Academy Awards (By IMDb Votes)
I compared the official results of the Oscars to the score out of 10 given to the nominated films on IMDb. The following are all the Oscar winners (ties going to the film with more votes) that would have resulted if IMDb users voted instead of the Academy.
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- DirectorMartin McDonaghStarsFrances McDormandWoody HarrelsonSam RockwellA mother personally challenges the local authorities to solve her daughter's murder when they fail to catch the culprit.8.2 defeats winner Shape of Water by a mile. Tied for second with 8.0 is Dunkirk and Call Me By Your Name
- DirectorMel GibsonStarsAndrew GarfieldSam WorthingtonLuke BraceyWorld War II American Army Medic Desmond T. Doss, serving during the Battle of Okinawa, refuses to kill people and becomes the first man in American history to receive the Medal of Honor without firing a shot.La La Land eventually slipped back into second with 8.1. Winner Moonlight follows with 7.8
- DirectorLenny AbrahamsonStarsBrie LarsonJacob TremblaySean BridgersA little boy is held captive in a room with his mother since his birth, so he has never known the world outside.Room (8.2) wins, but with triple the votes Mad Max: Fury Road (8.1) comes in a close second, tied with the winner Spotlight.
- DirectorDamien ChazelleStarsMiles TellerJ.K. SimmonsMelissa BenoistA promising young drummer enrolls at a cut-throat music conservatory where his dreams of greatness are mentored by an instructor who will stop at nothing to realize a student's potential.A clear winner at 8.5. The Grand Budapest Hotel and The Imitation Game tie for second with 8.1, and winner Birdman (7.8) comes in 5th of 8 behind Boyhood (7.9).
- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsLeonardo DiCaprioJonah HillMargot RobbieBased on the true story of Jordan Belfort, from his rise to a wealthy stock-broker living the high life to his fall involving crime, corruption and the federal government.Scorsese and DiCaprio would have had it with 8.5 if IMDb replaced the Academy. Winner 12 Years a Slave tied with Her (8.3) for second. Winner of 7 categories, Gravity (8.2), gets third.
- DirectorQuentin TarantinoStarsJamie FoxxChristoph WaltzLeonardo DiCaprioWith the help of a German bounty-hunter, a freed slave sets out to rescue his wife from a brutal plantation owner in Mississippi.Quentin Tarantino may have won for his screenplay, but IMDb voters say he deserved the top prize for Django Unchained (8.5). Runner up is the beautiful Life of Pi (8.1), and third goes to Silver Linings Playbook (7.9). Big winner Argo ties with France's Amour (7.8) for fourth.
- DirectorTate TaylorStarsViola DavisEmma StoneOctavia SpencerAn aspiring author during the civil rights movement of the 1960s decides to write a book detailing the African American maids' point of view on the white families for which they work, and the hardships they go through on a daily basis.Time has been on the side of The Help (8.1) moving it into first ahead of the winning film The Artist (8.0). Hugo and Moneyball (7.6) tie for third.
- DirectorChristopher NolanStarsLeonardo DiCaprioJoseph Gordon-LevittElliot PageA thief who steals corporate secrets through the use of dream-sharing technology is given the inverse task of planting an idea into the mind of a C.E.O., but his tragic past may doom the project and his team to disaster.Christopher Nolan's dream-bending action film is the clear-cut winner with 8.8. Second place goes to Pixar's triumphant return to their roots with Toy Story 3 (8.5). Official winner The King's Speech tied Black Swan (8.1).
- DirectorQuentin TarantinoStarsBrad PittDiane KrugerEli RothIn Nazi-occupied France during World War II, a plan to assassinate Nazi leaders by a group of Jewish U.S. soldiers coincides with a theatre owner's vengeful plans for the same.Tarantino takes the top spot for the first time with a score of 8.3 from 262,374 votes. Pixar's Up ties, but with 176,029 votes. District 9 (8.2) takes second, and official winner The Hurt Locker (7.7) falls short.
- DirectorDanny BoyleLoveleen TandanStarsDev PatelFreida PintoSaurabh ShuklaA teenager from the slums of Mumbai becomes a contestant on the show 'Kaun Banega Crorepati?' When interrogated under suspicion of cheating, he revisits his past, revealing how he had all the answers.Danny Boyle's harsh feel-good film keeps the top spot with 8.2. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Frost/Nixon tie for second with 7.9. But we all know that the Dark Knight was supposed to win, and IMDb agrees with 8.9.
- DirectorEthan CoenJoel CoenStarsTommy Lee JonesJavier BardemJosh BrolinViolence and mayhem ensue after a hunter stumbles upon the aftermath of a drug deal gone wrong and over two million dollars in cash near the Rio Grande.It was a close race at the time, and it still is, but No Country For Old Men holds top spot with 8.2 from 250,765 votes. There Will Be Blood ties, but has only received 161,772 votes. Second place is a tie between Juno and Atonement (7.8).
- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsLeonardo DiCaprioMatt DamonJack NicholsonAn undercover cop and a mole in the police attempt to identify each other while infiltrating an Irish gang in South Boston.Martin Scorsese's first real win is completely deserving, holding onto the top spot with 8.5. Second place is a tie between Eastwood's WWII drama Letters from Iwo Jima and quirky comedy Little Miss Sunshine (8.0).
- DirectorPaul HaggisStarsDon CheadleSandra BullockThandiwe NewtonLos Angeles citizens with vastly separate lives collide in interweaving stories of race, loss and redemption.Perhaps the most surprising result of this entire list, Paul Haggis' much-criticized win for Crash (7.9) holds out. Second place is a tie between Brokeback Mountain and Munich (7.7).
- DirectorClint EastwoodStarsHilary SwankClint EastwoodMorgan FreemanFrankie, an ill-tempered old coach, reluctantly agrees to train aspiring boxer Maggie. Impressed with her determination and talent, he helps her become the best and the two soon form a close bond.Eastwood's boxing drama stays in first with 8.2. Second place goes to the Johnny Depp/Kate Winslet drama Finding Neverland (7.9).
- DirectorPeter JacksonStarsElijah WoodViggo MortensenIan McKellenGandalf and Aragorn lead the World of Men against Sauron's army to draw his gaze from Frodo and Sam as they approach Mount Doom with the One Ring.The polls are all for the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The Return of the King (8.8) holds the top spot well above its nearest competition, Mystic River (8.0)
- DirectorPeter JacksonStarsElijah WoodIan McKellenViggo MortensenWhile Frodo and Sam edge closer to Mordor with the help of the shifty Gollum, the divided fellowship makes a stand against Sauron's new ally, Saruman, and his hordes of Isengard.The trilogy continues to take top honors. The Two Towers (8.7) takes first, The Pianist (8.5) takes second, and the official winner, Chicago (7.2) drops to the bottom.
- DirectorPeter JacksonStarsElijah WoodIan McKellenOrlando BloomA meek Hobbit from the Shire and eight companions set out on a journey to destroy the powerful One Ring and save Middle-earth from the Dark Lord Sauron.Peter Jackson's trilogy opener receives 8.8, which drops the 2001 winner, A Beautiful Mind, to second with 8.0.
- DirectorRidley ScottStarsRussell CroweJoaquin PhoenixConnie NielsenA former Roman General sets out to exact vengeance against the corrupt emperor who murdered his family and sent him into slavery.Ridley Scott's epic remains in first with 8.4, and Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is in second with 8.0.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsTom HanksMatt DamonTom SizemoreFollowing the Normandy Landings, a group of U.S. soldiers go behind enemy lines to retrieve a paratrooper whose brothers have been killed in action.Official winner Shakespeare in Love (7.3) drops to last after Saving Private Ryan (8.5) ties for first with Life is Beautiful (but has triple the votes), and The Thin Red Line (7.6) ties with Elizabeth for second.
- DirectorSam MendesStarsKevin SpaceyAnnette BeningThora BirchA sexually frustrated suburban father has a mid-life crisis after becoming infatuated with his daughter's best friend.A score of 8.6 keeps American Beauty as the winner of 1999. Second place goes to The Green Mile (8.4).
- DirectorCurtis HansonStarsKevin SpaceyRussell CroweGuy PearceAs corruption grows in 1950s Los Angeles, three policemen - one strait-laced, one brutal, and one sleazy - investigate a series of murders with their own brand of justice.Despite making more than a billion dollars at the worldwide box office, James Cameron's Titanic (7.5) is not the highest-rated film of 1997. L.A. Confidential (8.4) takes top spot and Good Will Hunting (8.1) takes second.
- DirectorJoel CoenEthan CoenStarsWilliam H. MacyFrances McDormandSteve BuscemiMinnesota car salesman Jerry Lundegaard's inept crime falls apart due to his and his henchmen's bungling and the persistent police work of the quite pregnant Marge Gunderson.The Coen Brothers would have been the winners if polls had anything to say. Fargo (8.3) takes first, British drama Secrets & Lies (8.0) gets second, and The English Patient (7.3) fails to place.
- DirectorMel GibsonStarsMel GibsonSophie MarceauPatrick McGoohanScottish warrior William Wallace leads his countrymen in a rebellion to free his homeland from the tyranny of King Edward I of England.Mel Gibson's epic holds its ground with 8.4. Second place is a tie between Sense and Sensibility (7.7) starring Emma Thompson and The Postman (Il Postino).
