Oscars 1967: If We Picked The Winners (Best Picture)

2. In The Heat Of The Night The eventual winner of the award, In the Heat of Night is a prime example of how to make a great movie that tackles an "issue" (in this case, racism). Unlike Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, In the Heat of the Night doesn't rely on its actors to bail it out (although it too has great performances). Based on a novel by John Ball, the film tells the story of an African-American detective from Philadelphia, Virgil Tibbs (played with great poise by Sidney Poitier), who gets coerced into solving a murder mystery in the heart of the racist South. Along with the already existing tensions among the people of the town, each with their own dark secrets, the good ol' boys of the South don't none too appreciate a black man from the north poking the beehive, heightening the suspense even further than normal for noire-esque mysteries. And that's what so great about the movie, everything serves the purpose of the story. While it does tangentially (and effectively) touch on the issues of racism in the South at that period and time in America's history, it never does so at the expense of the film's tone. In the Heat of the Night is first and foremost a murder mystery, and it executes all the tropes of the genre with impeccable style and flawless confidence. Another strong point of the film is the authenticity of the characters. Not everyone in the small Mississippi town is racist to the same degree (like Rod Steiger's character for instance), and even Tibbs himself must overcome his (justified) prejudice to see the real truth of what's going on. When murder mysteries are done right, it is a hard genre to beat, and with a good story, excellent writing, assured direction, and career best performances from two very talented actors, In the Heat of the Night is one of the best in the genre.