10 Oscar tough calls

These 10 years had deserving winners and plenty more worthy candidates

PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – As the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences prepares to hand out Oscars for the 91st time, Local10.com takes a look at 10 superb years in which the field of best picture nominees had some tough calls from which to choose.

1962: "Lawrence of Arabia" over "To Kill a Mockingbird"

Peter O'Toole stars as T.E. Lawrence in 1962 best picture winner "Lawrence of Arabia."

Who knew the desert could look so clean? Oscar-winning director Steven Spielberg credits "Lawrence of Arabia" with inspiring him to make movies. David Lean's nearly four-hour epic on the life of T.E. Lawrence garnered seven of its 10 Oscar nominations, including best director and best picture of 1962. Another great movie to be released that year was the film adaptation of Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird." Gregory Peck earned an Oscar for his portrayal of Alabama attorney Atticus Finch, who is appointed to defend a black man accused of raping a white girl, and Horton Foote won the Oscar for adapting Lee's novel into a screenplay.

Gregory Peck and Brock Peters in a scene from 1962 best picture nominee "To Kill a Mockingbird."

Unlike "Lawrence of Arabia," which used the relatively new CinemaScope system to showcase the splendor of the Arabian Peninsula in vivid color, "To Kill a Mockingbird" was filmed in black and white. "To Kill a Mockingbird" was also the film debut of future Oscar winner Robert Duval, who played Arthur "Boo" Radley. Both movies were deserving of best picture, but perhaps it was the tonal contrast (both in presentation and narrative) between the two that gave "Lawrence of Arabia" the edge.

1967: "In the Heat of the Night" over "The Graduate" or "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner"

Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger in a scene from 1967 best picture winner "In the Heat of the Night."

Sidney Poitier was the star of two acclaimed films of 1967. "In the Heat of the Night," based on the 1965 novel of the same name, tells the story of Poitier's Virgil Tibbs, a black Philadelphia police detective who becomes involved in a murder investigation in a small Mississippi town. Because it's the 1960s in the south, Tibbs doesn't receive an especially warm welcome. Released four months later, "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" tackles the subject of interracial marriage when Poitier's John Prentice is introduced to his white fiancée's parents (Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy), who aren't too pleased that their daughter is marrying a "negro." Ultimately, "In the Heat of the Night" was the big winner, claiming best picture and four other Oscars. Tracy received a posthumous best actor nomination, but he lost to Poitier's "In the Heat of the Night" co-star Rod Steiger, who brilliantly portrayed the racist police chief reluctantly forced into teaming with Tibbs.

Sidney Poitier and Katharine Houghton in a scene from 1967 best picture nominee "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner."

"Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" didn't leave the table hungry, though, winning Oscars for best actress (Hepburn) and original screenplay. Poitier already had an Oscar to his name three years earlier for "Lilies in the Field," but he was completely passed over for both of his defining roles in 1967 (the slap in the greenhouse is Oscar-worthy alone).

Another best picture nominee worthy of the Oscar was "The Graduate."

Dustin Hoffman in his first starring role in "The Graduate," also starring Anne Bancroft. The film was nominated for best picture of 1967.

Dustin Hoffman, in his first starring role, became a household name playing a recent college graduate who is seduced by his girlfriend's mother (Anne Bancroft). "Mrs. Robinson, you're trying to seduce me, aren't you?" Hoffman's character, Benjamin Braddock, asks her during a pivotal scene in the movie. The answer is more obvious than Academy voters had it when they had to decide between "The Graduate" and Poitier's classics.

1975: "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" over "Barry Lyndon," "Dog Day Afternoon" or "Jaws"

Jack Nicholson leads a cast of crazies in 1975 best picture winner "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest."

The weakest link among the five best picture nominees of 1975 was Robert Altman's "Nashville." The other nominees -- "Barry Lyndon," "Dog Day Afternoon," "Jaws" and "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" -- were all worthy of recognition in a crowded field of deserving contenders. "Barry Lyndon" was the last of director Stanley Kubrick's three best picture nominations (not to mention his four director nominations). Kubrick came up empty, but the movie won four Oscars for production design, costume design, cinematography and adapted score. Frank Pierson took home the Oscar for best original screenplay for "Dog Day Afternoon," the movie's lone win of its six nominations. "Jaws" was Spielberg's breakthrough film that paved the way for the summer blockbuster. Although Spielberg wasn't nominated, "Jaws" swam away with three Oscars for original score, sound and film editing. Ultimately, the big winner was "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," which made a clean sweep of the major categories -- best picture, best actor (Jack Nicholson), best actress (Louise Fletcher), best director (Milos Forman) and best adapted screenplay. Although each of the nominees was quite different, they were all quite wonderful. It's too bad they were released in the same year.

1983: "Terms of Endearment" over "The Big Chill"

Shirley MacLaine (right) beat out co-star Debra Winger for best actress in "Terms of Endearment," which also won the Oscar for best picture of 1983.

