DVD Collectors Online

Best Picture
Winner: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) - Barrie M. Osborne; Peter Jackson (I); Fran Walsh

Other Nominees:
Lost in Translation (2003) - Ross Katz; Sofia Coppola
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003) - Samuel Goldwyn Jr.; Peter Weir; Duncan Henderson (I)
Mystic River (2003) - Robert Lorenz (I); Judie Hoyt; Clint Eastwood
Seabiscuit (2003) - Kathleen Kennedy (I); Frank Marshall (I); Gary Ross (I)

Of the five films nominated I chose Mystic River. But we all know that this was the year that the Academy made up for the virtual shunning the previous two years for Peter Jackson's epic, The Lord of the Rings.

Unfortunately, in my eyes, the third installment was the weakest of the three.

To add further insult, the true Best Picture that year wasn't even nominated in either the Best Film of Best Foreign Film category. I'm talking about City of God.

I have only seen "Lost in Translation". While I did enjoy this movie, it is not Oscar material.

As most of you probably know, I still haven't seen LotR 2+3. Mainly because of a bad cinema experience of the first movie and the fact that it doesn't seem like I would really enjoy the rest. But I will pick it up after the Extended Trilogy is finally released on Blu-ray.

2003/04 was yet another year with a lot of great movies barely reflected by the Oscar nominations across categories. That a gem like David Gordon Green's All the Real Girls was ignored one could pretty much expect, but where is Altman's The Company or Northfork by the Polish Brothers? Instead something like Seabiscuit is up for Best Picture. I mean, really?

Seabiscuit is a nice enough film, but you're right, Matthias, it's inclusion for the Best Picture is absurd. I too voted for Mystic River, which I thought was superb. I'd have had no complaints about Lost In Translation, but I accept it's cinematic Marmite! I thought Return of the King was stronger than The Two Towers and it's such a marvellous experience that I can't deny its win, but still...

Jackson's strength was surely giving a monster production some personality, but it's still the Hollywood machine underneath.

BTW, question for those who keep track of such things: How often was there a Best Picture without a single nomination in the actor categories, not even the supporting ones?

I haven't seen Seabiscuit but see why it#s presence here is doubted. I aslo haven't seen Master and Commander and almost didn't vote for that reason. I have seen the other three and personally thought Mystic River is the most powerful.

Of course The Return of the King is a good film and is powerful in its own ways, but I would agree that it won on the behalf of the Trilogy, and also then more as an effort on the whole than the film itself. Same is likely to happen Sunday...

Lost in Translation... well, no. I own it and may see it again some time, but not really best film material either.