To the surprise of many, Peter Farrelly's Green Book has been adjudged the Best Picture winner at the 91st Academy Awards. In all honesty, this was a very heart-warming movie about the true friendship between '70s jazz pianist Don Shirley and his chauffeur Tony Vallelonga. The movie starred Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali (who also won the Best Supporting Actor) in the lead. Green Book wasn't considered as an Oscar material by critics and even film-makers, so its multiple nominations had surprised many. Oscars 2019: Green Book Winning Best Picture, Black Panther’s Three Wins – 5 Biggest Surprise Winners and Snubs at 91st Academy Awards.

Which is why when Green Book took away the Best Picture trophy, everyone was left shocked. Most of the bets were placed on Roma or The Favourite or even BlacKkKlansman to take the award. Green Book's win was unexpected. Many on social media have lamented how this could be the Worst Best Picture winner in years. It was also reported that BlacKkKlansman director Spike Lee had walked away when he heard Green Book being announced Best Picture, but he returned because the doors were closed. Whether Green Book deserved the Best Picture win or not, you tell us readers, but we are sure this one will be talked about for years!

I also want to take this opportunity to remind you that Green Book is not the only controversial Best Picture winner in the history of Oscars. Here are seven other such films that courted similar criticism. Like Green Book, they aren't bad movies. It is just that they were competing with better films, who deserved those wins!

Shakespeare in Love

Gwyneth Paltrow and Joseph Fiennes in Shakespeare in Love (Photo Credits: Universal Pictures)

This was definitely the biggest upset win in this history of Best Picture winners at Academy Awards, unless Green Book replaces it. In 1999, the romantic period comedy Shakespeare in Love took away some major awards, including Best Picture, Best Actress (Gwyneth Paltrow) and Best Supporting Actress (Judi Dench). This is also the same year, Steven Spielberg's terrific Saving Private Ryan was also nominated. While Shakespeare in Love was a fun movie, it was nowhere in the league of the greatest war film of all time!

Crash

Thandie Newton and Matt Dillon in Crash (Photo Credits: Lionsgate Films)

After the racial drama Crash won the Best Picture award in 2005, even director Paul Haggis was said to be surprised by the win. There is a reason for that - Ang Lee's affecting gay romance, Brokeback Mountain, was also nominated that year, and had many rooting for this 'better' film to win.

The King's Speech

Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter in The King's Speech (Photo Credits: See-Saw Films)

Colin Firth's The King's Speech was a decent, but historically inaccurate film on how King George VI who tries to cope with a stammer so that he can address the nation. It won the Best Picture (along with Best Actor for Firth) in 2010. Well, the same year where David Fincher's indubitably superior, smarter and snarkier The Social Network was also in the race.

Driving Miss Daisy

Jessica Tandy and Morgan Freeman in Driving Miss Daisy (Photo Credits: Warner Bros)

Green Book's win reminded us a lot of when this Morgan Freeman-starrer took the Best Picture win in 1990. Not only do both the movies share similar themes, but they also have similar controversies. In the case of Driving Miss Daisy, it was competing with the likes of Dead Poets Society, Born on the Fourth of July, Field of Dreams and My Left Foot, all brilliant movies!

How Green Was My Valley?

A Still From How Green Was My Valley? (Photo Credits: 2oth Century Fox)

This 1942 Best Picture winner would never have been thought of much, unless you realise who it was competing with. Among the nominees, was the late Orson Welles' Citizen Kane, arguably one of the best films ever made. So who has heard about How Green Was My Valley?, btw?

The English Patient

Ralph Fiennes and Kristin Scott Thomas in The English Patient (Photo Credits: Miramax Films)

In 1997, this Ralph Fiennes-Kristin Scott Thomas starrer took away the Best Picture award. 1997 was also the year when Tom Cruise's Jerry Maguire and the Coen Brothers' darkly humorous Fargo were also nominated. So which of these movies are being considered masterpieces now?

Forrest Gump

Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump (Photo Credits: Paramount Pictures)

To be fair to this 1995 Best Picture Winner, the Tom Hanks' movie is still considered a classic and its win didn't create much of controversy then. It's only that its fellow nominees had a longer-shelf-lives and are comparatively superior in today's era. Do you want to know who those fellow nominees are? Well, there was The Shawshank Redemption, IMDB's highest rated film for a long time, and Pulp Fiction, the best gangster film this side of The Godfather!

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 25, 2019 01:34 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).