The Oscars: Best Picture Winners Quiz

Answer: The Godfather, Part II

"The Godfather Part II" was the first second instalment of a series to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. "The Godfather, Part II" follows the life of a young Vito Corleone, growing up to become the Godfather, as well as showing the family after his son Michael takes over in the 1950s. Director Francis Ford Coppola also directed 1973 Best Picture nominee "The Conversation".

Answer: In the Bedroom

"In the Bedroom" starring Sissy Spacek and Tom Wilkinson was nominated in the year 2001. The fifth nominee in 2000 was "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon". "Gladiator" won a total of five Academy Awards.

Answer: Dances With Wolves

"Dances With Wolves" edged out "The Godfather Part III" and "Ghost", two Oscar heavyweights, to win the Oscar. "Dances With Wolves" is about an American soldier stationed in an old civil-war outpost who abandons his station and decides to live among a Native American tribe.

He eventually falls in love with one of the natives and assists the tribe in a tribal feud. The soldier is considered a traitor by the military, who proceeds to hunt him down in an attempt to kill him.

Answer: It was the first year in which the director of the winning film also won the Oscar for Best Director.

"All Quiet on the Western Front" was directed by Lewis Milestone. "All Quiet on the Western Front" is a propaganda film, showing the lives of young men entering the fighting in the war and how the army fills their heads with stories. When the men enter the war they realize that war is not as it had been described.

The film won only two Academy Awards, one for Best Picture and the other for Lewis Milestone's work as the Director of the film.

Answer: Unforgiven

"Unforgiven" is about an old broken-down cowboy, who is called back into action when some rowdy men disfigure a prostitute. The film stars Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, and Morgan Freeman.

Answer: The Last Emperor

"The Last Emperor" is a biopic, starring Peter O'Toole and John Lone, about Puyi the last emperor of China. The story shows how Puyi went from being one of the most loved emperors of China, to becoming just another person in the republic, after the empire fell and communism took over.

In the film, Puyi was unprepared for the position because he was so young, which made it easy for other leaders to manipulate him. The film won nine Oscars and is regarded as one of the greatest epics ever made.

Answer: The Departed

"The Departed" stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg, Alec Baldwin, Martin Sheen, Vera Farmiga, and Anthont Anderson. The movie is about a police officer who is working undercover in the mafia to get information while, at the same time, a member of the same mafia has infiltrated the police force and is working as a mole. "The Departed" (2006) is a remake of the 2002 Hong Kong film "Mou Gaan Dou".

Answer: American Beauty

"American Beauty" is a drama film starring Spacey, Annette Bening, Thora Birch, Mena Suvari, and Chris Cooper. The movie is centered around the lives of two suburban families and deals with issues such as sexuality, drug use, midlife crisis, and dysfunctional families. Sam Mendes won for Best Director, and Kevin Spacey won for Best Actor.

The film also won Best Cinematography and Best Original Screenplay.

Answer: It Happened One Night

The film was the first to win all five major Academy Awards (Best Picture, Actor, Actress, Director, and Screenplay). The Best Actor Award that Gable won for this film was the only win of his career, despite being nominated three times. "It Happened One Night" is a romantic comedy/drama about a rich girl, played by Claudette Colbert, who runs away on a bus out of town.

She runs into a newspaper reporter Peter Warne (Clark Gable) who is out to discover that next big story, but he eventually falls in love with her.

Answer: Sophie's Choice

Despite being nominated for five Academy Awards, "Sophie's Choice" earned only one Oscar, Best Actress in a Leading Role for Streep's performance. "The Deer Hunter" won the Oscar in 1978, and "Kramer vs. Kramer" won in 1979. "Out of Africa" took home the biggest award for the year 1985.