A history of ‘Best Pictures’

If you’re anything like me, you’ll find it difficult to choose your three, all-time favourite films. I think my choices would depend on the time of day you ask me. Plus, there are so many cinematic gems that I haven’t even seen yet.

But if you pressed me right now, I’d have to say my favourite film is Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

Choosing a top three? If I may borrow a line from Donnie Brasco: forget about it.

Recently, I ran through the history of the ‘Best Pictures’ given out each year by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. I was wondering how many of them I’d seen. Turns out, it’s 53. Now, when running through the list of winners and nominees, I was shocked at some of the films that didn’t win. I was looking through the list with our resident film nut, Ryan, and, in his opinion, he doesn’t agree with a single winner! But that’s another story for another day.

Here are my picks for the best pics from each decade. Now I should point out that I haven’t seen every movie on the list, so I’d be keen to hear which are your choices from each decade.

Here’s the list of Best Pictures since 1927. Which is the best film from the year you were born? Which are your favourite flicks from each decade?

2015 – Spotlight

2014 – Birdman

2013 – 12 Years a Slave

2012 – Argo

2011 – The Artist

2010 – The King’s Speech

2009 – The Hurt Locker

2008 – Slumdog Millionaire

2007 – No Country for Old Men

2006 – The Departed

2005 – Crash

2004 – Million Dollar Baby

2003 – The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

2002 – Chicago

2001 – A Beautiful Mind

2000 – Gladiator

1999 – American Beauty

1998 – Shakespeare in Love

1997 – Titanic

1996 – The English Patient

1995 – Braveheart

1994 – Forrest Gump

1993 – Schindler’s List

1992 – Unforgiven

1991 – The Silence of the Lambs

1990 – Dances With Wolves

1989 – Driving Miss Daisy

1988 – Rain Man

1987 – The Last Emperor

1986 – Platoon

1985 – Out of Africa

1984 – Amadeus

1983 – Terms of Endearment

1982 – Gandhi

1981 – Chariots of Fire

1980 – Ordinary People

1979 – Kramer vs. Kramer

1978 – The Deer Hunter

1977 – Annie Hall

1976 – Rocky

1975 – One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest

1974 – The Godfather Part II

1973 – The Sting

1972 – The Godfather

1971 – The French Connection

1970 – Patton

1969 – Midnight Cowboy

1968 – Oliver!

1967 – In the Heat of the Night

1966 – A Man for All Seasons

1965 – The Sound of Music

1964 – My Fair Lady

1963 – Tom Jones

1962 – Lawrence of Arabia

1961 – West Side Story

1960 – The Apartment

1959 – Ben–Hur

1958 – Gigi

1957 – The Bridge on the River Kwai

1956 – Around the World in 80 Days

1955 – Marty

1954 – On the Waterfront

1953 – From Here to Eternity

1952 – The Greatest Show on Earth

1951 – An American in Paris

1950 – All About Eve

1949 – All the King’s Men

1948 – Hamlet

1947 – Gentleman’s Agreement

1946 – The Best Years of Our Lives

1945 – The Lost Weekend

1944 – Going My Way

1943 – Casablanca

1942 – Mrs Miniver

1941 – How Green Was My Valley

1940 – Rebecca

1939 – Gone with the Wind

1938 – You Can’t Take It with You

1937 – The Life of Emile Zola

1936 – The Great Ziegfeld

1935 – Mutiny on the Bounty

1934 – It Happened One Night

1932/1933 – Cavalcade

1931/1932 – Grand Hotel

1930/1931 – Cimarron

1929/1930 – All Quiet on the Western Front

1928/1929 – The Broadway Melody

1927/1928 – Wings

 

Do you have a favourite movie from the list? Or do you have an all–time favourite film? Why not share your picks for best picks with our members?

Related articles:
What it takes to win an Oscar
Five best movies of all time
Ten best movies of all time

- Our Partners -

DON'T MISS

- Advertisment -
- Advertisment -