Best Picture Question
 

The following is a list of the movies nominated for Best Picture.

Anora
The Brutalist
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
I’m Still Here
Nickel Boys
The Substance
Wicked

How many have you seen?
Has anyone seen all of them?

Wicked and Dune: Part Two.

Wicked only and that is because wife and kids wanted to go

Haven't heard of most of them. Seen none.

I saw an interesting take on Wicked. The writer said the idea for it was people watching The Wizard of Oz and wondering where the secondary characters went to college.

Have not seen any of them. I can’t figure how the academy picks best picture of the year. Many times it’s not my pick.

None of them
 

Totally disinterested and none of them packed my interest
I wonder why?

Usually I could like action movies and mysteries. We saw a wicked in New York live theater and none of the other ones fit my profile as a person or My views.

Probably it is, for the most part, twenty to fifty aged people who pick the Oscar contenders. Not 55 and over movie goers. Even those would be West Coast individuals even if Hollywood now could more mean movie production in Georgia, New Zealand, Paris, New York City, New Mexico, etc .

We have seen the first five...
 

Anora was good story with graphic strip club scenes at the start that may turn people off...
The Brutalist was way out their....pretty weird. Great acting job by Adrian Brody though.
A Complete Unknown (Bob Dylan Bipopic) was very good and great acting by Timothy Challomet
Conclave was the best in my opinion. Should have won.
Dune II was good, sreamed it for free, I usually don't like science fiction, but enjoyed this one.

One response said that younger people pick the movies for the academy nominations....that is not true. This year's nominess weren't as good as last year's.../but have the same appeal to people over 55 - especially a drama about naming the next pope and the Bob Dylan story. We saw two of them at the Lake Sumter Cinema....good to go and watch a movie so this one doesn't close down also.

There is usually a wide difference large enough to build a Walmart Supercenter between what the so-called critics like and popular opinion. The most egregious example was in 1977 when Dennis Cunningham, movie critic for WCBS-NY rated "The Turning Point" with Mikhail Baryshnikov as a "10" and Star Wars as a "-1". I think history has spoken, and George Lucas is happier with his bank account than the producer of "The Turning Point"

Saw Wicked, The Brutalist and A Complete Unknown and was bored. I kept checking my watch to see when the movie will get over. Actually fell asleep a few times.

The Academy members vote for Oscar nominations. I doubt if many of these people are retirees. It did look like Taylor Swift got a vote in the music categories. Google it.

I watched Wicked on TV, didn't like it. The original Wicked was outstanding.
We saw The Unknown at the Theater and really liked it!!!

Other than the sound of freedom. I haven't been to a movie theater since Obama 2016, other than some oldies like Caddyshack, Die Hard, Airplane, Hunt for red October, etc streaming on TV.
I don't care for today's Hollywood. I miss the days of John Wayne , Don Rickles, Donald Sutherland, etc..

Sound of Freedom was eye-opening but seemed to play very fast and loose with what really occurred. Loved Angel Films Cabrini.

Totally agree. One HUGE example of this is the movie "Reagan". If I recall the difference on Rotten Tomatoes was something like 19% positive for Critics and 98% for public opinion. Of course much of this disparity can be ascribed to L<>R stuff.

I saw Reagan speak at the University of Nevada, Reno. Great man IMHO. I will leave it at that though. I will note that Hollywood leans very heavily in one direction even if there are many individual movie stars who go the other way .

I remember asking my parents when they were older why they never went to the movies anymore. Their reply was that all the actors they used to enjoy were gone. Didn't understand that back then but do now.

Dune Part 2
 

Dune Part 2 and that was free on TV.

I will probably see most of those unless they are only available on Apple TV or whatever. Still have only seen half of the Tom Hanks' movie about guarding conveys in WW2. It is only available on Apple TV.

Burned Out with Hollywood
 

Nope!

I’ve seen them all except Nickel Boys and Emilia Perez which is on Netflix. Anora, which won, was a good movie but i liked The Florida Project better, which was also a Sean Baker film. He tied a 70 year old record with Walt Disney for winning the most awards for a film in one night for Anora. Best picture, screenplay, editing and director. I really like Wicked and Conclave was better than I thought. Love The Substance which was free on the MUBI app. Wicked and Dune 2 were huge box office hits. A complete Unkown is the story of Bob Dylan and it was a little slow.

I saw Dune part 2 and thought that it was excellent.

That is a perfect example of the idea that we all slowly become our parents as we age.

Representation and Inclusion Standards for Best Picture category
 

Representation and Inclusion Standards

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences representation and inclusion standards for Oscars® eligibility in the Best Picture category are designed to encourage equitable representation on and off screen to better reflect the diverse global population.

Submitting a confidential Academy Inclusion Standards form (RAISE) and meeting TWO out of FOUR of the standards will be required in order for the film to be deemed eligible for Best Picture consideration:

STANDARD A: ON-SCREEN REPRESENTATION, THEMES AND NARRATIVES

A film can achieve this standard by meeting the criteria in at least ONE of the following areas:

A1. Lead or significant supporting actors from underrepresented racial or ethnic groups

At least one of the lead actors or significant supporting actors submitted for Oscar consideration is from an underrepresented racial or ethnic group in a specific country or territory of production.

