How do you feel about Oscar's Best Picture from 2009?

I realize this might be a bit of an odd way to kick off a thread, but I’ve been genuinely curious about how everyone views last year's Best Picture nominees in hindsight. At the time, there was this massive wave of euphoria surrounding Slamdog, yet looking back now, it feels like most people are just tearing it to shreds... So, it makes me wonder, if you had to hand out the Oscar for 2009 today, who would actually get it?

At this point, the Oscar doesn't mean a thing to me. Asking "Who should have won the Oscar in 2009?" is a completely different conversation from asking "What was actually the best movie of 2009?"

Honestly, I think a weird little indie take on Benjamin Button would be an absolute masterpiece... assuming they didn't cast Brad Pitt. The story itself is killer—really deep stuff—but he just kind of kills the vibe for me somehow. Sorry if I'm totally veering off track here 🙂

Slumdog was absolutely deserving of an Oscar. It delivers everything one expects—both from a film of this caliber and from what we, the audience, and the Academy demand.

Sandra Patel23 said:Slumdog absolutely earned its Oscar—it checked every single box we look for as an audience, and clearly, so did the Academy.

But honestly—that’s exactly the problem with this award and so many others lately. It used to be that the director was the true visionary, the sole author of the work—now? They just seem to be checking boxes to meet certain expectations. Fuck that.

It’s the same thing for me, even when I was watching the ceremony... I mean, I really think Frost / Nixon was the best out of everyone nominated, truly. But I still can't help feeling a bit bummed about Gran Torino being left out of that category. It just feels like a missed opportunity, I guess. Maybe I'm overthinking it, but still. 😢 By the way, I suppose this topic could have just as easily been, "How do you all feel about the last three Oscar wins?" Or maybe even looking back over the last fifteen years? Because, if you ask me—and I guess that's my bias talking—only maybe three or four films in the last fifteen years actually deserved their trophies based on pure quality. Just an observation, I suppose.

Just like last year—in my book, Benjamin is the winner...
Of course, maybe that’s just because he was the first one of this group I actually sat down to watch, but he still feels like he's on another level. And honestly, it isn't even because of Pitt. The movie is far too good for him to have messed it up.

Benjamin Thompson66 said:That’s exactly what makes this award—and so many others—so frustrating. It used to be that the director was the true visionary, but nowadays they just seem to be checking boxes to meet certain expectations. Honestly, screw that.

I couldn't have put it better myself. Short, sweet, and spot on.

Even the millionaire from the streets didn't do much for me

The same goes for Benjamin🤷—though I'm not exactly a huge fan of Brad Pitt anyway, he just didn't hit the mark for me

If I have to pick one, I’m going with The Reader

If I actually used the Oscar as my own personal yardstick for the best movie out of a lineup... Frost / Nixon would be my pick. I remember popping in the DVD right after lunch, mostly just because I felt like I had to, though I was feeling pretty unmotivated that day and almost turned it off. But then, it just grabbed me by the throat and I sat there glued to the screen until the very end, staring at that masterpiece without even blinking—it felt more intense than some high-octane action flick. And all they're doing is two guys sitting in armchairs having a conversation.🤣Pure mastery.🙏

I saw Million Dollar Baby in theaters and didn't find it particularly special. That whole quiz sequence was honestly getting on my nerves the entire time. But, like you guys said, it's exactly the kind of movie that's expected to sweep the Academy Awards.

I can't be entirely objective here since I haven't seen The Reader yet.

I haven't actually watched any of them.😳

The woman I was definitely reading to.

Slumdog was just okay for me, honestly—pretty middle-of-the-road. I don't think I'll ever feel the urge to rewatch it. Out of this list, Reader is miles ahead of it, though Benjamin is creeping up right behind. I haven't actually sat down to watch Milk or Frost / Nixon yet. ☕

Right now, if I had to pick my top three from 2008, I’d go with In Bruges, WALL•E, and Doubt. There are still a few I need to catch up on (especially Gran Torino), so who knows? My rankings will probably shift soon enough. 😉

Milk 😁

I honestly feel like the Oscar should have gone to Benjamin Button or maybe Frost / Nixon. Personally, I found Slumdog Millionaire to be a pretty charming little flick, but let’s be real—it’s lightyears away from being Best Picture material. Like someone else mentioned, I just don't have any desire to sit through it again.

Look, I’m probably the last person you should be taking advice from since my cinematic resume is basically just "Slumdog Millionaire" and "Benjamin Button," but honestly? I’m convinced any one of those four movies beats the winner hands down. To me, "Slumdog" was nothing more than a mediocre flick... actually, there were moments where it felt pretty sub-par too.

Milk.
But then again, I haven't looked through everything either.
I'm missing Frost/Nixon.

I don't get why you're bringing this up now, you should've posted this back in 2010 😉
I'll admit though, it feels like the best movies aren't really "for Oscar" anymore... but out of all the nominees I've actually sat through, Slumdog was easily my favorite. So if you ask me, he deserved the Oscar 🙂
later