- DirectorFrank DarabontStarsTim RobbinsMorgan FreemanBob GuntonOver the course of several years, two convicts form a friendship, seeking consolation and, eventually, redemption through basic compassion.Seen by many as a three-way tie, the 1994 Oscar race would have seen The Shawshank Redemption (9.2) take the top prize while Pulp Fiction (9.0) would get second and actual-winner Forrest Gump (8.7) would have slipped into third.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsLiam NeesonRalph FiennesBen KingsleyIn German-occupied Poland during World War II, industrialist Oskar Schindler gradually becomes concerned for his Jewish workforce after witnessing their persecution by the Nazis.Spielberg's highly-praised holocaust drama scores 8.9, which keeps it well ahead of its nearest competition, In The Name of the Father (8.1).
- DirectorClint EastwoodStarsClint EastwoodGene HackmanMorgan FreemanRetired Old West gunslinger William Munny reluctantly takes on one last job, with the help of his old partner Ned Logan and a young man, The "Schofield Kid."Clint Eastwood's brilliant western holds it's prize with 8.3. Second place is filled by the Pacino-starring Scent of a Woman (7.8).
- DirectorJonathan DemmeStarsJodie FosterAnthony HopkinsScott GlennA young F.B.I. cadet must receive the help of an incarcerated and manipulative cannibal killer to help catch another serial killer, a madman who skins his victims.A score of 8.7 keeps The Silence of the Lambs on top. Second place is a tie between Beauty and the Beast and JFK (8.0), but the Disney classic has nearly 30,000 more votes.
- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsRobert De NiroRay LiottaJoe PesciThe story of Henry Hill and his life in the mafia, covering his relationship with his wife Karen and his mob partners Jimmy Conway and Tommy DeVito.Martin Scorsese's classic takes an 8.8, which bumps Oscar-winner Dances with Wolves (8.0) to second.
- DirectorPeter WeirStarsRobin WilliamsRobert Sean LeonardEthan HawkeMaverick teacher John Keating returns in 1959 to the prestigious New England boys' boarding school where he was once a star student, using poetry to embolden his pupils to new heights of self-expression.Tied at 7.8 with My Left Foot, but with more than 80,000 more votes, Dead Poets Society gains the 1989 prize. Second place goes to Field of Dreams (7.6) and the original winner, Driving Miss Daisy, falls short at 7.4.
- DirectorBarry LevinsonStarsDustin HoffmanTom CruiseValeria GolinoAfter a selfish L.A. yuppie learns his estranged father left a fortune to an autistic-savant brother in Ohio that he didn't know existed, he absconds with his brother and sets out across the country, hoping to gain a larger inheritance.With 8.0, Rain Man kees the 1988 award. Second place is taken by Mississippi Burning (7.8).
- DirectorBernardo BertolucciStarsJohn LoneJoan ChenPeter O'TooleBernardo Bertolucci's Oscar-winning dramatisation of the life story of China's last emperor, Pu Yi.IMDb and the Academy agree. The Last Emperor receives 7.8, and it's nearest competitor is Hope and Glory (7.4).
- DirectorOliver StoneStarsCharlie SheenTom BerengerWillem DafoeChris Taylor, a neophyte recruit in Vietnam, finds himself caught in a battle of wills between two sergeants, one good and the other evil. A shrewd examination of the brutality of war and the duality of man in conflict.Oliver Stone's film keeps the 1986 Best Picture award with 8.2. Second place goes to Woody Allen's Hannah and Her Sisters (7.9).
- DirectorPeter WeirStarsHarrison FordKelly McGillisLukas HaasWhile protecting an Amish boy - who is the sole witness to a brutal murder - and his mother, a detective is forced to seek refuge within their community when his own life is threatened.Tied at 7.6 with The Color Purple, Witness has 34,147 votes vs. The Color Purple's 30,982. Second place goes to Kiss of the Spider Woman (7.4) and the official winner Out of Africa (7.0) is shuffled to the bottom.
- DirectorMilos FormanStarsF. Murray AbrahamTom HulceElizabeth BerridgeThe life, success and troubles of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, as told by Antonio Salieri, the contemporaneous composer who was deeply jealous of Mozart's talent and claimed to have murdered him.Amadeus (8.4) keeps the award while second place is filled by the genocide/survival story of The Killing Fields (8.0).
