What’s the BEST, Best Picture ever?

With the Oscars finally wrapped up and Argo taking home the top honor for a film, we here at Let There Be Movies were pondering what movies are the cream of the crop from all the winners of the Oscar for Best Picture since it’s inception in 1929. Admittedly, this is a near impossible choice. Most people’s all-time top ten are scattered with Oscar winners. But, we’ll give it a shot anyway.

John’s Pick

My favorite winner of all-time has to be Rain Man. It won back in 1989, a time when I was only 7 years old. I don’t remember much from the film back then, but it has easily become one of my favorite movies of all-time. This movie, to me, is one of the instant classics. Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise performed marvelously. This was back before Tom Cruise started slipping in the movie industry. The movie has numerous memorable quotes from it and you still hear people misquoting lines from it to this day.

Tres’ Pick

Flashing back to 1952, The Greatest Show on Earth. This is such an amazingly visual movie. The scenes are massive and so well done. It has romance, action, drama, mystery and comedy all wrapped into one. Charlton Heston is one of the all time greats of movies and plays the lead roll. But it also has my all time favorite actor, Jimmy Stewart is a classic character.

Gene’s Pick

I’ve already explained how the 1990’s were the best decade ever for movies. So it should come as no surprise that the best ever recipient of the Oscar for Best Picture in my opinion is Forrest Gump. This may be the greatest story ever told… from a bus stop bench. It is endearing, it is heroic, it is a perfect example of why I love watching movies

Elliott’s Pick

My choice is from 2001 and was the first R-rated movie my parents let me see. It is Gladiator. Thinking about it brings back good memories with my dad and our guy nights. The opening battle is one of the best war scenes ever filmed. The music is awesome and Russell Crow does a great job! I would love to name my first boy Maximus, but I don’t think my wife will go for that.

Derek’s Pick

Unforgiven. This is my favorite western. It is gritty and doesn’t turn its anti-hero into some untouchable hero. He is JUST a man … unless he drinks alcohol after you kill someone he loves. The last scene between him and Gene Hackman is one of my favorites ever. The lighting is perfect. It feels a little campy, but without actually being campy. And the cast includes Eastwood, Hackman, Morgan Freeman, and Richard Harris. You can’t really ask for more than that.