1997 - Titanic: "You ever been to Wisconsin?"

Premiered December 14, 1997 in Los Angeles

Budget $200 Million

Gross $657.7 Million

History has not been kind to this movie. Marketing and hype was reaching new levels in America in the late 90s and the media was beginning to understand the 24 hour news cycle. Just because radio over plays a great song does not meant that the hit song is terrible all of the sudden. It is the same with Titanic. When we watched the movie we attempted to watch it with fresh eyes.

The haters have some points with this movie: it does go over the top at times and it can be far fetched at times. However, it is a solid film overall. This movie change film-making forever because the shots, the special effects and the audio were so great. It changed movies the way no movie had since Gone With The Wind. 

The acting was marginal at times but DiCaprio was quite good and he used his success to build a great career. The story moves along nicely and it was engaging. At the end we felt for those who did not make it into the life boats. In summary, culture was too obsessed with Titanic when it came out and soured it for many but it was, and remains a great movie.

Callie

Favorite: I liked the sets. It was fun to imagine what it would have been like.

Least Favorite: It was hokey at times.

Joel

Favorite: I loved the special effects and the sound effects that James Cameron included in the movie. It raised the bar in those two areas in a big way.

Least Favorite: At times the story is too over the top.

1996 - The English Patient: "In Italy, you get chickens by no eggs. In Africa there were eggs but...never chickens."

1996 Best Picture

Premiered November 6, 1996 in Los Angeles

Budget $31 Million

Gross $78.6 Million

This movie will be making our "All Time Worst" list. The art of film was not advanced by The English Patient. The cinematography was unoriginal and the story was slow and left the viewer without a hero to root for. This movie is definitely one to pass on if you've never seen it.

Callie
Favorite: I liked the mystery of the movie.
Least Favorite: The pace was way too slow.

Joel
Favorite: I like the mystery that surrounded Almsay at first. However, as the story unfolded I began to get bored with the character.
Least Favorite: There was a disconnect between the flashback scenes and the scenes in the present day. The sequences often went too long that I forgot was what going on in the "other" story.

1995 - Braveheart: "Ever man dies. Not every man lives."

1995 Best Picture

Premiered May 19, 1995 in Los Angeles

Budget $72 Million

Gross $76 Million

Mel Gibson called Clint Eastwood to ask what it was like to act as the Director and the lead on the same film. However, Braveheart and Unforgiven are totally different. Braveheart is about one hundred times better than Unforgiven. 

The story is compelling and has redeeming value. William Wallace begins to fight because of pure hate but it turns into a desire for freedom that fuels his quest. Gibson does a great job as Wallace and the score is excellent as well. The film editing was very well done too. I (Joel) had seen the movie before so I paid special attention to the editing and detail in the battle scenes and it was impeccable. Overall, the movie is one of the best that we've seen so far.

Callie
Favorite: I loved the fact that the movie is honorable and inspiring.
Least Favorite: I didn't like the fact that Wallace gets together with the Princess in the end. He never loved her and it doesn't add to the story.

Joel

Favorite: I love the fact that Wallace desires freedom for his fellow Scots that he is willing to be tortured for it. 

Least Favorite: I wish that Wallace would have made a quicker turn from being driven by hate to being driven by the desire to be free.

1994 - Forrest Gump: "Me and Jenny were likes peas and carrots"

1994 Best Picture

Premiered June 23, 1994

Budget $55 Million

Gross $330 Million

This was a very complete movie. There was a lot of humor and drama which made for a balanced movie. The historical aspect, while slightly over the top, was interesting. The script was witty and smart and Tom Hanks turned in a performance that was marvelous. 

At its core, this movie is all about relationships: Forrest and his mother, Forrest and Bubba, Forrest and Lt. Dan and, of course, Forrest and Jenny. Forrest shows great loyalty and character in each of those relationships. He has a low IQ but he truly understands what love is all about. He is mistreated over and over by the people he loves but he continues to do the right thing. We felt that this gave the movie a redemptive quality.

