"Ghost" and Other Blockbuster Best Pics

Today is the 25th anniversary of Ghost (1990), that wildly successful supernatural-comedy-romance-adventure-whatsit from 1990 which briefly iconized Demi Moore's single teardrop face, revived the popularity of a 1955 song hit, made pottery-wheel lovemaking into a meme (before memes were called that) proved that Patrick Swayze was more than just Dirty Dancing, made the world hate the grandson of legendary movie mogul Samuel Goldwyn, and won Whoopi Goldberg her Oscar, the first acting win for an African American woman since Hattie McDaniel in 1939 (it's since become far more common... at least in Supporting Actress).

Ghost is among the most atypical Best Picture nominees of all time, and one that would never have been nominated without its phenomenal grosses. It ended 1990 as the top global grosser with over half a billion in the bank, though Home Alone, Pretty Woman and Best Picture winner Dances With Wolves were not far behind). 

So here's a quick Oscar talking point about the last, oh, 40 years of Oscar history. Which of these Best Picture nominees, arguably none of which would have been nominated without their blockbuster phenom cred given their genres and non-prestige foundations, is your favorite?

Star Wars (1977)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Fatal Attraction (1987)
The Fugitive (1993)
The Sixth Sense (1999)
District 9 (2009)
The Blind Side (2009)

How do you think Ghost (1990) stacks up to that list? None of them actually won Hollywood's top prize in their year. 

Comments

[Mareko]

I'm tardy for the party but have to chime in. First off:

1. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
2. Star Wars (1977)
3. Fatal Attraction (1987)
4. The Sixth Sense (1999)
5. The Fugitive (1993)
6. Ghost (1990)
7. District 9 (2009)
8. The Blind Side (2009)

1-4 were truly "experiences," if not straight-up epics of their respective genres. 5-8 were, I supporse, enjoyable entertainment but hardly anything more than that.

My dad's favorite movie, still to this day, is Ghost, and he cries *every time*. I'm less charitable about the movie but have to admire its inventiveness (sap notwithstanding) and inspired casting. Swayze has amazing chemistry with both of his co-stars (who couldn't be more different, tonally); Moore really is affecting during her quiet, reflective scenes; and Goldberg created something indelible in Oda Mae Brown.

Fatal Attraction, meanwhile, has all of the earmarks of a potboiler (no pun intended), but damn if it doesn't out misty Play Misty for Me, its obvious template. Majority credit goes to Close, who truly was the best of the lot (and most well remembered) of the 1987 Best Actress crop, which is saying something since Cher and Hunter were iconic as well. (Broadcast News is my pick for Best Picture of 1987.) However, Fatal Attraction really does work as an ensemble, and Adrian Lyne is underrated as an actor's director.

Since someone brought up The Help, that's a film I (re)watch constantly and am continuously amazed at how touching it is after countless viewings and in spite of many, many emotionally manipulative beats. I will go to my grave loving it.