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The Movie Maven's lists
by Stephanie Curtis, Minnesota Public Radio
January 27, 2004

— Best movies not nominated for best picture

1. The General – Buster Keaton’s comic and action masterpiece from 1927. A man pursues his kidnapped love during the Civil War.

2. Palm Beach Story - The great screwball comedy from Preston Sturges starring Claudette Colbert and Joel McCrea. A woman decides to divorce her husband and marry a millionaire. In 1942, the Academy decided it needed to highlight patriotic films like the eventual winner, Mrs. Miniver.

3. Brief Encounter – Trevor Howard and Celia Johnson star in David Lean’s sob-inducing story of a love that can never be.

4. 2001: A Space Odyssey – How, how did this go without a nomination? How, how did Oliver win the statuette?

5. Mulholland Drive – David Lynch’s masterpiece of being lost in Hollywood.

The worst best pictures

1. Titanic – James Cameron’s epic only really works when the ship finally starts sinking.

2. Driving Miss Daisy – Wretched, sentimental adaptation of a wretched, sentimental play.

3. My Fair Lady – The movie is cute enough – if a little long -- but it lands on this list for being the safe Hollywood choice when "Dr. Strangelove" was a nominee.

4. Around the World in 80 Days – Hollywood, battling TV, needs to highlight how big the movies can be. A cast of thousands and exotic locations add up to a nice movie, but it should not have even been nominated for best picture.

5. The Life of Emile Zola – The "Gandhi" of 1936. A simplistic, episodic and stale biopic of a French novelist.

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