9. Brokeback Mountain
What Won Instead: Crash Brokeback Mountain won most of the major awards in 2005 until Oscar night. Even without the Best Picture win it still took home Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Score, and Best Director. Just based on winning those awards you would think that it would win Best Picture, however Crash won that night. It seemed more confusing than surprising. Crash was a good film, but Best Picture? Brokeback Mountain should have won if for no other reason than for being such a huge pop cultural artefact If you didnt see it, you knew what it was about. I havent seen it since I saw it in the theatre but I still remember that it was a tremendously affecting film. I saw it with a religiously conservative friend of mine. Ill never forget leaving the theatre and her turning to me and saying. That was really good. It was like, you know, gay people are people too. Powerful stuff. If you need a reminder of how weird it was that Crash won, just watch the look on Jack Nicholsons face at 1:33 when he announces the winner. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfQs7WbVse8