1997

Best Picture Nominees:

As Good as it Gets
The Full Monty
Good Will Hunting
L.A. Confidential
Titanic *

***

As Good As It Gets - A very hammy performance from Jack Nicholson in his unusual relationship with Helen Hunt.  I was particularly excited to see this because Greg Kinnear of Talk Soup had a real role in the film and got a Best Supporting Actor nomination for it.

The Full Monty - A fun film about former steelworkers (but unemployed) who put on a stripper show.  Unusual, but entertaining.

Good Will Hunting - In any other year, this would have been the definitive winner of Best Picture, where a couple of "young" guys write a screenplay of a well-received film, act in it, etc.  It wasn't exactly my cup of tea, but it deserved the nomination.

L.A.  Confidential - Also deserving of the top award, with a strong cast (at the time a lot of mostly unknown - Guy Pearce from "Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" and Russell Crowe).  Other than Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress, this great film lost to the technical and box office juggernaut.

Titanic - The film was a technological marvel, but was a bit of a soap opera in terms of the story.  At the time, I found this movie unworthy of Best Picture, but it has grown on me over time.  In terms of achieving greatness, it did do the trick, especially with the special effects.

***

My ranking of the Best Picture nominees:

1.  L.A. Confidential
2.  Titanic
3.  The Full Monty
4.  Good Will Hunting
5.  As Good as it Gets