ROTTEN TOMATOES: Best of the Best Pictures: Where Does Slumdog Fit In?

Best of the Best Pictures: Where Does Slumdog Fit In?

RT counts down every Best Picture winner, from worst-reviewed to best.

by Tim Ryan | February 23, 2009

Slumdog Millionaire took home eight Oscars at last night's Academy Awards, including Best Picture. But how does Danny Boyle's film fare against all the Best Pictures in Oscar history?

Pretty well, actually. With its 94 percent Tomatometer (and within our Bayesian formula), Slumdog is the 31st best-reviewed Best Picture of all time; it's a notch below My Fair Lady and three slots behind last year's victor No Country for Old Men but ahead of such noteworthy recent winners as The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (at number 32), The Departed (number 34) and Million Dollar Baby (number 40).

Click here for the complete list, and take a stroll through Oscar history; we've compiled every winner from Wings to Slumdog. Where do your favorites rank? Check out Best of the Best Pictures to find out!

(1-20 of 33 posts) | Reply

Ace69 writes:
on Feb 23 2009 05:43 PM

*shakes head*-_______-......>______

(Reply to this)

shane f. writes:
on Feb 23 2009 05:57 PM

Slumdog shouldn't be mentioned in the same breath as most of those great pictures.

(Reply to this)

Sam R. writes:
on Feb 23 2009 06:30 PM

If we're going by tomato ratings, the Wrestler should have been best picture. It got 98%, yet wasn't even nominated. Meanwhile the Reader only had a 60% rating. The Wrestler just got screwed overall, Springsteen's song got snubbed, Mickey didn't even get best actor, which he completely deserved.

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-Cochise- writes:
on Feb 23 2009 06:41 PM

Bahh, I should of expected Slumdog to win so many awards. It appeals to the general movie audience much more than any other movie. Just a good heart warming story. Usually movies like that never even get nominated, but when you add Danny Boyle's crazy direction I guess you get an instant Oscar.

But back to this article, if anyone says Slumdog Millionaire was better than the Departed I will find you and punch you in the face.

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VizMarkie writes:
on Feb 23 2009 06:41 PM

Quite frankly, I'm a little upset with this constant advocacy for progressiveness that I see at the oscars. Slumdog Millionaire, for instance, is a great film, but won in several categories "just because." For instance, the best song, which was absolutely terrible! Springsteen did get snubbed, naturally, because the academy wants to show their appreciation for diversity, and blah blah blah. Penn got the best actor, which I will accept, but I agree with you Sam, Rourke was the one who deserved it. Once again, just an example of the academy showing that they are accepting of homosexuals, and want to convey that message by supporting Penn's role with an oscar. I'm tired of it, and I think the Globe's got more right than the oscars this year, for sure. And just as a side not, no offense to Heath Ledger, because I adored his performance as the joker, and I was truly touched when he won ... but Downey Jr. was far and away the best supporting actor in all films released this past year.

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tomwaitsjr writes:
on Feb 23 2009 07:04 PM

Sam R.,

I couldn't have said it better myself. So true.

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shane f. writes:
on Feb 23 2009 07:06 PM

Agree. Ledger was great as The Joker, but I think playing wacky, unusual characters is much easier than playing a real life character with major issues (well).

It was a little unfair too to the other nominees for best supporting actor. They were in a no-win situation in regards to Ledger.There are many actors who could play The Joker well and be 'way out there' with Nolan at the helm.

Penn is a great actor but Rourke was robbed... and as someone said on this site, we were all robbed of a great acceptance speech from Ram Jam.

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pinkincide writes:
on Feb 23 2009 07:08 PM

Slumdog was a serious movie about brutal realities until the director plastered it over with a big, fake smiley face. People calling it a "feel good" movie have chosen to buy the smiley face, and to forget the sizzling eye sockets of children. The love story was ridiculously underdeveloped. The contest was contrived to the point of not even following the rules of "Millionaire". The 8 Oscars is a joke--just a way for Hollywood to show the world how cosmopolitan they are by choosing a foreign film.

