I say Holy Crap, but Ryan’s email to me actually said Holy Fuck! This news comes to me while vacationing in Yosemite. Ten years of watching the Oscar race I’ve never seen such a dramatic change and I’m wondering what was the motivating factor.
Either not enough interest by the general public?
Too much focus on a handful of “Oscar movies” that no one sees — hence, it’s become like a predictable (for the most part) vacuum?
They are tired of defending themselves against the haters who accuse them of having bad taste?
They just like to shake things up every now and then?
It’s a matter of having to improvise, adapt and overcome or else face extinction?
Nothing could have breathed more life into a mostly flaccid race than this most unexpected and delightful development. I’m looking forward to seeing how many more films and studios have a shot in this kind of race, with such wide open possibilities.
I’m going to venture a guess that, with so many opportunities in the Best Picture race, the focus will be slightly more heated on the lead acting categories. But that’s just a random thought on how it might impact our experience.
Also, I’m thinking that the Foreign Language race could benefit from a similar change. Either way, from high atop the Sierras, I’m thrilled. Way to go, AMPAS.
78 Responses for "The State of the Race – Holy Crap!"
Yes, I really think this could give the chance to many different movies (ex. Funny People if it’s good).
This should seperate the typical oscar-type films like The Reader, and more mainstream films such as The Dark Knight (that doesn’t mean Transformers territory, either).
I love the idea of it. If they go more horror(Drag Me to Hell), animation(Up), and foreign I’ll be happy!
Certainly, crappy movies will sneak in under these new rules. Certainly, people will bitch and moan over how such and such movie would have never been nominated under the old 5 Best Picture noms rule. These are the same people who have always bitched and moaned that such and such movie deserved to be nominated in the top 5 over some other movie that got the nom.
This new rule expands and challenges our current definition of what a GREAT movie is. This is a good thing. There has, and always will be, a large political element to the nominating process. Comedies, foreign language films, animated films, blockbusters, documentaries, and independent films now all have a real shot at the big prize. All critics make top 10 lists. Why shouldn’t the Academy?
10 noms for Best Picture?
I can´t believe!
It´s the end of the world as we know it!
It´s the end of the world as I know it!
Looks like Pixar will finally get their best picture nomination.
I’m not sure how I feel about this idea yet. I think I’ll know when I see the list of 10 nominees in front of me next Feb. But its funny you mention Up, Kay, cause that was the first movie I figured to benefit from such a change. Here’s hoping!
Oh, and for some reason I want to feel that this is because of Dark Knight not being nominated. Maybe that’s because I want to think that the Academy is kicking themselves over it. But then I remember that we’re talking about the Academy.
Funny People is really good, btw.
Yeah, “Up” is definitely getting a Best Picture nod now. I think there may be a very outside chance of “Star Trek” getting one now too. Not likely, but way more possible than when there were 5 in a category.
i posted this in the previous post by ryan adams, but it bears repeating, because I think people are going a little off the deep end here…
what a lot of you are forgetting is, last year, for example, everyone seemed to know what film was number 6, 7, 8….now you’ll know…
I wonder if they use this to include:
1) animated movies. Now that there is more space in this race, maybe they can expand outside of their category. “Up,” please!
2) comedies. Often shut out and limited to the globes, could they use this to start bigger recognition? Is it too early to start the BP campaign for “the hangover?”. And if “funny people” hits big box dficr and reviews, universal will have one hell of an Oscar push for it.
3) more mainstream movies. Often the academy voters are criticized for their lack of connection with the normal audience. Maybe they throw a bone to the average moviegoer and toss in “star trek” or some other box office smash? Or will they still fill the 10 with other pretentious picks (in the minds of the average Joe)?
4) foreign films. These movies specifically come off as pretentious. Could they use the extra picks to recognize these subtitled flicks?
5) documentaries. Because you know they secretly want another Michael moore rant.
Time to update the tracker, guys. Add “up,” “star trek,” and maybe even “the hangover.”. I’m calling it early…watch out.
Oh, and open the floodgates for the lists of what the other 5 nominees would have been in past years.
