What are some little-known Oscar-winning movies that everyone should watch? originally appeared on Quora, the knowledge-sharing network where compelling questions are answered by people with unique insights. You can follow Quora on Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus.

Seeing as 1220 films have won at least one Oscar by my count, I’ll narrow the question to the 88 Best Picture winners. In my personal opinion (and of course, by the very nature of this question, all of this is highly subjective), 30 of those 88 films are at a level I would deem extraordinary.

Of those 30, I consider 21 to be widely known, either due to continuing fame over the decades (e.g. Gone with the Wind and Casablanca) or recency (e.g. Titanic and Slumdog Millionaire). That leaves nine worth highlighting. Three of those -- The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), All About Eve (1950), and The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) -- are fairly well known, though if you haven’t stumbled upon them yet, I strongly recommend doing so. The remaining six, in my experience, are not discussed often enough but are absolute gems:

The Life of Emile Zola (1937). The second biopic in a row to win Best Picture – following The Great Ziegfeld – this movie and the true story behind it serve as a powerful inspiration to speak up for truth even in a nation whose government does not want to hear the truth. Zola’s involvement in the Dreyfus Affair, working to save a Jewish man from a false charge of treason, is the pinnacle of this riveting film.

Mrs. Miniver (1942). This is the heart-wrenching story of how a British family is affected by World War II. What’s incredible about it is the year it was made, 1942, which is only midway through the war, at a time when the ultimate victor was genuinely in doubt. As such, it serves as a rousing call-to-arms for Britons and all freedom-loving people. It also contains my favorite movie line of all time, an opinion shared by no one else on the internet as far as I can tell. Someone says to a flower salesman: “If war comes, it’s goodbye roses.” The salesman responds: “There will always be roses.”

Going My Way (1944). Bing Crosby at his finest, playing a crooning preacher whose remarkable ability to positively impact the lives of everyone around him – from the elder clergymen to the young neighborhood hooligans – is enough to make anyone aspire to be half as decent. To be fair, it’s clearly from a simpler time – those hooligans seem like angels to a modern audience – but the beautifully emotional ending will nevertheless leave you crying tears of joy.

The Lost Weekend (1945). This is one of the most ahead-of-its-time films you’ll ever see. An alcoholic struggles mightily to fight off his condition and lead a normal life. Yet despite the prevailing notion at the time (and still a widely held notion to this day) that alcoholism is a moral failing, director Billy Wilder instead paints of haunting portrait of a man with a tragic condition who deserves our sympathy, not jeers. Ray Milland gives one of the greatest acting performances of all time.

Gentlemen’s Agreement (1947)**. A non-Jewish journalist pretends to be Jewish in order to report on anti-semitism in the wealthy New York suburb of Darien, Connecticut. Needless to say, he finds bigotry everywhere he turns. But it’s a subtle, high-brow form of bigotry that made a lot of people uncomfortable back in 1947, to the point that people involved with the film were called to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee, the nefarious Congressional arm partly responsible for the infamous Hollywood Blacklist.

Marty (1955). The sort of film that couldn’t possibly win Best Picture today. It’s simply a sweet, innocent, heartfelt, perfectly made romance. It almost feels like a home movie, if the director and actors in a home movie were all experts at their craft. In today’s Oscar landscape, the only so-called comedies that stand a chance are required to have a darker edge or make a broader point about society. But if you just want to smile for an hour and a half (it’s the shortest Best Picture winner), look no further.

Bonus: Sunrise (1927). In the inaugural year of the Oscars, there were two awards for Best Picture. The Academy then retroactively declared that the one won by Wings was the ancestor of today’s Best Picture category. While Wings is very good, and a technical marvel for its time, it’s no Sunrise, which took the other top prize. The latter film is a supremely engaging love story – at times dark and at times uplifting, but never dull – and in my view is the best non-Chaplin film of the silent era.

This question originally appeared on Quora. More questions on Quora:

* Academy Awards: Which previous Oscar-nominated films and actors have upset your predictions, if any?

* Statistics: What are some useful things everyone should know about statistics?

* Movies: Which actor has won the most Oscars?

Photo Credit: Instants/Getty Images