I love Oscar, but he is an imperfect beast. Frankly, he often makes the wrong call. This is my list for the 10 biggest mistakes they have made through the years in handing out the statuette for picture:

10. Titanic over L.A. Confidential (1997)–Honestly, I got caught up in the hoopla just like everybody else. The movie that could have sank, instead floated on an Oscar tidal wave. But it was the adaptation of James Ellroy’s novel that stands the test of time. It is deeply reminiscent of the hard-boiled detective stories of yesteryear, full of layers of intrigue and mystery.

9. Dances With Wolves over Goodfellas (1990)–The Academy’s dismissal of Scorcese’s work has been going on for almost three full decades. There is no more glaring oversight than this one. Sure, this was the first of Costner’s overblown ego projects and we didn’t fully realize where that would end up. But come on. If you have both DVD’s in your hands right now, which one are you putting in? I thought so.

8. Lawrence of Arabia over To Kill A Mockingbird (1962)–Don’t get me wrong, Lawrence is a great film but it has none of the epochal virtue of Mockingbird. The adaptation of Harper Lee’s novel signified the beginning of a seismic shift in American culture.

7. Gladiator over Traffic (2000)–Sure, Crowe’s Maximus brings out the inner warrior in each of us. I get that. But Soderburgh weaves a complicated and intricate web of seemingly unrelated stories on the drug war in America that sends the viewer reeling. Seeking dialogue over resolution this is one of the important films of the 21st century. Oscar missed that.

6. Going My Way over Double Indemnity (1944)–Bing Crosby as a priest? No thanks. The definitive film noir? Yes, please.

5. Driving Miss Daisy over every other nominated picture (1989) This year brought us the following nominees: Born on the Fourth of July, Dead Poets Society, Field of Dreams and My Left Foot. There is no defense or excuse for this bone-headed of a pick. It’s the academy’s version of the BCS.

4. All About Eve over Sunset Boulevard (1950)–Both movies explore the theme of aging stars. Bette Davis and, especially, Anne Baxter are phenomenal in Eve. However, it is Gloria Swanson’s frightening, yet moving, portrayal of Norma Desmond that has become a cinematic touchstone.

3. A Beautiful Mind over Lord of the Rings (2001)–How many people did Russell Crowe have to threaten to throw a telephone at to score this upset? Peter Jackson created one of the most amazing visual feasts in cinematic history with a story that many thought was unfilmable. Sure, he was rewarded for the first entry, but he lost here to a joke of a movie.

2. How Green Was My Valley over Citizen Kane (1941)–Sure, Orson Welles had ticked off too many powerful people in the making of this film. And, granted, the Academy made many missteps during the World War 2 years. But this is one of the greatest crimes in its history. I’m not usually given to the build-up of hype over Kane and its overblown melodrama. But it is one of the greatest films ever made. How Green Was My Valley was not.

1. Forrest Gump over The Shawshank Redemption (1994)–Gump, and Hank’s cloying portrayal, make me want to hurl myself under a bus. The fact that this insufferable 2 and a half hour mess of a film beat out one of the true great depictions of redemption ever captured on celluloid is the greatest misstep in the Academy’s history. Treacle, I have met thee, and thy name is Forrest Gump.

Your thoughts or suggestions?