- DirectorPhilip KaufmanStarsSam ShepardScott GlennEd HarrisThe U.S. space program's development from the breaking of the sound barrier to selection of the Mercury 7 astronauts, from a group of test pilots with a more seat-of-the-pants approach than the program's more cautious engineers preferred.This astronaut adventure takes the Best Picture prize with 7.9 from the family drama Terms of Endearment (7.3). Second place goes to theater drama with The Dresser (7.5)
- DirectorRichard AttenboroughStarsBen KingsleyJohn GielgudRohini HattangadiThe life of the lawyer who became the famed leader of the Indian revolts against the British rule through his philosophy of nonviolent protest.The 1982 winning drama Gandhi (8.1) remains on top despite going up against family-favourite E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (7.9).
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsHarrison FordKaren AllenPaul FreemanIn 1936, archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones is hired by the U.S. government to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis can obtain its awesome powers.Classic adventure defeats intimate 80s drama and British crowd-pleasers. Official winner Chariots of Fire (7.2) is defeated by Raiders (8.7), while Atlantic City and On Golden Pond tie for second with 7.5.
- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsRobert De NiroCathy MoriartyJoe PesciThe life of boxer Jake LaMotta, whose violence and temper that led him to the top in the ring destroyed his life outside of it.Another Martin Scorsese classic that wasn't awarded the top prize. Raging Bull (8.4) and second-place finisher The Elephant Man (8.3) both out-score the 1980 Best Picture winner Ordinary People (7.8).
- DirectorFrancis Ford CoppolaStarsMartin SheenMarlon BrandoRobert DuvallA U.S. Army officer serving in Vietnam is tasked with assassinating a renegade Special Forces Colonel who sees himself as a god.Voting doesn't differentiate between Coppola's original film and his Redux edition from 2001, but the score of 8.6 puts it clearly above the 1979 winner Kramer vs. Kramer (7.7), which ties for second with Breaking Away.
- DirectorMichael CiminoStarsRobert De NiroChristopher WalkenJohn CazaleAn in-depth examination of the ways in which the Vietnam War impacts and disrupts the lives of several friends in a small steel mill town in Pennsylvania.Voters and the Academy align again for this Vietnam war drama with a high score of 8.2. Second place goes to Midnight Express with 7.6.
- DirectorGeorge LucasStarsMark HamillHarrison FordCarrie FisherLuke Skywalker joins forces with a Jedi Knight, a cocky pilot, a Wookiee and two droids to save the galaxy from the Empire's world-destroying battle station, while also attempting to rescue Princess Leia from the mysterious Darth Vader.It isn't too surprising that the first Star Wars film would have won if voting was open to the public. It scores 8.8 over Annie Hall's 8.2.
- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsRobert De NiroJodie FosterCybill ShepherdA mentally unstable veteran works as a nighttime taxi driver in New York City, where the perceived decadence and sleaze fuels his urge for violent action.The first of three Scorsese films that would have won if IMDb polls chose the winners, Taxi Driver (8.5) and second-place film Network (8.2) both beat the 1976 winner Rocky (8.1).
- DirectorMilos FormanStarsJack NicholsonLouise FletcherMichael BerrymanIn the Fall of 1963, a Korean War veteran and criminal pleads insanity and is admitted to a mental institution, where he rallies up the scared patients against the tyrannical nurse.Capping off the second-longest run of IMDb users agreeing with the Academy is the Jack Nicholson dramatic comedy with 8.8. Steven Spielberg's brilliant blockbuster Jaws (8.2) takes second place.
- DirectorFrancis Ford CoppolaStarsAl PacinoRobert De NiroRobert DuvallThe early life and career of Vito Corleone in 1920s New York City is portrayed, while his son, Michael, expands and tightens his grip on the family crime syndicate.One of the most popular sequels of all time keeps its top spot with 9.0, and Chinatown gets second place with 8.4.
- DirectorGeorge Roy HillStarsPaul NewmanRobert RedfordRobert ShawTwo grifters team up to pull off the ultimate con.Proving the Academy wasn't just making up for snubbing Butch and Sundance a few years earlier, the Academy's pick for 1973 stands up to the IMDb polls with a score of 8.4. Second place goes to the seminal possession-horror The Exorcist (8.1)
- DirectorFrancis Ford CoppolaStarsMarlon BrandoAl PacinoJames CaanThe aging patriarch of an organized crime dynasty transfers control of his clandestine empire to his reluctant son.As one of the most popular films of all time (9.2) it's not surprising that The Godfather holds on to the top honor for 1972. Second place goes to The Emigrants (8.0).
- DirectorStanley KubrickStarsMalcolm McDowellPatrick MageeMichael BatesIn the future, a sadistic gang leader is imprisoned and volunteers for a conduct-aversion experiment, but it doesn't go as planned.The source of major controversy at the time, and protests at the Oscar ceremony, it's interesting to imagine what would have happened if the Academy had picked Kubrick's film (8.5) instead of cop-thriller The French Connection (7.9). The runner-up is The Last Picture Show (8.1).
