Jason O’Brien has begun a blogtalk radio show called Oscar, Oscar. You can call in to a number and speak with him on air. Tomorrow’s broadcast will be about 1939, the year Gone with the Wind swept the awards. It is probably among a handful of memorable Oscar years. When I think about the years that stand out the most, I almost always think of them in terms of Best Picture. I know from reading Damien Bona and Mason Wiley’s great book, Inside Oscar, that there have always been scandalous stories following Oscar for 82 years, up to and including last year’s Best Picture win.
From memory, without IMDBing or looking it up in the book, here are my top five:
1. Citizen Kane vs. How Green Was My Valley
2. All the President’s Men and Network vs. Rocky
3. Reds vs. Chariots of Fire
4. Goodfellas vs. Dances with Wolves
5. The Aviator vs. Million Dollar Baby
