Hidden Remote
Fansided

Oscars: 25 iconic movies that never won Best Picture

By Reed Gaudens

LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 13: Actress Ellen Page, actor Leonardo DiCaprio, and actress Marion Cotillard arrive to premiere of Warner Bros. "Inception" at Grauman's Chinese Theatre on July 13, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 13: Actress Ellen Page, actor Leonardo DiCaprio, and actress Marion Cotillard arrive to premiere of Warner Bros. "Inception" at Grauman's Chinese Theatre on July 13, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
16 of 26
Next
Dale Dye (Far Right), Director Steven Spielberg, And Tom Hanks During The Making Of “Saving Private Ryan.” (Photo By Getty Images)
Dale Dye (Far Right), Director Steven Spielberg, And Tom Hanks During The Making Of “Saving Private Ryan.” (Photo By Getty Images) /

Iconic movies that never won the Oscars Best Picture: 11. Saving Private Ryan

Release Year: 1998

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Starring: Tom Hanks, Tom Sizemore, Matt Damon, Adam Goldberg, Edward Burns, Barry Pepper, Vin Diesel, Giovanni Ribisi, Jeremy Davies, Ted Danson, Paul Giamatti, Dennis Farina

Every year when award season rolls around, there’s a clear front-runner to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards. At the very least, there are a couple of strong contenders that could and should snag the night’s top honor. When a film receives widespread praise, ranks at the second highest-grossing film of the year, and wins Best Director, it’s pretty much a lock to take Best Picture But Steven Spielberg’s war epic shockingly Saving Private Ryan missed the big win.

However, as we’ve made clear, winning Best Picture does not an iconic film make. Saving Private Ryan, which took place during the Invasion of Normandy in World War II, enjoy all of the success a film possibly could. From high box office returns to even higher marks from critics, Spielberg’s latest shining achievement yet again broke the mold and influenced a whole genre for years to come. Much like many other films recognized by this list, Saving Private Ryan regularly receives the honor of being called one of the greatest films ever made.

Saving Private Ryan was both the second most nominated and second most award film at the 71st Academy Awards, picking up five wins from 11 nominations. Steven Spielberg won his second Oscar for Best Director (he first won for Schindler’s List), making it the rare occasion that the Best Director winner didn’t line up with the Best Picture winner. Shakespeare in Love took home the top prize, and many viewed Saving Private Ryan’s loss as the Academy’s biggest snub in history. But there are plenty more upsets where that came from.

Home/Oscars