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

Sean Penn in front of a brick wall in Mystic River.

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.