The 74th annual Academy Awards were hosted at the end of March in 2002 and honored some of the greatest films from the previous year , in 2001 . That class bring pic - goers films like : Donnie Darko , Hannibal , Riding in Cars with Boys , andSave the Last Dance . None of those films were know during awarding season , but were favorites among audience .

Films that were nominated in the Best Picture category that twelvemonth were : Godsford Park , A   Beautiful Mind , which gain the coveted award , In the sleeping room , Moulin Rouge , andThe Lord of the Rings : The Fellowship of the Ring . Some of these nominating address were very well deserve , while a match of them left buff and critics wonder if there were better titles that should have encounter the nomination .

Should Have Been: Black Hawk Down

Ridley Scott ’s war drama , free-base on the non - fiction novel with the same name , is about the US Military ’s 1993 foray in Mogadishu . The film boasts an incredible ensemble cast with Josh Hartnett , Ewen McGregor , Eric Bana , and Tom Hardy in his feature of speech film entry .

The motion-picture show was nominated for four awards at the Oscars that year , winning two , one for Best Film Editing and one for Best Sound Mixing , but was left out of the larger categories despite the film ’s success .

Should Have Been: Donnie Darko

Donnie Darkoisa psychological science fable independent thriller starring Jake Gyllenhaal , Jenna Malone , and Maggie Gyllenhaal . The moving picture was shoot in twenty - eight days , which meet the passage of time in the movie itself .

The devising of this film is very impressive and it was very well - received with critics , but see a washout at the box government agency . The film may not have been on the Academy ’s radar at the time of voting , but if it had been , it would have definitely been nominated in some of the major categories that twelvemonth .

Should Have Been: Amelie

This French romanticist comedy has become a classic over the years and garnered a lot of extolment by both fans and critic likewise . The film did receive a handful of nominations in the year it was eligible , but was leave out of the Best Picture category , much to lover ' surprisal .

The picture was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film , but that still did n’t compensate for it not drive a nomination in the most anticipated category .

Nominated: Gosford Park

This statical feature moving-picture show sport a marvellous ensemble cast of characters and tell a fun story , which is probably why it did so well at the box office and received mostly positive unfavorable judgment .

The film was also make for seven Academy Awards , including Best Picture . Thoughthe mold is greatas a whole , the individual performances vary and are n’t consistently great , which makes some consultation members wonder how this flick received so much praise when it was released .

Should Have Been: Training Day

This crime thriller stars Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke , who both received Academy Award nominations for their work in the film .

The film also get a draw of congratulations from film critics and was a success at the box office . Usually , when both of the lead actors are nominated for their performances , a Best Picture nominating speech seems enviable , but that was surprisingly not the typesetter’s case for this characteristic film .

Should Have Been: Pearl Harbor

This romantic state of war drama , directed by Michael Bay and starringBen Affleck , Kate Beckinsale , Josh Hartnett , Cuba Gooding Jr. , and Alec Baldwin , tell a fictional story set within the true events surrounding the attacks on Pearl Harbor in 1941 .

The film was incredibly successful at the box business office and meet a smattering of Academy Award nomination for the work behind the camera , but some would fence the performances fell vapid , which is what maintain this film out of the Best Picture category , despite being a favorite among movie - goers that yr .

Nominated: In The Bedroom

In the Bedroomis an independent criminal offence play starring   Sissy Spacek , Tom Wilkinson , Nick Stahl , Marisa Tomei , and William Mapother . The picture show tells the story of a folk dealing with an incredible tragedy and was praised for its performances by this stellar hurl .

The film was nominate for a number of the big awards that year , but gain ground none of them , bequeath many movie - goer wondering if the moving-picture show was really that dandy after all .

Should Have Been: I Am Sam

Sean Penn received an Academy Award nomination in the Best Actorcategory for his work in this film , which also put immature adept Dakota Fanning on the mapping . The film was a hit with motion picture - goers and did very well at the box office , but had miscellaneous reviews from critics , with most arrogate the storyline to be too predictable to be considered large .

That was likely the reason why this film was overlooked by the Academy , but some conceive it still should have been nominated given the amount of bosom each player brought to telling this tarradiddle .

Should Have Been: The Others

This supernatural horror film is regarded as one of the most terrific film ever made , even to this day . The plastic film was an unbelievable success at the box function and was praised by critic for not onlythe individual performances from the dramatis personae , but also for the original storyline and terrifyingly good execution .

Despite being one of the beneficial films of the yr , The Otherswas left out of the Academy Awards the yr it was eligible , receiving no nominations .

Should Have Been: Mulholland Drive

David Lynch ’s masterpiecestars   Naomi Watts , Laura Harring , Justin Theroux , Ann Miller , Mark Pellegrino and Robert Forster . The story follows different grapheme and vignettes with Naomi Watts ' character , Betty Elms , an aspiring actress , being at the forefront of the story .

The film received extremely miscellaneous with reviews with some critics tear the movie aside and others praise it and calling it the unspoilt movie of the year . The Academy only gave this film one nomination in the Best Director category , despite being a film that , at the very least , everyone was talking about .

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2002 best picture RELATED

SPC Lance Twombly in Black Hawk Down taking cover next to a pillar.

Jake Gyllenhaal and Jena Malone in Donnie Darko in a movie theater

Amelie

The cast of Godsford Park sitting around a living room.

Denzel Washington driving a car in Training Day

pearl harbor

Sissy Spacek and Tom Wilkinson in In the Bedroom

Sean Penn in I Am Sam

Grace with a lantern in The Others

Naomi Watts as Diane looking disturbed in Mulholland Drive

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