing innumerable films, you offer leetle bit in the way of justification. Like, I’d really like to hear how anyone could possibly say that **The Untouchables** (w/ K Costner, I presume) could ever be considered anything but a hacking hairball of a film. (The score! Aggh! The storyline! Aggh Aggh! Costner’s lame, whiny-boy delivery of EVERY line! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaagh! Robert DeNiro made a GREAT Capone, however.) Or **Excalibur** , a flick I enjoyed, (who doesn’t dream of nailing some beauteous babe while wearing armor?) but in no way could countenance as great film-making. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-the-best-movies-not-even-nominated-for-best-picture/100411.md?page=2)