The best movies that didn’t win any Oscars

Who is this Oscar guy, and what makes him thinks he knows which movies are better than others? Quite often, the Oscars completely miss a great film. Case in point—Hero won zero awards. Even more often, they’re just completely wrong. Titanic is better than Good Will Hunting? Amistad isn’t even good enough to deserve a mention for best picture? Madness!

And why is it that only “serious” movies are ever given any consideration for the “Best Picture” award? Is it not true that South Park and Austin Powers are the funniest movies ever made? Doesn’t The Bourne Identity deserve a little recognition for being the most awesomely awesome spy movie ever made? Not according to Oscar. Oscar prefers snore fests like The Hours and In the Bedroom? What’s that? Haven’t heard of those ones? That’s because they suck.

Occasionally, a great movie is left completely out in the cold. Forget winning “Best Picture.” The following movies didn’t win one lousy stinking award, and I’m ranking them, from greatest, to even greatester.

4 – Seabiscuit

With it’s recent release, and widespread acclaim, I’m guessing you’ve already seen this one, so I won’t devote too much space to it. Some people find the movie a tad boring, but then again, some people don’t like chocolate. Seabiscuit is the enthralling true story of a champion racehorse, and is the ultimate sports movie celebrating second chances and underdogs fighting against the odds. And it just so happens to have brilliant performances from two of the most underappreciated actors in Hollywood, Jeff Bridges and Tobey Maguire.

3 – Malcom X

It’s befitting that Malcom X, the biopic of one of America’s most controversial and polarizing historical figures, was directed by Spike Lee, the equally polemic filmmaker who can’t even watch a Knicks game without controversy following him. With a running time of nearly three and a half hours, you’d be well advised to watch this one in two sittings, or at least make sure your buttocks are well-cushioned. And be prepared to have your perspective thrown completely out of whack.

Depending on where you’re from, and more likely, what shade of skin you don, you probably know Malcom X in one of two lights. You either see him as a courageous leader in the black civil rights movement, or you see him as a hateful leader of the Nation of Islam. Before seeing Spike Lee’s movie, I lumped Malcom X together with the Nation of Islam, a group I’m not too fond of; a group that bastardizes the Koran just as much as the Ku Klux Klan bastardizes the Bible. I was more than a bit surprised with the movie Malcom X, then, when it tied together an evocative message of love for all humankind.

By leading us through Malcom X’s tumultuous childhood and criminal exploits, we can see how he grew to hate whites, and with this understanding, his eventual departure from the Nation of Islam becomes a powerful testament to the ability to change for the better.

I find it interesting that Denzel Washington didn’t win an Oscar for his performance in Malcom X, but did win an Oscar when he played the villain in Training Day. The object of my sister’s affection has had many great performances, and Malcom X is arguably his best.

2- Billy Elliot

Growing up in a small, Northern England mining town, the title character of Billy Elliot is an eleven-year-old boy who has to hide his love of ballet, while pretending to attend boxing lessons, for fear of being labeled a “poof.” I’m one of the many individuals who does a perfect impersonation of a cardboard box every time I try to dance, so I didn’t expect to fall in love with Billy Elliot the way I did. What I found, however, is that it’s one of the most joyous, exhilarating experiences one can have through cinema. At risk of sounding like a walking cliché, I have to point out that your heart is stone if you aren’t moved by Billy Elliot. You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. You’ll erupt into spontaneous dance.

1- Shawshank Redemption

In 1994, all the planets aligned, and the unlikeliest of events happened. First, I graduated from high school. Then, in the span of just a few months, three of the most stirring movies in the HISTORY of the WORLD were released from Hollywood. Sandwiched between Forrest Gump and Pulp Fiction, Shawshank Redemption got lost in the fray, pulling in modest numbers at the box office, receiving no awards at the Oscar ceremony.

Since then, Shawshank has gathered tremendous amounts of appreciation, thanks to word-of-mouth and DVD rentals. No doubt, many people reading this column have had multiple viewings of Shawshank and will agree with me that it could very well be the best movie ever made.

Based on a Stephen King short story, Shawshank Redemption is perfectly titled. Set in the Shawshank prison, it tells the story of a pair of convicted felons in search of redemption. With inspired acting from Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins, Shawshank is one of those rare movies that somehow gets better with every viewing.

Comments? E-mail Weindl at joewatchesmovies@yahoo.com.