Tag Archives: Let’s Second Guess The Academy

Let’s Second Guess The Academy: 2006 Best Picture

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Hi there and welcome to the latest, long-delayed edition of Let’s Second Guess The Academy.  Previously, we second-guessed the Academy’s choice for best picture of 1990, 1994, 1998, and 2002.  It seems only fitting that we now jump ahead another 4 years and reconsider the race for best picture of 2006.

The Academy nominated five films for best picture 0f 2006.  Those films were Babel, The Departed, Letters from Iwo Jima, Little Miss Sunshine, and The Queen.  They ultimately named The Departed the best film of 2006.  Were they right?

And now, here’s my favorite part of second guessing the Academy.  What if none of the five nominated films had been released in 2006?  Which other films would you have nominated?  Below is a list of some of 2006′s most acclaimed and memorable films.  You can vote for up to 10 replacement nominees and write-in votes are allowed.

As always, vote once, vote often, and have fun!

Let’s Second Guess The Academy: 2002 Best Picture

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Hi there and welcome to the latest edition of Let’s Second Guess The Academy.  Previously, we second-guessed the Academy’s choice for best picture of 1990, 1994, and 1998.  It seems only fitting that we now jump ahead another 4 years and reconsider the race for best picture of 2002.

In 2002, the Academy nominated five films for best picture.  Those films were Chicago, Gangs of New York, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Pianist, and The Hours.  They ultimately named Chicago the best film of 2002.  Were they right?

And now, here’s my favorite part of second guessing the Academy.  What if none of the five nominated films had been released in 2002?  Which other films would you have nominated?  Below is a list of some of 2002’s most acclaimed and memorable films.  You can vote for up to 10 replacement nominees and write-in votes are allowed.

As always, have fun!

Let’s Second Guess The Academy: 1998 Best Picture Nominees

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Hi and welcome to this week’s edition of Let’s Second Guess The Academy.  Previously, we reconsidered the best picture nominees for both 1990 and 1994.  This week, we jump forward 4 more years to consider the race for best picture of 1998.

1998 saw one of the greatest upsets in Academy history when Shakespeare in Love was named best picture over Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan.  Even after more than a decade, this decision remains a controversial one.  Some people — including this site’s founder — will tell you that Saving Private Ryan was robbed.  Others, like my sister Megan, loved Shakespeare in Love so much that they still have the sepia-toned movie poster hanging in their house.  And then there are people like me who will tell you that Shakespeare was better than Ryan but Thin Red Line was better than Shakespeare and that, finally, Elizabeth is the best of them all.

So, looking back with the benefit of hindsight (I love that word!), which of 1998’s best picture nominees would you have voted for?

And here’s the part of Let’s Second Guess The Academy that I really love — if none of the five actual nominees had been released in 1998, which other films would you have nominated in their place?  You can vote for up to 5 films.

(If the 2nd poll isn’t showing up on your browser, please click here and you will be redirected to it.)

Let’s Second Guess The Academy: 1990 Best Picture Nominees

Posted on by Lisa Marie Bowman

Let’s be honest — the Academy Awards are rarely presented to the best in film.  That’s part of why I love them — you can spend a lifetime debating and second guessing the films, performers, and craftsman. that the Academy annually chooses to recognize with an Oscar.

With that in mind, here’s the first entry in a  little something that I like to call Let’s Second Guess The Academy.

In this post, I’m focusing on the contest for Best Picture of 1990.  In that contest, the Academy nominated five films — Awakenings, Dances With Wolves, Ghost, The Godfather Part III, and Goodfellas.  In the end they named Dances With Wolves the best film of 1990.  Were they right?

You tell me.

And now, let’s make things really interesting by considering which films you would have nominated if those five nominees had never been made.  Vote for up to five and let’s show the Academy how it’s done.