Tom Jones (1963)

Directed by Tony Richardson

Starring Albert Finnney, Susannah York, Hugh Griffith, Edith Evans, Joan Greenwood, Diane Cilento, George Devine, David Tomlinson, Julian Glover, Peter Bull, Wilfrid Lawson, Lynn Redgrave, Jack MacGowran, Joyce Redman, and David Warner

I think that the best word to describe this one would be "lusty." Chock-full of absurb characters trying to have sex with one another, this is a delightful film, and it's too bad that this is one of the least-seen Best Pictures. The Academy seemed to be more light-hearted in the 1960s, frequently honoring musicals and this bawdy comedy. Finney is very funny as the title character, and is ably supported by his co-stars, as evidenced by the film's three nominations for Best Supporting Actress (Evans, Cilento, and Redman, but all lost to Margaret Rutherford for The V.I.P.s). This film should be looked at as a victory for smaller films, as it was limited in scope, but still defeated Cleopatra and How the West Was Won, two of the most opulent epics Hollywood had ever produced. While it's not among the best of the winners of Oscar's top prize, it's still a film that should be checked out by anyone who loves to laugh.

Other nominees: America, America (Elia Kazan), Cleopatra (Joseph L. Mankiewicz, Rouben Mamoulian, and Darryl F. Zanuck), How the West Was Won (John Ford, Henry Hathaway, George Marshall, and Richard Thorpe), and Lilies of the Field (Ralph Nelson)