- DirectorFranklin J. SchaffnerStarsGeorge C. ScottKarl MaldenStephen YoungThe World War II phase of the career of controversial American general George S. Patton.Through the force of its lead actor and the brilliant script by Francis Ford Coppola, Patton (8.1) holds its ground. Second place goes to the war-satire M*A*S*H (7.7).
- DirectorGeorge Roy HillStarsPaul NewmanRobert RedfordKatharine RossIn 1890s Wyoming, Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid lead a band of outlaws. When a train robbery goes wrong, they find themselves on the run with a posse hard on their heels. After considering their options, they escape to South America.The 1969 Best Picture winner Midnight Cowboy (8.0) falls behind the Newman/Redford western (8.2) and the dystopic crime story Z (8.1).
- DirectorAnthony HarveyStarsPeter O'TooleKatharine HepburnAnthony Hopkins1183 A.D.: King Henry II's three sons all want to inherit the throne, but he won't commit to a choice. When he allows his imprisoned wife Eleanor of Aquitaine out for a Christmas visit, they all variously plot to force him into a decision.Another musical bites the dust when Oliver! (7.5) is booted from the top spot by this drama about King Henry II (8.1), and second place goes to the Zeffirelli version of Romeo & Juliet (7.7).
- DirectorMike NicholsStarsDustin HoffmanAnne BancroftKatharine RossA disillusioned college graduate finds himself torn between his older lover and her daughter.Another Mike Nichols film. This classic early performance from Dustin Hoffman earns an 8.2 over the original winner In the Heat of the Night, which is tied for second with Bonnei and Clyde (8.0).
- DirectorMike NicholsStarsElizabeth TaylorRichard BurtonGeorge SegalA bitter, aging couple, with the help of alcohol, use their young houseguests to fuel anguish and emotional pain towards each other over the course of a distressing night.Director Mike Nichols' first feature manages an 8.2, dropping the Best Picture of 1966, A Man for All Seasons (8.0), to second place.
- DirectorDavid LeanStarsOmar SharifJulie ChristieGeraldine ChaplinThe life of a Russian physician and poet who, although married to another, falls in love with a political activist's wife and experiences hardship during World War I and then the October Revolution.The Omar Sharif-starring epic nudges past the official winner, The Sound of Music (7.9) with an 8.0.
- 19641h 35mPG8.4 (519K)97MetascoreDirectorStanley KubrickStarsPeter SellersGeorge C. ScottSterling HaydenAn unhinged American general orders a bombing attack on the Soviet Union, triggering a path to nuclear holocaust that a war room full of politicians and generals frantically tries to stop.The first of two Kubrick films that upset the Academy's official winners, Dr. Strangelove is one of the highest-rated comedies of all time (8.6). Official-winner My Fair Lady (7.9) is also surpassed by the new #2, Becket (8.0), starring Richard Burton and Peter O'Toole.
- DirectorElia KazanStarsStathis GiallelisFrank WolffElena KaramA young Greek stops at nothing to secure a passage to America.Elia Kazan's America, America (7.7) upsets the Oscar winning Tom Jones (7.0). Second place goes to the Sydney Poitier-starring Lilies of the Field (7.6).
- DirectorRobert MulliganStarsGregory PeckJohn MegnaFrank OvertonAtticus Finch, a widowed lawyer in Depression-era Alabama, defends a Black man against an undeserved rape charge, and tries to educate his young children against prejudice.An extremely close race between To Kill a Mockingbird and the 1962 Best Picture winner Lawrence of Arabia has them both at 8.5, but at 97,576 to 92,609 votes, Mockingbird takes the lead. Runner up is another 60s WWII ensemble, The Longest Day (7.8).
- DirectorStanley KramerStarsSpencer TracyBurt LancasterRichard WidmarkIn 1948, an American court in occupied Germany tries four Nazis judged for war crimes.Musicals fared well in the ranks of the Best Picture winners chosen by the Academy, but they fair very poorly in the IMDb polls. West Side Story (7.7) is shuffled out of place by Judgement at Nuremberg (8.3) and the Paul Newman classic The Hustler (8.2)
- DirectorBilly WilderStarsJack LemmonShirley MacLaineFred MacMurrayA Manhattan insurance clerk tries to rise in his company by letting its executives use his apartment for trysts, but complications and a romance of his own ensue.Few romances include as many controversial topics as The Apartment (adultery, depression, suicide) and come out feeling so good, which is why the 1960 Best Picture winner manages a full 8.4. It's nearest competition is Elmer Gantry (7.8).