How does a movie as good as "The Big Chill" get shut out at the Oscars? The answer is "Terms of Endearment." The 1983 best picture winner won a total of five Oscars and could have won more if it hadn't cannibalized itself (Shirley MacLaine beat out Debra Winger for best actress, while Jack Nicholson bested John Lithgow in the supporting actor category). The superb ensemble cast of "The Big Chill" ultimately may have hurt the film at the Oscars.

The ensemble cast of "The Big Chill," comprised of (clockwise from top left) William Hurt, Glenn Close, Kevin Kline, Mary Kay Place, JoBeth Williams, Tom Berenger and Jeff Goldblum.

It only received three nominations compared to the 11 "Terms of Endearment" garnered. Glenn Close earned her second of three consecutive best actress nominations (sandwiched between 1982's "The World According to Garp" and 1984's "The Natural") and seventh overall Oscar nomination, most recently for 2018's "The Wife. Both movies were comedy-dramas dealing with serious subjects like death and relationships, but "The Big Chill" cast was young and relatively new compared to the star power that MacLaine and Nicholson brought to "Terms of Endearment." Nevertheless, "The Big Chill" is just as powerful.

1987: "The Last Emperor" over "Broadcast News" or "Fatal Attraction"

If "The Last Emperor" was the safe bet for best picture of 1987, "Broadcast News" and "Fatal Attraction" were the sleeper picks. "The Last Emperor" chronicles the life of Puyi, from his ascent to the throne as a boy to his imprisonment and political rehabilitation by the Communist Party of China. The film was an unstoppable force, winning all nine Oscars for which it was nominated. Although not nearly as important in historical significance or scope, "Broadcast News" is still regarded as one of the most realistic examinations of television news.

Albert Brooks, Holly Hunter and William Hurt in a scene from 1987 best picture nominee "Broadcast News."

Even though the technology has changed, it still remains a must-watch for anyone looking to break in to the industry. "Fatal Attraction" remains the ultimate lesson for all those husbands contemplating adultery.

Glenn Close stars as the scorned Alex Forrest in a scene from 1987 best picture nominee "Fatal Attraction."

Oh, and it's also a reason not to purchase a pet bunny (lest the rabbit winds up in a boiling pot of water on the kitchen stove).

Longtime CBS newsman James L. Brooks had already won Oscars for directing, producing and writing "Terms of Endearment" a few years earlier, which may explain why the Academy took a pass on his "Broadcast News," while English director Adrian Lyne was still a little raw for Hollywood (having directed the erotic "9 ½ Weeks" the year before) when he helmed "Fatal Attraction." Either one would have been a fine substitute for "The Last Emperor."

1989: "Driving Miss Daisy" over "Dead Poets Society"

Jessica Tandy and Morgan Freeman in a scene from 1989 best picture winner "Driving Miss Daisy." Tandy became the oldest actress to ever win an Oscar in the best actress category.

"Driving Miss Daisy" was certainly deserving of the 1989 Oscar for best picture. It's just a shame it had to come at the expense of "Dead Poets Society." Jessica Tandy became the oldest actress to ever win the Oscar when, at age 80, she took home the award for best actress as "Miss Daisy," a widowed southern schoolteacher who begrudgingly is chauffeured to and from the Piggly Wiggly by her black driver (Morgan Freeman).

Robin Williams was Oscar-nominated for his performance in 1989 best picture nominee "Dead Poets Society."

The late Robin Williams earned an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of an English schoolteacher who inspires his students by teaching poetry in "Dead Poets Society," but it fell short in all but one category, winning for best original screenplay. In all, "Driving Miss Daisy" won four Oscars, including the grand prize.

1991: "Dances with Wolves" over "Awakenings," "Ghost," "The Godfather Part III" or "Goodfellas"

The other nominees -- "Awakenings," "Ghost," "The Godfather Part III" and "Goodfellas" were all worthy of taking home the best picture Oscar, but it was "Dances with Wolves" star Kevin Costner who was victorious in his directorial debut. Robert De Niro was the star of two best picture nominees in 1991, playing a catatonic patient who suddenly awakens after decades in "Awakenings" and a mobster in Martin Scorsese's New York crime drama "Goodfellas." De Niro was nominated for best actor in "Awakenings," but he and the movie failed to win an Oscar. In fact, the only Oscar between the films was awarded to De Niro's "Goodfellas" co-star Joe Pesci.

Joe Pesci (left) won the Oscar for best supporting actor for his performance in 1991 best picture nominee "Goodfellas."

"Ghost" had it all -- romance, action, comic relief and, as the title suggests, spirits from beyond the grave. Whoopi Goldberg won a supporting actress Oscar for her portrayal of the phony clairvoyant who unwittingly becomes subjected to the ghost of Patrick Swayze's character after he solicits her to help him find his killer and to warn his live-in girlfriend (Demi Moore) that she's in danger. "Ghost" also won for best original screenplay, but it never really stood a chance with two epics -- "Dances with Wolves" and "The Godfather Part III" -- in its path. The conclusion of "The Godfather" saga kind of felt like it was a best picture nominee based on the merit of its predecessors (both of which were best picture winners).

