Oscars Go For Ten Best Picture Nominees
Sid Ganis Announces this Year's Top Award Will Have Ten Noms
Academy Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Sid Ganis announced today that the 82nd Academy Awards to be held in 2010 will feature ten Best Picture nominees instead of five.
In the Golden Age of Hollywood
At the beginning of the awards show’s inception, there were always over five nominees. The 1930s saw anywhere from eight to twelve nominees, and 1943 was the last year to nominate ten (Casablanca was the victor).
“Having 10 Best Picture nominees is going allow Academy voters to recognize and include some of the fantastic movies that often show up in the other Oscar categories, but have been squeezed out of the race for the top prize,” Ganis said at a press conference.
Although that may be the idea, the extended nominee list does have other implications.
Are There Ten Worthy Films?
Finding ten nominees may not have been a problem in 1939, arguably the best year for cinema. That year, Gone With The Wind walked away with the trophy, over classic pictures such as The Wizard of Oz and Mr Smith Goes To Washington. However not every year can match up to Hollywood’s golden age. Trying to discover ten films deserving of the title may be difficult to do without “filler” nominees.
Last year, Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire was the obvious front-runner (and inevitable winner) for most of the award show season. For many, the other four nominees were placeholders. Although fantastic films, it was obvious that Slumdog was going to walk away with the trophy. In a year where a front-runner has such an obvious lead, it will seem pointless to have nine other films in the competition.
Open To More Diverse Contenders
In an ideal world, ten nominations would open the door to more independent or foreign films that have not received mainstream recognition. Last year, some of the best reviewed and most critically acclaimed films weren’t up for the top honour – that includes The Wrestler, Synecdoche NY and Let The Right One In.
Animated films might also get into the running. Typically, studios submit them for best animated picture instead of a Best Picture long shot (the last animated film up for the big award was Beauty & The Beast in ’92). Now films like last year’s Wall E and this year’s Up can take a chance in the big leagues.
What This Means For The Telecast
The real reason behind the change is likely ratings. The telecast has always been popular, but in recent years viewers have dwindled. Viewership has been directly linked to the box office draws of the nominated films – years where independent features are the top contenders (for example 2007’s No Country For Old Men) don’t get the public as interested as years where blockbusters are on the short list (2003’s telecast, where Return of the King walked away with the top award, is the highest rated to date).
With more nominees, the chance of viewers having seen the movies and therefore wanting to watch the telecast, increases. So instead of more low budget indie films being put into the running, there may be a demand for more “blockbuster” type films. This summer’s Public Enemies, the latest film by Michael Mann, might edge it’s way into the competition, and television sets will light up to see Johnny Depp back on the red carpet. If this rule of ten had been implemented last year, it’s certain The Dark Knight would have been in the running for that same reason.
It’s not safe to say how ten nominees will fare – it could give the show a ratings boost, or turn viewers away with all the lengthy introductions during the telecast. It may give smaller films a chance to shine on the world stage, or open up the floodgates for unworthy films to fill up space. Sid Ganis said it best: “I can’t wait to see what that list of ten looks like when the nominees are announced in February.” Until then, it’s mere speculation.
The 82nd Academy Awards nominations will be announced on Tuesday, February 2, 2010.
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