The highest-grossing ‘Best Picture’ winner
Blockbusters are rarely ‘Best Picture’ frontrunners. The highest-grossing films of all time have tended to prioritise commerciality over artistry, with superhero films, fantasy franchises, and sequels dominating the list. The likes of Avengers: Endgame and Star Wars: The Force Awakens were never going to contend for the coveted prize, perhaps to the chagrin of devoted franchise fans, but there is one film that transcended the pattern.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, that outlier came from the mind of James Cameron. The director has created some of the most popular films of all time, with 2009’s Avatar and its 2019 sequel both finding their way into the top three highest-grossing films of all time. Though the latter received a nomination, neither of them would take home the ‘Best Picture’ title.
As a result, the claim to the highest-grossing ‘Best Picture’ winner is held by the director’s earlier effort, 1997’s Titanic. The disaster film became the highest-grossing movie ever at the time of its release, maintaining the title until Cameron overtook himself with the release of Avatar. Though it has been surpassed by the Avatar films and Avengers: Endgame monetarily, it remains the biggest movie to win the ‘Best Picture’ title.
The film has a gross of well over $2million, but this didn’t stop it from securing equally mammoth award success at the 1998 Academy Awards ceremony. It took home 11 of the 14 nominations it received, including the coveted ‘Best Picture’ title. It’s unsurprising that Titanic is the film to take home this title, amassing critical and commercial acclaim in equal measure.
It’s a blockbuster unlike the rest of the films that dominate the highest-grossing list, focusing on the story of a real life tragedy rather than fantasy worlds or comic book characters. It still maintained the importance of visual effects, but it was just as engaging in every element of its production, from story to soundtrack. With two talented performers at the forefront, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, it was a far more serious and critically acclaimed effort. The latter would even receive a ‘Best Actress’ nod for her performance.
Unlike the majority of the highest-grossing films of all time, which are merely more entries into overgrown franchises, Titanic is still remembered by many as one of the greatest films of all time. It remains a landmark in the concept of the disaster movie and the idea of the blockbuster more generally.
Revisit James Cameron’s Titanic, the highest-grossing ‘Best Picture’ winner, below.