Thought I’d throw out my first list of nominees for BP for this year seeing that we’re basically halfway through the year. Gotta do 10, so this is gonna be harder than normal:
Up
The Brothers Bloom
Drag Me To Hell
Adventureland
Anvil! The Story Of Anvil
Whatever Works
Star Trek
Funny People
Two Lovers
Duplicity
I’m thinking Funny People might not count because this is the mid-year list and it doesn’t get released until the end of July, but frankly there really isn’t another movie I’d throw in there (maybe Coraline, but I’m a bit sour on it to be honest). The winner is Up so far, with a close second being The Brothers Bloom. And yes, I LOVED the new Woody movie with Larry David.
Were there even 10 good films last year? I didn’t seem to notice
Anonymous, well I’d just throw out my top 10 for each year and that would be that. But if you HAD to include the 5 that did get nominated in this exercise, then 08 would look like this:
Slumdog Millionaire
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
Milk
Frost/Nixon
The Reader
The Dark Knight
WALL-E
Waltz With Bashir
The Wrestler
Man On Wire
07 would look like this:
There Will Be Blood
No Country For Old Men
Michael Clayton
Atonement
Juno
Once
The Diving Bell And The Butterfly
Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead
The Band’s Visit
The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford
(side note: 2007 is the year in recent memory that would have truly benefitted from such a change. so many great movies)
06 would look like this:
The Departed
Babel
Little Miss Sunshine
The Queen
Letters From Iwo Jima
Children Of Men
The Lives Of Others
Volver
United 93
Borat
(I WISH I could get rid of Little Miss Sunshine and replace it with something awesome like Pan’s Labyrinth or Little Children)
REALLY? You think this is a good idea Sasha?!
STUPIDEST IDEA EVER! So much for the idea of “being nominated” as an honor. It’s akin to the notion in grade school sports world of “hey, We’re ALL winners.” It’s gross.
I guess they want to become as classy as the MTV Movie awards.
This completely devalues and cheapens the process.
Read Nikki Finke’s response here, as to WHY it happened: http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/but-why-academy-to-now-allow-10-films-in-best-picture-category/
have you all forgotten – or don’t know enough history about the academy – that there used to be 10 nominated films for best picture….
Ryan post the Inglorious Basterds trailer
@Chris Price: Yes! 2007 is the year that immediately came to my mind with this news. That was such an incredibly strong year, with so many worthy movies that, with only 5 slots, had to get out shut out.
I agree that its a bit too dilutive. This increases the chances of heinous upsets for best picture wins tenfold.
This will simply and positively dilute the prestige of ‘Best Picture’ nominees.
As of today a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Picture means a lot less.
in the glory years, the choice of 10 worked exceedingly well. Look at 1939 for example, but again today is today and yesterday is yesterday:
Best Picture Nominees:
“GONE WITH THE WIND”, “Dark Victory”, “Goodbye, Mr. Chips”, “Love Affair”, “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington”, “Ninotchka”, “Of Mice and Men”, “Stagecoach”, “The Wizard of Oz”, “Wuthering Heights”
If there were five only I would speculate these would have made it:
Gone With the Wind
Wuthering Heights
The Wizard of Oz
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Goodbye, Mr. Chips
“This increases the chances of heinous upsets for best picture wins tenfold.”
And I personally think that’s a great thing!!!
I am not sure I like this new direction (or going back to the roots as Mr. Ganis said, or whatever it is). It takes away the exclusivity — and jnw — I COMPLETELY agree with you (and funny, I gave the same example). It the same idea as WE ARE ALL WINNERS. Pretty upsetting at first. Well, let’s wait until February and see how the list of 10 looks. And let’s hope AMPAS doesn’t divide them up into two ridiculous categories like “Best Musical/Comedy” and “Best Drama”. That would be truly gross…
Sam Juliano,
Great point about 1939, however your picks for what would have been nominated under the 5 only rule are informed by how that group of films is remembered today. There’s no telling what would have really been nominated under Hollywood’s political climate at that time.
this is of course because last year popular movies like Dark Knight and Wall-E didn’t get in the mix, and they took heat for it… no other reason for this. now we have to have sh*t like UP get nominations. AAMPS are cowardly and lost credibility here, and I think the race is so predictable every year that we will all be able to predict the ten with 90 % accuracy
Justin:
According to several historical studies on the Oscars, the five I cited were indeed the most popular at the time of release. Reportedly the only one of the second five that could have pulled off an upset was STAGECOACH over MR. CHIPS.
