10 Times the Wrong Movie Won Best Picture at the Oscars

The Oscars (also sometimes known as The Academy Awards) are given to films that have shown creative and technological excellence in various categories. These awards are given out by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in a live televised ceremony each year. The Big Five categories are: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay (either Original or Adapted). Beyond that, there are many other categories that spotlight the multitude of crafts that go into making a movie, from production design to editing to musical scores.

The Oscars are the finish line of every awards season race. The problem, however, is that on occasion the wrong movie wins Best Picture. This category is meant to showcase the top film for that year in its entirety, and while the members of the Academy typically vote the greatest film as the winner, there are a few times when a film won over other movies that were better, either based on box office revenue, critical review, or the audience's response. Although we still love them, here are the 10 films (in no particular order) we think should not have won Best Picture, and why.

10 Rocky (1976)

rocky

Release Date

November 21, 1976

Director

John G. Avildsen

Cast

Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, Burgess Meredith, Thayer David

Rating

PG

Genres

Drama, Documentary, sport

1976's Rocky is a cult classic fighting film starring Sylvester Stallone, which he also wrote. The film tells the story of Rocky Balboa (Stallone), a struggling amateur boxer and loan shark debt collector, who is given an improbable opportunity to challenge Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) for the world heavyweight boxing title. Becoming the first movie in the Rocky franchise, the film is well-liked among many, and inspired other inspirational sports movies of people moving up in the world.

Why It Shouldn't Have Won

While this might offend a number of die-hard fans, Rocky should not have won the Oscar for Best Picture in its year. The film was an achievement from all involved — there's no denying that — but movies such as Taxi Driver and Network had more significance in the artistic sphere of filmmaking and could have just as easily won. Indeed, Taxi Driver is "generally regarded as one of the greatest movies of all time, a breakthrough for [Martin] Scorsese, [Robert] De Niro and writer Paul Schrader. It remains a thought-provoking character study of a lonely man caught in a nightmare of violence," per Kyle Rupprecht of MovieMaker.

9 Shakespeare in Love (1998)

Shakespeare in Love

Release Date

January 29, 1998

Director

John Madden

Cast

Geoffrey Rush, Tom Wilkinson, Steven O'Donnell, Tim McMullan, Joseph Fiennes, Steven Beard

Rating

R

Genres

Comedy, Drama, History, Romance

1998's Shakespeare in Love, directed by John Madden and produced by Harvey Weinstein, is a period romantic comedy that tells the story of how William Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes) fell in love himself while writing Romeo and Juliet. His fictional love affair with Viola de Lesseps (played by Gwyneth Paltrow) has become an iconic part of cinema, earning $289.3 million worldwide in the box office.

Why It Shouldn't Have Won

Shakespeare in Love has a different reason for being one that should not have won (versus the others on this list). The movie, though telling the greatly loved story of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare via the lens of the author himself, is not the best adaptation of the play by the famous bard. It also went up against the much-lauded historical masterpiece that is, Saving Private Ryan, which should have taken home the top prize for its unique and detailed cinematography. And according to Decider, "Harvey Weinstein leaned on the Oscars like never before — which is saying something for a man who was often single-mindedly obsessed with awards — in order to secure the win," for his own film.

8 Forrest Gump (1994)

Forrest Gump

Release Date

July 6, 1994

Director

Robert Zemeckis

Cast

Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Mykelti Williamson, Sally Field, Rebecca Williams

Rating

PG-13

Genres

Drama, Comedy, Documentary, Romance

Another film that has become well-loved is 1994's Forrest Gump, which stars Tom Hanks as Forrest. Based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom, this movie was directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by Eric Roth. It follows the life a kind-hearted man from Alabama named Forrest Gump as he discovers the joys of life and what is worth living for. Along with Hanks, other notable actors in this cherished film include Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Mykelti Williamson, and Sally Field.

Why It Shouldn't Have Won

While Forrest Gump did win Best Picture that year, there is a bit of controversy on whether The Shawshank Redemption or Pulp Fiction should have taken home the top Oscar. With both films showcasing a unique aspect of life and emerging as culturally significant movies of the 90s, they would have made great choices for Best Picture and have had more of an impact on society.

7 The King’s Speech (2010)

The King's Speech

Release Date

September 6, 2010

Director

Tom Hooper

Cast

Colin Firth, Helena Bonham Carter, Derek Jacobi, Robert Portal, Richard Dixon, Paul Trussell

Rating

R

Genres

Drama, Documentary, History

The historical drama, The King's Speech, tells the story of the future King George VI (Colin Firth) who has a stammer and will have to overcome it in order to give his speeches to the country with accuracy and precision. An Australian linguistic therapist named Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush) is contracted to help the soon-to-be king. Becoming friends, the two are able to successfully broadcast the king's speech declaring war on Germany in 1939 after the king's brother abdicates the throne.

