Did They Get it Right? – Best Picture – Oscars 2004

Here are the five nominees: (Winner in Bold)

The Aviator

Finding Neverland

Million Dollar Baby

Ray

Sideways

Biggest Snub:

The Incredibles

My Overall Thoughts:

The winner this year won not necessarily because it was the best film, but because it has a social and moral theme that really was on everyone’s minds at the time.

The rest of the films are all done exceptionally well and the truth is they all were deserving of this nomination.

My Rankings:

Movies

• 5. – The Aviator – Great Scorsese biopic that feels a big long winded, but still gives a great picture of who Hughes really was
• 4. – Ray – Foxx is amazing here as Charles and the story works really well despite feeling as if so much more could have been said about his life and issues.
• 3. – Million Dollar Baby – Eastwood once again shows how great a director he is here.  The social and moral messages portrayed here are still questioned today more than a decade later and how knows if there ever will be a real answer to the questions raised.
• 2. – Finding Neverland – Perhaps Depp’s best and most emotional role as the author of Peter Pan.  The energy between Depp and the children is so thrilling to watch and it transports the viewer back to an age of innocence.
• 1. – Sideways – Amazing characters in such realistic situations make this film hard to beat as the best of the year IMHO. Payne knows how to create characters and situations that are so unforgettable yet still seem like they could happen to us or people we know.

Do I agree with the Oscar winner? – Nope. As great a film as MDB is, it’s more of a moral message film instead of the social message film like Sideways which can have an even stronger connection with people.

Let me know what you think about these films and my rankings!