I want to quote Colonel Nicholson… “Madness!!!” But I LOVE it.
What about years outside of 1939 that had 10 nominees? I’m sure they weren’t as pristine as 1939.
Anyone else think 7 nominees would be better?
It wouldn’t be as exclusive as 5 but also wouldn’t be nearly as dilutive as 10.
With 10, I feel like every year there would be at least one movie that would be nominated for Best Picture and only for Best Picture, which kind of looks bad. It’s better for the Best Pic nominees to appear more well-rounded. For example, last year Gran Torino probably would have slipped into one of the extra slots, and while Gran Torino wasn’t a bad movie, it certainly wasn’t Best Picture material.
Sam:
We’re splitting imaginary hairs here, but looking at the other nominations from that year, especially directing, editing, writing, and acting, I think the nominees would have been:
Mr Smith Goes to Washington
Gone With the Wind
Wuthering Heights
Goodbye, Mr Chips
Stagecoach
The Wizard of Oz happens to be my favorite film of all time, but it doesn’t look like it had the support in the bigger categories. Perhaps it was The Dark Knight of 1939?
And Joel:
You’re right. There are definitely clunkers in the other years that allowed for 8-12 nominees. But, then again, there are plenty of crappy movies that have been nominated over excellent movies throughout the years that only 5 best pic nominees were allowed. At least with 10 slots available, the Academy has a better chance to get it right.
NOW IT WILL BE DIFFICULT TO STOP PIXAR FROM GETTING ITS DESERVING BEST PICTURE NOMINATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
UP – BEST PICTURE NOMINEE 2010
This may come as a shocker to some but… I think it’s a very bad move. A best picture nomination will have a lot less luster to it. There were already some dubious choices with only five (Seabiscuit, Finding Neverland, to name a few) now with 10 there are certainly going to be underserving titles in the list.
Oh and please, will everyone just get over last year’s Dark Knight ??? It was ultimately recognized for what (or rather who) gave it its distinctive mark.
My personal feeling ? This is just an attempt to boost the box office results of certain films, and it is not very noble.
Justin: I also revere THE WIZARD OF OZ, which finished #1 months back at our sites 1930’s poll:
http://wondersinthedark.wordpress.com/2008/11/23/beloved-american-classic-the-wizard-of-oz-voted-the-greatest-film-of-the-1930s-in-wonders-in-the-dark-poll/
but I assure you that there isn’t a single film historian or Oscar expert who seriously believed that the film would have been left off a 5 film shortlist. Most have stated the film probably finished SECOND in total votes. You say it missed out on the “major categories” but Fleming already had the GWTW nom. With all due respect STAGECOACH would NOT have finished ahead of WIZARD OF OZ. Maybe it had a shor to finish ahead of MR. CHIPS if any.
But your opinion is as good as mine.
My humble opinion: this is the dullest idea and act that AMPAS could make.
It will have the reverse effect pretendend: not only will not recover Oscar mainstream appeal, but also with help to make the award more annoying for those who hate it.
And that will happen simply because people in USA and all over the world will not register the information of 10 BP nominees. Probably the will only pay attention to those films they care about, and stiil gonna ignore those they usually don’t care.
I also bet that the result of that will not be a more diversified list of nominees, that contemplates neither blockbusters with a soul, and intelectual support, or simply plain blockbusters, more bold and audacious movies, and foreign movies ignored by the best foreign film list.
The result will probably be that the 10 BP list will have more Weinstein productions middle brow movies. No BP for “Dark Kinght”, “Transformers”, “Gomorra” or a Apichatpong Weerasethakul flick.
Oscar “enemies”, those who insist in the award allegedly irrelevance, will have a joyful time.
I love this idea. Yes, some of the five nominated films have been just awful, but usually the five nominations are so damn predictable. Last year could have done with a Dark Knight, Wall-E, or In Bruges nomination. Five more nominations doesn’t take any luster off the film that wins. Crash is still crap even if it had gone up against five more movies, and No Country For Old Men is still great, even if it had been up against 100 other films. Most people make a top 10 list of the year, not a top 5. There’s a reason for that.
