The Best Oscar-Nominated Movies of the 2000s

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List RulesVote up the top films that were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture between 2000 and 2009.

From the glittering cabarets of Belle Epoque France to the windswept plains of Middle Earth, the best movies of the 2000s transported audiences to fantastical new realms. These are the best Oscar-nominated movies of the 2000s, as ranked by you, fellow movie-lover. The award-winners from this decade forged new territory in cinematic achievement, from special effects and costuming to outstanding performances. Many of these Oscar nominated 2000s movies are considered some of the best films of all time.

What films will you find on this list of 2000s Oscar-winning movies? The decade started off with a bang with Gladiator taking home the Oscar for Best Picture in 2000. Russell Crowe also won his own Oscar that same year for playing the lead character of Maximus Decimus Meridius. Chicago is another great movie that was nominated for the Academy's top prize in the '00s.

Jamie Foxx may best be known for his comedic work, but his film Ray was nominated for several Oscars in 2004. Other great nominees and winners featured on this list include the quiet drama Brokeback Mountain, the quirky comedy Little Miss Sunshine, and the tense historical epic There Will Be Blood.

Which of these Oscar nominated 2000s films is your favorite? Give the best films a thumbs up to move them towards the number-one spot on the list.

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Letters from Iwo Jima
Ken Watanabe, Ryan Kelley
Released: 2006
Directed by: Clint Eastwood
Nominated in 2006.
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The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Cate Blanchett, Ian McKellen
Released: 2001
Directed by: Peter Jackson
Nominated in 2001.
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The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Cate Blanchett, Ian McKellen
Released: 2003
Directed by: Peter Jackson
Won Best Picture in 2003.
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The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Cate Blanchett, Ian McKellen
Released: 2002
Directed by: Peter Jackson
Nominated in 2002.
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No Country for Old Men
Javier Bardem, Tommy Lee Jones
Released: 2007
Directed by: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Won Best Picture in 2007.
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Up
Christopher Plummer, Ed Asner
Released: 2009
Directed by: Pete Docter
Nominated in 2009.
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The Departed
Leonardo DiCaprio, Jack Nicholson
Released: 2006
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
Won Best Picture in 2006.
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Gladiator
Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix
Released: 2000
Directed by: Ridley Scott
Won Best Picture in 2000.
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There Will Be Blood
Daniel Day-Lewis, Ciarán Hinds
Released: 2007
Directed by: Paul Thomas Anderson
Nominated in 2007.
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Michael Clayton
George Clooney, Tilda Swinton
Released: 2007
Directed by: Tony Gilroy
Nominated in 2007.
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Little Miss Sunshine
Steve Carell, Bryan Cranston
Released: 2006
Directed by: Valerie Faris, Jonathan Dayton
Nominated in 2006.
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Avatar
Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver
Released: 2009
Directed by: James Cameron
Nominated in 2009.
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The Blind Side
Sandra Bullock, Lily Collins
Released: 2009
Directed by: John Lee Hancock
Nominated in 2009.
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Munich
Daniel Craig, Eric Bana
Released: 2005
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Nominated in 2005.
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The Pianist
Adrien Brody, Thomas Kretschmann
Released: 2002
Directed by: Roman Polanski
Nominated in 2002.
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A Beautiful Mind
Jennifer Connelly, Russell Crowe
Released: 2001
Directed by: Ron Howard
Won Best Picture in 2001.
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Mystic River
Emmy Rossum, Sean Penn
Released: 2003
Directed by: Clint Eastwood
Nominated in 2003.
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Milk
James Franco, Sean Penn
Released: 2008
Directed by: Gus Van Sant
Nominated in 2008.
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Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Zhang Ziyi, Michelle Yeoh
Released: 2000
Directed by: Ang Lee
Nominated in 2000.
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The Hurt Locker
Evangeline Lilly, Ralph Fiennes
Released: 2009
Directed by: Kathryn Bigelow
Won Best Picture in 2009.
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Million Dollar Baby
Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman
Released: 2004
Directed by: Clint Eastwood
Won Best Picture in 2004.
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Lost in Translation
Scarlett Johansson, Bill Murray
Released: 2003
Directed by: Sofia Coppola
Nominated in 2003.
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The Aviator
Kate Beckinsale, Leonardo DiCaprio
Released: 2004
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
Nominated in 2004.
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Capote
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Chris Cooper
Released: 2005
Directed by: Bennett Miller
Nominated in 2005.
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Crash
Sandra Bullock, Brendan Fraser
Released: 2004
Directed by: Paul Haggis
Won Best Picture in 2005.
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