I Wish Mystic River Beat Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King For Best Picture. Here's Why

Back in 2021, I wrote about the 10 greatest movies to win Best Picture, and I put The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King on that list.

And, look, I’m not changing my opinion. When looking back at every movie that’s won Best Picture, I think the third LOTR film (the best LOTR film) is one of the greatest movies to ever win the coveted title. But, BE THAT AS IT MAY, I actually wish that Clint Eastwood’s Mystic River won the Best Picture Oscar in 2004.

How, right? I just said that I think The Return of the King is one of the 10 greatest movies to ever win Best Picture. So, how then can I make a bold statement saying I wish Mystic River won instead? Well…

Flat Out, I Think Mystic River Is A Better Movie Than The Return Of The King

Unlike the Hobbit movies, I think the Lord of the Rings trilogy holds up quite well. The special effects are still quite arresting, and since it’s my wife’s comfort series, I must have watched the trilogy at least 10 times now.

Even so, similar to how I view the first Rocky movie as more of a popcorn flick than prestige cinema, I kind of feel the same way about the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Because look, I remember when these movies first came out and the fervor that surrounded them. These weren’t just “silly” fantasy movies like Willow, or Labyrinth. No, this was a fantasy series that took itself seriously, so of course the final film deserved to be awarded the highest prize. However, is it really better than Mystic River? I honestly don’t think so.

Based on a Dennis Lehane novel (just like Gone Baby Gone, which is one of Ben Affleck’s best-directed movies), Mystic River is a neo-noir mystery crime drama, and one of the best in the medium. The story concerns three former childhood friends named Jimmy (Sean Penn), Dave (Tim Robbins), and Sean (Kevin Bacon) who are at odds with one another once Jimmy’s daughter is murdered. Bacon plays a detective, while Penn plays an ex-con. Robbins is the last person to see Jimmy’s daughter alive, which makes him a prime suspect in Jimmy’s eyes.

However, the plot is so twisty! Dave experienced trauma as a kid, and isn’t seen as right in the head. Jimmy thinks Dave killed his daughter, and he launches his own investigation, which conflicts with Sean’s. But, the film is shocking, and so well-paced, that I genuinely think it’s better than The Return of the King. It’s a masterpiece.

I Also Think The Return Of The King Was Awarded For The Whole Trilogy

Once again, you kind of had to be there, but anybody with eyes could tell you that The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King dominated the 2004 Academy Awards with a staggering 11 trophies, because it only won technical awards for the trilogy’s previous two films, The Fellowship of the Ring, and The Two Towers.

To me, this feels like an unfair reward for two previous snubs. I mean, at the time, I was all for The Return of the King getting all the awards and accolades in the world. As a long-time Peter Jackson fan, I wanted him to win just like everybody else. I actually thought that Fellowship and Two Towers should have also won Best Picture (Fellowship, especially), and I was okay, at the time, with Return of the King reaping the rewards that its successors didn't receive.

But today, I'm not so keen about that, since, as I mentioned earlier, I prefer Mystic River. Just because A Beautiful Mind beat Fellowship and Chicago (the last musical that won Best Picture) beat The Two Towers, that doesn’t mean that Mystic River should have lost just because the Academy wanted to award the whole trilogy's achievements.

I think that’s kind of messed up, actually. But, there's another reason why I don't think The Return of the King should have won.

Mystic River Feels More Like A Best Picture Winner Than The Return Of The King

Call me an elitist if you like, but I've never thought that Return of the King felt like a Best Picture movie. But, don't blame ME for this. The Academy has conditioned me to feel this way. Let me explain.

Genre movies, for the most part, DO NOT WIN BEST PICTURE. Yes, The Silence of the Lambs won, and that's technically a horror movie, and Everything Everywhere All At Once won and that's technically a sci-fi action movie, but note how I keep saying “technically.” If anything, I feel like Everything is more of a mash-up of genres, and Lambs is often considered a “thriller.” But, if it were up to me, movies like Godzilla Minus One (which wasn't even nominated for Best Picture), The Dark Knight (also not nominated), and Star Wars (which was nominated, but lost to Annie Hall) should have all won Best Picture, but they didn't. However, Return of the King did, which still feels quite bizarre to me.

Because the Academy has been so reluctant to award a pure sci-fi, animated, or martial arts movie as Best Picture, Return of the King just doesn't feel right to me, given the history. It's the same reason why I predict that a great movie like One Battle After Another, will beat an arguably even better movie like Sinners. The Academy just doesn't seem to want to award genre pictures.

Mystic River, though? Now THAT'S an Oscar winner if there ever was one. It just feels more like a movie that would win Best Picture, and I'm always shocked to remember that it didn't.

In The End, The Return Of The King Is The More Historic Win, But I Still Think Mystic River Should Have Won

As I mentioned earlier, I think Mystic River is the better movie, but it took me a while to come to this conclusion. In fact, I never just watch Return of the King by itself. I only watch it if I'm going to watch the whole trilogy, which again, I think is a crowning achievement in cinema, and a magnificent series of films.

But, that's just it. I view it as a series of films. Mystic River, however, works all by itself, and gets better with every viewing. Penn and Robbins both won acting trophies, for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor, respectively, but I honestly think it should have won even more awards.

Yes, I think Peter Jackson deserved to win Best Director, but I also think that Mystic River deserved to win Best Adapted Screenplay. I also think Marcia Gay Harden should have won for Best Supporting Actress. Honestly, besides Best Director, I think Mystic River should have won every category that it was nominated for.

Return of the King is the more historic win (it walked so Everything could run), but, after all these years later, it still feels like Mystic River was cheated out of its victory, which is why I wish it won Best Picture.

What do you think? Am I out of my gourd? Should ANYTHING have beaten The Return of the King? I'd love to hear your thoughts!