- DirectorWilliam WylerStarsCharlton HestonJack HawkinsStephen BoydAfter a Jewish prince is betrayed and sent into slavery by a Roman friend in 1st-century Jerusalem, he regains his freedom and comes back for revenge.Another clear-cut agreement between IMDb and the Academy, Ben-Hur manages a solid 8.2, but it was a close competition against the legal drama Anatomy of a Murder (8.1).
- DirectorRichard BrooksStarsElizabeth TaylorPaul NewmanBurl IvesBrick is an alcoholic ex-football player who drinks his days away and resists the affections of his wife. A reunion with his terminal father jogs a host of memories and revelations for both father and son.The Best Picture of 1958, according to the Academy, is Gigi (6.6) starring Leslie Caron. But the voters of IMDb place every other nominee ahead of it. The clear winner is the Paul Newman/Elizabeth Taylor classic Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (8.0), and the three-way tie for second includes Auntie Mame, Separate Tables, and The Defiant Ones (7.7)
- DirectorSidney LumetStarsHenry FondaLee J. CobbMartin BalsamThe jury in a New York City murder trial is frustrated by a single member whose skeptical caution forces them to more carefully consider the evidence before jumping to a hasty verdict.The single-room setting and nameless characters of 12 Angry Men score 8.9 while Best Picture winner The Bridge on the River Kwai (8.4) ties for second with Witness for the Prosecution.
- DirectorCecil B. DeMilleStarsCharlton HestonYul BrynnerAnne BaxterMoses, raised as a prince of Egypt in the Pharaoh's household, learns of his true heritage as a Hebrew and his divine mission as the deliverer of his people from slavery.Biblical ensemble beats Victorian ensemble. The all-star adaptation of the Jules Verne classic, Around the World in Eighty Days (6.8) loses its crown to The Ten Commandments (7.8). Second place goes to the James Dean drama Giant (7.7).
- DirectorJohn FordMervyn LeRoyJoshua LoganStarsHenry FondaJames CagneyWilliam PowellIn the waning days of World War II, the cargo officer of a Navy supply ship chafes at its role far from the action in the Pacific's backwater areas, his frustration rising when its captain denies the crew liberty over petty irritations.This Henry Fonda comedy beats the 1955 Oscar-winning Ernest Borgnine comedy by 0.1. Marty: 7.7; Mister Roberts: 7.8.
- DirectorElia KazanStarsMarlon BrandoKarl MaldenLee J. CobbAn ex-prize fighter turned New Jersey longshoreman struggles to stand up to his corrupt union bosses, including his older brother, as he starts to connect with the grieving sister of one of the syndicate's victims.Another film where IMDb agrees with the Academy. On the Waterfront manages an 8.4. It's nearest competitor is the Humphrey Bogard naval film The Caine Mutiny (8.0).
- DirectorWilliam WylerStarsGregory PeckAudrey HepburnEddie AlbertA bored and sheltered princess escapes her guardians and falls in love with an American newsman in Rome.The classic wartime romance From Here to Eternity won in 1953, but it's score of 7.9 is beaten by this Gregory Peck/Audrey Hepburn romance scoring 8.1. From Here to Eternity managed to hold on to second place.
- DirectorFred ZinnemannStarsGary CooperGrace KellyThomas MitchellA town Marshal, despite the disagreements of his newlywed bride and the townspeople around him, must face a gang of deadly killers alone at "high noon" when the gang leader, an outlaw he "sent up" years ago, arrives on the noon train.One of the larger score differences is the 1952 winner The Greatest Show on Earth (6.7) vs this western classic starring Gary Cooper, which scores 8.3. Runner up is another western, this one with John Wayne: The Quiet Man (8.0).
- DirectorElia KazanStarsVivien LeighMarlon BrandoKim HunterDisturbed Blanche DuBois moves in with her sister in New Orleans and is tormented by her brutish brother-in-law while her reality crumbles around her.Brando pulls an 8.1 while the 1951 Best Picture winner, An American in Paris, starring Gene Kelly took only a 7.2. Runner up to Brando is the Montgomery Clift/Elizabeth Taylor romance A Place in the Sun (7.8).
- DirectorBilly WilderStarsWilliam HoldenGloria SwansonErich von StroheimA screenwriter develops a dangerous relationship with a faded film star determined to make a triumphant return.Two visions of the dark side of Hollywood went head-to-head in 1950. The official winner was All About Eve (8.4), but Billy Wilder's classic starring William Holden and Gloria Swanson pushes Eve to second with its score of 8.7.
- DirectorWilliam WylerStarsOlivia de HavillandMontgomery CliftRalph RichardsonA naive young woman falls for a handsome young man her emotionally abusive father suspects is only a fortune hunter.Another William Wyler production, this romance scores 8.2. The Gregory Peck flying ace film 12 O'Clock High scores 7.9. Both are ahead of the official winner, All the King's Men (7.6).
