Six of the Best... Films Without Oscars

For better or for worse, the Academy Awards are at the pinnacle of film recognition in the English speaking world. Since 1927, awards have been handed out to hundreds of movies, many deserving, some less so. If you look down the list of winners you’ll find some of the best films of all time. Citizen Kane, The Godfather and Casablanca all won Oscars, though with just seven between them, perhaps not as many as you’d have expected. Each year there are films which are overlooked by the Academy and this week I’m going to be looking at Six of the Best… Films without Oscars, the films which didn’t receive a single one. In other words, this is a list of films which have one fewer Oscar than How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Pearl Harbor. So here they are; six films without Academy Awards.

1. 12 Angry Men (1957) three nominations.

Should have won – Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing.

2. Reservoir Dogs (1992) no nominations

Should have won – Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Sound Mixing.

3. The Color Purple (1985) eleven nominations

Should have won – Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actress (Whoopie Goldberg), Best Original Score, Best Makeup, Best Costume Design.

4. Psycho (1960) four nominations

Should have won – Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Anthony Perkins), Best Film Editing, Best Cinematography Black and White, Best Score.

5. The Great Dictator (1940) five nominations

Should have won – Best Actor (Charlie Chaplin), Best Original Screenplay.

6. Taxi Driver (1976) four nominations

Should have won – Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Robert De Niro), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Original Score.