In this episode of …and the Oscar Shoulda Gone To, Dylan, Rob and Glenys look back at the films of 2011 — but with a twist: *instead of tackling the Academy’s expanded Best Picture lineup, they narrow the field to the five nominees they believe truly deserved the honor (because nine was just way too many). Focusing on the silent-era homage and eventual winner The Artist, the heartfelt family drama The Descendants, Scorese’s cinematic love letter Hugo, the nostalgic Woody Allen fantasy Midnight in Paris, and the sharp, statistics-driven sports drama Moneyball, they imagine a leaner, more competitive race — and debate which of these standout films truly deserved to take home the top prize.

The ones we left out: Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, The Help, Tree of Life, and War Horse. We’re sorry if you adored these films – but blame the Academy for a bloated category!

Best Picture Nominees – Our Top 5 Picks

The Artist – winner
The Descendants
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
Moneyball

2011* - Dreams, Data, and Silent Stars

In this episode of …and the Oscar Shoulda Gone To, Dylan, Rob and Glenys revisit the the films of 1990 that were nominated for Best Picture: the sweeping frontier epic and eventual winner Dances with Wolves, the mob landmark Goodfellas, the moving medical drama Awakenings, the romantic fantasy Ghost, and the operatic crime sequel The Godfather Part III — exploring which of these iconic films truly deserved to take home the top prize.

Best Picture Nominees

Awakenings
Dances with Wolves
Ghost
The Godfather Part III
Goodfellas

1990 – Wolves and Wiseguys

In this episode of …and the Oscar Shoulda Gone to, Rob, Glenys and Dylan head back to the 50th Academy Awards — the ceremony where Annie Hall charmed its way to Best Picture. But was Woody Allen’s neurotic love story truly the pinnacle of 1977 cinema, or did the Academy overlook something more timeless? We’re revisiting the rest of the contenders: the galactic game-changer Star Wars, the bittersweet romantic comedy The Goodbye Girl, the elegant ballet drama The Turning Point, and the poignant political tale Julia.

From therapy couches to TIE fighters, 1977 gave us love, loss, and lightsabers in equal measure. Join us as we debate whether Annie Hall truly earned its place in Oscar history — or if another film should’ve danced off with the gold.

Best Picture Nominees

Annie Hall - winner
The Goodbye Girl
Julia
Star Wars
The Turning Point

1977 - Love, Loss, and Lightsabers

In this episode, Dylan, Rob and Glenys head back to 1988, when Rain Mantook home Best Picture gold. But was the Academy right to hand the hugely popular hit the keys to victory? They’re stacking it up against the rest of the nominees from the 61st Academy Awards: the lush period drama Dangerous Liaisons, the quirky romantic-comedy The Accidental Tourist, the civil rights thriller Mississippi Burning, and the ambitious, much-loved workplace comedy Working Girl.

From powdered wigs to power suits, this year’s nominees ran the gamut of cinematic styles. Join us as we debate whether Rain Man truly earned its place in Oscar history — or if another film should’ve driven away with the statue.

Best Picture Nominees

Rain Man - winnerThe Accidental Tourist
Dangerous Liaisons
Mississippi Burning
Working Girl

1988 – Suits, Seductions, and Savants

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?

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

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