The 90th Academy Awards are being held on Sunday, and there are a number of great films that have been nominated, but this post is focusing on my personal favourite Best Picture winners. There is a film for everyone; romance, warfare, heist, true story, comedy, action, fantasy and a thriller.
Let me know you’re favourite films that have won the Oscar for Best Picture!!
Casablanca (1942)
Why: Iconic is a word that gets thrown around a lot for lots of films, scenes, characters and songs- but no other film personifies the word more than Casablanca. From its main protagonists of Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, to the memorable song “As Time Goes By”, and the quotes that everyone recognises and have probably used at some point: “Here’s looking at you, kid”, “Play it again, Sam” (a line that isn’t actually spoken in the film, “Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship” and “We’ll always have Paris”. The combination of two sensational leads, a beautiful song, memorable quotes, brilliant comedy, and a tear-jerking romance help to make Casablanca a truly amazing Best Picture winner.
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
Why: We’ve recently had Dunkirk and a little less recent, Saving Private Ryan, but The Bridge on the River Kwai gave one of the earliest representations of the the barbarity of warfare and the horrendous conditions that soldiers had to endure. Alec Guiness gives a performance that encapsulates so many aspects of his character as the Colonel- courageous, comical, dutiful, stubborn, fallible, wise, obsessive and strong. One of the best films about war, and for those that find that genre fascinating, this is the must-watch.
The Sting (1973)
Why: Fun and breezy to begin with, but tensions ramp up when the various aspects of the con are being put into place (some at the last minute), and they await the arrival of mob boss Doyle Lonnegan. There are twists, brilliant chemistry between Redford and Newman, storytelling of the highest order, and the sting still has impact nearly 50 years on. Heist and con films have no doubt studied The Sting, as it is perhaps the best film in the genre, even with today’s technology and variety of ideas.
Schindler’s List (1993)
Why: Undoubtedly the most hard-hitting and devastating film on my list. The Holocaust and Nazi Germany’s concentration camps, and the infamous Auschwitz. Spielberg directed and shot the film in black-and-white and as a kind of documentary on Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson), a man that helped to save the lives of over a thousand Polish-refugees survive. A beautifully moving and poignant film that I implore everyone to watch.
Forrest Gump (1994)
Why: Tom Hanks has had so many iconic roles, but this role is probably his most famous, and it is easy to see why. He delivers a truly unbelievable performance as Forrest, a man of marginal intelligence but leads an incredible life. Covering American events of note throughout the 60s and 70s, Forrest’s life is full of humour, kindness, heartache and wonder, and Hanks’ performance has ensured it’s immortality in the history of film.
Gladiator (2000)
Why: Perhaps my favourite on the list. Gladiator, is an epic film, with exceptional scores from the legendary Hans Zimmer, and the ending alone should see the film enter everyone’s favourite Best Picture lists.
The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (2003)
Why: I love a good fantasy film, and they almost always come from books (Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, Stardust). Return of the King is the one and the ONLY fantasy film to every win the Best Picture Oscar in history, and it also holds the most Oscars won record (11). The concluding chapter of The Lord of the Rings trilogy- there are epic battles, incredible friendships, and the moment that everyone was waiting for- the fate of the one ring.
The Departed (2006)
Why: Based on the Hong Kong trilogy of crime-thriller films Internal Affairs, the Hollywood version takes the films and condenses them into a thrilling and tantalising film that has DiCaprio and Damon at their best. An absolutely incredible premise- the Irish Mob in Boston plant a mole in the Massachusetts State Police, while the police plant an informant in the Irish Mob. Eventually both sides realise the situation and both DiCaprio and Damon have to race against each other to find out who the other mole is, before there cover gets blown. Thrilling and brilliant.
Which Oscar-winning film is your FAVOURITE?
rwh92.wordpress.com 
I can’t choose only one sorry!
My Fair Lady, In the Heat of the Night, The Silence of the Lambs, Schindler’s List, Gladiator, The Lord of the Rings:The Return of the King, The Hurt Locker, The King’s Speech, Spotlight and Moonlight are all great movies, that I really, really like
That is a great list! I was close to putting The Silence of the Lambs and The King’s Speech on my list, but I didn’t want to make the blog post too long!
Yes Casablanca!
Chicago is one of my all time favourite films, really got me into theatre as well.
Chicago is an amazing film- I would love to see a theatre version of it one day.
Casablanca is required viewing for film lovers!
I’ve never seen any of these, but I definetly want to watch Casablanca and Forrest Gump one day.
Amy 💜
Oh Amy- all of these are amazing! Forrest Gump would be a good one to start with as Tom Hanks is wonderful 🙂
Great choices! I admire you for creating this thoughtful and condensed list.
Casablanca would be on my list for sure.
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Now that I’ve thought about this a bit more, making a Fave Oscar List is an excellent exercise in analysis and determining what is most important to a person when watching a film. I’ll have to give this more thought before Sunday’s awards ceremonies.
Thanks! It was hard to make decisions on what films to leave OFF the list!
I see plenty of BEST Oscar-winning films, so I thought I would do a FAVOURITE list as everyone has different tastes. 🙂
Great list! With apologies to the classics I think my favorite is probably Moonlight, I was so happy when it won.
To be honest I haven’t seen the last 4 Best Picture winners (I’m including this year’s too).
Glad to hear that the recent winners are enjoyed by the audience and not just the critics!
Glad to see The Departed on here! One of my all time favourite movies.
Any film not on my list, that you consider one of your favourites?
It is nice to see Schindler’s List on your list. My all time-favourite Oscar-winning film is The English Patient.
It really is an important film.
To be honest, to your shame, I haven’t seen The English Patient yet- something to rectify this year!
The Sting is absolutely fantastic. Perfectly executed.
Gladiator also excellent. Actually all the movies on your list are fantastic. Although, I can’t comment on Forrest Gump as to this day I have not seen it – somehow has just never tempted me enough. Yes, yes…I know – that is shocking
The first time I watched the Sting, I fell in love with it! ll
That’s ok- there’s plenty other famous films I haven’t seen- if you get round to it, I have no doubts that you will enjoy it. 🙂
Yes to Return of the King. I love the Lord of the Rings franchise, it’s my go-to film (extended edition) series. I love that the franchise got the recognition it deserves and I really do believe that it helped pave the way for epic fantasy films.
Forrest Gump is another favourite of mine and Schindler’s List absolutely destroyed me. Like you said, it’s such a powerful and poignant film.
I always seem to watch the LoTR series around Christmas. It’s a shame that other popular films (from across all genres, not just fantasy) don’t get Academy Award recognition, bar Special Effects. If Daniel Day-Lewis appeared in an action film, it would bound to be nominated!
Out of this list I’ve got to say Casablanca is probably my favourite, but Schindler’s List absolutely devastated me. It would be hard to say it was a favourite but it is an incredible film
I find it hard to say a film like Schindler’s List is a favourite because of the topic- but it is a film that is incredible and I watch it on rare occasions. Thanks for stopping by -😊