Best Oscar Winners — No. 6


Earlier in March I discussed a series of 10 posts on the best winners for Best Picture since 1970. Each Saturday for the next six weeks I'll be counting down my favorites and discussing the rationale. As always, if you have thoughts, or other favorites, please feel free to comment and share.

6. Forrest Gump (1994)
Starring: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Mykelti Williamson, and Sally Field
Director: Robert Zemeckis
About: And now we get our first of three entries from the 1990s. And this one might be controversial. It's also definitely possible that this film carries a more special place for me because of my age. I was in middle school when I first saw it, and I thought the story was magical. I still think the performances are great and there's some beauty and magic to the way the film was made, even if it isn't as great as I once thought. Also, it probably wasn't the best film nominated for Best Picture the year it won. 1994 was an exceptional year for film, and when I look at my 10 favorite nominees not to win, expect one or two of those that lost to "Forrest" to be on that list. But let's consider this film, which is one of the most enduring of the 1990s. And even more than 20 years later, it's still a beloved and memorable film. That's one of the reasons it's on this list. It's also a film that is a great look at history, and a lot of fun from that respect. (In fact, I watched this film in my AP U.S. History class.) The film won six Academy Awards, for editing, special effects and screenplay. Additionally it earned an Oscar for Hanks for Best Actor and for Zemeckis for Best Director, and, of course, Best Picture. This is an iconic film in a lot of ways, and when I looked at the options that was why this film belonged on this list for me. And if you haven't seen it recently, now might be a good time to give it a look.
Rating: PG-13 for drug content, some sensuality and war violence.

The Top 10:
10. The French Connection (1971)
9. Gladiator (2000)
8. One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest (1975)
7. Spotlight (2015)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Burial a courtroom drama with heart

Image
Willie Gary (Jamie Foxx) is a brash trial lawyer who is good at rallying a jury to his cause. Jeremiah O’Keefe (Tommy Lee Jones) is a quiet grandfather who is trying to ensure the business his family built remains viable after he’s gone. These two don’t appear to have much in common on the surface. But when they’re brought together by young lawyer Hal Dockins (Mamoudou Athie) brings them together, a connection is formed over their shared background of working hard to become self-made men. And it turned out that Willie was just who Jerry needed in his corner to win the fight of his life. The new Prime Video film The Burial, which opened in theaters October 6 and started streaming October 13, captures that trial against the Loewen Group that changed the course of their lives. The film is based on the true story and covers the trial, but more importantly captures the relationship between the men. The film plays out like a traditional courtroom drama. Foxx is solid as Willie Gary, while Ju...
Read more

Broncos Draft Targets

Image
  The NFL Draft is just a few days away. On April 25, the Denver Broncos will head into the draft in the midst of something of a rebuild. In the draft, the Broncos have the No. 12 pick in Round 1, then have a Third Round Pick, Fourth Round Pick, three Fifth Round Picks, a Sixth Round Pick, and a Seventh Round Pick. So, what might they be targeting? Let's dive in and look at possible positions. Quarterback : The team clearly needs a long-term quarterback. Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci are there but the team could certainly use someone else. Could they move up for Drake Maye or J.J. McCarthy? Yes, they could. Will the take Bo Nix at 12? It's possible. Or will the Broncos wait until next off-season to make a move? Anything is in play for the Broncos in 2024, but quarterback is surely a need. Tight End: The team brought back Adam Trautman and still has Greg Dulcich, but it's still a need. Dulcich hasn't been able to get on the field and Trautman hasn't been great. Co...
Read more

Favorite Westerns, No. 43

Image
  Do you like a good Western? It's a classic genre in film and this year I've decided to look at some of my favorite Westerns. So, join me each Friday as I count down my favorite Westerns from No. 50 to No. 1. Rooster Cogburn : [ watching Mattie ford the river hanging on the back of her horse] By God. She reminds me of me. True Grit (1969) Starring : John Wayne, Kim Darby, Glen Campbell, Robert Duvall, and Dennis Hopper Director : Henry Hathaway About: This is the third straight week with a film from Wayne. As you might guess, we're not done. As I've mentioned, he sets a standard for the genre. Here, we seen him bring to life an iconic character. This one is based on a novel, and it has endured. He's great as Rooster Cogburn, so good that he got a sequel in the same character. But this is a later film in his career. This is a different, more grizzled Wayne. He's still quite good and this is a film that really has stood the test of time. It's not the only ve...
Read more