Al Pacino reprises his role of Michael Corleone in 1991 best picture nominee "The Godfather Part III." It was the only film in the trilogy not to win best picture.

While the movie is unquestionably the weakest link in the trilogy (perhaps because of the gap in time between the second and third films, or perhaps because of director Francis Ford Coppola's decision to cast his daughter in the role vacated by Wynona Ryder), "The Godfather Part III" is viewed differently over time. In the end, though, only one could win. Despite its lengthy running time (at 181 minutes, it was only 19 minutes longer than "The Godfather Part III"), "Dances with Wolves" was both rich in plot and the American frontier. Costner directed, co-produced and starred as a Union Army lieutenant who develops an unlikely friendship with an Indian tribe and assumes a new life as a member of the Lakota people. 

1992: "Unforgiven" over "The Crying Game"

Clint Eastwood directed, produced and starred in 1992 best picture winner "Unforgiven."

"Unforgiven" resurrected the western film. The 1992 best picture winner was woven together by a veteran western actor-turned-director in Clint Eastwood, who was the perfect person to play a reformed outlaw lured to a Wyoming town to kill the cowboys who raped and disfigured a prostitute. Eastwood won Oscars for producing and directing, while Gene Hackman won best supporting actor for his nod as the crooked sheriff. "The Crying Game," meanwhile, was the sneaky little British thriller that garnered plenty of headlines for the plot twist midway through the film.

Jaye Davidson (left) and Stephen Rea in a scene from 1992 best picture nominee "The Crying Game."

The revealing scene changed the course and tone of the movie, which was ultimately a love story, but plenty of early theatergoers who saw it before the secret got out were no doubt caught off guard by its about-face. If shock value mattered on Oscar's big night, "The Crying Game" would have been the hands-down winner. But more conventional voting prevailed.

1994: "Forrest Gump" over "Pulp Fiction"

Tom Hanks stars as the titular "Forrest Gump" in a scene from the 1994 best picture winner.

This was a case of the film school-educated versus the self-made moviemaker. "Forrest Gump" was a box office success, directed by the established, bankable Hollywood filmmaker Robert Zemeckis. "Pulp Fiction" was a violent, dialogue-driven compilation of stories told out-of-sequence that came from the mind of then-little-known director Quentin Tarantino. "Forrest Gump" was hailed for its visual effects that allowed Tom Hank's titular character to appear in historical footage alongside President John F. Kennedy and John Lennon, among others. While "Forrest Gump" came across as a film for the whole family, "Pulp Fiction" was the extreme opposite.

John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson in a scene from 1994 best picture nominee "Pulp Fiction."

It was profanity-filled and mixed dark humor with acts of violence, sodomy and intense drug use. But after winning the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, "Pulp Fiction" became the new darling of Hollywood circa 1994. It catapulted Tarantino's career and resurrected the career of John Travolta, whose appearance in the movie, along with an all-star cast including Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis, Uma Thurman, Harvey Keitel and Christopher Walken, seemed to validate its credibility as a contender. But when it came time to hand out the Oscars, only Tarantino and co-writer Roger Avary went home with something to show for it. Travolta lost to Hanks for best actor. Tarantino lost to Zemeckis for best director. Heck, even Sally Menke, the film editor for "Pulp Fiction," lost to "Forrest Gump" editor Arthur Schmidt. Thurman and Jackson were also nominated and lost.

2007: "No Country for Old Men" over "Michael Clayton"

Javier Bardem won an Oscar for best supporting actor for his role as Anton Chigurh in 2007 best picture winner "No Country for Old Men."

The best picture winner of 2007 just goes to show how far Hollywood has matured when it comes to viewing quirky capers with a thin layer of dark comedy and little explanation as to what motivates the antagonist. This, after all, is the tone of Joel and Ethan Coen's "No Country for Old Men." Based on the 2005 Cormac McCarthy novel of the same name, it follows the story of a hitman in pursuit of an opportunistic pronghorn hunter who comes across a briefcase full of cash in the middle of the West Texas desert after a drug deal gone bad. Usually when the most interesting character in a movie is a villain (in this case, Javier Bardem's Anton Chigurh, who decides the fate of his victims by a coin flip), it's hard for said movie to find favor with an audience. But "No Country for Old Men" did just that, winning Oscars for Bardem (best supporting actor) and the Coen brothers (best director and best adapted screenplay). Equally dark, albeit in a more white-collar kind of way, is "Michael Clayton."

George Clooney stars as a law firm "fixer" in a scene from 2007 best picture nominee "Michael Clayton."

George Clooney plays the titular character, a "fixer" for a prestigious law firm who uncovers the deadly truth about a class-action lawsuit involving the effects of toxic agrochemicals. Nominated for seven Oscars, including best picture, the lone win went to Tilda Swinton, who won best supporting actress as the ruthless general counsel for the defendant.