The more I think about this, the more I like it. However, I really think they should get rid of the animation ghetto category now. What’s the point of keeping it?
A horrible idea. If it worked so well in the past why did they narrow the list to five nominees? Great, now crap movies like Transformers will be getting Best Picture nominations. I’m done.
Now they should also allow actors to have multiple nominations in a single category.
“but also will help to make the award more annoying for those who hate it”
What does that matter really? I find some of the past winners for Best Picture annoying regardless. Not everyone is gonna have the same opinion.
“Probably the will only pay attention to those films they care about, and stiil gonna ignore those they usually don’t care”
Yes, that already happens with just five nominees. So what’s the problem?. I don’t know about you, but I really didn’t care about The Reader getting nominated or even Frost/Nixon. In the end people will just pay attention too the film they want to win.
” horrible idea. If it worked so well in the past why did they narrow the list to five nominees? Great, now crap movies like Transformers will be getting Best Picture nominations. I’m done.”
you really think so….take a minute and do some research on the films that received best pic nominations….see how classic and enduring they still are today….look at 1939 and 1940….
Who knows if this is actually will be worth it, but I think it is good every once in a while to shake things up. If it doesn’t work then they can reduce it down a few or all the way back to 5. It isn’t the end of the world.
I think people are worried films like the Paul Blart and Taken are going to get BP nominations, but I don’t think that will happen. All this means is that films such as The Dark Knight, Wall-E, Doubt and Frozen River would probably have gotten in last year. You have to think that there has to support in the other branches, especially acting, writing, and directing. I don’t see any film getting a BP nomination if it doesn’t have nominations from two of those or one and a whole bunch of minor branches.
Dark Knight and Wall-E had acting and writing nominations, respectively and a whole bunch of techs. Doubt had four acting and screenplay and Frozen River had acting and screenplay.
The expansion to 10 would have helped films like United 93, The Diving Bell & The Butterfly and Children of Men from previous years.
So overall I’m going to give this idea a vote of confidence because I think the three mentioned above and others like them might be able to find a larger audience with an expanded field. Also it will not alienate mainstream movies with critical support such as The Dark Knight and Wall-E.
I still think it is downgrading everything. The Oscars will be a lot more like the Golden Globes… how sad !
I smell a 6 hour awards show brewing…
I can see both sides of the argument. Some years (08, 07, 03, etc) this would be a good idea, others I beg to differ… I’m on the fence.
(At first I was pissed, then annoyed, now just slightly miffed)
Oh, and by the way…
If this 10 thing is truly what they are going to do, I say they bring back 5 nominees to Song, Makeup, and Visual Effects. No more of this 3 nominees bullshit.
if it is anything like last year we will we will get nine crappy movies up for BP and the only good one ( Milk ) will loose
I think this is definitely a way to get more viewers. They will choose movies that will appeal to each demographic in the top 10 but there will still be a definite favourite! The guilds only do 5 so that would indicate the films more likely to suceed (even though the Academy don’t always follow the guilds 100%). I don’t think there is anything wrong with it, but I think if they did nominate films like Transformers they would definitely lose credibility. They will still choose the standard BP movies but now there will be more. Also what doe sthat mean for Best Animated and Best Foreign? will they be taken out? I think if they are brought into the BP mix they should be taken away (mainly Best Animated). Also this won’t happen with any other categories because lets face it, most people really only care about the Best Picture nomination (I don’t but generally most people will take more interest if a movie won BP than Best Director or screenplay). I think we should see how the nominations turn about before we totally dismiss this, its really to early to tell I think.
Also it losing credibilty? I think you have to be joking! Which do you think would be better? Beating out 4 other acclaimed movies or beating out 9? This will make the movie more respected.
Expanding and spreading the love with such an artificial effort, the meaning of a Oscar nom will be something cheap, vulgar, common, downgradding (perfect #41).
Let’s think about something: why the AMPAS drop the 10 BP nominations act decades ago, to choose five?
Please share your theories. Mine is very simple: to make the meaning of the noms more strong and serious.
