Crash director Paul Haggis and producer Kathy Shulman celebrate their win

First presented on May 16, 1929, the Academy Awards were in large part established to give prestige to an industry condemned as sordid by religious and elected officials nationwide. However, as this list reveals, their actual cachet is sometimes…questionable. As ranked by our contributors, it’s a list of the worst “Best Picture” Oscar® winners of all-time.

1. Crash Paul Haggis, 2005
2. Slumdog Millionaire Danny Boyle, 2008
3. Chicago Rob Marshall, 2002
4. Forrest Gump Robert Zemeckis, 1994
5. A Beautiful Mind Ron Howard, 2001
6. Gladiator Ridley Scott, 2000
7. American Beauty Sam Mendes, 1999
8. Shakespeare in Love John Madden, 1998
9. Braveheart Mel Gibson, 1995
10. Titanic James Cameron, 1997
11. Driving Miss Daisy Bruce Beresford, 1989
12. Dances with Wolves Kevin Costner, 1990
13. The Greatest Show on Earth Cecil B. DeMille, 1952
14. The King’s Speech Tom Hooper, 2010
15. The English Patient Anthony Minghella, 1996
16. Amadeus Milos Forman, 1984
17. Around the World in 80 Days Michael Anderson, 1956
18. Chariots of Fire Hugh Hudson, 1981
19. Gandhi Richard Attenborough, 1982
20. Mrs. Miniver William Wyler, 1942

Poll Participants: Thom Andersen, Geoff Andrew, Nico Baumbach, Michael Chaiken, Richard Combs, David Edelstein, David Ehrenstein, Jesse P. Finnegan, Scott Foundas, Marco Grosoli, Haden Guest, Matthew Hubbell, Harlan Jacobson, Kent Jones, Laura Kern, Michael Koresky, Olaf Möller, Mark Olsen, Nicolas Rapold, Jonathan Robbins, Gavin Smith, Manuel Yáñez-Murillo