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The Vile writes:
on Feb 23 2009 07:25 PM

I liked when Penn said, "Homo"...

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casey m. writes:
on Feb 23 2009 07:35 PM

C'mon, now that Slumdog has gotten all the awards and is narrowing in a crossing a hundred mill, now people want to slam it? If this movie didn't get the attention it did, it would have become a hip cult classic, but now that it's found the audience, whoa, can't like that movie anymore. Danny Boyle's put more than enough time to earn the praise he's received for putting together a great movie. Granted, a few other films deserved other awards, but best picture, director, and adapted screenplay belonged to Slumdog.

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dylan m. writes:
on Feb 23 2009 08:11 PM

HEY!!! Who says the acedemy ACTUALLY rewards deserving movies?? Seriously, in the world today, the academy is GOD, BUT = GOD is all knowing, all powerful, and omnipotent...The academy is everything BUT... they only give accolades to all the movies, actors/actresses they NEED to!! It is about making or remaking actors, film makers careers..Shouldn't films get MORE important?? More poingnant???? AND, sorry folks, where the HELL was GRAN TORINO??? What?? Too many racial slurrs??? That was the point!! I liked gran better than the movies Clint WON awards for!!!! People, the OSCARS mean NOTHING!!! The oscars LET DOWN every year!!!! Hugh Jackman Host?? Seriously!!! This guy has NEVER been in a film!!! He stars in crap!!!

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shane f. writes:
on Feb 23 2009 08:40 PM

Loved the Japanese film (Okuribito) and the French one (The Class).

But I can't understand why that Swedish film (which won many awards in Sweden) wasn't even nominated in the Foreign section? Amazing!

"Let The Right One In" was one of the best films I saw last year.

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ledawg1138 writes:
on Feb 23 2009 09:06 PM

LOTR should be number 1! Not 32! And "Forrest Gump" should be in the top ten. "An American in Paris" in the top ten? Please, give me a break.

Best Best Picture Winner (That I've seen): The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Worst Best Picture Winner (That I've seen): Chicago

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LinoBrocka writes:
on Feb 23 2009 09:06 PM

The only person who really got robbed was Mickey Rourke.
Slumdog is a great film and I'm glad it beat out Button.

I wish Ledger was alive so that there would be a real Best Supporting Actor race. It would've been a toss up betwen Ledger, Downey Jr. and the amazing Josh Brolin.

By the way, I thought In Bruges had a much better script than Milk.

Remember the Oscar Race of '94?
Check this out:

http://dacouchtomato.blogspot.com/2009/02/celebrating-15th-anniversary-of-great.html

(Reply to this)

dethburger writes:
on Feb 23 2009 09:14 PM

I've watched the Academy Awards every year since 1975. This year will be my last. Slumdog wasn't even Boyle's best film and was hella contrived. Rourke was robbed as was Wall-E. For what it's worth, the best picture wasn't even in the running. In Bruges and The Wrestler were the years best films.

The Oscars just became The Grammys.

Nothing but a waste of time.

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TheCaptain of TeamLoyalty writes:
on Feb 23 2009 09:22 PM

Isnt it funny that the three highest rated movies, WallE, Dark Knight, and Iron Man were not nominated for best picture.

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ledawg1138 writes:
on Feb 23 2009 10:07 PM

In reply to this comment (#2340040)
Serena S., anything to add to the conversation?

(Reply to this)

ngdale27 writes:
on Feb 23 2009 11:51 PM

Let's face it: The biggest contribution made to Slumdog Millionaire's meteroic rise to success was by the terrorists who perpetrated the massacre in Bombay last November. Hollywood loves to vote with its heart, certainly not a critical eye.

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ngdale27 writes:
on Feb 23 2009 11:56 PM

In reply to this comment (#2339992)
Spot on. I haven't taken the Oscars seriously since The Hours and The Pianist were beaten by that cinematic garbage can called Chicago in 2003.

(Reply to this)

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