The 44th Academy Awards served up one of the more diverse Best Picture lineups in history: the pulse-pounding French Connection, Kubrick’s shocking A Clockwork Orange, the show-stopping musical Fiddler on the Roof, the aching nostalgia of The Last Picture Show, and the royal spectacle Nicholas and Alexandra.

In this episode, Dylan, Glenys and Rob go head-to-head over the great Oscar-nominated movies of 1971. Was The French Connection’s gritty car chases and moral murk the boldest choice, or did Kubrick’s disturbing vision of a dystopian near-future deserve the gold? Did Fiddler charm us with its unforgettable songs and heartfelt storytelling, standing the test of time to get a second chance? Does The Last Picture Show stand as the quiet masterpiece of the bunch? And was Nicholas and Alexandra a sweeping triumph—or just an overstuffed history lesson?

Join us as we reconsider the Academy’s choice, and ask the big question: if we had the ballot in our hands today, which film would truly earn the title of Best Picture—and which ones never should’ve made the cut?

Best Picture Nominees

The French Connection - winner
A Clockwork Orange
Fiddler on the Roof
The Last Picture Show
Nicholas and Alexandra

1971 - From Kubrick to Car Chases, Musicals to Monarchs

Dylan, Rob and Glenys break down some of the most iconic movies of the 21st Century that also happened to be nominated for Oscar Best Picture at the 74th Academy Awards.

Did A Beautiful Mind’s emotional portrayal of John Nash’s brilliance and struggles with schizophrenia deserve its victory, or did the Academy overlook bolder cinematic achievements? While Gosford Park charmed critics with its layered murder mystery and Robert Altman’s signature ensemble style, In the Bedroom delivered raw, intimate drama and powerhouse performances. Moulin Rouge! dazzled with its kaleidoscope of music, color, and romance but also sparked debates about whether spectacle can equal substance. And finally, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ringlaunched one of cinema’s most ambitious trilogies — should its groundbreaking fantasy epic have been crowned instead?

Join us as we revisit these films, their themes, and their cultural impact, and debate whether the Academy rewarded the right vision of cinematic excellence for 2001.

Best Picture Nominees

A Beautiful Mind - winner
Gosford Park
In the Bedroom
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Moulin Rouge!

2001 – A Beautiful Lord of the Rouge!

In this episode, we revisit the movies of 1984 that were nominated for best picture at the 57th Annual Academy Awards. The night’s top honor went to Amadeus, Milos Forman’s opulent and audacious portrait of Mozart’s genius and Salieri’s envy. It dominated the ceremony with eight Oscars—but was it truly the year’s best film?

The competition was fierce, with The Killing Fields, a harrowing depiction of survival during Cambodia’s genocide; A Passage to India, David Lean’s sweeping return to epic filmmaking; Places in the Heart, a tender Depression-era drama about resilience; and A Soldier’s Story, an incisive murder mystery exploring race and identity within the U.S. military during World War II. Each contender brought something powerful—social urgency, cultural commentary, emotional depth, and incredible artistry—making this a year worth debating.

Tune in for lively discussion and our ultimate verdict on whether Oscar gold went to the right movie—or if history deserves a rewrite.

Best Picture Nominees

Amadeus - winner
The Killing Fields
A Passage to India
Places in the Heart
A Soldier's Story

1984 – Who's Amadeus And Why Aren't People Talking About Him?

In this episode of …And the Oscar Shoulda Gone To, Dylan, Rob and Glenys the movies of 1967 that were nominated for Best Picture at the 40th Academy Awards. While In the Heat of the Night was considered groundbreaking for the time, did the Academy’s pick for best picture hold up over time? Equally groundbreaking in different ways, could Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner or The Graduate have been better choices? Or did the naturalistic acting and thrilling pace of Bonnie and Clyde deserve to be rewarded? And yes…there’s a reason we didn’t even want to mention Doctor Doolittle in this description, but you’ll have to listen to find out why!

Best Picture Nominees

In the Heat of The Night - winner
Bonnie and Clyde
Doctor Doolittle
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner
The Graduate

1967 – Guess Who’s Graduating to Rob Banks!

It's a two "Really?!" episode as Dylan, Rob and Glenys discuss the movies of 2007 that were nominated for Best Picture at the 80th Academy Awards. Did the Academy get it right when they awarded No Country for Old Men the best picture honors? While Atonement brought us lush period scenes and solid acting, was that enough to make it a serious contender? Was Juno’s plucky title character and quirky dialogue something that should have gone down in the books as “best?” Or did you love the complex plotting and award-winning acting in Michael Clayton? And lastly, there was There Will be Blood, a movie that matched the winner in filming locations (Marfa, TX!) and grim tone – and should the Oscar gone to it instead? We’ll find out all about how our hosts felt about the Academy’s choice, and if they agreed!

Best Picture Nominees

No Country for Old Men – winner
Atonement
Juno
Michael Clayton
There Will be Blood

2007 – There Will Be…Old Men

In this follow-up episode, Rob, Dylan, and Glenys continue their spirited discussion of the 2025 Academy Awards Best Picture race, turning their attention to the remaining 2024 contenders.

