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10 Years Ago — 2008. One year before the Oscars change the Best Picture category to ten nominees, the year of the writers strike.

Slumdog Millionaire *Previous Winner*
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader

2008 Contenders in Hindsight
21, 27 Dresses, Appaloosa, Austrailia, Baby Mama, Be Kind Rewind, Body of Lies, Bolt, Burn After Reading, Cadillac Records, Changeling, Che, City of Ember, Cloverfield, Defiance, Dr. Suess’ Horton Hears a Who!, Doubt, Eagle Eye, Fool’s Gold, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Funny Games, Gran Torino, Hancock, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Iron Man, Kung Fu Panda, Marley & Me, Mamma Mia!, Miracle at St. Anna, Nights in Rodanthe, Pineapple Express, Pride and Glory, Punisher: War Zone, Quantum of Solace, Rambo, Revolutionary Road, RocknRolla, Role Models, Semi-Pro, Seven Pounds, Son of Rambow, Speed Racer, Step Brothers, Stop-Loss, Street Kings, Teeth, The Bank Job, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, The Dark Knight, The Day the Earth Stood Still, The Duchess, The Express, The House Bunny, The Other Boleyn Girl, The Ruins, The Strangers, The Women, The Wrestler, Transporter 3, Tropic Thunder, Twilight, Valkyrie, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, W., Wall-E, Wanted, Yes Man, Zack and Miri Make a Porno

You would think, 10 years after the fiasco of 1998, that the Oscars would’ve righted the ship, but you would be wrong. 2008 proved to be yet another of the more controversial years in Oscar history. The Academy’s list of five nominees was uninspired at best, featuring perfectly decent films that were nowhere near the best of those involved. Slumdog Millionaire allowed Danny Boyle some mainstream success, opening the door for his Oscar. Likewise, David Fincher softened his usual hard approach with The Curious Case of Benjamin Button to acclaim. Milk, The Reader, and Frost/Nixon, however, have practically disappeared from the conversation. None of those films can even stand as the best work of their respective casts or crew.

2008 also served as a benchmark in film for other reasons. The Dark Knight was completely left out of contention, and was a major factor in motivating the Academy to change their Best Picture nominee number from five to ten (although it would move to an idiotic ‘between 5 and ten’ system a few years later). The impact of The Dark Knight was felt throughout the industry, but that year also saw films such as Iron Man, Cloverfield, and Wall-E raise the benchmarks on what genre filmmaking could be.

Therefore, with the advantage of hindsight and an interest in genre diversity, we’ve selected the follow 10 films as our 2008 Hindsight Best Picture nominees.

Cloverfield. One of the best found-footage genre films ever made, Cloverfield serves as a launching point for not only J.J. Abrams as a top level producer, but also Matt Reeves as one of the best hands in genre filmmaking. Its ‘secret movie’ aspect kept people guessing, and was a genuine surprise when it was release. Cloverfield change the way people looked at movies during their marketing, making us more attentive to the details.

Iron Man. Responsible for shaping the blockbuster landscape as much, if not more than The Dark Knight. Marvel took several chances to get this (At the time) 2nd rate hero to the big screen. Downey Jr. is an iconic stroke of casting genius as Tony Stark, and Jon Favreau built a look and feel for the film that transitioned to the entirety of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Simply put, this is the film that started it all.

Mamma Mia! One of the most popular musicals of the times, Mamma Mia! managed to put together a gigantic cast of A-List talent and go on to be one of the biggest films at the box office in 2008. Sure, it’s not the BEST musical to come out, but I’m willing to give the benefit to any move that let’s Meryl Streep have fun. Let’s be honest with ourselves, the songs are catchy as hell and the movie is gorgeous.

Slumdog Millionaire. This was Danny Boyle’s big swing at Oscar gold, and it worked out wonderfully. A powerful, emotional tale that somehow managed to involve Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, it’s a classic rags-to-riches story that managed to catch the attention of the world, grossing nearly $400 million. It brought home 8 Oscars, tying it with 7 other films for the 5th most Oscars for a given film.

