Braveheart (1995)

Directed by Mel Gibson

Starring Mel Gibson, Sophie Marceau, Brendan Gleeson, Patrick McGoohan, Angus Macfadyen, Peter Hanly, Ian Bannen, and David O'Hara

The status of this one as a classic baffles me. It's basically a two and half hour male fantasy, as manly men run around, brutally kill people, and have sex with beautiful princesses whose husbands are sissies. If that's the kind of thing that appeals to you, than this is the ideal movie. Anyone interested in an ounce of nuance or some kind of three-dimensional character may need to look elsewhere for a worthwhile night at the movies. However, the Academy seemed to disagree with me, and in a weak year, this took home the statue.

Other nominees: Apollo 13 (Ron Howard), Babe (Chris Noonan), The Postman (Michael Radford), and Sense and Sensibility (Ang Lee)