Academy Awards surprises: five Best Picture films that weren't supposed to win

The Oscar-winning Best Picture has not always been what people expected. Will there be another upset at the Academy Awards this year?

1. Crash (2004)

Sony Pictures/Lorey Sebastian/Newscom
'Crash' won, but many critics felt 'Brokeback Mountain' was clearly the superior film.

With its groundbreaking subject matter, acclaimed performances, and expert directing, “Brokeback Mountain” was expected to easily get the Best Picture win. When “Crash” won instead, accusations of academy homophobia abounded. Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times put it more mildly. He called “Crash” “a feel-good film about racism” that allowed academy members to make a progressive vote without getting out of their comfort zones.

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