The Oscars are finally here and after a long awards season, we’re currently wondering if the nod for Best Picture will go Boyhood or Birdman or if Selma will have some momentum after a surprising lack of nominations in other categories. But of course, not all Best Picture winners are fondly remembered. Some fly high and are soon forgotten by the mainstream public that helped crown them. With that in mind, let’s look at the 5 Best Picture winning movies with the lowest scores on IMDB.com.
5. Tom Jones (1963) 6.8/10
No, it’s not a biopic of the singer of “What’s New, Pussycat?” but rather a period comedy set in 18th century England. Much like the singer, however, the titular character is known for being quite popular with the opposite sex. Judging by the relatively low score, though, it’s not unusual to think this movie is underwhelming.
4. The Greatest Show On Earth (1952) 6.7/10
On paper, this movie would seem unstoppable. It’s a grand movie about the circus directed by film legend Cecil B. DeMille and starring heavyweights like Jimmy Stewart and Charlton Heston. But judging by the score, time has not been kind to this one. It’s worth noting, the film also starred many performers from the actual Barnum & Bailey Circus. Perhaps the blurred line of fantasy and reality was a turn-off for viewers.
3. The Broadway Melody (1929) 6.5/10
As you may have noticed, most of these films are rather old, and it’s likely that the main reason why they rank so low on the list is because they simply haven’t stood the test of time. This particular movie — released 86 years ago — is the oldest on the list, although not by much. It was a musical about a romance between two actors who are….starring in a musical! How very meta!
2. Cavalcade (1933) 6.1/10
This was certainly an ambitious film, going so far as to advertise itself as “picture of the generation” in the above advertisement. The film gave us a look at English life over a 34-year span, running from 1899 to 1933, through of the eyes of a pair of English aristocrats. The concept was certainly interesting — and it would be fascinating to see a modern version of it — but judging by it’s mediocre score, it’s largely lost on contemporary audiences.
1. Cimarron (1931) 6.0/10
Yeah, I thought Crash would be #1, too. Anyway, Cimarron is the quintessential case of a movie that doesn’t stand the test of time. Upon its release, the Western film was quite popular, but in retrospect, its racist portrayal of Native Americans makes it rather uncomfortable to watch. Cimarron was a product of its era, and by modern standards, it looks fairly ridiculous.
