My Ranking of the Best Picture Oscar Winners: From Worst to Best (Vol. 3)

 

Oh, the joys of ranking so many films that didn't deserve to win Best Picture. That's the sad truth that I realized when trying to sort through these films.

While it does come down to the whole "art is subjective" idea, I still think it is crazy that within the Academy's 90+ year history that they've only matched up with my personal choice maybe a dozen times...if even that. That stat is not even factoring in the films that were actually snubbed for a nomination that I would've preferred over the winner.

With this volume, we will be cracking the top 50 but it will still take a while until we reach the films that I felt were at least worthy of a nomination.

So, let us begin!

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#59 - MRS. MINIVER (1942)

Directed by William Wyler

Written by George Froeschel, Claudine West, James Hilton, Arthur Wimperis, Jan Struther

Another big barrage of screenwriters for this one.

I think the biggest issue with Mrs. Miniver relies a lot on its focus. There is a major bonus in that the lead of the film is Greer Garson, a very compelling actress who dominated film in the 1940s but doesn't seem to get a lot of traction today when discussing actresses of the supposed Golden Age of Hollywood.

However, this is a film which basically shows us upper middle-class white people and their upper middle-class white problems as a backdrop to the early days of WWII.

A solid effort nonetheless, although I still feel like the real classic from 1942 was Yankee Doodle Dandy.

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#58 - WINGS (1927)

Directed by William Wellman

Written by Louis Lighton, John Monk Saunders, Hope Loring

We've reached an important milestone with this selection, because Wings was the very first film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. Although, at that ceremony, they actually awarded two films with Production awards.

Outstanding Picture to Wings

Best Unique & Artistic Picture to Sunrise

Soon after, it was decided that Wings was the sole winner. 

I actually think Wings is a solid film and definitely an impressive film for its time...though I still don't think it is anything too remarkable by today's standards. I feel like other silent films prior to invention of the Academy Awards were able to achieve so much more out of content and style.

I actually wish they rewarded Sunrise as I consider that to be one of the crown jewels of the Silent Film era.

At any rate, Wings was still an admirable choice, but I might've voted for Seventh Heaven out of the small nominee list they provided.

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#57 - ALL THE KING'S MEN (1949)

Directed by Robert Rossen

Written by Robert Rossen & Robert Penn Warren

There is something that feels so prescient about All the King's Men when thinking about today's political climate...and yet, the film doesn't quite get to the level to necessarily overwhelm you.

The film tells the story of a small rural politician who manages to rise from a lowly city council member seat all the way to becoming Governor. The film does suffer a lot from clunky pacing, and I think it is a shame because this is the kind of story that can end up becoming truly addictive to sit through. Think of something like House of Cards for example.

 I do think that the performances by Broderick Crawford and Mercedes McCambridge are both top notch. Their energy is what manages to keep the film afloat.

My favorite film of 1949 was Yosujiro Ozu's Late Spring, but I was also quite fond of the following:

The Third Man, Kind Hearts & Coronets, A Family Like Many Others, The Heiress, White Heat, Stray Dog, and A Letter to Three Wives

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#56 - MY FAIR LADY (1964)

Directed by George Cukor

Written by Alan Jay Lerner

When it comes to the canon of musicals, I think one of the more well-known and admired pieces is My Fair Lady. I can't deny that some of the score is quite beautiful, and I also can't deny the iconic nature of the performances. As it stands, this is a musical that I never fully connected with, and I think a lot of the energy within the film is lost.

I do feel like it was a mistake for them to pass up on Julie Andrews for the role, but Audrey Hepburn does act the role of Eliza Doolittle very well. I just think this is a case of me simply not preferring the material, but I do think the outcome was nearly as good as they could've probably managed.

The real winner here was Dr. Strangelove with Julie Andrews' actual film debut Mary Poppins being a close second.

I do want to give a shoutout to Woman in the Dunes, The Pumpkin Eater, and Seance on a Wet Afternoon.

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#55 - THE KING'S SPEECH (2010)

Directed by Tom Hooper

Written by David Seidler 

Another infamous winner in that the entire award season seemed to be progressing towards a coronation of The Social Network only for the PGA, DGA, and BAFTA to swoop in an entirely different direction and change the tide for The King's Speech. 

Normally, I would love a movie like The King's Speech. The simple truth is that I found its presentation to be very static and stale...which makes Hooper's directing win over Fincher and Aronofsky or the snubbed Christopher Nolan to be truly laughable. 

This film would've been down the list maybe another 10 or so spots had it not been for the acting trio of Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, and Helena Bonham Carter. It is amazing how much a good performance or two (or three) can make a difference in a film, but it certainly isn't enough for me to think the film was even close to being worthy of a Best Picture win.

That is especially the case when The Social Network, Toy Story 3, Black Swan, and Inception are right there.

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#54 - SPOTLIGHT (2015)

Directed by Tom McCarthy

Written by Tom McCarthy & Josh Singer

The Best Picture win by Spotlight sort of makes sense in retrospect.

Its relatively widespread appeal along with its key support from the Screen Actors Guild and Writers Guild made it the likely choice to prevail on a preferential ballot over the more divisive films The Big Short and The Revenant. 

Of the three films, I actually preferred The Big Short, but it is easy to see why a film like Spotlight was going to sneakily slip under the radar. 

The subject matter delves into the Boston Globe reporters who were trying to unearth the Catholic Church's connections in protecting Priests who were molesting children.

I felt like we were in for a tense film a la All the President's Men or even something similar to Zodiac but instead, the film just felt very boiler-plate and mostly forgettable. 

I might be willing to give it another chance someday, but in the end, I found it just to be a slightly above average film that didn't try to take a lot of chances.

Oh, and Carol was robbed.

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 #53 - TERMS OF ENDEARMENT (1983)

Written and Directed by James L. Brooks

Coming off of a successful career in television, James L. Brooks managed to break the barrier between the two and gave us a film that seemed to really bridge the divide of comedy and tragedy.

