As of 2025, my picks for the greatest Best Picture winners since the greatest movie of all time, E.T., lost to one of the finest Best Pictures ever, Gandhi.
Dances with Wolves
Forrest Gump
(probably) A Beautiful Mind *(probably since I have yet to see it)
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Everything Everywhere All At Once
I have yet to see A Beautiful Mind.
In my opinion, the rest of these absolutely trash most Best Picture winners.
As for the best actual movies in this period? (since Star Trek III: The Search for Spock)
Along with a couple of personal favorites of mine and whatever is out there of indie, Bollywood, Ang Lee, and Miyazaki movies: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Forrest Gump, Apollo 13, and Everything Everywhere All at Once. * Even above the Avatar and Black Panther movies.
Way, way above the gloomy trash that is usually put out there as Best Picture winners, which, quite frankly, makes great 'Best Gloomy Picture' material, great I'm in the Mood for Darkness material, but Best Picture? Come on!
How pro-misery can you get?
Happiness is meaningful too!
No offense, just please, can we have Some recognition for the joyful side of the human condition?
If you disagree, that's fine. It's just my personal list.
That's all the Oscars are. Someone's personal list.
Feel free to make your own!
God loves you!
Try and be happy!
Sincerely,
David S. Annderson
P.S. Yes, this did begin as my defense of the most deserving Best Picture of the 90's, Forrest Gump!
P.P.S. If The Brutalist is done well enough (and joyfully enough), I would consider adding it to this list! (the Oscars list, not the Lord of the Rings-Apollo 13-Indiana Jones list!)
It'll take a while! I'm too busy writing!
(That means I haven't seen it yet and my writing is my priority!)
*When I get around to seeing it, the Barbie movie will probably join this list. Yes, I mean the Apollo 13-Indiana Jones list this time. The second shot of the Everything Everywhere all at Once revolution. I have so enjoyed seeing highlights of this movie, and if I had time for movies, this would be the first new one I see. But as I said above, I'm just too busy writing right now. The visions that have not been realized yet take precedent, and they bring me even more joy than the best movie could!
(Of course anything feminine with a hopeful view on life would not get $#!t at the Oscars. We're lucky they even gave Everything Everywhere all at Once recognition. I guess we tricked them into thinking Everything Everywhere all at Once was a dark and gloomy movie full of hopelessness and dark masculinity!)
*If I could add films on Youtube to this list (again, the Apollo 13-Indiana Jones list), I would add Perspective's Dark Ages: Age of Light, hosted by Waldemar Januszcak, to this list. And yes, as a film, not just as a documentary!
But then again, there are a fair number of other things I would add as well....