Winning the Oscar for Best Picture is one of the finest honors a film can receive.

The film from then on is held in high regard and often touted as a “classic.” But not every Best Picture winner deserves such a prestigious award, and oftentimes the film that should have won is robbed of the spotlight. Here are some past films that should have won the Best Picture Oscar.

Year: 2005

Winner: “Crash”

What should have won: “Brokeback Mountain”

In a year of controversial movies, the movie that ruffled the least amount of feathers won. To the academy, “Crash” represented almost everybody. It was a film with just enough story and diversity and was therefore given the win. Had “Brokeback Mountain” won there would have been an uproar over the featured gay couple. The film told a love story between two cowboys, a traditionally masculine role that only added to the controversy of the film as a whole; however, the poorer film was awarded Best Picture rather than the film with superior depth, characters and story.

Year: 1998

Winner: “Shakespeare in Love”

What should have won: “Saving Private Ryan”

Although grand in scope, “Shakespeare in Love” pales in comparison to the epic war drama “Saving Private Ryan.”

The academy is infamous for snubbing comedies, but “Shakespeare” was a comedy that deserved to be snubbed, at least in comparison to arguably one of the greatest war films of our time. Although certainly memorable, “Shakespeare in Love” doesn’t have scenes as incredible as the brutal opening shot of the invasion of Omaha Beach in 1944 Normandy.

Year: 1996

Winner: “The English Patient”

What should have won: “Fargo”

Another example of a good movie that just shouldn’t have won Best Picture is the exceptional yet forgettable “The English Patient.”

“The English Patient” has simply been lost to time. The ’90s were filled with incredibly memorable movies, especially the wondrous Best Picture nominee “Fargo.” “Fargo” is superior in its direction as a dark comedy filled with wit and style. “The English Patient,” while good, was another safe bet for the Academy and was a paint-by-the-numbers war romance, which audiences loved but have since forgotten.

Year: 1964

Winner: “My Fair Lady”

What should have won: “Dr. Strangelove”

It’s difficult to say that the excellent musical “My Fair Lady” is undeserving of its Best Picture nod, but “Dr. Strangelove” is an uproarious comedy that also serves as a statement to the atomic bomb fears that existed during the 1960s.

“Dr. Stranglelove” is example of a political statement that fell on deaf ears during awards season. It’s also an example of a deserving comedy that was wrongfully snubbed by an Academy.

Year: 1941

Winner: “How Green Was My Valley”

What should have won (Obviously; I mean wow are you kidding me?): “Citizen Kane”

This one goes way back, but it’s certainly worth mentioning. “How Green Was My Valley” was prime Oscar bait with a touch of drama and family values. The fact that it took the award from “Citizen Kane” was astounding.

“Citizen Kane” is regarded as one of the greatest films of all time, if not the greatest. It was a labor of love from the tireless Orson Welles, and to this day it finds its way to top of critics’ and audiences’ favorite classic movies lists. “How Green Was My Valley” is now only known as the film that snubbed one of the greatest, something that will remembered in film history for a very long time.