Film Junk Poll: Which Movie Should Win Best Picture?

Posted by on March 4th, 2010   Filed under: Polls

pollbestpicture2010

As many people have acknowledged over the past few weeks, Oscar pundits are really not expecting many surprises this year at the Academy Awards. At this point, the winner of almost every category is a near lock with the exception of perhaps the Best Picture category. Of course, even though there are ten nominees for Best Picture this year, only two (maybe three) seem like actual possibilities to win. But let’s pretend for a second that every movie on that list had an equal shot at winning Best Picture. Out of these ten nominees, which movie would you most like to see win? I’m not interested in who you think will actually win, but rather which movie you feel deserves it the most. Cast your vote in this week’s poll, and then feel free to continue the Oscar discussion in the comments below!

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  • Despite it not being the finest in the sense of acting and screenplay Avatar still is the biggest achievement and the most impressive film of the year. Also the success it has gained can’t be overlooked by the Academy.

  • KeithTalent

    I picked Inglourious Basterds. Really I’d be fine with any of those winning except The Blind Side, Up, or Crapatar.

  • Marc

    I voted for Avatar for the same reasons “Billy Boyd Cape” pointed out. My runner up would have to be Inglorious basterds!

    To me they were the best films of 2009, hands down!

  • Mike

    I haven’t seen the Blindside, An Education, or A Serious Man, but out of the rest, i have to say that Inglorious Basterds is the best plot, acting (by far), and directing. Therefore i voted for that movie.

  • Cedrick

    Because of the fact that avatar had good graphics and made a bunch of money, you really think that it should win best picture? damn and here i thought it was the quality of the movie(in all aspects not just money) that made a film worthy of winning best picture. strange. i guess times have changed.

  • Inglorious Basterds should win hands down. The only reason Avatar was even nominated was because of its huge success. There is absolutely no way Avatar deserves to win Best Picture, the effects in the film were great, but the storytelling was average at best. No matter what you say, there is no way you can convince me Avatar is anywhere near as good a film as Inglorious Basterds.

  • Although people are against Avatar, it did win at the Golden Globes. And yeah plot isn’t all that but I do think that I have never come out of the cinema in such awe of a film. And The Academy are known for respecting the successful films. But whether they will this year we’ll have to see.

  • Nate

    Avatar is barely more than a tech demo. A fun, impressive tech demo to be sure, but it has nothing beyond the visuals and the world created in the film that should warrant a best picture win. Inglourious Basterds for the win. I’d also be fine with Hurt Locker, District 9, Up, and A Serious Man.

  • I voted for District 9 for two reasons. One, I loved it. Two, I haven’t seen most of the other nominees. I’m well aware that it has no chance in Hell, but there we have it.

  • Marc

    @ Nate. “Avatar is barely more than a tech demo. A fun, impressive tech demo to be sure, but it has nothing beyond the visuals and the world created in the film that should warrant a best picture win.”

    That’s going waaay to far! Avatar may not have the best story among the nominees but it’s a well crafted film and far from being a tech demo!

    You can apply the label to a crass mess such as Transformers 2 ROTF, which is nothing more than a “tech demo” and a far less cinematic achievement!

    James Cameron made a piece of art, and it’s more than deserving of being up their with the other films! Nuff said.

  • Colin

    I’ve seen all of the nominees except for Precious, and I think “A Serious Man” is the most deserving. I didn’t honestly dig “The Hurt Locker” that much, but I think it will probably win.

  • bullet3

    Particularly after a second viewing, I don’t think the Hurt Locker should get it. It’s a GOOD movie, but there’s too many nagging things that bug me about it, and while its well made and entertaining it also doesn’t really have much of a point to it.

    I’m really hoping for an upset and Inglourious Basterds to take it, that is just a brilliant piece of cinema.
    Its extremely rewatchable, its entertaining, every single performance is just great, easily the best of the bunch.

    I would settle for Avatar though, as it really obviously has changed movies for ever, and it did it while maintianing a good if too accessible story. It certainly made a huge impression both times I saw it.
    Just as I think Star Wars should have gotten the oscar,
    I think Avatar is pretty deserving for much the same reasons.

