Popcorn: Oscar Special--Top 20 Best Picture Nominees

From the ones that didn’t win, my favorites:

1. The Wizard of Oz: This doesn’t need explanation, does it?
2. Roman Holiday(1953): Audrey Hepburn’s first starring role as a foreign princess. Beautiful.
3. The 10 Commandments (1956): Perhaps Charlton Heston’s most iconic role. “Behold His mighty hand!” Yul Brynner also makes a great pharaoh.
4. The Diary of Anne Frank (1959): Love the play, love the movie.
5. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962): Pitch perfect, from the opening credits onward. Robert Duvall’s first film role.
6. Children of a Lesser God (1986): Love the sign language, the Maine setting, and the tension between the lovers.
7. Beauty and the Beast (1991): My favorite Disney movie. The animation is brilliant. Early use of CGI, as well.
8. A Few Good Men (1992): Some of the best dialogue ever in a film.
9. Sense and Sensibility (1995): It’s Jane with Kate Winslet! Alan Rickman, Hugh Grant and Greg Wise play the tempest-tossed suitors.
10. As Good As It Gets (1997): James L. Brooks at his comedic best.
11. Life Is Beautiful (1998): Pathos, baby. Pathos.
12. The Green Mile (1999): Disturbing and touching.
13. Chocolat (2000): Beautiful food, beautiful clothes, great characters. And a fantastic score by Rachel Portman.
14. The Hours (2002): My second favorite movie of all time. There is no such thing as an ordinary day. Nicole Kidman is brilliant.
15. Master and Commander (2003): high seas adventure with great actors.
16. Mystic River (2003): A punch to the gut. Sean Penn in the performance of his career.
17. Finding Neverland (2004): A gentle film about friendship and writing.
18. Juno (2006): laugh out loud funny. Ellen Page and Jennifer Garner play off each other so well.
19. Michael Clayton (2006): A legal thriller with razor-sharp acting.
20. The Reader (2008): Kate Winslet finally wins an Oscar, and Ralph Fiennes isn’t a psychopath! Two reasons to see it.