Speed Racer. Perhaps one of the most underrated films of the past decade, Speed Racer is a visual kaleidoscope of kinetic action delivered by The Wachowskis. A film that has found new life post-release, many agree that it’s the Wachowski’s best film after The Matrix. It features a number of breathtaking, colorful action sequences, fun performances from a strong cast, and is also 100% kid friendly!

Step Brothers. One of the all-time comedies from Adam McKay and Will Ferrell serves up laughs at a borderline alarming rate. Ask anyone and they’ll be able to quote at least one line from the film. From building a bunk bead, to teabagging a drum set, to the f*cking Catalina Wine Mixer, Step Brothers features everyone involved at the top of their comedic game in a film whose worst scenes would be the funniest in other movies.

The Dark Knight. What else can be said about it that hasn’t already been said? It’s the greatest comic book adaptation of all time. It features a serious director and serious actors taking on the subject of superheroes in a fascinating way. It features performances that shake the pillars of acting to this day. Not only that, but it became only the second film at the time to make more than $500 million at the US box office and involved one of the greatest viral marketing campaigns of all time.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. What a unique film this turned out to be. David Fincher has never been accused of being the warmest director, oftentimes making films that are cynical and cold be nature. Needless to say, him tackling a romantic fantasy film feels like the oddest possible fit, but it turned out to be a charming, whimsical film that still has all the technical precision of Fincher’s previous works.

Tropic Thunder. A murderers row of comedic talent takes on not only war films but also the film industry itself in this brutally funny, satirical action comedy. Ben Stiller has perhaps never directed a better film, and Robert Downey Jr. pulls out all the stops playing an Australian who is playing a black man. Special shout out goes to Tom Cruise for being the least Tom Cruise-like ever. Some of the deepest digs at Hollywood still ring true today, particularly the nature of virtuoso filmmaking and the all-to-real fake trailers played at the start.

Wall-E. One of the benchmarks of Pixar filmmaking, Wall-E served as a bit of an experiment for the studio. Featuring large sections that are dialogue-free, it serves as an amazing platform for two robotic main characters to play out a bewildering, beautiful love story. With its themes of pollution, technology, religion and humanity aided by its delightful machine characters, Wall-E still stands as one of the standards of animated storytelling.

2008 Hindsight Best Picture Nominees
Cloverfield
Iron Man
Mamma Mia!
Slumdog Millionaire
Speed Racer
Step Brothers
The Dark Knight
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Tropic Thunder
Wall-E

Click Below to Vote for 2008’s Hindsight Best Picture

Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire *Previous Winner*
David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
Gus Van Sant, Milk
Stephen Daldry, The Reader

2008 Contenders in Hindsight
Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight, Jon Favreau, Iron Man, The Wachowskis, Speed Racer, Andrew Stanton, Wall-E, Phillida Lloyd, Mamma Mia!, Adam McKay, Step Brothers, David Gordon Green, Pineapple Express, Ben Stiller, Tropic Thunder, Woody Allen, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Clint Eastwood, Changeling, Matt Reeves, Cloverfield, Baz Luhrmann, Austrailia, Steven Soderbergh, Che, John Patrick Shanley, Doubt, Darren Aronosfsky, The Wrestler

Much like the Best Picture contenders, 2008 was a strange year for directors as well. The nominees are, in hindsight, incredibly boring and predictable, featuring films that are nowhere near their best work.

Danny Boyle and David Fincher deserve credits for trying new genres and approaches; taking their filmmaking skills and applying them in ways they hadn’t done before. But Howard, Van Sant, and Daldry are absolutely miserable choices in hindsight. Their films, while effective for many, just don’t resonate with cinema history.

That leaves us with three spots to fill, two of which are going to the directors of the two comic book adaptations that quite literally, for better or worse, changed the landscape of popular filmmaking. Jon Favreau helped create and usher in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with his vibrant, energetic take on Iron Man, and Christopher Nolan created a borderline masterpiece of crime and chaos with The Dark Knight.

Are last slot goes to The Wachowskis, under-appreciated and under recognized masters of genre craft. They didn’t get their due with The Matrix when it came out, and they once again pushed the boundaries of what could be done with a visual medium with Speed Racer.

