We long suppressed Tolkein fans have finally had our day in the sun. Peter Jackson has given us a long overdue and spectacular version of the LotR. But is it really Oscar material at all, and if so did it really deserve to win 11 of them? The only other movies to win 11 Oscars are Titanic and Ben Hur. It has been said that you can judge someone by the company they keep, and in this case I think that it's true. Neither Titanic nor Ben Hur deserved to win 11 Oscars, and neither did RotK. It's nothing more than a Hollywood feeding frenzy, with them all congratulating themselves on their ability to make a movie that didn't stink. Now don't get me wrong, I think RotK was a fine movie, but I think you have to set the bar a little higher than that to deserve 11 Oscars.
In my opinion, Mystic River was ten times the movie that RotK was. RotK (and the whole LotR series) were highly entertaining, and often times dazzling, but in the end they were nothing more than a trifle. Expensive window dressing that was given a little substance by Tolkein's books. Mystic River, on the other hand, is a movie of substance and subtlety that sticks in your mind long after you've left the theater. Your special effect are all well and fine, but I'd rather see Sean Penn any day.