Best Oscar Year (8th Decade)

[Heksagon]

This is tough. There's a lot of good films here, but every year seems to have several disappointing films featuring prominently also.

My favorites are 2004 and 2007. There's nothing terrible in top categories and there's some good films (although also some terrible ones) in down-ballot ones. I went with 2004.

[Okri]

Hmm... I went with 2002. Love some of those categories.

[Reza]

But 2001 is also remarkable, in defiance of its eventual winner. Inside the Best Picture / Director realm, there's The Fellowship of the Ring, Gosford Park, and Mulholland Drive which are excellent. Beyond that: A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Ghost World, Memento, Monsters, Inc., and The Royal Tenenbaums are also just wonderful. Beyond them, the amount mileage one gets from Amelie, Black Hawk Down, In the Bedroom, The Man Who Wasn't There, Moulin Rouge!, and Training Day may vary. But they're ambitious, singular films that I have very warm feelings for, as well as to a lesser extend Ali, Bridget Jones' Diaries, Sexy Beast, Shrek, and more.

So, raise a toast to 2001, a truly underrated great year for films. It's also such a sentimental favorite for me.

Totally with you on this. I also voted for 2001.

[Sabin]

I'm torn between 1998 and 2001. Too often, 1999 gets praised for being a great year for great American films but I've never quite bought into it. It's a great year for very good films.

Going into this post, I was sure I would be giving it to 1998. Its lineup of Saving Private Ryan, Shakespeare in Love, and The Thin Red Line is incredible. Close to peerless in my adult life. There's also upper-tier offerings Gods and Monsters, Out of Sight, and The Truman Show, as well as (in retrospect) A Bug's Life, Bulworth, The Mask of Zorro, Primary Colors, A Simple Plan, and more. Now imagine if Rushmore were on there... !

But 2001 is also remarkable, in defiance of its eventual winner. Inside the Best Picture / Director realm, there's The Fellowship of the Ring, Gosford Park, and Mulholland Drive which are excellent. Beyond that: A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Ghost World, Memento, Monsters, Inc., and The Royal Tenenbaums are also just wonderful. Beyond them, the amount mileage one gets from Amelie, Black Hawk Down, In the Bedroom, The Man Who Wasn't There, Moulin Rouge!, and Training Day may vary. But they're ambitious, singular films that I have very warm feelings for, as well as to a lesser extend Ali, Bridget Jones' Diaries, Sexy Beast, Shrek, and more.

So, raise a toast to 2001, a truly underrated great year for films. It's also such a sentimental favorite for me.

[Big Magilla]

I'll go with 2007 which was memorable for the faceoffs between There Will Be Blood and No Country for Old Men for Best Picture and Julie Christie and Marion Cotillard for Best Actress.

[OscarGuy]

Based on the totality of nominations, which Oscar year within this decade is best?