2008 Hindsight Best Director
Jon Favreau, Iron Man
Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
The Wachowskis, Speed Racer
Adam McKay, Step Brothers
Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight

Click Below to Vote for 2008’s Hindsight Best Director

Sean Penn, Milk *Previous Winner*
Richard Jenkins, The Visitor
Frank Langelia, Frost/Nixon
Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler

2008 Contenders in Hindsight
Clint Eastwood, Gran Torino, Leonardo DiCaprio, Revolutionary Road, Colin Farrell, In Bruges, Javier Bardem, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, James Franco, Pineapple Express, Brendan Gleeson, In Bruges, Dustin Hoffman, Last Chance Harvey, Jason Statham, The Bank Job, Jason Segal, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Robert Downey Jr, Iron Man, Chiwetel Ejiofer, Redbelt, Christian Bale, The Dark Knight, Will Ferrell, Step Brothers, Seth Rogan, Pineapple Express, George Clooney, Burn After Reading, Viggo Mortensen, Appaloosa, Josh Brolin, W., Daniel Craig, Quantum of Solace, Hugh Jackman, Australia, Ralph Fiennes, The Reader, Benicio del Toro, Che, Jim Carrey, Yes Man

The trend of ‘just pretty okay’ continues into the Actor category, with a series of dramatic performances being highlighted in a category that seemingly has had most of its nominees long forgotten for better projects.

Sean Penn has always, inexplicably, been awarded for overacting in his films, and although Milk does mark as a social important film in history, his performance is yet another in a long line of Penn performances that doesn’t hold up. Frank Langelia pulled his nomination by being a veteran Hollywood actor looking to finally cash in after a long career, and Richard Jenkins has gone on to be in more memorable films as Hollywood’s premiere THAT GUY.

Only two remain that get carried over, Brad Pitt and Mickey Rourke. Rourke presented career best work in The Wrestler, allowing our history of him as an actor to permeate the pain that he exudes in the film. Brad Pitt likewise took on the challenge of playing a character at nearly all points of his life in the fantasy drama.

Because the Hindsight Awards trend towards flashier, iconic performances as well as recognizing other genres of film, our three replacements include one superhero, one darkly comedic performance, and one manic comedic performance.

Both Colin Farrell and Will Ferrell (no relation) turned in uniquely comic performances in 2008. Will was absolutely unhinged in Step Brothers while Colin displayed an amazing knack for comedic chops that he should be allowed to explore more often. The last spot goes to Robert Downey, Jr., who you’ll see later on as well. His portrayal of Tony Stark has become the benchmark for superhero characters, and is still incredibly relevant and active today.

2008 Hindsight Best Actor Nominees
Colin Farrell, In Bruges
Robert Downey, Jr., Iron Man
Will Ferrell, Step Brothers
Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler

Click Below to Vote for 2008’s Hindsight Best Actor

Kate Winslet, The Reader *Previous Winner*
Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie, Changeling
Melissa Leo, Frozen River
Meryl Streep, Doubt

2008 Contenders in Hindsight
Kate Beckinsale, Nothing but the Truth, Cate Blanchett, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Kirstin Scott Thomas, I’ve Loved You So Long, Charlize Theron, Hancock, Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky, Scarlett Johansson, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Rebecca Hall, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Frances McDormand, Burn After Reading, Meryl Streep, Mamma Mia!, Emma Thompson, Last Chance Harvey, Kristen Stewart, Twlight, Keira Knightley, The Duchess, Angelina Jolie, Wanted, Sarah Jessica Parker, Sex and the City, Diane Lane, Nights in Rodanthe, Christina Ricci, Penelope, Natalie Portman, The Other Boleyn Girl, Anna Faris, The House Bunny, Liv Tyler, The Incredible Hulk, Naomi Watts, Funny Games, Kat Dennings, Nick & Nora’s Infinite Playlist, Tina Fey, Baby Mama, Amy Poehler, Baby Mama, Rosario Dawson, Seven Pounds, Nicole Kidman, Australia, Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road

I ask you, the reader, a question. Is anyone talking about any of these movies or their performances 10 years later? Still, there are some milestones to be celebrated, such as the recognition of Anne Hathaway and finally awarding Kate Winslet despite it not being her most memorable performance. Streep, Jolie, and Leo have all done better.

Oddly enough, Streep is getting replaced with Streep. Mamma Mia! Was and is a full-blown phenomenon, and seeing Streep actually have fun on film is still refreshing!

