I get pretty frustrated when people act like Shakespeare in Love winning over Saving Private Ryan was a huge upset or a travesty. This wasn't Crash winning over Brokeback Mountain (or anything else in the Best Picture category that year). They were both really excellent films for very different reasons. The gritty, historical war drama doesn't always have to win, and honestly other than the really excellent and harrowing opening sequence I can't remember much else about Saving Private Ryan. It's a great movie, but so is Shakespeare in Love so I think either of them would have made worthy winners. Shakespeare in Love is incredibly smart and clever with superb acting from everyone (I still would have given the Best Actress trophy to Cate Blanchett for Elizabeth that year, but this was by far Gwyneth's best performance). It's seriously one of the best screenplays ever, I'm not even exaggerating.