2002 Best Picture Nominees Ranked

featuring twists that shock and young Ewan McGregor's gorgeous smile

One of my goals for 2025 is to watch every Best Picture nominee of the Academy Awards a.k.a. the Oscars from the year I was born to the present and rank them in order of my personal enjoyment of each. This is part 4 of 25 of that project. I’ll start the list at the bottom and work my way up.

5. Gosford Park (2001) dir. Robert Altman

⭐⭐

Tea at four. Dinner at eight. Murder at midnight. In 1930s England, a group of pretentious rich and famous gather together for a weekend of relaxation at a hunting resort. But when a murder occurs, each one of these interesting characters becomes a suspect.

How could anyone manage to make a murder mystery with a commentary on social class set in a beautiful manor so incredibly boring? I’ll give it to this movie—that's quite the achievement. I felt that the cast here is a few members too big with not a single one of them having any real depth to be memorable or at the very least be easily distinguishable from the others. I do feel that the writing is good but simply wasn't executed well in terms of direction which is why it didn't end up being effective in its storytelling. There is some solid cinematography and score here though.

4. Moulin Rouge! (2001) dir. Baz Luhrmann

⭐⭐⭐💫

No laws. No limits. One rule. Never fall in love. A celebration of love and creative inspiration takes place in the infamous, gaudy and glamorous Parisian nightclub, at the cusp of the 20th century. A young poet, who is plunged into the heady world of Moulin Rouge, begins a passionate affair with the club’s most notorious and beautiful star.

I liked this more than I care to admit, recognizing how awful so much of this movie is. The direction was distracting, the production design messy, the music aimless, the script eyeroll-worthy, and the quality of acting performances is inconsistent. All the different parts of this film were quite awful, but together they created something that for some incomprehensible reason just works. I'll likely continue to be doubtful of my overall assessment of this film, in no small thanks to young Ewan McGregor's captivating smile, which alone merited this film a star and a half.

3. In the Bedroom (2001) dir. Todd Field

⭐⭐⭐💫

A young man. An older woman. Her ex-husband. Things are about to explode… Summertime on the coast of Maine, “In the Bedroom” centers on the inner dynamics of a family in transition. Matt Fowler is a doctor practicing in his native Maine and is married to New York born Ruth Fowler, a music teacher. His son is involved in a love affair with a local single mother. As the beauty of Maine’s brief and fleeting summer comes to an end, these characters find themselves in the midst of unimaginable tragedy.

This film was so exceptionally written and directed. It was also a masterclass on how seemingly understated scenes can say so much without even having any dialogue. Tom Wilkinson and Sissy Spacek's performances were also incredible. You can just feel their characters' pain even in the moments we don't get to see them onscreen. All that said, I can't say I was particularly impressed or moved by the story itself. I feel like this is one of those movies that grows on you upon rewatch.

2. A Beautiful Mind (2001) dir. Ron Howard

⭐⭐⭐⭐

He saw the world in a way no one could have imagined. From the heights of notoriety to the depths of depravity, John Forbes Nash Jr. experiences it all. As a brilliant but socially awkward mathematician, he made a groundbreaking discovery early in his career and stands on the brink of international acclaim. But as the handsome and arrogant Nash accepts secret work in cryptography, he becomes entangled in a mysterious conspiracy. His life takes a nightmarish turn, and he soon finds himself on a painful and harrowing journey of self-discovery.

I’ve watched this movie countless times as a kid because it was one of my dad’s favorites. Upon rewatch as an adult, I've realized that I still very much like it! Yes, the writing wasn’t the best, some of the cinematography was male gazey, and the editing didn’t age well, but the score is beautiful, the film is well-shot, Russell Crowe and Jennifer Connelly's performances were amazing, and the story itself is so moving. It's definitely one of those movies I wish I could watch again for the first time because of the twist.

1. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) dir. Peter Jackson

⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

One ring to rule them all. Young hobbit Frodo Baggins, after inheriting a mysterious ring from his uncle Bilbo, must leave his home in order to keep it from falling into the hands of its evil creator. Along the way, a fellowship is formed to protect the ringbearer and make sure that the ring arrives at its final destination: Mt. Doom, the only place where it can be destroyed.

When I revisited this movie with a more critical eye last year, I was surprised to find that it wasn't as perfect as I thought it was. The cinematography, pacing, and editing are clunky at times, but man is the story strong as ever! The production design is unparalleled and way ahead of its time, the score breathes life into the world in a manner unmatched by pretty much any other film score I've heard, and Elijah Wood! The cast of this film is already exceptional, but Elijah Wood stands out phenomenally in his performance here, which says a lot since he is in company of some of the greatest actors of our time. I don't know how Peter Jackson did it, but even though I've been watching this film pretty much annually, I was still captivated by the action scenes and became very emotional in the more heart-wrenching ones. A true classic.

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Which of these films have you seen and which ones do you like? Let me know!