When it comes to the Oscars, everyone remembers who won. What tends to fade from memory are the other nominees, and in a category like Best Picture, there have been some years packed with classics (and others, not so much.) This video from Fandor looks back over the 88 previous groups of Best Picture nominees, and narrows it down to their top three years. Check it out and see if you agree. 


#3: 1976

1976 was an embarrassment of riches for the Academy, with nominees like Bound for Glory (which featured the first ever Steadicam shot in a feature film), the (timely) and classic political thriller All the President's Men, as well as Sidney Lumet'sNetwork, a prophetic nightmare look at the future of TV (at the time, it was satire; now, not so much). There was also Martin Scorsese's inimitable Taxi Driver, but, of course, the Oscar could only go to one, and that year belonged to...Sylvester Stallone, whose Rocky, is exactly the kind of film the Academy typically recognizes (remember when Forrest Gump went up against Pulp Fiction?).

#2: 1939

In a year considered by some to be Hollywood's annus mirabilis, there were 10 nominees for Best Picture (Into the '40s, there were up to 12 nominees, though since 2011, it's been a max of 10)In 1939, almost every film went on to classic status, from Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, to Dark Victory, The Wizard of Oz, to Of Mice and Men and the film that made John Wayne famous, Stage Coach. Not to mention that even today, adjusted for inflation, the year's winner, Gone with the Wind, is still the highest-grossing film in history

#1: 1975

Fandor's number one class of Best Picture nominees includes Robert Altman's NashvilleStanley Kubrick's innovative Barry LyndonDog Day AfternoonJaws and winner One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

What do you think of their picks? And who do you think is going to take home the statue this year? 

Source: Fandor