The winner of the Oscar for best picture is always controversial.
In fact, several Oscar films that were once celebrated would be considered problematic today.
Our society is evolving, and thats a good thing.
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In some cases, they were controversial at the time and still went on to win regardless.
But if you were to watch them today, you might leave with a sour aftertaste.
Below, 11 Oscar films that are considered problematic today.
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Among the winners was Hattie McDaniel, who became the first Black woman ever to win an Oscar.
He himself denies the allegations, but the 2021 documentaryAllen v Farrowshows private footage that heavily incriminates Allen.
Against this background, theres an undercurrent to his films that makes them uncomfortable to watch in hindsight.
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See:Annie Hall, Manhattan,etc.
That said, good intentions arent necessarily effective if theyre being received differently by the audience.
(Pulp Fictionwas also nominated for an Oscar in the same year.)
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The portrayal of Jenny, played by Robin Wright, has received the most attention in 2025.
The real-life Gibson is not somebody to root for, however.
Since then, the film has been repeatedly criticized for its portrayal of male lust.
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He begins to fantasize about the young woman and even approaches the teenager in real life.
Spacey also fell into disrepute when allegations of sexual violence arose in 2017.
Spacey denies any allegations.
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In 2018, he was finally barred from membership by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Oscars 2005:Crash
In 2005,Crashwas widely celebrated by the Academy.
The film earned a total of six nominations and three Oscars, including Best Picture.
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One of those patients is Rayon, who holds up a mirror to the homophobic Ron.
On top of all that, shes addressed with male pronouns throughout the film.
Good representation for trans people looks different than this, simply put.
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The film was a commercial and critical success, and took awards season by storm.
But looking back, its hardly as progressive as it pretends to be.
Meanwhile, the real-life son of Tony Lip was an executive producer ofGreen Book.
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A version of this article was previously published inGlamourGermany.
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Photo Credit: Patti Perret