- DirectorJohn HustonStarsHumphrey BogartWalter HustonTim HoltTwo down-on-their-luck Americans searching for work in 1920s Mexico convince an old prospector to help them mine for gold in the Sierra Madre Mountains.Laurence Olivier's popular production of Shakespeare's Hamlet took the award in 1948, but it's score of 7.9 is defeated by this Humphrey Bogart classic's score of 8.5. The runner up is the musical romance The Red Shoes (8.2).
- DirectorDavid LeanStarsJohn MillsValerie HobsonTony WagerA humble orphan boy in 1810s Kent is given the opportunity to go to London and become a gentleman, with the help of an unknown benefactor.This Charles Dickens adaptation beats the official winner, Gentleman's Agreement (7.4), with a score of 8.1. Second place goes to the original Edmund Gwenn version of Miracle on 34th Street (7.9).
- DirectorFrank CapraStarsJames StewartDonna ReedLionel BarrymoreAn angel is sent from Heaven to help a desperately frustrated businessman by showing him what life would have been like if he had never existed.The story of WWII vets returning home in The Best Years of Our Lives (8.3) is pushed into second place by Capra's Christmas classic, It's a Wonderful Life (8.7).
- DirectorBilly WilderStarsRay MillandJane WymanPhillip TerryThe desperate life of a chronic alcoholic is followed through a four-day drinking bout.A close race, but still one where IMDb users agree with the Academy. The Ray Milland drama that brought alcoholism to the silver screen holds 8.1, keeping it ahead of the second place finisher, Mildred Pierce (8.0).
- DirectorBilly WilderStarsFred MacMurrayBarbara StanwyckEdward G. RobinsonA Los Angeles insurance representative lets an alluring housewife seduce him into a scheme of insurance fraud and murder that arouses the suspicion of his colleague, an insurance investigator.The priest story, Going My Way (7.4), won in 1944, but the film noir classic Double Indemnity (8.6) takes the top spot on IMDb and the Ingrid Bergman mystery Gaslight (7.8) takes second.
- DirectorMichael CurtizStarsHumphrey BogartIngrid BergmanPaul HenreidA cynical expatriate American cafe owner struggles to decide whether or not to help his former lover and her fugitive husband escape the Nazis in French Morocco.The first clear-cut agreement since All Quiet on the Western Front, Casablanca (8.8) took the honor of Best Picture 1943 and easily holds on to it 60 years later. The runner-up, The Ox-Bow Incident (7.9), is a Henry Fonda western.
- DirectorOrson WellesFred FleckRobert WiseStarsTim HoltJoseph CottenDolores CostelloThe spoiled young heir to the decaying Amberson fortune comes between his widowed mother and the man she has always loved.Another Orson Welles film snubbed for the top honors despite its popularity, The Magnificent Ambersons (8.0) was defeated in 1942 by William Wyler's wartime drama Mrs. Miniver (7.7). The runner-up is the amnesia romance Random Harvest (7.9).
- DirectorCharles ChaplinStarsCharles ChaplinPaulette GoddardJack OakieDictator Adenoid Hynkel tries to expand his empire while a poor Jewish barber tries to avoid persecution from Hynkel's regime.Charlie Chaplin's controversial film about the Hitler-like dictator, Adenoid Hynkel, ties with the official winner (Alfred Hitchcock's Rebecca) at 8.4. But Chaplin has 47,057 votes and Rebecca has 41,873. The runner-up is Henry Fonda/John Ford adaptation of The Grapes of Wrath (8.3).
- DirectorOrson WellesStarsOrson WellesJoseph CottenDorothy ComingoreFollowing the death of publishing tycoon Charles Foster Kane, reporters scramble to uncover the meaning of his final utterance: 'Rosebud.'Anyone who has a basic grasp of Oscar history knows that the triumph of How Green Was My Valley (7.9) over Citizen Kane (8.6) is considered one of the Academy's most obvious mistakes. Even the runner-up, the Humphrey Bogart classic The Maltese Falcon (8.3), out-scores the mining-town drama.
- DirectorFrank CapraStarsJames StewartJean ArthurClaude RainsA naive youth leader is appointed to fill a vacancy in the U.S. Senate. His idealistic plans promptly collide with corruption at home and subterfuge from his hero in Washington, but he tries to forge ahead despite attacks on his character.This black and white classic couldn't defeat the technicolor might of Gone With the Wind at the time, but IMDb has given Jimmy Stewart an 8.4 while Gone With the Wind ties with The Wizard of Oz for second place at 8.2.