Callie

Favorite: Forrest was such an endearing character and was full of integrity. It was redeeming how he handled life. 

Least Favorite: I did not have closure because all of the characters were searching for God. It showed the God shaped hole that we all have. I wished that the characters would turn to God. I was also disappointed that Jenny did not reach out to Forrest until she was sick. 

Joel

Favorite: I liked the humor, not so much that it was a comedy but enough that it took some of the heaviness out of the film. 

Least Favorite: The movie was a little over the top in some of the historical events that Forrest was at (i.e. that he caused Watergate)

1993 - Schindler's List: "The list...is life"

1993 Best Picture

Premiered November 30, 1993 in Washington DC

Budget $25 Million

Gross $321 Million

The 70s and 80s both had films that were in your face and shocking. The Deer Hunter and Platoon were movies that still haunt us with the terrors that come with war. However, those movies still had a goal of being entertaining. I don't think that Steven Spielberg wanted to make a movie that had entertainment value. He wanted to make a movie to communicate the horrific tragedy that the Holocaust was. Spielberg showed his genius in this movie. The movie is hard to watch and yet spellbinding. It is a very complete film that tells a single story and yet communicates the breadth of the Holocaust. 

It is a movie that cannot be compared to the other Oscar winners. On one hand, it is greatest film that we have seen so far and on the other hand, it does not even make the list. It is a movie that leaves you numb for days.

Callie

Favorite: I liked seeing the Holocaust in a different light and I liked seeing the real people at the end. 

Least Favorite: I had no least favorite. 

Joel

Favorite: I loved that it was in Black and White. I also liked the use of color with the girl in the red coat showing Schindler's change in the way he viewed the Jews.

Least Favorite: Nothing. It was amazing. 

1992 - Unforgiven: "Any man don't wanna get killed better clear out back"

1992 Best Picture

Premiered August 3, 1992 in Los Angeles

Budget $14 Million

Gross $101 Million

This movie has so much potential going for it. It had a good director (Eastwood), Star Power (Hackman, Freeman and Eastwood) a wild west theme and cowboys hunting each other. Unfortunately, the movie fails to deliver on all accounts. The story was just not that compelling and the western backdrop failed to deliver. The movie was needlessly profane and the ending was unsatisfying.

Callie
Favorite: The movie was artistic. The use of colors was nice.
Least Favorite: I did not know who Eastwood was fighting for. He was not a character that I could root for. Also, the ending was terrible.

Joel
Favorite: My favorite character was W.W. Beauchamp. He brought a good dynamic to an otherwise dull film.
Least Favorite: The ending was terrible.

1991 - The Silence Of The Lambs: "Well Clarice, have the lambs stopped screaming?"

1991 Best Picture

Premiered January 30, 1990 in New York

Budget $19 Million

Gross N/A

This movie continues to be (along with Psycho), the gold standard for the horror genre. After we talked about whether or not a horror movie will ever win best picture again. The answer: if the genre ever produces a movie on the level of The Silence Of The Lambs it will. The movie is so complete and so cerebal. The audience is guessing until the final few minutes and we wanted to hide behind the couch during the climax of the movie. Foster does a great job as an FBI trainee who is very nervous at first but who becomes a confident agent and of course Anthony Hopkins is magnificent. He turned in one of the top performances we have seen so far.

Callie

Favorite: I love the eeriness and the way it keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time

Least Favorite: Some of the dialog between the cops is kind of cheesy. 

Joel

Favorite: Hopkins is about as creepy as a character can get. He hit a home run. Also, I loved the way the audience thinks that the police are at the killers door when they are actually chasing a faulty lead.

Least Favorite: The only thing that would have made it more scary would have been to not have shown the killer's face so early in the film. He could have been more mysterious. 

1990 - Dancing With Wolves: "In trying to produce my own death, I was elevated to the status of a living hero"

1990 Best Picture

Premiered October 19, 1990 in Washington DC

Budget $19 Million

Gross $184 Million

This was a solid movie. The story was unique and compelling and the stunts were well executed. The locations used in the film were beautiful. The movie had the potential to be a great film but fell short of the 3 popcorn bag mark. The acting was pedestrian at best and the movie was too slow at times.

