POLL: Best Academy Award for Best Picture of the 2000s?

I’d put my money on American Beauty which was playing at your place last night,
though if I actually had to pick which LOTR installment takes the Oscar for Best Picture, it would be The Fellowship of the Ring by a long shot over The Return of the King.
I also have to call out the difference between myself and those supposedly "profound" critics who feel the need to overanalyze everything until they decide LOTR is just mindless garbage; personally, I think it’s phenomenal.
It’s easily the greatest trilogy ever made.
I could probably sit through it hundreds of times without getting bored... the costumes, the sets, the cinematography, the characters, the script—it all hits the mark so perfectly that I honestly can't recall a single book that was adapted to the screen quite this flawlessly.👍

American Beauty, Crash, No Country for Old Men, The Departed... 👍👍👍
I'm casting my vote for No Country for Old Men

The others are solid too, though honestly, I could take a break from Gladiator and King... those massive epic spectacles just aren't really my thing.

Looking at this poll, there isn't a single masterpiece or a sensational standout here, so it's hardly surprising that none surfaced over the entire decade.
While films like American Beauty, No Country for Old Men, and even Eastwood's work are certainly high quality—very good, actually—if we’re being honest, there have been much better movies made than these...

wiredbison82 said:There isn't a single masterpiece or even a standout hit in this poll, so it’s not surprising none showed up over the last decade.
American Beauty, No Country for Old Men, and Eastwood's movie are solid—really good, actually—but let's be honest, there's better stuff out there...

Oh, give me a break.🙄☕

wiredbison82 said:There aren't any absolute masterpieces or total sensations listed in this poll—so I guess it’s fair that none showed up over the whole decade.
American Beauty, No Country for Old Men, and even Eastwood's film are great—really good, actually—but let's be honest, there have been better...

With all those other movies left out, the year itself feels off too—I mean, if you count a decade from year one to ten, we're looking at 2001–2010... plus, there are some pretty cool titles lined up for next year, and this year isn't even over yet!

You absolutely have to see American Beauty. Now, don't get me wrong—I think Crash, Million Dollar Baby, and The Departed are all top-tier films in their own right—but American Beauty is the one that features Kevin Spacey, and honestly, that was the deciding factor for me!

Gladiator was an absolute knockout. Just straight-up lethal. I’d honestly throw my vote toward American Beauty, but if we're picking just one... well...

From this specific lineup, obviously, because my own personal list of the decade's best looks a little different.

It’s honestly tough to pick just one winner since there are a few absolute masterpieces in the mix—but if you're forcing my hand to rank them from top to bottom, here is how I'd lay them out:
I'll just jot down my IMDB ratings next to each movie title so you guys know exactly where I stand.

1. A Beautiful Mind 10/10

2. Gladiator 10/10

3. LOTR3: The Return of the King 10/10

4. American Beauty 9/10

Honestly, the rest of them? They aren't even worth mentioning.

5. Crash 6/10

6. The Departed 5/10. Honestly? Not my cup of tea. It’s fine if you like that specific brand of grit, but for me, it just didn't land. I found it a bit much—too much noise and not enough soul, if that makes sense. Definitely wouldn't put it in my top tier. 5/10

7. Million Dollar Baby 4/10

8. No Country for Old Men 4/10

9. Slumdog Millionaire 3/10 3/10

10. Chicago 1/10 1/10

I honestly feel bad that I couldn't give Chicago a zero—giving it a 1 out of 10 is actually being generous for such a total piece of garbage. It feels like they just tried to rip off Moulin Rouge!, which at least has some actual substance to it. I can't stand these pretentious, overhyped movies that have absolutely zero value yet somehow manage to sweep all the awards.

Slumdog Millionaire isn't anything special—it’s pretty obvious what they're doing here. It’s that tired old formula where you take some underprivileged kids from a developing nation and turn their struggle into a "heartbreaking" little tale just to pull at the heartstrings. Honestly? It feels like a total cash grab. Sure, the concept might look good on paper, but it feels completely manufactured just to line some studio executives' pockets. There was zero soul in this one—just a hollow attempt to chase a paycheck.

I honestly don't get why "A Beautiful Mind" doesn't get more respect in these rankings. It’s an incredible movie—and yeah, I’ll give you that "American Beauty" is great too—but for me, it still sits a notch below "A Beautiful Mind" and "Gladiator," which are just in a league of their own. As for Lord of the Rings, the third one is truly something special; it's easily one of the greatest fantasy achievements ever made. When you pair that trilogy with the first two films, you've basically got the best sci-fi run out there alongside "Alien."

A Beautiful Mind is easily one of the worst winners of an Oscar. It’s such a calculated, manufactured movie. Honestly, seeing it take the prize over films like Moulin Rouge!, In the Bedroom, Gosford Park, and The Two Towers—all of which were objectively superior—was a joke.

Gladiator and The Return of the King are absolutely top-tier for me. Honestly, Chicago was just a total letdown.

The Return of the King.

A Beautiful Mind is decent enough.

Million Dollar Baby or American Beauty.
I can't make up my mind.

ncfom.

Between a million-dollar girl and American Beauty, I’m going with the first one.

Though if we're being honest, the best movie of the decade has to be Sin City.