Thursday Movie Picks - Oscars Winners Edition: Best Picture

Wandering Through the Shelves hosts a fun series Thursday Movie Picks. Every week spotlights a different theme for bloggers to choose their picks. I've seen this around the blogosphere before and thought I'd join in this year. 

This week is Oscars Winners Edition: Best Picture. 

There are so many Best Picture winners to choose from, but I chose what I consider to be underrated winners. I didn't necessarily choose these in comparison to what was potentially snubbed that year. I decided to look at winners versus what else was officially nominated that year and how far movie goers' reception has changed since.

The Artist

Over the years The Artist has received the same hate in the vein of The King's Speech, which was up against some of the best movies of the decade, let alone all-time. But 2012 was a rare year where everyone had a meh-favorite but there wasn't a resounding pick. I'm not sure when this movie started taking as much heat, but it always surprises me - especially Kim Novak's rant for using music from Vertigo. As a Classic Hollywood fan, I love how this was a contemporary-'vintage' film without being as dull as Mank or a parody like Hail Ceasear. It reminds me of A Star Is Born without the tragic ending. I think it's a worthy win, especially since Peppy Miller is #lifegoals.

Chicago

I am straight-up trash for musicals. And Chicago is one of my all-time favorite movies - so much so I could perform a one-woman show of it. #noregrets  But it has great performances, cinematography, editing, and music. It's also not as divisive as all the choices Tom Hooper made for Les Miserables, whatever the hell Cats was (which I wanted to like), needing a tolerance for ABBA with Mamma Mia, or so on. (However, Rob Marshall should have his musical director's license revoked. He blocked Emily Blunt's Mary Poppins with a lamp post. Who makes four musicals and then misses such a huge oversight??? I JUST - it keeps me up at night.)

LOTR: Return of the King

Everyone could argue that The Fellowship of The Ring and The Two Towers deserved to win just as much, but at least Lord of the Rings won one BP. Out of the three, I think it's the most underrated, especially when we look at the latest franchises and reboots completely botching their final installments. Return of the King is the epic ending that you'll wait six hours to get to and never fails to be adventurous, emotional, and fun.