Often, time will serve as the best indicator of greatness. Sure, there are award ceremonies, big box office, and rave reviews to indicate whether a film is worthy of praise or not. But the true test is to judge a movie 20, 30, 40 years down the line. Are people talking about the film in terms of being a classic? Is it rewatchable? How about the direction, cinematography, acting? Sometimes, the most deserving films don’t win awards. Heck, sometimes the best films of all time aren’t even nominated. This is a list of established classics that didn’t win a single Academy Award.
Oscar snubs happen every year, but it may be hard to believe that masterpieces like The Shining, Singin’ in the Rain, and Do the Right Thing did not win a single Oscar. The Shining is often cited as the greatest horror film ever made. Singin’ in the Rain is #1 on the American Film Institute’s list of the Greatest Movie Musicals of All Time. And Spike Lee’s joint Do the Right Thing is considered one of the most seminal films on race relations in the history of cinema.
Maybe they got robbed, maybe they really were just second best that year. Either way, some of these films may surprise you. Be sure to make your voice heard by voting up the best films that deserved to win at least one Oscar.
- Photo:
The year was 1994 and a story about a simple-minded man by the name of Forrest Gump won six Academy Awards. The Shawshank Redemption went home empty-handed that evening, despite its seven nominations. However, time has proven that the prison drama received the Oscar shaft. The film currently ranks #1 on IMDb's Top 250 films ever made and is cited as a favorite by just about everyone with a heart and basic cable.
Oscar-worthy?- Photo:
Sidney Lumet's 1957 classic manages to create incredible conflict and drama without ever leaving the jury room. The film is often cited as one of the best-acted and best-written films in cinema history. The movie was nominated for three Oscars but unfortunately came out the same year as The Bridge on the River Kwai, which won seven Academy Awards. 12 Angry Men has aged like fine wine, however, remaining consistently high on IMDb's Top 250 Films.
Oscar-worthy?- Photo:
The master of suspense Alfred Hitchcock never won an Academy Award, which says a lot about the whole awards process, considering he is widely regarded as one of the best directors in the history of cinema. One of his signature films, Pyscho, was nominated for four Oscars. Hitchcock probably should have won for best director, but he wasn't even recognized by the Academy in 1961. Psycho ranked 14th on AFI's list of the Greatest American Films of All Time.
Oscar-worthy?- Photo:
Is there a more perfect coming of age film? Rob Reiner's 1986 adaptation of Stephen King's novella The Body did receive a writing nod, and any screenwriter worth their salt will tell you it's among the most revered screenplays ever written. Also, one could easily make a case that all four of the young actors were worth of consideration, especially River Phoenix's heartbreaking performance as Chris Chambers.
Oscar-worthy?- Photo:
Gene Kelly made a lot of musicals. Singin' in the Rain may have been his finest. The 1952 musical within a musical was nominated only for best score and best supporting actress. Kelly got shut out completely, and even though the film is cited by AFI as the greatest musical ever made, it failed to garner a best picture nod. At the very least, the film probably should have won the award for best score, which went to With a Song in My Heart that year.
Oscar-worthy?- Photo:
The famously sentimental Frank Capra hit his crowd-pleasing peak with It's a Wonderful Life. Even though the film was made in 1946, it remains one of the most-watched holiday films today. It is #20 on AFI's list of The Greatest American Films of All Time. Not a commercial success at the time, the movie did round up five Oscar nominations, including best picture. It could have won any or all of those five awards, but it was probably James Stewart going home empty-handed that hurt the most.
Oscar-worthy?