- DirectorJean RenoirStarsJean GabinDita ParloPierre FresnayDuring WWI, two French soldiers are captured and imprisoned in a German P.O.W. camp. Several escape attempts follow until they are eventually sent to a seemingly inescapable fortress.Renoir's wartime classic scored 8.2 defeating the official winner, a Jimmy Stewart romantic-comedy, You Can't Take it With You (8.0), which ties for second place with Errol Flynn's The Adventures of Robin Hood and the original My Fair Lady, Pygmalion.
- DirectorLeo McCareyStarsIrene DunneCary GrantRalph BellamyA married couple file an amicable divorce, but find it harder to let go of each other than they initially thought.The first of three comedies starring Cary Grant and Irene Dunn, this classic scored 8.0. The official winner of 1937 was The Life of Emile Zola (7.4). The runner-up is Captains Courageous (7.9).
- DirectorWilliam WylerStarsWalter HustonRuth ChattertonPaul LukasA retired auto manufacturer and his wife take a long-planned European vacation only to find that they want very different things from life.This bittersweet romance has lasted the decades to score 8.2 (3,870 votes), which drastically outranks the official winner The Great Ziegfeld at 6.9 (2,370 votes). The runner-up might not have the same score, but with 8,492 votes, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (8.0) is likely the most popular nominee from 1936.
- DirectorFrank LloydStarsCharles LaughtonClark GableFranchot ToneFirst mate Fletcher Christian leads a revolt against his sadistic commander, Captain Bligh, in this classic seafaring adventure, based on the real-life 1789 mutiny.Another Clark Gable classic, which won the top honor at the 1935 Oscar race and holds its place here. The film's score of 7.9 is matched by fellow-nominee Ruggles of Red Gap making this the first tie. The runner-up is the Fred Astair/Ginger Rogers musical Top Hat (7.8).
- DirectorFrank CapraStarsClark GableClaudette ColbertWalter ConnollyA rogue reporter trailing a runaway heiress for a big story joins her on a bus heading from Florida to New York and they end up stuck with each other when the bus leaves them behind at one of the stops along the way.Technically this screwball classic's score of 8.3 was beaten by The White Parade (8.4), but since the latter was only voted for by 14 users I'll hand the correct choice to the Academy.
- DirectorMervyn LeRoyStarsPaul MuniGlenda FarrellHelen VinsonWrongly convicted James Allen serves in the intolerable conditions of a Southern chain gang, which later comes back to haunt him.The clear winner in the 1932/33 ceremony is this film with a score of 8.1, and not the official winner, Cavalcade (6.4), which wasn't the runner-up either. That honor goes to 42nd Street (7.7)
- DirectorErnst LubitschStarsMaurice ChevalierClaudette ColbertMiriam HopkinsAn amorous lieutenant is forced to marry a socially awkward princess, though he tries to keep his violin-playing girlfriend on the side.Just squeaking past the official winner of the 1931/32 ceremony, Grand Hotel (7.7), is this Ernst Lubitsch musical with a score of 7.8.
- DirectorFrank LloydStarsAnn HardingClive BrookConrad NagelThe refined Lady Isabel Carlisle, after leaving her family and enduring nearly a decade of hardships, learns that her son has fallen ill. Despite being nearly blinded as the result of an explosion, she returns home to see her son again.With only 38 votes it is difficult to say if East Lynne actually deserves the 7.5 score, but that puts it ahead of official-winner Cimarron (6.1 with 1,623 votes) and runner-up The Front Page (7.0 with 782 votes).
- DirectorLewis MilestoneStarsLew AyresLouis WolheimJohn WrayA German youth eagerly enters World War I, but his enthusiasm wanes as he gets a firsthand view of the horror.The earliest Best Picture winner that is still seen outside of TCM keeps the top prize with a score of 8.1. The runner up in the 1929/30 ceremony is The Love Parade (7.3)
- DirectorCharles ReisnerChristy CabanneNorman HoustonStarsConrad NagelJack BennyJohn GilbertAn all-star revue featuring MGM contract players.The Broadway Melody (6.5) was given the top honors for the 1928/29 ceremony, but IMDb made it the runner up, giving this collection of MGM contract players the top prize with a score of 7.3.
- DirectorF.W. MurnauStarsGeorge O'BrienJanet GaynorMargaret LivingstonA sophisticated city woman seduces a farmer and convinces him to murder his wife and join her in the city, but he ends up rekindling his romance with his wife when he changes his mind at the last moment.The first ceremony split the top honors between two categories. The category "Best Production" went to Wings, and that has since been declared the Best Picture of 1927/28. In the "Unique and Artistic Production" category the film Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans won, and IMDb gives a score of 8.4, which trumps Wings' score of 7.8 to make Sunrise the Best Picture of 1927/28. Runner up to Sunrise was The Crowd (8.1).