2010 Academy Awards it will make the Oscars more like the MTV Movie Awards for grown ups.
You can watch the press conference here with some interesting question from the journalist
http://www.oscars.org/press/pressreleases/2009/20090624.html
I have to re-iterate how much I love this. But let’s not get crazy ten nominations means a bigger field, YES. Does that mean that geeky fan boy films like Star Trek or a Marvel film would get a Best Picture nomination? Not holding my breath.
I’m sure everyone has noticed how incredibly close it seemed Wall-E was last year. If the category was even expanded to 8 last year I’m sure it was in. And as of now I can’t name even two films better that Up this year. So I see that happening easily. I’d love it if an extremely worthy documentary was nominated. And foreign films should make appearances with the bigger field. One can only hope this expansion would be a success (of course it will), it means higher domestic & worldwide grosses, and much elevated dvd sales with the Best Picture nominated font right on the cover.
AMPAS please leave it at 10 forever. Us (Oscar watcher’s) will stop bitching (or will we?) but if a film in this movie climate can’t get into a field of 10 (does it deserve the outcry and bitching that would follow)?
OMG!! i lurve this!!…that would be awesome if pixar can win 2 of the BIG awards (best animated feature and best picture…maybe for UP too (if all the other movies that come out later this year suck)
I think in the future Pixar should make an animated, documentary, foreign picture so they can WIN 4 BIG OSCARS!!!! (if voters are willing to vote for it in all 4 categories)
!!!! CHRIS PRICE !!!
Little Children!! I THOUGHT EVERYONE HAD FORGOTTEN ABOUT THAT! I LOVE THAT MOVIE!!!
Still speachless.
I know the AMPAS is dong this because they want to be more inclusive, yet their actions will only serve to diminish the prestige (a film, by the way, that should have received a Best Picture nomination in 2006 and didn’t) of the Best Picture Oscar. It will lose its value. I’m so sick of this “everybody gets one” attitude that has swept through America. Awards don’t matter at all any more, if they ever did. Whatever happened to competition? Whatever happened do working your guts out to make an excellent film, campaigning hard to get nominations and winning on one’s own merits? Sure, every year many worthy films fail to get the recognition they deserve, but the Oscars have their own tastes and traditions to uphold. A good film will stand on its own without any awards or recognition. Brokeback Mountain will be watched, studied, admired and critiqued for decades to come because it is a truly outstanding film. And as we all know it was robbed of its Best Picture Oscar. Who the heck is going to remember Crash years from now? And as for the outcry over The Dark Knight’s snub last year, I was one of those individuals who cried foul when the Academy stupidly ignored it. But you know what, people will cry foul every year over the absence of particular films in the Best Picture race, no matter if the AMPAS nominates five films, ten films, or eighty-eight films. The Oscars have endured through the decades because of their glamour, prestige and adherence to tradition. If audiences thought they were irrelevant before they’re sure to become meaningless now.
Such a dumb move. So unnecessary.
The more I think about this, the less I like it. Its really spreading the “Best Picture” pedigree a bit too widely… till it eventually loses all credibility
T.
It’ll certainly be a more interesting race and it’ll be harder to predict who wins. And that is a good thing.
There were 10 nominees in the past so the whole it’s not as exclusive thing doesn’t work for me. Sorry.
However i am mad this did happen last year (especially for the wrestler .. The best movie of last year imo) – i am thrilled about this news!!
mainly because the fantastic film: precious now is a sure bet for a nomination. It truly deserves a shot, and i dont think it would have crept in were it 5 nominations.
i like it. It may be a attempt to make more money – but im fine with that. Getting great films (most of them anyway) seen is a fantastic idea no matter how you look at it.
This is retarded…they’ll change it back in a few years. If Star Trek gets nominated because of this I’ll rip my hair out of my head.
It won´t mean that much to get a best picture nomination in the future.
I´m not a conservative person, not at all, but sometimes you change things and it looks stupid!
What is the motivation behind it? Getting attention to more movies? Do they really think the ordinary movie-folks will remember a list of 10 movies?? Nope.
That said, to me it was very tough to even name 5 worthy pics from last year. If only 2 or 3 films are really great out of ten, the whole category doesn´t mean that much anymore – does it?!
