Its Oscar time again. Awards season is here and film fans are trying their best to predict what will win. Based on the winners of the Golden Globes and SAG awards, it looks like Argo may be the film that wins it all. However, the Academy has been known to pull some upsets, and when you look back at the list of winners and nominees now, some films that won Best Picture make you scratch your head. To be fair though, its much easier to know which film should have won when you have the luxury of hindsight. Some films stand the test of time, and others win because of the times. When I go through the list of nominees each year, my criteria for determining what I think should win best picture has always been to ask myself, What movie will I still be watching 10 years from now, even if it wasnt nominated? In all truth, if a movie lasts the test of time, then really what does it matter if it won an award or not, but we all like justice, and most importantly, we all like lists. So without further adieu, I give you the list of 10 Oscar nominated movies that were robbed of Best Picture...
10. The Social Network
What Won Instead: The Kings Speech From the moment I heard that The Kings Speech existed, I thought it sounded like Oscar bait. A biopic about a historical figure who overcomes obstacles and inspires a nation is exactly what the Academy loves. I wouldnt be surprised if Lincoln pulls an upset on Argo this year. Its the kind of film the casual film-goer probably wouldnt watch unless it was nominated for Best Picture. Thats not to say that its a bad film by any means. On the contrary, its an incredibly well made film, but ask yourself this question, if youre channel surfing and you come across The Kings Speech on one channel and The Social Network on another, which film will you choose to watch? The Social Network is a whip smart film both of the time and somehow timeless. It tells the story of the creators of Facebook and the repercussions that success can have on friendships. The historical accuracy of the film is beside the point. The story is only sort of about how Facebook was invented. The real story is about how no matter how smart or successful these young people are, theyre essentially still kids. They make the same mistakes with loyalty, girls, and drugs that young people make. The Kings Speech was about one man while The Social Network was about everyone. Plus The Social Network is just more fun. David Fincher put every drop of style that he possesses into an expertly crafted, incredibly well paced piece of pop fiction.