Best Picture (2005) Crash is the movie that made everyone think they had learned something about race relations, when in actuality, it provided no real insight into much of anything. It was a glossy, gutless look at racial barriers in America that had people leaving the theaters saying, "Boy, I bet after everyone watches that movie racism will be over forever!" There was a staggering amount of naiveté surrounding the supposed cultural impact of Crash, culminating in a rash of awards and nominations. It somehow managed to beat out Brokeback Mountain, Good Night and Good Luck, Capote, and Munich for Best Picture in 2005. Crash in no way holds up as the "gritty" racial drama it proclaimed itself to be. The title isn't altogether misleading, though, because watching this movie is a lot like watching a real car crash. You might want to look away but Matt Dillon won't let you.