…but you know, after re-thinking this shocking news for about ten minutes, I´ll have to admit: If this means that more independent movies like “Diving Bell and the Butterfly” or “Closer” or “The Motorcycle Diaries” or “Match Point” or whatever will get in – I will appreciate it.
But – I – doubt.
Why don’t they just follow the Golden Globe lead and have a category for music/comedy and for drama? Simple, isn’t it?
The problem is this: Will the members see all 10 pictures? If there is no clearcut winner (like Slumdog), then you have the votes split among the 10, which seems to dilute the pick.
I agree with Dominick. This seems an act of desperation to get viewers, get more money, or to help movies that were weak and the public didn’t want to see. A lot of movies are pulled too early from the movie house before they have chance to generate word of mouth.
Predictions had gotten way too formulaic. I’m happy for the shake-up, if only for the fun of figuring things out anew.
I hope the Guilds follow suit – in any case this change by the Academy will give them even more weight – a Guild nom or win will be the way for films on the list of ten to distinguish themselves, rise above the crowd.
may also give the critics awards more influence – the smaller amount of publicity a critics award winner receives might be enough to lift it ro a nom.
btw – I have long held that on any given year you could name, ten or so films have been worthy of nomination…. the AFI format has always felt more objective than singling out one (or five) film (s).
have also long held that we are in a new golden age of film, so it’s kinda neat to be returning to the golden age practice of nomming ten.
I think that this gives a chance to genre films to actually jump to victory. They have difficulty to earn a nomination at the top prize, ’cause their fans are not that many, in the end, but films like Wall·E, The Dark Knight, Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, and so on probably got too close of the Best Picture nom than many would like to acknowledge. But among 10 films, the genre film that could, would clearly stand out of the rest.
That’s why basically I’m switching my prediction of frontrunner for the top award from Invictus to Avatar. It has a clear chance of getting the nom and without a doubt would be the film standing out of a shortlist of 10.
Will this avoid nominees like “A Touch of Class”, “The Towering Inferno” or “Hello Dolly”? Probably not. I keep thinking, though, that with 5 more entries to split the Crash/anti-Brokeback vote, Brokeback wins.
This would have been great a year or two ago, but seriously, we’re now living in a world where films like The Hangover, Inglourious Basterds and My Sisters Keeper possibly have a shot at a Best Picture nomination.
That said, films like State Of Play, Moon and Bruno have a chance.
This could go either way. If anything, this should make it a little more exciting. It also add’s the immense desire to have voting results released after the ceremony.
[...] seen such a dramatic change and I’m wondering what was the motivating factor. – Sasha Stone of Awards Daily Is this some strange move on the Academy’s part to further dilute an already incredibly suspect [...]
Actually, I just realised that we’re now living in a world where Where The Wild Things Are could quite easily get a Best Picture nomination. Oh the wild anticipation…
I don’t like it at all. It cheapens the race. Any picture can get in, and any picture can win, as long as it gets the most #1 votes. It might be very well liked by a minority who vote it #1, while the vast majority place it further down on their list. Does that mean it’s a deserving winner? I still don’t understand why there can’t be a weighted system. Let everybody rank in each category. That way the best liked picture overall would come up the winner.
I need to correct some people that have been saying that now some great documentaries will have a chance at a pest pic nod…i hate to break the news but according to AMPAS rules a documentary cannot be nominated for best picture unless the film is given prior notice to AMPAS that it would like to be considered for a best picture nom instead of a best doc feature nod, but it has to choose one or the other. (i.e.: SEE Fahrenheit 9/11 back in 2004 when Michael Moore decided his film was good enough for best picture and he didn’t get in and in the process also missed out on best doc feature because it declared itself ineligible)
Another thing I’ve been seeing is a lot of talk that Transformers would have gotten a nomination back in ‘07 if this format was in place….ya know, people who really don’t “oscarwatch” as they say really need to shut up. If you know anything about oscarwatching you would know that there has to be some kind of precursor or buzz from other awards and other critical sources for it to be considered for a BEST PICTURE NOMINATION of all things! The only precusor for a best pic nomination that Transformers got were as follows: The kid’s choice awards, mtv movie awards, people’s choice awards and teen choice awards…Now. If you think thats major momentum for a film (even in a field of 10 possible nominees to be nominated) then you have not been paying attention to how this whole thing works. I think people are mainly taking the commercial and financial success of Transformers being the biggest film of that year and comparing it to The Dark Knight of last year. One problem with that comparison…The Dark Knight, yes, was as successful as Transformers (even more so actually) but it also got undisputed critical acclaim and precursor awards for best picture at meaningful awards shows (such as: critic’s choice awards, Online film critics society and, most importantly, THE PRODUCERS GUILD AWARDS!!!)