Terms of Endearment was based on a novel by Larry McMurtry, but Brooks added a character not in the novel to be played by Jack Nicholson to give Aurora Greenway (Shirley MacLaine) a little bit of a lighter edge.

I will admit to never having read the novel, but I do feel like the scenes between MacLaine and Nicholson are truly delightful.

I do think despite the fact that this became a major awards vehicle for MacLaine, I actually preferred Debra Winger as her daughter. Their erratic and often toxic chemistry, which seemed aided by the fact they didn't really get along well in real life, makes the film a lot richer.

However, I just don't really view the film as being that remarkable...but this is a case where despite the lower ranking, I probably would've given this Best Picture out of the nominees they selected. 

My favorite movie from that year, however, was the final theatrical film of Ingmar Bergman: Fanny & Alexander.

I also feel like this film ended up setting extremely high expectations of people towards Brooks as a filmmaker...and I think it ended up hurting him as he didn't receive Best Director nominations for the two films of his that got Best Picture nods following this: Broadcast News and As Good as it Gets.

I will say that I found his finest film to be Broadcast News which was so sharp and witty and contained a truly magnificent performance by Holly Hunter in what was her breakout role.

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#52 - RAIN MAN (1988)

Directed by Barry Levinson

Written by Ronald Bass & Barry Morrow

Rain Man is another case of a film that has greatly dipped in esteem for me over the years. There was a time when I would've called this one of my favorite winners of all time and that Dustin Hoffman gave one of the finest performances in the history of cinema.

So, what happened? 

The film is still mostly entertaining, though I can't deny that it begins to suffer from a little bit of lethargic pacing once it gets to the final third, post-Vegas. 

Though a lot of what hurts the film IS Dustin Hoffman. I wouldn't even say it is necessarily his fault, but I do feel like more has been researched and conveyed these days as to how autism actually can be. 

While the film was certainly groundbreaking and important for its time, I feel like what it offers hasn't aged well in terms of presenting a mental disability.

I actually feel like Tom Cruise gives one of his best performances here. He's such a jackass but I do truly believe him by the end that he absolutely loves his brother. As a character arc, Cruise sells this rather well.

One thing I do have to highly praise though? Hans Zimmer's score is iconic and truly unique and brilliant. This was the score that put him on the map and for good reason, too!

What are some of the best films of 1988, which just so happens to be the year of my birth?

Cinema Paradiso and Who Framed Roger Rabbit? are two that come to mind.

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#51 - TITANIC (1997)

Written and Directed by James Cameron 

I am truly perplexed by Titanic.

Here we have a film that is essentially a very cliche-ridden love story following a Romeo & Juliet-like template about a poor man and a rich woman falling in love despite all the obstacles...and then we put them on the RMS Titanic.

Not only is that kind of love story a tale as old as time, the script in which we get it conveyed to us is...ummm...how should I put this....badly written? Yeah, we will go with that.

Titanic is not a masterpiece, and it may run over three hours long with a script that has some truly unintentionally humorous dialogue...but I can't deny that the film somehow works.

James Cameron was able to right the ship (no pun intended) through the scope of the visual effects and the action. As much as the script suffers, he manages to pace it quite effectively and a lot of the pay offs work splendidly.

Acting wise, DiCaprio and Winslet are fine but neither of them give their best work. Winslet herself has often said she can't stand her performance in this film or how her American accent comes across...though she has since become one of the best at adapting to various American accents with her recent work perfecting the Delco accent on Mare of Easttown being truly wonderful.

Titanic was a major phenomenon...and I think it might be hard to find that perfect mix of audience and critical and voting body approval to lead to an Oscar win these days. 

As it stands, I much prefer Boogie Nights, The Sweet Hereafter, L.A. Confidential, Funny Games, Happy Together, and Eve's Bayou from 1997.

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#50 - HAMLET (1948)

Directed by Laurence Olivier 

Written by Laurence Olivier (adapting text from Shakespeare)

We've made it to the top 50!

Simply put, there is a reason why Olivier is such a legend. He manages to make the text of Shakespeare come alive in such a vivid way that very few can.

This adaptation of Hamlet mostly suffers due to its truncated form. This is actually the same reason I feel like Joel Coen's recent adaptation of The Tragedy of Macbeth suffered somewhat.

Nevertheless, Olivier's choices in his visual aesthetic here are worth praising. He almost comes off as going for a German Expressionist take...which is also sort of what Coen went for with Macbeth.

It feels very avant-garde by 1940s standards so in that regard, I can commend the film a great deal.

I would nominate Hamlet for Best Picture, but the other films that would've received higher slots were:

Bicycle Thieves, The Red Shoes, Drunken Angel, The Treasure of Sierra Madre, Rope, Letter from an Unknown Woman

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#49 - PLATOON (1986) 

Written and Directed by Oliver Stone

While some films on this list have dropped in esteem for me in recent years, Platoon is actually the opposite case.

While I am still not overly enamored with the film as some might be...and that is typically the case with Oliver Stone's filmography...I did take to the film a lot more when I watched again for a second time several years ago. 

I think one of the biggest flaws of the film is that of Charlie Sheen's Chris. As a lead, he is simply unremarkable, and he disappears next to his co-stars like Willem Dafoe and Tom Berenger. 

Oliver Stone's massive success that included two Best Director Oscar wins within the span of 3 years has since greatly dimmed as many seemed to catch on to his limitations as a filmmaker.

I would argue that Platoon is one of his more tolerable efforts by default.

Platoon managed to beat out one of the better efforts by Woody Allen: Hannah and Her Sisters along with one of the finer Merchant/Ivory offerings: A Room with a View...but two of the best films that year were robbed of a nomination: Blue Velvet and Stand by Me.