Dune: Part Two continued Denis Villeneuve's sweeping sci-fi saga — but does a sequel deserve to win when its first part didn't? Emilia Pérez blurred genre lines with its musical crime drama twist, earning critical acclaim and plenty of Oscar attention. Nickel Boys adapted Colson Whitehead’s powerful novel, portraying the horrors of a corrupt reform school using a novel cinematic technique – but did it obscure the emotion of the story? A Complete Unknown offered a magnetic Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan, but what did we actually learn about the man himself? I'm Still Here, Brazil’s stirring real-life family drama, delivered emotional resonance against political upheaval. And finally, Anora, the modern Cinderella story that ultimately claimed Best Picture — but was it truly the best of the bunch?

Join us as we dissect these films, their performances, and their cultural relevance — and ask the big question: did the Academy get it right, or was another nominee more deserving of the top prize?

Best Picture Nominees

Anora - winner
The Brutalist
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
I’m Still Here
Nickel Boys
The Substance
Wicked

2024 Part 2 - Epic Battles and Emotional Gut-Punches: Who Really Deserved Best Picture?

In this episode, our hosts Rob, Dylan, and Glenys dive into the first half of the 2025 Academy Awards Best Picture nominees, breaking down the biggest stories behind 2024’s most talked-about films.

Was Wicked’s dazzling adaptation of the beloved Broadway musical the cultural moment everyone anticipated — or did it fall short of expectations? Did The Substance, with its provocative body horror and Demi Moore’s fearless performance, push genre filmmaking into new territory? The Brutalist challenged audiences with its stark portrayal of architectural ambition and human isolation — but did its cold precision and length cost it emotional resonance? Meanwhile, Conclave offered a taut, suspenseful look inside the Vatican’s secretive corridors of power — but was it gripping enough to contend for Best Picture glory?

Join us as we explore the performances, direction, and cultural impact of these nominees, and debate whether the Academy might have overlooked deeper, riskier achievements in favor of crowd-pleasers.

Best Picture Nominees

Anora - winner
The Brutalist
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
I’m Still Here
Nickel Boys
The Substance
Wicked

2024 Part 1 - Spectacle, Secrets, and Shocks: Breaking Down the First Half of the Best Picture Race

In this episode, Dylan, Rob and Glenys dive into the 1983 movies nominated for the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences Best Picture and debate whether Terms of Endearment truly earned its Best Picture win — or if one of its formidable contenders deserved the golden statue instead.

Was The Big Chill's ensemble of old friends and bittersweet nostalgia the real cultural touchstone of the year? Did The Right Stuff's epic portrayal of the space race soar higher? Could Tender Mercies' quiet tale of redemption have made a bigger emotional impact? Or was The Dresser’s poignant study of theater life an underappreciated gem?

Join us as we rewatch, reanalyze, and reconsider the stories that defined 1983. Expect deep dives into filmmaking choices and friendly arguments. Did the Academy get this Oscar pick right? You be the judge. We know we will!

Best Picture Nominees

Terms of Endearment (winner)The Big Chill
The Dresser
The Right Stuff
Tender Mercies

1983 - A Clear Winner?

Welcome to season 2 of And the Oscar Should Have Gone To… We hope you are as excited for Oscar season as we are, and while we’re all waiting to hear who will win Best Picture this year, we start off this season with a controversial year in Oscars – 1998. It was a year where three movies were about World War II and two movies were set in the Elizabethan era. Shakespeare in Love was the winner that year over some other heavy hitters and beloved movies. Saving Private Ryan jerked the tears out of all of us, while Elizabeth launched Cate Blanchett’s career and taught us about history without making us work hard.  Roberto Benigni turned darkness into light with humor in a Nazi concentration camp in Life is Beautiful, and let’s not forget the stark imagery, star power and cameos of The Thin Red Line. Do you think that the Academy picked the right movie with Shakespeare in Love? Dylan, Rob and Glenys hash out their favorites for who should have won in a year of (mostly great) nominees.

Best Picture Nominees

Shakespeare in Love - winner
Elizabeth
Life Is Beautiful
Saving Private Ryan
The Thin Red Line

1998 - War is Hell

In part 2 of the Best Picture great debate of 2013 movies, Dylan, Rob and Glenys may never agree, but you'll enjoy hearing their reasons why!

Best Picture Nominees

12 Years a Slave - winner
American Hustle
Captain Phillips
Dallas Buyers Club
Gravity
Her
Nebraska
Philomena
The Wolf of Wall Street

2013 Part 2 - Season Finale 

Welcome to “And The Oscar Shoulda Gone To…”, the podcast where Best Picture races are discussed, debated and decided to reveal who should have been awarded the Best Picture Oscar.

Dylan, Rob and Glenys will review the most controversial best picture races from 1970 on, with comprehensive explanations for why they picked the films they did. Maybe their Best Picture pick was clearly the movie everybody loved that year, maybe it was an influential work that film-makers still discuss years later, or maybe it’s just the movie that everyone loves to re-watch year after year.

Watch along with the podcast so you can make your own determination and then let Dylan, Rob and Glenys know how wrong they are!

Glenys

Shows