Best Non-Oscar Winners, No. 10



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.

10. Fargo (1996)
Starring: Frances McDormand, Steve Buscemi, William H. Macy, Peter Stormare, and Harve Presnell
Directors: Joel and Ethan Coen
About: It's hard to believe that "Fargo" didn't win Best Picture. It was nominated for seven Academy Awards and won just two, Best Lead Actress for McDormand and Best Original Screenplay for the Coen Brothers. But the big award went to "The English Patient." It's been 22 years, and I think it's safe to say that "Fargo" holds up a bit better than that year's winner. It's also just a really good movie, one of the Coen Brothers best. The story is engaging, as are the performances. Especially McDormand, who was a winner for the film. The film is so popular, still, that it inspired the anthology show on FX. This isn't the most egregious non-winner on this list, but it's certainly one that could and should have people scratching their heads.
Rating: R for strong violence, language and sexuality.

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