| 100% | BABEL | 5 | Loser to "The Departed" for Best Picture |
| 75% | TOPHAT | 6 | Loser to "Mutiny on the Bounty" for Best Picture |
| 71% | LADYBIRD | 8 | Loser to "The Shape of Water" for Best Picture |
| 68% | AVA | 3 | Loser to Audrey for the 1953 Best Actress Oscar |
| 64% | LADYBIRD | 8 | 2017 film nominated for Best Picture ... or a hint to the answers to the eight starred clues |
| 60% | LALA | 4 | With 8-Across, loser to "Moonlight" for Best Picture |
| 60% | LALALAND | 8 | 2016 Best Picture (no, wait; it wasn't!) ... and a fitting place for the answers to starred clues? |
| 58% | CANUCKS | 7 | Losers to the Rangers for the 1994 Stanley Cup |
| 58% | NETS | 4 | Losers to the Spurs for the 2003 NBA championship |
| 57% | MILK | 4 | Best Picture loser to "Slumdog Millionaire" |
| 56% | STEPHENREA | 10 | Loser to Al Pacino for Best Actor of 1992 |
| 56% | NORMARAE | 8 | Best Picture loser to "Kramer vs. Kramer" |
| 56% | ROMA | 4 | Movie that lost the Academy Award for Best Picture to Green Book |
| 56% | BABEL | 5 | 2006 Best Picture nominee that lost to "The Departed" |
| 54% | AMERICAN | 8 | __ Beauty, won the Oscar for best picture |
| 53% | PASTLIVES | 9 | Celine Song film that was nominated for Best Picture at the 2024 Oscars |
| 53% | NSYNC | 5 | Loser to U2 for Grammy Record of the Year in 2001 |
| 53% | JUNO | 4 | Comedy/drama that lost the Best Picture Oscar to "No Country for Old Men" |
| 53% | BEERHUNTER | 10 | Best Picture adaptation about ... a search for the perfect brew, with "The"? |
| 52% | JUNO | 4 | Elliot Page's 2007 teen movie which was nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars |
| 51% | OPPORTUNE | 9 | The best moment for something to happen is this |
| 51% | LIST | 4 | "Schindler's ___," historical drama film that won an Academy Award for Best Picture in the '90s |
| 51% | ARGO | 4 | It won the Oscar for Best Picture the year after "The Artist" |
| 51% | CODA | 4 | Movie that won the Oscar for Best Picture in March |
| 51% | PLANA | 5 | The first thing to try (and hope for the best) |
| 50% | FRANKSINATRA | 12 | Actor in the Best Picture winner "From Here to Eternity" who was nominated for seven Album of the Year Grammys: 2 wds. |
| 50% | SMILES | 6 | Gets ready for the picture to be taken, say |
| 49% | THEELEPHANTMAN | 14 | 1980 film that led to the creation of the Academy Award for Best Makeup |
| 49% | ASIA | 4 | Setting for Best Picture winners "The Last Emperor" and "Parasite" |
| 49% | BEDS | 4 | Bunk___ are the best way for kids to share rooms |