My Preferred Best Picture Winners, 1972-
(This is simply a list of the Best Picture winners I would have chosen from among the Academy Award nominees, starting in 1972, the year I was born. Occasionally, I’ve added the movie I would have chosen from among all the releases that were eligible that year, if I have a strong preference for a film that wasn’t actually nominated.)
1972: The Godfather; actual winner: The Godfather
1973: American Graffiti; actual winner: The Sting —— but really Fantastic Planet
1974: The Godfather Part II; actual winner: The Godfather Part II
1975: Dog Day Afternoon; actual winner: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
1976: Network; actual winner: Rocky —— but really Small Change
1977: Annie Hall; actual winner: Annie Hall —— but really That Obscure Object of Desire
1978: Heaven Can Wait; actual winner: The Deer Hunter
1979: Breaking Away; actual winner: Kramer vs. Kramer —— but really Alien
1980: The Elephant Man; actual winner: Ordinary People
1981: Chariots of Fire; actual winner: Chariots of Fire
1982: E. T. the Extra-Terrestrial; actual winner: Gandhi —— but really The Thing
1983: Terms of Endearment; actual winner: Terms of Endearment —— but really Local Hero
1984: Amadeus; actual winner: Amadeus
1985: Kiss of the Spider Woman; actual winner: Out of Africa —— but really The Quiet Earth
1986: A Room With a View; actual winner: Platoon
1987: Broadcast News; actual winner: The Last Emperor
1988: Dangerous Liaisons; actual winner: Rain Man —— but really Running on Empty
1989: My Left Foot; actual winner: Driving Miss Daisy —— but really Kiki’s Delivery Service
1990: Goodfellas; actual winner: Dances With Wolves
1991: The Silence of the Lambs; actual winner: The Silence of the Lambs —— but really City of Hope
1992: Unforgiven; actual winner: Unforgiven
1993: The Piano; actual winner: Schindler’s List —— but really Groundhog Day
1994: Pulp Fiction; actual winner: Forrest Gump
1995: Il Postino; actual winner: Braveheart —— but really 12 Monkeys
1996: The English Patient; actual winner: The English Patient —— but really Ponette
1997: L. A. Confidential; actual winner: Titanic
1998: The Thin Red Line; actual winner: Shakespeare in Love —— but really After Life
1999: The Sixth Sense; actual winner: American Beauty
2000: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; actual winner: Gladiator —— but really You Can Count On Me
2001: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring; actual winner: A Beautiful Mind —— but really Son of the Bride
2002: The Pianist; actual winner: Chicago —— but really Talk to Her
2003: Lost in Translation; actual winner: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2004: The Aviator; actual winner: Million Dollar Baby —— but really 3-Iron
2005: Munich; actual winner: Crash —— but really A History of Violence
2006: The Departed; actual winner: The Departed —— but really The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
2007: Michael Clayton; actual winner: No Country for Old Men —— but really My Winnipeg
2008: Frost/Nixon; actual winner: Slumdog Millionaire —— but really Wendy and Lucy
2009: A Serious Man; actual winner: The Hurt Locker
2010: The Social Network; actual winner: The King’s Speech
2011: The Tree of Life; actual winner: The Artist
2012: Amour; actual winner: Argo —— but really Holy Motors
2013: Her; actual winner: 12 Years a Slave —— but really Like Father, Like Son
2014: Whiplash; actual winner: Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
2015: Brooklyn; actual winner: Spotlight —— but really Our Little Sister
2016: Moonlight; actual winner: Moonlight —— but really 20th Century Women
2017: Phantom Thread; actual winner: The Shape of Water —— but really The Florida Project
2018: The Favourite; actual winner: Green Book —— but really Shoplifters
2019: Parasite; actual winner: Parasite —— but really Pain and Glory
2020: Minari; actual winner: Nomadland
2021: The Power of the Dog; actual winner: CODA —— but really Petite Maman
2022: The Banshees of Inisherin; actual winner: Everything Everywhere All At Once —— but really The Quiet Girl
2023: Anatomy of a Fall; actual winner: Oppenheimer —— but really All of Us Strangers
2024: Nickel Boys; actual winner: Anora
— September 22, 2025