Best Non-Oscar Winners, No. 9


Recently I chronicled my favorite Best Picture Winners since 1970. Now, for the next 10 weeks, I'll be sharing my 10 favorite films that fell short of Best Picture despite being nominees since 1990.

9. Whiplash (2014)
Starring: J.K. Simmons, Miles Teller, and Paul Reiser
Director: Damien Chazelle
About: There are times when a film just hits you. I went to "Whiplash" not sure what to expect and was blown away by what I saw. It's a movie about intensity and passion. And it's not an easy film to watch. But it has exceptional performances from Simmons and Teller, and it's incredibly well told by Chazelle. It was nominated for five Academy Awards, and while it didn't win Best Picture or Best Original Screenplay for Chazelle, it did collect awards for Best Editing, Best Sound Mixing and Best Supporting Actor for Simmons. It was my favorite among the films that year, and I thought it should have won Best Picture. It didn't. That honor went to "Birdman," another interesting movie that I didn't think was quite as good. Still, I think "Whiplash" still holds up and is still a movie I find fascinating today. It's probably not for everyone, but I love the craft, the intensity of performance and the unexpected way the film concludes. And that's why it's on this list.
Rating: R for strong language including some sexual references

Best Non-Winners:
10. Fargo (1996)

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