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#48 - THE STING (1973)

Directed by George Roy Hill

Written by David S. Ward

 The combination of Robert Redford and Paul Newman is certainly cause for charisma overload; throw in the truly electric character actor that is Robert Shaw and you are in for a delight.

Well, mostly.

The Sting is a film that works mostly thanks to the charisma of its ensemble and also the added bonus of its Ragtime infused Scott Joplin score. 

It succeeds well at what it does and manages to be a delightful diversion, but I guess a lot of it depends on if you see immense award potential in those kinds of movies as opposed to watching a movie about a family of sisters grieving.

Probably not a surprise to you, but yes, I much preferred Bergman's outing Cries & Whispers from this year.

Also, George Lucas really did do a lovely job with American Graffiti even if it was an abhorrent decision to not give the women characters their own postscript epilogue bios.

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#47 - HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY (1941)

Directed by John Ford

Written by Phillip Dunne & Richard Llewellyn

After talking about various films beating a more popular acclaimed film:

Crash beating Brokeback Mountain

Shakespeare in Love beating Saving Private Ryan

Dances with Wolves beating Goodfellas

I feel like the OG example of a film that often gets a lot of flack for the film it beat out is How Green Was My Valley, which took the crown from a little film called Citizen Kane...and also, The Maltese Falcon seems to even have more esteem and respect these days.

Did How Green Was My Valley deserve to win? No.

However, I certainly don't consider it a bad film. I am not even saying that as someone who loves Citizen Kane because despite the film's amazing achievements from a technical standpoint, I am not overly enamored with it.

I still would've given it the top honor for what Welles was able to accomplish with it, but even so, I also was more entertained by The Maltese Falcon and Sargent York.

I do have to commend How Green Was My Valley for being far more willing to not shy away from the horrors of the coal mining industry and for actually finding moments of strong heartfelt emotion that didn't come across as cheap or cloying. That is a major plus considering the time period it came out in.

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#46 - THE LAST EMPEROR (1987)

Directed by Bernardo Bertolucci

Written by Bernardo Bertolucci, Mark Peploe, Enzo Ungari, Aisin-Gioro Puyi

I am not sure I have as much to say about The Last Emperor. 

In terms of big sprawling historical epics, it is simply a sumptuous film that is directed extremely well and contains a very solid ensemble with Joan Chen standing out in particular

Still though, it suffers yet again from being a bit overlong and mostly taking on a very hollow and superficial approach. 

I could see why the Academy of the time responded well to it, but I wouldn't see voters going for it today. 

I mentioned Broadcast News earlier which was one of the best films of 1987, but other films from that year I loved were Au Revoir Les Enfants, Moonstruck, Babette's Feast, The Princess Bride, Full Metal Jacket, Where is Friend's House?, Raising Arizona, Whitnail & I, and Prick Up Your Ears.

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#45 - KRAMER VS. KRAMER (1979)

Directed by Robert Benton 

Written by Robert Benton & Avery Corman

I probably like Kramer vs. Kramer more than most people do. I think the craziest thing about it is that for its time, a film about a divorce was groundbreaking as no film had truly tackled the topic.

Sure, I would've preferred All That Jazz or Apocalypse Now to win from the nominees, but I think there is a lot to really like about this film.

Dustin Hoffman won a deserved Oscar for this performance and he worked tremendously well with young Justin Henry who gives one of the best performances by a child in a film ever. He is so natural and effortless in this and you can really sense how much he trusted Hoffman.

A lot has been said about the more method approach that Hoffman took with his co-star, this woman named Meryl Streep who never worked again.

Streep has said that prior to the first take in which she tells Hoffman she is leaving him, he slapped her hard across the face to give her the frazzled motivation.

First of all, this is Meryl Streep we are talking about. I think she can manage just fine on her own.

Streep won her first of 3 Oscars for this performance and I still think this is some of her best work. She is gone for most of the first half of the film but leaves a lasting impression with her departure in the first scene...and then does lovely work when she tries to come back to get custody for her son.

The film is an acting showcase and it does sort of surprise me that it ended up sweeping through when more fascinating directorial achievements were right there.

I don't begrudge it the win as much as others do...even if I did prefer films like All That Jazz, Apocalypse Now, The Marriage of Maria Braun, Being There, Alien, Breaking Away, and The Life of Brian.

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#44 - IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT (1967)

Directed by Norman Jewison

Written by Stirling Silliphant & John Ball

I mentioned this earlier when discussing Oliver! about the craziness of the 1967 Best Picture race and how it signaled potential new tides of change in the voting body of the Academy.

Bonnie & Clyde and The Graduate represented more of New Hollywood.

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? tackled a very current and turbulent topic about interracial marriage in the same year the Supreme Court deemed it lawful...but told it in a very genteel way.

Then you have Doctor Doolittle, a nomination that Fox basically bought for a bloated musical that is easily in contention of being one of the worst nominations ever.

Somewhere in the middle of those films was In the Heat of the Night, which certainly had a grittier feel than Guess but still wasn't quite on the same level as the films that represented New Hollywood.

Its Best Picture win was seen as something of an upset as most expected The Graduate to pull it off. 

I remember seeing one person online try to make the claim that he was convinced the Academy changed the results as this ceremony was originally postponed due to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

He felt that both The Graduate and Bonnie & Clyde seemed more likely but that due to the sudden dramatic political shift, they changed the votes from Screenplay and Picture to In the Heat of the Night.

This is certainly a stretch, but I do feel that there was enough drive at that time for them to want to acknowledge a film such as this.

I do have to commend the film for doing a good job at tackling the racial issue, but I also feel like its biggest problem is that it focuses too much on the murder plot that is actually not as interesting. The film works best when the racial tension is at full display...and Rod Steiger does a good job of keeping his character from turning into a complete White Savior.

In the end, the results are sort of mixed but when the film does hit, it hits quite well.

Aside from the New Hollywood films I mentioned, I have to give shoutout to one of the finest films Ingmar Bergman ever made: Persona.

