1. In The Bedroom
Year: 2001 Fellow Nominees: Gosford Park, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Moulin Rouge, A Beautiful Mind Nominated for five Academy Awards in 2001 (Picture, Lead Actor , Lead Actress , Supp. Actress , Ad. Screenplay), Todd Field's, In the Bedroom, the story of a couple's middle-aged son and his relationship with an older woman, was far and away the smallest picture of the five candidates, a world away from the epic sweep of Lord of the Rings, the musical bombast of Moulin Rouge!, the heady biopic of eventual winner, A Beautiful Mind, and the last great film by Robert Altman, Gosford Park, which probably should've won. Similar in tone to something like Todd Haynes' Far From Heaven, In the Bedroom is a tough, tense affair, searing with a rage embodied by the great cast, who all put in sterling performances. Remarkably well received on release, In the Bedroom has somewhat slipped from the conversation in terms of great cinema of the last two decades or so, which is a shame, as this is one of the best smaller nominees of recent (ish) years. Todd Field last directed the underrated Little Children way back in 2006, a film which was again nominated for Oscars (three), but which has again slipped from the collective consciousness. Which other underapreciated best film nominated films deserve another look? Share your own suggestions below in the comments thread.