This has got to be the worst movie ever to win an oscar! What was the academy thinking??!
shareCouldn't disagree with you more on this. This is a wildly entertaining movie about a carefree young man living in an age of hypocrisy. It's one of my favorite films.
share"Worst" is as subjective as "Best."
That is why I just like what I like.
Tom Jones stunk.
It depends on how your values and views shape what you believe. I believe that men can be morally loose and condemned for their flaws, but at the same time there are many other immoral behaviors that people engage in the name of decency (and while being rewarded for it). This film, from the novel, highlights the hypocrisies of a society masquerading as moral, but being anything but moral. So, this movie is definitely not Walt Disney material, but it does cause people think about morality at all levels. That's just my opinion, however.
shareYou obviously are the one with the worst taste in movies, ever to write to this board.
shareSticking to the original topic... Tom Jones, and Best Picture. I really could not disagree more. Honestly, while growing up, all the way until I was about 24 years old, I agreed with you. But with more mature tastes and appreciations, I now consider Tom Jones one of the best of the 60's, and it's admirable the Academy had the courage to stick with it. You have to appreciate broad, farcical comedy for one. For another, it helps to appreciate natural filming of these things. There is no 'storybook' prettiness to this. It looks and feels authentic to the time. I also believe that makes it completely 'fresh'. Most of it looks and feels like something that could be made today. I think Tom Jones is a classic, but can understand how it is not to the taste of many U.S. film-goer tastes.
As for the worst movie to win Best Picture? Look to 1931's Cimarron, 1952's The Greatest Show on Earth, 1994's Forrest Gump, 1995's Braveheart, and 1997's Titanic.
I appreciate your response and it puts me in mind to take another look at it, but to be honest I don't think I'll be changing my opinion of 'Tom Jones' anytime soon. As it happens, I'm not from the US - I'm actually European, and I actually have a new "worst movie ever to win a best film oscar"...'Crash' (2004). 'Tom Jones' I merely dislike, but 'Crash' I genuinely despise. I was truly astonished when this preachy, patronising, sanctimonious, cliched piece of garbage won the oscar for best film in 2006!
shareJust read the entire thread, and think that almost every "Oscar winner" mentioned here in (and there were about 20 of them) is less worthy than Tom Jones. That being said, I would have probably given the award to Hud in '63.
shareThis film was enjoyable and well made.
How about American Beauty (can't stand the smarmy Kevin Spacey) or The English Patient (or, as I call it, the Endless Patient) as worst Best Picture ever awarded. Come to think of it, Shakespeare in Love was pretty bad too, once again the Academy members being pretentious for a mediocre movie.
They were thinking, "Let's be inspired for a change".
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Have just seen Tom Jones and it was so miserable, really. In fact, surpassed only by Chariots of Fire, the world's worst movie ever .. Is it very difficult to see how Tom Jones could win the Oscar for best film without having seen the other nominated, then they should be better ..
http://www.imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=10457669
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There seem to be more detractors than admirers on this site. Quite surprising to me -- especially from "film buffs"! I'm with you on this one. A wonderfully entertaining and creative picture with a unique sense of time and place. Delightful and award-worthy in so MANY ways! . . . Anyone who believes otherwise is "a perfect goat!" (written, of course, with tongue placed firmly in cheek)
shareIt was okay. But I feel it is one of the worst films to have won the Best Picture Oscar. Crash and Gigi were not that great either.
shareI agree. Of the Best Picture winners I've seen, this is by far the worst. It's bad even for a B-movie.
shareBy far, on of the worst. No questions asked.
shareGoes to show one man's tripe is another man's ambrosia. I think it's delightful, creative and totally engaging -- great script, great acting, cinematography, direction, score, and perfect sense of time and place. Well deserving of the accolades it's received. Trend-setter in several ways, too.
shareIt's pretty bad.
sharePerhaps not the worst, but it was awful. Supposed to be comedy? I didn't laugh once and couldn't even finish watching, it was so dull and pointless. I tried again tonight just don't get it, was compelled to say something here. The joke is on the audience, and on the Academy.
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