Joel
Favorite: The scenery was gorgeous. I am a fan of movies that feature many shots filmed outside of a studio.
Least Favorite: Kevin Costner was not the best casting choice for the role. I think that Harrison Ford would have possibly been a better choice or a 40 year old Tome Cruise would have been better (think The Last Samurai).

Callie
Favorite: The story in general is unique. It showed that period of time in a different light.
Least Favorite: When Timmons eats the egg. It makes me gag.

The top acting performances in Best Picture winning movies

We have witnessed many great performances in the 60 years of movies we've seen so far. Here are our favorite acting performances so far:

#1 Al Pacino in the Godfather movies

#2 Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man

#3 Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady 

#4 Clark Gable in It Happened One Night

#5 Marlon Brandon in the Godfather

Honorable Mention:

Robert De Niro Godfather part II

Meryl Streep in Out Of Africa

Sidney Poitier in In The Heat Of The Night

Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca

Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

1980s wrap up

The 1980s started out poorly but ended well. The movies in this decade focused on relationships and the dynamics that love brings. With the exception of Platoon the movies in the 80s were not as raw as the movies in the 70s. The acting and directing was also inferior to the 70s. Overall, the 80s were one of the oddest decades for Oscar winning movies.

1989 - Driving Miss Daisy: "Mama cars don't behave. They are behaved upon"

1989 Best Picture

Premiered December 15, 1989

Budget $7 Million

Gross $107 Million

This movie is so sweet and charming. We thought it was going to go down the racism route but it really did not. The movie was all about friendship. It was one of the few movies we've experienced that left us feeling warm and happy. 

The acting was superb. Jessica Tandy and Morgan Freeman had amazing chemistry. Their on screen relationship won us over and earned it three popcorn bags. 

Callie

Favorite: I loved Morgan Freeman's character.

Least Favorite: As Miss Daisy made changes in her life, I wished that she would have reached out to her family more. 

Joel

Favorite: The relationship between Daisy and Hoke was entertaining and wonderful to watch.

Least Favorite: The movie was based on a stage play and could have done more to remind you that you were watching a movie and not a stage play.

1988 - Rain Man: "I'm definitely not wearing my underwear"

1988 Best Picture

Premiered December 12, 1988 in New York

Budget $25 Million

Gross $173 Million

As the credits rolled, we came to a shocking realization: Hoffman and Cruise have about 90% of the lines! The movie gives us few other characters to think about or worry about. Even the fact that Charlie may lose custody of Raymond is intriguing but it does not make the movie great. This movie gives us character development at its very best. The viewer grows to love Raymond and roots on Charlie as he undergoes his transformation. Finally, it was Hoffman's best performance yet. It was reminiscent of his performance in Kramer vs. Kramer but even better.  

Callie

Favorite: I liked the development of Raymond and Charlie. The movie could have delved into autism but it spent more time on the family relationship.

Least Favorite: I did not like Charlie's relationship with his girlfriend. It was not defined very well.

Joel

Favorite: I liked the brotherly love that Raymond and Charlie developed over time. I also liked the fact that the two characters carried the entire movie.

Least Favorite: There was a lot of profanity in the movie that was not needed.

1987 - The Last Emperor: "If I am naughty, someone else is punished."

1987 Best Picture

Premiered November 18, 1987 in New York

Budget $23 Million

Gross $43 Million

This movie was unique because he captured a time and place in history that is not talked about much. It was interesting to learn about the life of Pu Yi. After watching the film, we researched the real story and the film was close to what really happened. The movie making was not anything special but the story is what earned The Last Emperor two popcorn bags.

Callie

Favorite: I enjoyed seeing the Chinese history and culture in a different light.

Least Favorite: I pitied him but I could not like him. 

Joel

Favorite: I liked the fact that the film was so close to the history of the event.

Least Favorite: The protagonist was very pathetic. 

1986 - Platoon: "Take the pain!"