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#43 - MIDNIGHT COWBOY (1969)

Directed by John Schlesinger 

Written by Waldo Salt & James Leo Herlihy

This might be the prime example of a film that I am truly proud of the Academy for choosing, but also find myself kind of underwhelmed at the same time.

I mentioned earlier how Midnight Cowboy was the first, and only, X-rated film to win Best Picture. To clarify, when I say "X-rated", I don't mean in the XXX porno sense. 

X-Rated at that time meant "No Children Admitted Under the Age of 18" with no exceptions. You could sort of compare to the NC-17 rating of today.

Not long after, its rating was downgraded to an R and it would still be the first R-rated film to win. Not really a major feat since the MPAA didn't truly come into effect until 1968.

Nevertheless, Midnight Cowboy winning was such a bold step in a different direction. 

The main reason to see this film is for the performances of Jon Voight and especially Dustin Hoffman, who gives one of the greatest performances of his career and he was simply robbed of the Oscar. In fact, he himself felt he was so worthy that he felt the award's credibility was questioned when he lost to the racist pig that is John Wayne. You could call it ego, but Hoffman was right in this case...plus he said just two years prior he felt he wasn't worthy of a win for The Graduate. 

This was the perfect follow-up to The Graduate where he mostly played everything at an understated and dry level, but here, he kicks up the sleaze and bravado. Truly remarkable. 

My favorite film of that year was Z, which was only the second foreign-language film to receive a Best Picture nomination.

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#42 - AMERICAN BEAUTY (1999)

Directed by Sam Mendes

Written by Alan Ball

I was only 11 years old when American Beauty came out and while my mother was (thankfully) very lenient about the films I watched because she knew how much it meant to me, she refused for a few years for me to see American Beauty.

The concept of an older man lusting after a teenage girl understandably left her feeling like the film was in bad taste.

I can recall feeling a bit bummed if only for the fact that people kept raving and raving on how fantastic this film was and I felt like I was missing out.

I did eventually see the film once I was in high school...and honestly, it didn't fully live up to the hype for me.

Elements like the plastic bag floating in the wind with the pretentious monologue to go along with it really hit a false note, but I do have to commend the work by Kevin Spacey and Annette Bening.

I do feel like Sam Mendes' directing work here was splendid, especially considering it was his film debut after only working in the theatre prior.

From 1999, I would throw all of my roses towards Being John Malkovich, Magnolia, All About My Mother, Election, and The Talented Mr. Ripley.

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#41 - GRAND HOTEL (1932)

Directed by Edmund Goulding

Written by Vicki Baum

Way back when I was discussing Mutiny on the Bounty, I mentioned that there was only one other film that won Best Picture without winning a single other award.

That would be Grand Hotel and not only was it the only award it won, it was the only nomination it had.

I don't think we will ever see anything that crazy again, even if the "against all odds" win by Coda did occur this year.

 Grand Hotel is melodrama of the highest order. 

With the likes of Greta Garbo and also younger Joan Crawford giving one of the best performances of her career, there is a lot to enjoy about this film.

Adapted by the writer of the novel herself, Vicki Baum, the film is surprisingly good for its time at weaving the intricate plots and allowing a lot of them to breathe.

It might be a little stuffy at times, but overall, it is certainly a higher end selection from the early years of the Academy.

I do feel like if I had to vote though that year, I would've given my personal selection to I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang or Trouble in Paradise.

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#40 - ARGO (2012)

Directed by Ben Affleck 

Written by Chris Terrio

I have dimmed a bit on Argo as a film as well, but I do still find it to be incredibly entertaining.

I do remember the awards journey for this film, even if I wasn't fully invested with the award season or even films in general at that time.

Most people were talking about Steven Spielberg's Lincoln but then Argo began taking a lot of the televised precursor awards. It became even more crazy when Ben Affleck got snubbed for a Directing Oscar nom and then kept winning everywhere else.

When it comes to its biggest competition like Lincoln or The Silver Linings Playbook or The Life of Pi, I much prefer Argo which is why I was very happy with its win at the time.

However, of the actual nominees, my preference would've been Amour and Beasts of the Southern Wild.

I think Argo works as a great crowd-pleaser, but I also think it is pretty straight-forward and not particularly interesting in its approach or style. That is its biggest hurdle in the grand scheme.

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CONCLUSION:

Another volume down!

We are inching very close to the best of the sort of best! 

In the end, I feel like this list of films is not as strong as it could be, but we are definitely getting closer to films that I feel a lot more strongly about.

Next up, my ranking will be 39-21 and then that will be followed by 20 to my #1 selection! 

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P.S. - Check out the other rankings below!

#94-80

#79-60

#39-21

#20-1

My Ranking of the Best Picture Oscar Winners: From Worst to Best (Vol. 2)

 

Here we are with Volume Two of my ranking of the 94 films to have won the Academy Award for Best Picture of the Year.

There were definitely quite a few films in the last batch that may not exactly be well known to the masses these days...and for good reason...but I think in this volume, you will see a few more films that you are either familiar with or, possibly, actually have seen.

In fact, my selection for #79 is one that is currently holding the crown.

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#79 - CODA (2021)

Written and Directed by Sian Heder

Coda winning Best Picture was, in some ways, glorious. I would use that word if only for the fact that it managed to break a lot of unprecedented statistics that usually go into predicting a winner.

No Directing nom, No Editing nom, and also only three nominations in general: Picture, Adapted Screenplay, and Supporting Actor...and it won all three. 

I think it greatly benefitted from polarizing competition and a feel-good approach.

I also can't deny that the deaf representation on film was lovely to see and it did serve as a nice showcase for deaf actor Troy Kotsur, who was easily the best thing about the film.

However, Coda winning was a poor choice. The film was essentially one long cliche after another to the point where I could call out every story beat as it went along.