  • mrepony

    How did Avatar change everything again? The studios were already pushing 3D with every opportunity and all Avatar has really done is show that if you throw a shitload of money at a movie you will get outstanding special FX that will cause the average movie goer to forgive a mostly unoriginal storyline with stilted dialogue and definitely sub-Oscar-caliber performances, guess what…George Lucas has done this more than a few times. Personally I consider Avatar an animated film, it’s the equivalent of a sci-fi Bedknobs and Broomsticks (if only there were an Angela Lansbury Na’vi), that said, I don’t think animated films should be banned from the Best Picture category. But put Avatar next to other Best Picture winners like the Godfather or No Country for Old Men, there’s no way it stands up to those former winners, it’s nowhere near being as well-rounded or as satisfying a film, but then again I’m speaking for those of us that like to use our brains during a film rather than stare slack-jawed at computer images. Personally I think this a weak field for Best Picture but then I haven’t seen all of the nominated movies. Personally I would vote for Inglourious Basterds, there was nothing in Avatar that compared to moments like Shosanna dying just prior to witnessing her final revenge or the Bear Jew unloading a machine gun into Hitler’s face.

  • guy

    Avatar is garbage. Flashy version of Pocahontas.

    Give it to the best FILM not the best computerized graphics.

    Bastards was the best movie of the year for me followed by the Hurt Locker and A Serious Man. Any of those three would be awesome. Just not Avatar.

  • bullet3

    mrepony – The reason the studios were able to convince any theatres to convert to 3d in the first place was Avatar. And no, 3d was not making huge bank beforehand, just look at A Christmas Carol, which came out just a few months earlier and didn’t do very well. Avatar was make it or break it, everyone in the industry was waiting to see whether it would be successful or not, if it failed 3d would have likely died out.

    Instead, now everything is going 3d. Ridley Scott’s Alien Prequel, every sci-fi or superhero movie to come out in the next two years, and everything else is being converted.

    Like it or not, Avatar HAS changed movies.

    And I want Inglourious Basterds to win as well, I’ve made that clear, but I think people are being un-fair to completely write off Avatar the way they are. It definitely wasn’t a case of just throwing money at a project, Transformers 2 is what happens when you put no effort into a project and just throw money at it.

  • KeithTalent

    Avatar is what happens when you throw money at only one aspect of the project. Pour oodles of dough into the effects if you must, but it does not make a good movie, it only makes an interesting spectacle.

    Avatar would likely make my top 10 most interesting things of 2009 but it would not even make my top 30 films from last year.

  • Colin

    I don’t really think it’s accurate to say Avatar “has” changed movies. Perhaps it WILL change movies, but behind seeing a lot more interest in 3D, I really question the impact it has and will have.

  • Duke Togo

    I only saw D9, Avatar and Inglorious Bastards. I’d have to give it to D9. I’m guessing IB will win, it’s story seems tailored as ‘oscar bait’.

  • Ultimo

    Out of what i’ve seen

    1. District 9 *****
    2. Up In The Air ****
    3. The Hurt Locker ****
    4. A Serious Man ***

  • Falsk

    “Give it to the best FILM not the best computerized graphics.”

    @ guy Because all films these days are shot on 35mm film. Like Up. Stop hating “Avatar” ’cause it’s it kitsch right now.

    Speaking of which. I think “Up” should win solely for the imaginative headlines in newspapers and blogs. ‘Oscar “Up”set’, anyone? Or what about “‘Up’roar at the Oscars?”

    Oh come on, it was kinda funny!

    Well, I voted for the minority. “Up in the Air” resonated the best with me. Don’t really care if it wins or loses. I’m just gonna drink my Francis Ford Coppola wine and hope to get a few laughs out of Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin. Lord knows I didn’t get that with “It’s Complicated”. Eeesh.

  • asdasd

    **The only reason Avatar was even nominated was because of its huge success.***

    What about The Dark Knight? That was a fenomenal movie in both moneymaking and movie quality. The fucking Academy didn’t nominate that movie.

    Ah, what am i doing. I fucking hate the Oscars, and now i am sitting here discussing it with people…

  • THE BLINDSIDE. . .I LOVED IT!!!
    Sandra Bullock Did A GREAT Job !!!