1986 Best Picture

Premiered December 19, 1986 in New York & Los Angeles

Budget $6 Million

Gross $138 Million

We felt that Deer Hunter was brash and in your face. The hope was that it would not get more harsh than that. However, Platoon takes the Vietnam War to a whole new level. It was raw, it was harsh, it was offensive and it was a realistic look at what life in the infantry may have been like. 

The movie's beauty is the raw aspect of it. The life-like war violence of the film makes it stand apart from all of the rest of the wartime movies that we've seen. It is not necessarily the best war movie but it is the most intense and thought provoking. 

Callie

Favorite: The movie was too harsh and offensive.

Least Favorite: I am glad that the mistreatment of the civilians bothered Charlie Sheen's character.

Joel

Favorite: The score added to the movie. Adagio for Strings was fitting and was used effectively.

Least Favorite: The movie is a little too intense. The atrocities are so egregious that it makes many in the military look terrible. 

1985 - Out of Africa: "I had a farm in Africa."

1985 Best Picture

Premiered December 10, 1985

Budget $31 Million

Gross $87 Million

The great Meryl Streep shines once again in a movie that was less that stellar. She was one of the bright spots in an otherwise dull story. The romance between her and Robert Redford was boring and the film moved very slowly. However, the cinematography was gorgeous. It was obvious that much of the film was actually filmed on location. The shots of the Africa and the wildlife was a highlight. 

Callie
Favorite: I liked that it was a true story.
Least Favorite: I did not like the view of marriage that it portrayed.

Joel
Favorite: I enjoyed the scene where Karen and Deyns shot the charging lions (ironically, movies today would  not include a scene where a wild animal gets killed)
Least Favorite: Bror (Karen's husband) was a weak man who did as he pleased and was not a good man at all. 

1984 - Amadeus: "You make too many demands on the royal ear."

1984 Best Picture

Premiered September 6, 1984 in Los Angeles

Budget $18 Million

Gross $52 Million

We were expecting yet another boring biography but it was not for two reasons: it was a story that was narrated by Mozart's enemy and it was largely fiction. The movie turned out to be an intriguing story that moved along at a decent pace. It was fun to see sections of Mozart's operas and to hear music that he composed that we had never heard.

Callie

Favorite: I liked the fact that at the beginning, I did not like Amadeus but over time I became endeared to him.

Least Favorite: I hated Amadeus' laugh. 

Joel

Favorite: I liked watching a story about a well known man whom I had previously known little about.

Least Favorite: The movie lacked a protagonist. I did not want to see success come to any of the characters.

1983 - Terms of Engagement: "He can't even do simple things, like fail locally"

1983 Best Picture

Premiered November 20, 1983

Budget N/A

Gross $108 Million

This movie started out so...normal. The first 90 minutes were nothing terribly special and even Jack Nicholson's performance was pedestrian. Then, the story took a drastic turn and we were hooked. At that point, the acting and directing began to shine and the characters drew us in. The first part of the film warranted 1 popcorn bag and the second half earned three so we compromised and gave it two. It was quite the feast to famine experience.

Callie
Favorite: It was one of the most character driven movies that we have seen. I began to care for the character.
Least Favorite: Their marriage was so twisted that it was hard to support and root for them to stay together.

Joel
Favorite: The twist at the end was genius on the part of the writers.
Least Favorite: The level of morality has reached a new low. It made it appear that affairs were a normal part of marriage.

1982 - Gandhi: "An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind."

1982 Best Picture

Premiered December 6, 1982 in New York

Budget $22 Million

Gross $53 Million

The biographies we've encountered on our quest have all been high on the educational level and low on the entertainment level. Gandhi was no different. It was a compelling story overall but the story just drug on and on. It was an artistic film with pretty scenes and good acting, it just tried to cover a very long period of time with too much detail given to each stage of his life. 

Callie

Favorite: It was informative.

Least Favorite: It was the longest movie ever!

Joel

Favorite: Ben Kingsley gave a wonderful performance.

Least Favorite: It was to long.