It wasn't a badly made film, it had a solid ensemble, but the script (which was based on a French film which I admittedly have not seen) felt like nothing special in the end and while the film was pleasant, I don't think something that is simply "pleasant" should be rewarded a Best Film award.

Winning this award does a major disservice to a film such as this. Now, it will always have a stigma against it that it may not have had prior. Honestly, when it first came out, some considered it a dark horse contender for a nomination, but many seemed to write it off.

I am still a little surprised it managed to get the surge it did, but I suppose that all comes down to the campaigning of Apple, who spent a huge sum of money securing its rights after it was screened at Sundance.

Of the Best Picture nominees, only Drive My Car was worthy to actually be there. Other snubbed films included C'mon C'mon, The Worst Person in the World, Passing, Titane, L'evenement, Petite Maman, The Souvenir Part II, and Wheel of Fortune & Fantasy.

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#78 - YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU (1938)

Directed by Frank Capra

Written by Robert Riskin & George S. Kaufman

Based on the very well-known Kaufman and Hart play of the same name, You Can't Take It with You is one of the few comedies to win the Best Picture award.

I feel like a broken record at this point, but I can't deny that the main word I often want to use with a lot of these films is "pleasant".

This is definitely a Frank Capra film by a country mile...however, I have never really responded to most of his works like many have over the years.

What this film really has going for it is the work of its ensemble, particularly that of Jean Arthur, who seems to be more forgotten about these days over the likes of other actresses of that era. 

From that year, I was particularly gobsmacked by Jean Renoir's Grand Illusion, which was the first international film to receive a Best Picture nomination. I wish it would've won.

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#77 - DANCES WITH WOLVES (1990)

Directed by Kevin Costner 

Written by Michael Blake

The film is often gorgeous to look at.

However, visuals aren't the only thing that should drive a film. I certainly don't take to a film about yet another white savior either...and to top it all off, it beat Goodfellas.

IT. BEAT. GOODFELLAS.

I feel like this is one of those Best Picture choices that is fairly well-known to even the average movie-goer because it just seems so laughable now in retrospect. However, you can't argue that Dances with Wolves wasn't a big success in its own right; it actually did quite well at the box office. In fact, it grossed far more than Goodfellas...not to say that box office gross should be a factor in choosing a winner.

Kevin Costner basing most of the movie around his character (and I understand that it was based on true events) was a wrong decision as it only further slides into "white savior" territory, and it also takes a lot of the focus off of the talented Native American actors around him. I also feel like his narration of the film is so dull and monotone that it becomes an added chore to the 3-hour movie that could've afforded maybe a good 45 minutes to an hour cut from it.

Instead of Dances with Wolves, I will rewatch other films from 1990 such as Goodfellas, Miller's Crossing, The Grifters, Reversal of Fortune, Misery, and Awakenings.

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#76 - THE LIFE OF EMILE ZOLA (1937) 

Directed by William Dieterle

Written by Norman Reilly Raine, Heinz Herald, and Geza Herczeg

Paul Muni gives a truly lovely performance in this and singlehandedly elevates the film. Had it not been for him, this film would've been lower...in fact, it WAS originally going to be my #82 film, but I decided to give it a boost thanks to Muni.

The Life of Emile Zola is a baffling film for one glaring reason.

This is a film set during the Dreyfus Affair and yet it manages to completely avoid mentioning anti-Semitism or even the word "Jew"...though at one point, someone does point out the word in print.

The result turns out to be quite docile, but at least we have Paul Muni there to see us through. 

In terms of films I would've preferred, I suppose you could technically say that Grand Illusion came out that year even though it wasn't eligible until the following year. I also want to give a shout-out to Humanity & Paper Balloons, The Awful Truth, Stella Dallas, and Stage Door.

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#75 - OLIVER! (1968)

Directed by Carol Reed

Written by Charles Dickens, Vernon Harris

I do find Oliver! to be highly enjoyable and there was admittedly a time where this probably would've ranked a lot higher...but now I see the win almost in a similar manner than that of Green Book and Coda.

This was at a time when the Academy voting body was changing dramatically thanks to admirable leadership of actor Gregory Peck who knew that films were changing and that they needed to acknowledge a wide variety of films that were often either ignored or maybe would receive a scant nomination or two.

The prior year (1967) saw a surge towards new Hollywood with films like Bonnie & Clyde and The Graduate or films that perhaps tapped into stories like racism but with a delicate hand like In the Heat of the Night or Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. Then in 1969, you got a bunch of stuffy nominees like Hello Dolly or Anne of a Thousand Days but they gave Best Picture to the then X-rated film Midnight Cowboy. 

This back and forth in quality feels very reminiscent to recent years when they would award a movie like Moonlight or The Shape of Water or Parasite mixed in with the schlock like Green Book and Coda.

Oliver! won in a year in which they snubbed 2001: A Space Odyssey and didn't nominate movies like Rosemary's Baby or The Producers even though both of those films managed to win major Oscars (Supporting Actress and Original Screenplay, respectively).

Oliver! winning did feel like something of a last gasp of the kind of film that frequently won Oscars before tides shifted a little in the 70s until the desire to return to rewarding another kind of unfortunate Oscar staple (the stuffy overlong epic) returned in the 80s.

But yeah, 2001 was royally robbed here.

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#74 - FORREST GUMP (1994)

Directed by Robert Zmeckis

Written by Eric Roth

I feel like my history with Forrest Gump is a strange one. I distinctly remember my mother buying it when it came out on VHS and being obsessed with it. It wasn't until my teenage years that I began to see a lot of the films' problems. 

However, this is one film where I have to admit that I do find it entertaining and even on a rewatch recently, I STILL find it highly enjoyable.

By the same token, it is also plays like a conservative Boomer wet dream as to what it is to be an American. 