From a weak selection evident by the lack of truly great female roles in Hollywood, we’re choosing to put in Frances McDormand for playing against type in Burn After Reading, and giving some love to Cate Blanchett, who was a charming and warm presence in Benjamin Button.

2008 Hindsight Best Actress Nominees
Frances McDormand, Burn After Reading
Meryl Streep, Mamma Mia!
Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Cate Blanchett, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Kate Winslet, The Reader

Click Below to Vote for 2008’s Hindsight Best Actress

Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight *Previous Winner*
Josh Brolin, Milk
Robert Downey Jr, Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road

2008 Contenders in Hindsight
Tom Cruise, Tropic Thunder, Ralph Fiennes, The Duchess, Dev Patel, Slumdog Millionaire, Michael Pitt, Funny Games, Russell Brand, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, John Goodman, Speed Racer, John C. Reilly, Step Brothers, Gary Oldman, The Dark Knight, Michael Caine, The Dark Knight, Aaron Eckhart, The Dark Knight, Danny McBride, Pineapple Express, Brad Pitt, Burn After Reading, John Malkovich, Burn After Reading, Ed Harris, Appaloosa, James Franco, Milk

Everyone else is in second place. Simply put, I don’t think that we could put anyone in here that would have a shot at beating Heath Ledger and his absolutely legendary, eternal portrayal of The Joker in The Dark Knight.

But we feel like recognizing some unrecognized greatness anyway. Josh Brolin and Philip Seymour Hoffman have been recognized for much better performances, although losing Brolin is a tough beat.

We’re supping in two fantastic comedic performances in John C. Reilly and Tom Cruise. Reilly, one of our finest character actors, shows his all-around greatness by going toe-to-toe with Will Ferrell, some might even say he won that movie. Finally, one of the biggest knocks against Tom Cruise is that it feels like he’s just playing himself in his movies. That is categorically untrue for his insane performance as the overweight, foul-mouthed studio exec Les Grossman.

But we know who deserves the win. This is one of the few times where The Academy gets it 100% right, hindsight and all.

2008 Hindsight Best Supporting Actor Nominees
Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road
John C. Reilly, Step Brothers
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Robert Downey, Jr., Tropic Thunder
Tom Cruise, Tropic Thunder

Click Below to Vote for 2008’s Hindsight Best Supporting Actor

Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona *Previous Winner*
Amy Adams, Doubt
Viola Davis, Doubt
Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler

2008 Contenders in Hindsight
Kirsten Bell, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Mila Kunis, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Gwyneth Paltrow, Iron Man, Maggie Gyllenhaal, The Dark Knight, Katheryn Hahn, Step Brothers, Renee Zellweger, Appaloosa, Vera Farmiga, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Freida Pinto, Slumdog Millionaire

The Supporting Actress field in 2008 is one of the weakest in recent memory. Aside from Marisa Tomei proving her Oscar from long ago wasn’t a fluke and Penelope Cruz charming everyone in a Woody Allen film, everything else has washed away.

While I hate taking awards away from Viola Davis, Amy Adams, and Taraji P. Henson, I want to mix things up. They’ve all done amazing work beyond these nominations.

Freida Pinto is absolutely excellent in Slumdog Millionaire, but The Academy didn’t give her a spot. Likewise, Gwyneth Paltrow created another memorable character in the MCU, able to go up against Robert Downey Jr. in most of her scenes and hold her own. Lastly, in one of the most underrated comedic performances maybe ever, Katheryn Hahn is hilarious every second she’s on the screen in Step Brothers, so she gets the nod.

2008 Hindsight Best Supporting Actress Nominees
Gwyneth Paltrow, Iron Man
Freida Pinto, Slumdog Millionare
Katheryn Hahn, Step Brothers
Marissa Tomei, The Wrestler
Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Click Below to Vote for 2008’s Hindsight Best Supporting Actress

Agree? Disagree? Got your own picks in hindsight? Don’t forget to join the discussion with The Popcorn Diet, a podcast for those who live on a steady diet of movie theater popcorn and other movie snacks! Like, rate, & subscribe now oniTunes, Stitcher, SoundCloud, Google Play, TuneIn, or wherever you listen to podcasts and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!