Why It Shouldn't Have Won

While The Social Network proved more significant to society after its release in 2010, The King's Speechwon Best Picture that year. The reason why this happened was due to The King's Speech coming out just before awards season (indeed, timing is sometimes everything in the awards race). But the film did not maintain longevity after being awarded Best Picture, with Collider noting that "The King’s Speech is all but forgotten, and people are clamoring for a Social Network sequel given the film’s relevance."

6 Argo (2012)

Argo

Release Date

March 22, 2012

Director

Ben Affleck

Cast

Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, John Goodman, Victor Garber, Tate Donovan

Rating

R

Genres

Biography, Documentary, Drama, History, Thriller

2012's Argo was directed and produced by and stars Ben Affleck. The historical thriller tells the tale of C.I.A. operative Tony Mendez (Affleck) and was based on two pieces of writing: Mendez's 1999 autobiography The Master of Disguise and Joshuah Bearman's 2007 Wired article "The Great Escape: How the CIA Used a Fake Sci-Fi Flick to Rescue Americans from Tehran." Argo follows how Mendez oversaw the release of six American ambassadors from Tehran during the 1971-1981 hostage situation in Iran by pretending to make a sci-fi movie.

Why It Shouldn't Have Won

Argo took home the Oscar for Best Picture that year, beating out incredible films like Lincoln and Zero Dark Thirty, which were the more obvious choices to win. While Argo does have a wonderful story, it should not have won this award purely because it wasn't the best film in the category. Reviewer Stanley Fish of The New York Times would agree, writing, "This is one of those movies that depend on your not thinking much about it; for as soon as you reflect on what's happening rather than being swept up in the narrative flow, there doesn't seem much to it aside from the skill with which suspense is maintained despite the fact that you know in advance how it's going to turn out."

5 Birdman (2014)

Birdman

Release Date

October 17, 2014

Director

Alejandro González Iñárritu

Cast

Emma Stone, Edward Norton, Naomi Watts, Andrea Riseborough, Zach Galifianakis, Michael Keaton

Rating

R

Genres

Comedy, Documentary

Birdman from 2014 did receive much critical acclaim upon its release, with many loving the story about the on-the-outs actor, Riggan Thomson (Michael Keaton), only being known for his role as the superhero "Birdman." The black comedy-drama was directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu and stars an epic cast of Hollywood favorites alongside Keaton, including Zach Galifianakis, Edward Norton, Andrea Riseborough, Amy Ryan, Emma Stone, and Naomi Watts.

Why It Shouldn't Have Won

Despite the praise, Birdman should not have won Best Picture that year, as there was something much better nominated: Boyhood. Richard Linklater's film, which tells the tale of a young man named Mason Evans Jr. (Ellar Coltrane) and what it was like for him to grow up with divorced parents, was the clear winner, and many believe it should have won over Birdman. Boyhood is much more profound, and, filmed in chunks for over a decade (to follow Coltrane's real-life growth), is a real testament to the dedication it takes to make a movie.

4 12 Years a Slave (2013)

12 years a slave

Release Date

October 18, 2013

Director

Steve McQueen

Cast

Benedict Cumberbatch, Brad Pitt, Michael Fassbender, Paul Dano, Sarah Paulson, Garret Dillahunt

Rating

R

Genres

Biography, Documentary, Drama, History

The 2013 film 12 Years a Slave was nominated for Best Picture among a slew of other awards. The movie is a poignant representation of the horrors of slavery in the 1800s and was, in fact, based on a true story, as told in the 1853 memoir Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup. Directed by Steve McQueen, the film tells the story of how Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor) was kidnapped in Washington D.C. in 1841 by two hustlers and sold into slavery. Northup was put to work on the plantations and enslaved for 12 long years, hence the title.

Why It Shouldn't Have Won

That said, 12 Years a Slave was not the correct choice that year, despite being culturally significant. Another movie from that year, the cinematic science fiction masterpiece, Gravity, starring Sandra Bullock, which has been cited for its groundbreaking technical achievements, should have taken the Oscar. Phil Pirrello of Fandango News listed five reasons Gravity should win Best Picture before the awards ceremony that year, saying "Genre fare, especially sci-fi, rarely gets the respect it deserves from the Oscars," which was proved to be true that year.