Tom Hanks has been better in other films, but when he is not relying on the accent to pull him through, he does have lovely moments, particularly at the end once Jenny comes back into his life one final time. I think Robin Wright manages to do well with such a problematic character.

Very few female characters in recent film history have been as debated and ridiculed as Jenny, and a lot of it does feel valid. I think Wright should be commended for how well she handled all of that.

Sally Field is basically there to be her normal glorious self and she always lights the screen whenever she appears.

However, the film is stolen by Gary Sinise as the iconic Lt. Dan Taylor. His screentime comes in sporadic spurts but whenever he appears, the film suddenly becomes better. Had it not been for such stiff competition as Martin Landau (Ed Wood) and Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction), this would've been an easy Oscar win. 

Speaking of Ed Wood and Pulp Fiction, both films made my top 10 in 1994 though my favorite movie that year was the final installment of Krystof Kieslowski's Three Colors trilogy: Red.

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#73 - A BEAUTIFUL MIND (2001)

Directed by Ron Howard

Written by Akiva Goldsman

Ron Howard has sort of become another Spielberg in the sense that he often has an issue with somehow taking films with darker subject matter and making them a little more saccharine than they should be.

I still found myself oddly not as enthralled with A Beautiful Mind when I first saw it upon its release on DVD in 2002. The story seemed suspenseful and dark but I mostly got caught up in the news story that film ignored a lot of darker details about John Nash's life.

As it stands, Crowe does good work here and he cost himself back-to-back Oscars after he infamously punched out a producer at the BAFTAs when he discovered he cut his acceptance speech for later broadcasts. When the news came out, his apology was the definition of half-assed to say the least.

However, his work here was certainly superior to that of his winning work in Gladiator the year prior.

A Beautiful Mind had relatively weak competition and the best films of that year weren't even nominated, such as:

Muholland Drive, Amelie, Ghost World, The Piano Teacher (technically eligible in 2002), Y Tu Mama Tambien (also eligible in 2002), and Hedwig & The Angry Inch.

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#72 - THE ENGLISH PATIENT (1996)

Directed by Anthony Minghella

Written by Anthony Minghella & Michael Ondaatje

The legend of The English Patient derives a lot from the famous episode of Seinfeld in which Elaine feels like she is the only one around her who passionately loathed the film...and it even almost leads to her losing her job.

The English Patient remains the only film that I can recall falling asleep during...and I want to preface this by saying that I HAVE fallen asleep during a couple of movies when watching them late at night.

In the case of The English Patient, I not only fell asleep during it on a sunny afternoon, but I fell asleep during it TWICE on a sunny afternoon. Keep in mind, I am a huge fan of Ingmar Bergman...a man who has made some very slow-moving films. Something about The English Patient simply bored me to literal sleep.

It took the third try to finally make it through the film...and believe it or not, I did watch it a fourth time several years later.

The results on that 4th watch were a tad more successful. I still find the film to be mostly sluggish but much like Out of Africa, it excels thanks to gorgeous visuals and music but even more so due to its performances.

Ralph Fiennes and Kristin Scott Thomas turn in excellent work here, but there is a reason why Juliette Binoche won that Oscar in a major upset: she is fantastic. She was even an aspect I loved about the film even when I disliked it more than I do now. Granted, I think Juliette Binoche is one of the greatest actresses working today so perhaps I am a tad biased.

However, this was the year of Fargo; a film that I consider to be close to perfection and also the film I would deem to be the best film of that decade...at least in terms of English-language films. That was the worthy film to win but I also want to give a shout-out to the following:

Secrets & Lies, Big Night, Kolya, and A Moment of Innocence

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#71 - GIGI (1958)

Directed by Vincente Minnelli 

Written by Collette & Alan Jay Lerner

There was a single year in which Gigi held the title of biggest Oscar winning film of all-time until Ben-Hur broke the record the following year.

I look at a movie like Gigi and think "Oh look how gorgeous!" and perhaps "Oh, what a bouncy tune this is!"...but then I also think "What the hell kind of plot is this?!"

Gigi has not aged well, and it is kind of ironic, perhaps not surprising, that it would be the film that would finally net Minnelli a Directing Oscar.

I also think it was wise of the recent revival staging on Broadway to move the song "Thank Heaven for Little Girls" to the aunts instead of for Honore to sing as an old man singing a song that practically screams "I wanna groom some young ladies!" is a bit much to say the least.

1958 was the year of Vertigo, Hitchcock's (arguable) masterpiece that was mostly shafted at that time, but it has since become one of the pinnacle examples of how time can be a wonderful thing to a movie's level of acclaim and esteem.

Also from that year, we got Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress, Welles' Touch of Evil, along with two well-made stage-to-film adaptations: Auntie Mame and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.

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#70 - THE ARTIST (2011)

Written and Directed by Michel Hazanavicius

Here is a prime example of a movie that for a brief moment seemed like it was on top of the world and was having everyone eating out of the palm of its hand.

Now we look back on its win a decade later and wonder...Why???

The Artist could be seen as a gimmick, but I would argue that it is mostly successful at the gimmick. The problem is that I just don't see how a film like this truly warranted one of the last true awards sweeps we've seen at the Oscars since they had their many rule changes since 2009.

Jean Dujardin does well in his role and fits into the archetype of a handsome lanky comedian of the Silent Era (and I would argue Berenice Bejo is even more successful at her role), but it is crazy to see how this film managed to grasp such a strong hold only to be forgotten so quickly.

In the years since, movies like Farhadi's A Separation or Malick's The Tree of Life have gotten the praise and acclaim to the point that The Artist is seemingly never brought up on Best Of Decade lists.

It was a sweet and interesting, pleasant diversion. Nothing less, nothing more.

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#69 - SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE (1998)

Directed by John Madden

Written by Tom Stoppard & Marc Norman

As one of the most infamous Best Picture winners of all time, Shakespeare in Love might have been remembered more fondly had it not been for the fact it beat Saving Private Ryan. 