Enough with the “Paul Blart for best pic possibility now” or whatever other crazy nonsense that first pops into you extremist bloggers heads. Think for one fucking second and realize that shitty mainstream films that come out at the beginning of the year don’t have a chance in hell of getting nominated and anyone who seriously thinks that and is not trying to make a joke, like a said please shut up. Thank you.
Hmmm if I had the opportunity to add five best picture nominees to the field AMPAS gave us over the past five years…I think I would have personally like to have seen these added:
2004:
Kill Bill – Vol. 2, Closer, Vera Drake, Hotel Rwanda, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
2005:
The 40-Year Old Virgin, A History of Violence, King Kong, The Squid and the Whale, Frank Miller’s Sin City
2006:
Borat, United 93, Children of Men, Pan’s Labyrinth, Little Children
2007:
Into the Wild, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Sweeney Todd, Zodiac, Once
2008:
The Wrestler, Rachel Getting Married, Let the Right One In, WALL-E, The Dark Knight
I wonder what brought on the change – the 70 years since Gone With The Wind won the Oscar over such Best Picture nominees as:
Dark Victory
Goodbye, Mr. Chips
Love Affair
Mr. Smith Goes To Washington
Ninotchka
Of Mice and Men
Stagecoach
The Wizard of Oz
Wuthering Heights
All of these films are true classics in every sense of the word, the likes of which we may never see again! Or maybe it was because The Dark Knight missed out on a Best Picture nom, even though it failed to win nominations for best director and screenplay. Which leads me to my next point: the Academy also nominates ten films for either best original screenplay (5) or best screenplay adaptation (5). If you think about, the Academy essentially nominates its own 10 best pictures of the year when you analyze the two lists. Moreover, except for a very few exceptions, most Best Picture contenders also receive nominations for best screenplay, original or adapted. So, even though the field will grow from 5 to 10, some blockbusters may break through, but ultimately, serious quality will prevail.
btw…about my other comment before about documentary eligibilty for best picture, I am purely going on what the rule has been in the past. They haven’t posted the full rules for this year’s awards yet on AMPAS site so I am awaiting the results of my query, but apparently they will change the rule to documentaries being eligible for best picture OR Sid Ganis has gone bat-shit crazy because he was very clear that a documentary can be nominated for best pic according to the press conference. But to be clear, I hope that they change this rule because it is ludicrous to exclude documentaries from the best picture category (especially if animated and foreign features are eligible which they have been in the past).
one of the problems we have had recently is lame Oscar campaigns for great films (looking at you Focus the Feeble) getting whipped by strong campaigns for lesser films (Crash, Slumdog, IMO).
I wonder if this move will accentuate the problem or if we will see an increase in the number of strong campaigns.
So, yay or nay?
yay!
(if for no other reason: more FYC banner ad revenue.)
I think the standards will remain high, this will allow some great films to get recognition and the cream of the crop will still win in the long run. Great news.
Yea I’m still not convinced. People are talking about this 10 opening it up to more mainstream and foreign language films but I unfortunately lack that kind of confidence in the Academy to do that. They will still nominate films that the general populace does not care about and the usual Oscar bait films that no matter how mediocre they are will still get a Best Pic nom (I’m looking at you Frost/Nixon)
Update the contender tracker and put Up in the BP race
[...] a move that will dramatically shake up the Oscar race, the Academy has expanded the Best Picture category to include 10 films. The [...]
Hey, have you seen this news article?
New details about Michael Jackson’s Death Emerge
I was wondering if you were going to blog about this…
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