ACADEMY
AWARDS SNUB POLITICAL FILMS AGAIN
Political films have often been nominated for Academy
Awards as Best Picture, but they rarely get the votes. Gladiator,
the winner for the year 2000, raised far less political consciousness
than Erin Brockovich
and Traffic, which
were also nominated for best picture. From 1986-2000, some
25 films have received both Political Film Society nominations
and top Oscar nominations (that is, for best picture and best
director). Of the 25 movies, 44 percent were voted Political
Film Society awards, while 12 percent got Oscars for best
picture or best director. Only three films have received both
Oscars and Political Film Society awards. The list below shows
all films nominated by both the Political Film Society and
the Academy for best picture or best director:
1986
Platoon**
1987 none
1988 Mississippi Burning*
1989 Dead Poets Society,* Driving Miss
Daisy, Born on the Fourth of July
1990 Dances with Wolves,** Reversal of
Fortune
1991 JFK, Boyz ‘n the Hood*
1992 Howards End
1993 In the Name of the Father,* The Piano,
Schindler’s List,** Short Cuts
1994 Quiz Show*
1995 Dead Man Walking*
1996 The People Versus Larry Flynt
1997 L.A. Confidential
1998 Saving Private Ryan,
The Thin Red Line,
The Truman Show
1999 The Insider,*
The Green Mile*
2000 Eric Brockovich,
Traffic
*Won a Political Film Society award.
** Won both a top Oscar and a Political Film Society award.