Also, in recent years, the general public learned more about Harvey Weinstein and the heinous campaign tactics he used to the point where he essentially bought the Oscar win. On top of that, Paltrow's Best Actress win for this aged like milk sitting in the middle of Death Valley. The fact she was able to ride on this Weinstein/Miramax campaign train at the expense of Cate Blanchett in Elizabeth and Fernanda Montenegro in Central Station is truly a blow to the credit of the award.

Do I like Shakespeare in Love? It's fine.

Honestly, as a fan of Tom Stoppard and most of his plays prior to this film, I find this script to be a bit of a let down from him. 

I think this Best Picture win truly stands out as a blight on the Oscars and the idea of awards campaigning...and it is sort of a shame because the film is definitely a charming time and is very well made. It just isn't anything overly special. 

It is also particularly egregious when you realize The Truman Show was snubbed of a nomination along with the likes of Pleasantville, Gods and Monsters, Central Station, and Rushmore.

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#68 - MILLION DOLLAR BABY (2004)

Directed by Clint Eastwood

Written by Paul Haggis

Going into the Oscars that year, it seemed like the race was going to come down between Martin Scorsese's sweeping Howard Hughes biopic The Aviator and Alexander Payne's quirky road trip film Sideways. 

Then, Million Dollar Baby broke into the race late in the game and managed to steal a lot of thunder and took the Oscars for Picture, Director, Supporting Actor for Morgan Freeman, and Actress for Hilary Swank, her 2nd Oscar in just 5 years.

Eastwood is a very erratic director whom I tend to find always goes for the heavy-handed at the expense of potentially powerful subtlety. He manages to give a decent performance himself and also gets one out of Swank...although the film belongs to Freeman.

I have never supported Swank's win here. Many have bemoaned in the years since that her career has consistently faltered aside from the fact that she barely managed to eek out two Best Actress wins joining an esteemed group of performers.

If the performance was worthy, she should've gotten it. In my opinion, this win was not deserved.

Kate Winslet should've won for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

And speaking of Eternal Sunshine, THAT was easily the best film of that year.

Shout outs are also deserved for Before Sunset, The Sea Inside, The Motorcycle Diaries, Nobody Knows, Mean Girls, and Shaun of the Dead.

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#67 - AN AMERICAN IN PARIS (1951)

Directed by Vincente Minnelli

Written by Alan Jay Lerner

We've already returned back into the world of Vincente Minnelli, whose An American in Paris managed to win Best Picture in an upset over A Streetcar Named Desire and A Place in the Sun.

Essentially a Gershwin jukebox musical (and named after one of his more famous orchestral compositions), I can't deny that I adore the music of Gershwin, but I also find that his material has been exhausted in jukebox musical form to the point of hilarious insanity.

Since this would've been one of the first, if not THE first, instances of this, I will cut it some slack.

I guess what I am truly beginning to realize how much more a lot of voters seemed to vote for happier films at the expense of films that make them think. Some people would argue these days they try to shy away from lighter fare...although the Coda win this year really proves that idea wrong.

It is an entertaining enough movie, but it doesn't offer much to make me think this was the best that cinema had to offer in 1951. 

It wasn't...because I did see Streetcar and A Place in the Sun and The African Queen.

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#66 - ROCKY (1976)

Directed by John G. Avildsen

Written by Sylvester Stallone

I must just not like boxing movies that much.

I think Rocky is another prime example of a movie that was done a disservice by beating out far superior films: Taxi Driver, Network, All the President's Men, and even the mostly forgotten Woody Guthrie biopic Bound for Glory.

Not to mention, some of the films that missed out on Best Picture nominations: Face to Face, Seven Beauties, Small Change, or populist horror fare like The Omen or Carrie.

Rocky is a Cinderella story that audiences eat up in the droves...and throw in the sports angle and it is practically like catnip. It also didn't hurt that Stallone as a figure was unlike many of the other stars at that time. Stallone's career mostly became to be seen as a joke after countless Rocky or Rambo sequels or bad action comedies that seemed to be of lesser quality than that of his major acting counterpart: Arnold Schwarzenegger. 

However, at this moment in time, prospects did seem good for Stallone...and even though he didn't technically win any Oscar that night, there was a certain belief that this was essentially all his doing.

Maybe it was...he did write the script after all. The film only walked away with three wins: Picture, Director, and Editing...and considering how well Network was received that night with a record-tying three acting wins and a Screenplay win, I feel like it is still a bit surprising that didn't take it. 

Rocky's Best Director win is particularly puzzling to me. Avildsen does not show any real flair or style that makes me think a Directing Oscar was warranted over the likes of Sidney Lumet, Ingmar Bergman, Lina Wertmuller, Alan J. Pakula or the snubbed Martin Scorsese.

In the end, Rocky's win truly stands out as one of the weakest of the 70s for sure...and I feel like despite its overall iconic status, it hasn't aged too well.

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#65 - GANDHI (1982)

Directed by Richard Attenborough

Written by John Briley

"Now, Gandhi is not a bad movie but is there anybody that wanted to see Gandhi a second time?" - Joel Siegel on Good Morning America

If there is any reason to watch Gandhi, it is for Ben Kingsley's truly masterful performance. 

Aside from that, it is a pretty typical overlong biopic that fits the narrative of what Oscar voters seemed to love to vote for...and at the expense of two films nominated that were both critically adored and loved by audiences: E.T. The Extra Terrestrial and Tootsie. 

I am also quite fond of one of the other nominees, The Verdict, and found the last nominee, Missing, to be an unfairly forgotten suspense film. 

Gandhi is simply a well-made though fairly hollow film in terms of emotional connection...and oh yes, how could I forget that the film is difficult to watch when you remember that Gandhi himself was actually quite the misogynist and racist.

What fun! 

Next please...