3 Crash (2005)

Crash

Release Date

May 6, 2005

Director

Paul Haggis

Cast

Karina Arroyave, Dato Bakhtadze, Sandra Bullock, Don Cheadle, Art Chudabala, Sean Cory

Rating

R

Genres

Drama, Documentary

The crime drama film Crash was produced, directed, and co-written by Paul Haggis based on an experience he had 1991 when his Porsche was carjacked while parked outside a film store on Wiltshire Boulevard. The movie stars a large cast of well known actors, including Sandra Bullock, Ryan Phillippe, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Brendan Fraser, Terrence Howard, Jennifer Esposito, Don Cheadle (who additionally served as a producer on the movie), and Matt Dillon.

Considered a box office success, the film earned a respectable $98.4 million against its production budget of only $6.5 million. While the film received mostly favorable reviews, some thought it had its issues. American film critic David Edelsteinof Slate noted, Crash "might even have been a landmark film about race relations had its aura of blunt realism not been dispelled by a toxic cloud of dramaturgical pixie dust."

Why It Shouldn't Have Won

Though chosen as the Best Picture Oscar-winner that year, many felt Crash was a disaster. The film was critiqued for the way it handled issues regarding racism and discrimination, as well as its oversimplified storyline, which led to the film feeling much too exaggerated onscreen. And critics were adamant its co-nominee, Brokeback Mountain, which analyzed the concepts of love and identity by showcasing two cowboys in the 1960s through the 1980s who had a romantic relationship, was more deserving of the win.

Although "Ang Lee won Best Director, and Brokeback Mountain took home two more Oscars to boot, the Best Picture loss — and the speculation about homophobia within the Academy membership — still stung, and suggested Hollywood might not be as willing to embrace gay people as they would have liked to think," per Vanity Fair. Proving once again that the films with the most to offer society are oftentimes overlooked.

2 The Shape of Water (2017)

The Shape of Water

Release Date

December 1, 2017

Director

Guillermo del Toro

Cast

Michael Shannon, Michael Stuhlbarg, Sally Hawkins, Octavia Spencer, Richard Jenkins, Doug Jones

Rating

R

Genres

Drama, Documentary, Fantasy, Romance, Thriller

2017's romantic fantasy drama, The Shape of Water, is a great film that tells the story of a mute custodian named Elisa Esposito (Sally Hawkins), who falls in love with an amphibious humanoid creature (Doug Jones) in 1962 in a high security government-run laboratory. The movie was directed by legendary filmmaker Guillermo del Toro and written by del Toro alongside Vanessa Taylor. Despite most critics enjoying the film, Rex Reed of The New York Observer went viral for saying the movie was "a loopy, lunkheaded load of drivel" and that "the whole movie is off the wall."

Why It Shouldn't Have Won

While an amazing film, The Shape of Water truly should not have won Best Picture at the awards ceremony that year, simply because there were better films nominated. Movies like Get Out, a psychological horror film by Jordan Peele, and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, a crime drama by Martin McDonagh,were more important, culturally and socially, and either would have merited the prize, according to many viewers and critics alike.

1 Green Book (2018)

Green Book

Release Date

November 16, 2018

Director

Peter Farrelly

Cast

Linda Cardellini, Viggo Mortensen, Mahershala Ali, Don Stark, Sebastian Maniscalco, P.J. Byrne

Rating

PG-13

Genres

Biography, Comedy, Drama

Green Book released in 2018 and was directed by Peter Farrelly. It is based on the true story of African American pianist Don Shirley's (Mahershala Ali) 1962 tour of the Deep South with Italian American bouncer and eventual actor Frank "Tony Lip" Vallelonga (Viggo Mortensen), who acted as Shirley's bodyguard and driver throughout the tour. The script for the film was co-authored by Farrelly, Lip's son Nick Vallelonga, and Brian Hayes Currie, using letters Lip wrote to Shirley and interviews with Lip and Shirley.

Why It Shouldn't Have Won

Sparking controversy for the way it handled its themes concerning race and how it chose to tell its story, Green Book was much less deserving of the Oscar for Best Picture than other nominations that year. Salon noted that movie embraces "the white savior trope with the story of a bigot's redemption," and explained that Green Book "is a manual for an outdated mode of thinking, in other words, and a mode of moviemaking that needed to end yesterday."

Many reviewers, critics, and even audiences believed that the film BlacKkKlansman deserved the Best Picture prize much more due to its more accurate representations of culture and racial issues.