With the Oscar season approaching, it seems like a good time to reflect back on some of the notable movies that were honored by the awards in the past. The 2000s was a decade of impressive variety among the Best Picture winners which ranged from lavish musicals to bloody thrillers.
However, the Oscars don't always reflect the consensus of the public. Some of the movies that earned the top prize from the Academy were not seen as favorably by the audience at large. Then there are some movies that proved to be a hit with fans as well as the Academy voters.
Chicago (2002) - 7.1
The trend of adapting hit Broadway musicals into movies can largely be attributed to Chicago winning Best Picture. The movie is set in the 1920s and tells the story of two death-row murderesses (Renee Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones) who compete for press and attention from behind bars.
The movie did a fine job of bringing some of the feel of a Broadway show to the big screen. The musical numbers were lavish and exciting while the cast is delightful. However, some people just don't get the same kick out of a live-action musical as others.
The Hurt Locker (2009) - 7.5
The modern war drama The Hurt Locker is one of the most unexpected Best Picture winners in Oscar history. Going up against big movies like Avatar and Inglourious Basterds, this small-budget story of a bomb disposal team in Iraq managed to win the big prize.
The movie helped make stars out of future MCU actors Jeremy Renner and Anthony Mackie, and it announced the comeback of filmmaker Kathryn Bigelow. Though there are more thought-provoking war movies out there, The Hurt Locker remains an intense and thrilling picture.
Crash (2005) - 7.7
Paul Haggis wrote and directed this movie that would become one of the most controversial Best Picture winners of all time. Crash tells several interconnected stories about race in Los Angeles from a variety of points of view.
In the years since many have called the film an embarrassingly simplistic view of an important subject, and even pointed out its own ignorant messaging. But some maintain that the movie is a moving and powerful drama that fits all the pieces together in a satisfying way.
Slumdog Millionaire (2008) - 8.0
One of the most unique movies to win Best Picture in this decade was Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire. The movie is the story of a young man who grows up poor on the streets of Mumbai before getting a chance to compete on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
The unusual story might not sound like a movie that would win Best Picture, but it proved to be a crowd-pleasing adventure. Danny Boyle injected the movie with a fun energy while telling a moving, devastating, and beautiful love story.
Million Dollar Baby (2004) - 8.1
Clint Eastwood won his second directing Oscar for the hard-hitting boxing drama Million Dollar Baby. Eastwood plays an aging boxing coach who reluctantly takes a female boxer (Hilary Swank) under his wing, forming an unexpected bond with her in the process.
Eastwood, Swank, and Morgan Freeman all deliver fantastic performances in the drama that help to elevate the story. It makes for a captivating sports story, but the heartbreaking final act takes the movie in an unexpected direction that left audiences stunned.
No Country For Old Men (2007) - 8.1
The Coen Brothers further cemented themselves as some of the greatest American auteurs with their dark thriller No Country for Old Men. The story follows a man (Josh Brolin) who finds a suitcase filled with money in the desert and becomes the target of a relentless killer (Javier Bardem).
The movie is best known for creating one of the most memorable movie villains of all time with Bardem's Anton Chigurh. But, it is also an intense and violent saga that keeps viewers on the edge of their seat until the credits roll.
A Beautiful Mind (2001) - 8.2
Based on the true story, A Beautiful Mind tells the story of John Nash, a brilliant yet troubled mathematician. Crowe delivers a strong performance as Nash in this chronicle of his career achievements while struggling with his increasing paranoia.
Ron Howard directed the movie which was celebrated as a powerful story of a troubled genius. The movie is filled with moments of triumph as well as devastating realizations as Nash attempts to come to terms with himself.
The Departed (2006) - 8.5
After years of being one of the most influential filmmakers in the business, Martin Scorsese won his first Oscar for the mob movie The Departed. Leonardo DiCaprio plays an undercover cop infiltrating the mob while a mole inside his own police force searches for him.
Scorsese once again proves no one tells a crime saga like him. The movie also features an all-star cast, including Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg, and Jack Nicholson, as well as a sharply written script filled with violence, surprises, and even some big laughs.
Gladiator (2000) - 8.5
The adventure epic Gladiator tells the story of a Roman general (Russell Crowe) who is betrayed by those in power and left for dead. After being captured as a slave, he uses his skills inside the gladiator arena to plot his revenge against the corrupt emperor.
Though few would call this the deepest movie to even win Best Picture, it is hard to deny that Gladiator is a very entertaining movie. It delivers thrilling action, a grand scope, and a central hero worth cheering for.
The Lord Of The Rings: Return Of The King (2003) - 8.9
Peter Jackson's massive trilogy of Middle-earth finally came to an appropriately epic end in Lord of the Rings: Return of the King. The final chapter details the climactic war against Sauron's forces as Frodo attempts to destroy the One Ring.
What Jackson was able to accomplish with these movies is stunning, and this final entry may be the most impressive of them all. It delivers on the massive spectacle as well as giving fans an emotional farewell to these characters they have come to love.