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#64 - GENTLEMAN'S AGREEMENT (1947)

Directed by Elia Kazan

Written by Moss Hart & Laura Hobson

In terms of being a film of exposing anti-Semitism, I would say that Gentleman's Agreement certainly succeeded far better than The Life of Emile Zola did a decade prior.

You could even argue that the concept of a gentile posing as a Jew creates an almost sort of "white savior" or "religion savior" narrative that is truly hard to ignore...and it certainly doesn't help that Gregory Peck gives one of his weakest performances and that Dorothy Maguire isn't much better.

I think the script by the legendary Moss Hart working with Laura Hobson is actually not that bad...and I also think the Oscar winning performance of Celeste Holm really bolsters the film to a higher level.

Some of my favorite films from that year included Out of the Past, Black Narcissus, Record of a Tenement Gentleman, Monsieur Verdoux, and of the actual nominees, I sort of can't help but love the holiday offering: Miracle on 34th Street.

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#63 - MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY (1935)

Directed by Frank Lloyd

Written by Jules Furthman, Talbot Jennings, Carey Wilson, Charles Nordhoff, James Norman Hall, Margaret Booth

Geez...that's the biggest roster of screenwriters yet. But I wanted to give them all the credit.

However, it is amazing to think this film would have that many people with a hand in it.

Mutiny on the Bounty is only one of two films to win Best Picture in which that was the only award it won that evening. In fact, the other film (which hasn't been mentioned yet) managed to win Best Picture with that being its only nomination. 

In this case, Bounty ended up winning after The Informer took Directing, Writing, and an Acting win. I actually wouldn't even say The Informer was better...both were on pretty equal footing for me. 

Bounty is definitely a handsomely made movie for its time and I suppose that considering some of the other films that rewarded around that time, this one doesn't stand out as being too bad.

However, they truly ignored some classics: Top Hat, A Night at the Opera, Alice Adams, The Bride of Frankenstein, Sazen Tange & The Pot Worth a Million Ryo, The 39 Steps, and An Inn in Toyko.

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#62 - THE FRENCH CONNECTION (1971)

Directed by William Fredkin

Written by Ernest Tidyman

The win by The French Connection is a selection that I admire on one hand but also find to be a weak choice all at once.

What do I admire about it?

Honoring a relatively gritty suspense film about a detective on a pursuit for drug dealers feels a lot different than most of the films that were getting honored by the Academy at that point.

HOWEVER..

I feel like the film didn't have much going for it aside from the performances by Hackman and Roy Schieder or the truly magnificently put together car chase scene where Hackman's Doyle is chasing the elevated train in which the perpetrator is aboard. 

It has its merits, but I still didn't connect much with it.

I would say that the one-two punch duo of Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange and Peter Bogdonavich's The Last Picture Show are where the reward should've landed that evening.

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#61 - WEST SIDE STORY (1961)

Directed by Robert Wise & Jerome Robbins

Written by Ernest Lehman, Arthur Laurents, and Jerome Robbins

I have a feeling this ranking will probably anger some people.

I am a big fan of musicals, but I can honestly say that this is a prime example of where I tend to diverge from popular opinion.

I respect West Side Story for pushing musicals into a darker direction because I fully support that journey. In fact, the lyricist of this musical (that being Stephen Sondheim) would be instrumental in truly driving that journey from here on out. 

I find myself watching this musical and not caring for any of the characters aside from Anita...and that is a bit of a problem. 

A lot of the score is memorable, but it is hard to ignore some of the questionable character development in order to make the story convincing. This is especially glaring when Maria is still willing to sleep with Tony even after finding out she killed his brother...and then she has the audacity to tell Anita, whom was with Bernardo, the man Tony killed, how it feels to be in love.

It also doesn't help that Natalie Wood was not the right choice for Maria (not even factoring in the brownface element) and that Richard Beymer gives one of the most wooden performances ever seen in an Oscar winning film. 

This film rides on the shoulders of Rita Moreno's Anita much like the most recent film adaptation relied a lot on Ariana DeBose's Anita.

La Notte, Through a Glass Darkly, Yojimbo, Last Year at Marienbad, Breakfast at Tiffany's (aside from Mickey Rooney doing his horrendous yellowface performance) along with actual Best Picture nominees Judgement at Nuremburg and The Hustler were the films I responded to most from that year.

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#60 - DRIVING MISS DAISY (1989)

Directed by Bruce Beresford 

Written by Alfred Uhry

I have had another one of those interesting journeys with Driving Miss Daisy in which my admiration for the film has dimmed considerably over time. 

When I was a lot younger, I actually felt that of the nominees, it deserved to win. For the record, those nominees were:

Born on the Fourth of July

Dead Poets Society

Field of Dreams 

My Left Foot

Nowadays, I would be compelled to say My Left Foot but the truth is that 1989 was a fantastic year for film and it continues the crazy trend of how the last year of each decade is somehow a banner year for cinema.

At the top of that banner was Spike Lee's Do The Right Thing, which I have only seen three times but each time I see it, I can't help but marvel at how well it all works and how potent it still feels today.

It hurts even more to think that the Academy overlooked it at the expense of a film that took such a docile approach at handling racism.

It is simply...pardon my 100th use of the word...a pleasant film that contains great performances by Jessica Tandy and Morgan Freeman.

Even as a play, I still find it a little baffling that Uhry won the Pulitzer for it. 

Aside from the masterpiece that was Do The Right Thing, I want to single out the other masterful efforts from 1989:

When Harry Met Sally

 Crimes & Misdemeanors

 sex, lies, and videotape

Glory

The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover

Drugstore Cowboy

The Little Mermaid

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CONCLUSION:

And that brings us to the end of Volume 2!

Next up, we will be looking at the films ranked between 59-40...and with these films, we will start to see my admiration rise just a little bit, but there will definitely be a little bit of snark left, to be sure.

Here are links to the rest of the ranking below:

#94-80

#59-40

#39-21

#20-1