#15: Dances With Wolves, 63rd Academy Awards, 1991

Categories: Winner of 7 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director

Best Picture nominees who lost at the 63rd Academy Awards:

• Awakenings
• Ghost
• The Godfather Part III
• Goodfellas

Back in 1990, Dances with Wolves was hailed as a groundbreaking epic, finally shedding light on the often-overlooked story of Indigenous Americans, particularly the Lakota people. However, as time marched on, the film’s once-praised narrative came under fire for its excessive length and what many deemed as a patronizing portrayal of a white savior finding enlightenment through interactions with people of color.

While Dances with Wolves may not be the worst offender in its genre, its reputation suffered from being perceived as director and star Kevin Costner’s personal vanity project. Yet, what truly fuels the disdain of many cinephiles is the belief that its Oscar wins unfairly overshadowed the brilliance of Goodfellas, leaving a bitter taste in the mouths of film enthusiasts.