This may include:
• African American / Black / African and/or Caribbean descent
• East Asian (including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Mongolian)
• Hispanic or Latina/e/o/x
• Indigenous Peoples (including Native American / Alaskan Native)
• Middle Eastern / North African
• Pacific Islander
• South Asian (including Bangladeshi, Bhutanese, Indian, Nepali, Pakistani, and Sri Lankan)
• Southeast Asian (including Burmese, Cambodian, Filipino, Hmong, Indonesian, Laotian, Malaysian, Mien, Singaporean, Thai, and Vietnamese)

A2. General ensemble cast

At least 30% of all actors not submitted for Oscar consideration are from at least two underrepresented groups which may include:

• Women
• Racial or ethnic group
• LGBTQ+
• People with cognitive or physical disabilities, or who are deaf or hard of hearing

A3. Main storyline/subject matter

The main storyline(s), theme or narrative of the film is centered on an underrepresented group(s).

• Women
• Racial or ethnic group
• LGBTQ+
• People with cognitive or physical disabilities, or who are deaf or hard of hearing

STANDARD B: CREATIVE LEADERSHIP AND PROJECT TEAM

A film can achieve this standard by meeting the criteria in at least ONE of the following areas:

B1. Creative leadership and department heads

At least two of the following creative leadership positions and department heads—Casting Director, Cinematographer, Composer, Costume Designer, Director, Editor, Hairstylist, Makeup Artist, Producer, Production Designer, Set Decorator, Sound, VFX Supervisor, Writer—are from an underrepresented group and at least one of those positions must belong to someone from an underrepresented racial or ethnic group.

Underrepresented groups may include:

• Women
• Racial or ethnic group
• LGBTQ+
• People with cognitive or physical disabilities, or who are deaf or hard of hearing

Underrepresented racial or ethnic groups may include:

• African American / Black / African and/or Caribbean descent
• East Asian (including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Mongolian)
• Hispanic or Latina/e/o/x
• Indigenous Peoples (including Native American / Alaskan Native)
• Middle Eastern / North African
• Pacific Islander
• South Asian (including Bangladeshi, Bhutanese, Indian, Nepali, Pakistani, and Sri Lankan)
• Southeast Asian (including Burmese, Cambodian, Filipino, Hmong, Indonesian, Laotian, Malaysian, Mien, Singaporean, Thai, and Vietnamese)

B2. Other key roles

At least six (6) other crew/team and technical positions (excluding Production Assistants) are from an underrepresented racial or ethnic group. These positions include but are not limited to First AD, Gaffer, Script Supervisor, etc.

B3. Overall crew composition

At least 30% of the film’s crew is from at least two underrepresented groups, which may include:

• Women
• Racial or ethnic group
• LGBTQ+
• People with cognitive or physical disabilities, or who are deaf or hard of hearing

STANDARD C: INDUSTRY ACCESS AND OPPORTUNITIES

A film can achieve this standard by meeting the criteria in at least ONE of the following areas:

C1. Paid apprenticeship and internship opportunities

The film’s distribution or financing company has paid apprenticeships or internships that are from the following underrepresented groups and satisfy the criteria below:

• Women
• Racial or ethnic group
• LGBTQ+
• People with cognitive or physical disabilities, or who are deaf or hard of hearing

The major studios/distributors are required to have substantive, ongoing paid apprenticeships/internships inclusive of underrepresented groups (must also include racial or ethnic groups) in most of the following departments: production/development, physical production, post-production, music, VFX, acquisitions, business affairs, distribution, marketing and publicity.

The mini-major or independent studios/distributors must have a minimum of two apprentices/interns from the above underrepresented groups (at least one from an underrepresented racial or ethnic group) in at least one of the following departments: production/development, physical production, post-production, music, VFX, acquisitions, business affairs, distribution, marketing and publicity.

C2. Training opportunities and skills development (crew)

The film’s production, distribution and/or financing company offers training and/or work opportunities for below-the-line skill development to people from the following underrepresented groups:

• Women
• Racial or ethnic group
• LGBTQ+
• People with cognitive or physical disabilities, or who are deaf or hard of hearing

STANDARD D: AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT

To achieve Standard D, the film must meet the criterion below:

D1. Representation in development, marketing, publicity, and distribution

The studio and/or film company has multiple (more than one) in-house senior executives or hired consultants belonging to at least two underrepresented groups on their creative and development, marketing, publicity, and/or distribution teams. At least one individual must belong to an underrepresented racial or ethnic group.

Underrepresented groups may include:

• Women
• Racial or ethnic group
• LGBTQ+
• People with cognitive or physical disabilities, or who are deaf or hard of hearing

Underrepresented racial or ethnic groups may include:

• African American / Black / African and/or Caribbean descent
• East Asian (including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Mongolian)
• Hispanic or Latina/e/o/x
• Indigenous Peoples (including Native American / Alaskan Native)
• Middle Eastern / North African
• Pacific Islander
• South Asian (including Bangladeshi, Bhutanese, Indian, Nepali, Pakistani, and Sri Lankan)
• Southeast Asian (including Burmese, Cambodian, Filipino, Hmong, Indonesian, Laotian, Malaysian, Mien, Singaporean, Thai, and Vietnamese)

All categories other than Best Picture will be held to their current eligibility requirements. Films in the specialty feature categories (Animated Feature Film, Documentary Feature, International Feature Film) submitted for Best Picture/General Entry consideration will be prompted to participate in the Representation and Inclusion Standards process.

For more information, and to submit the information needed to facilitate the Representation and Inclusion Standards review process, visit RAISE.oscars.org.

Good for them. I had gone to BYU Law School on a Merit Scholarship back in 1982. This Scholarship was for Non-Mormons. I do not think there were any other Non-Mormons there. Just a bunch of male Mormons some of which were married. Only two women in the Class of 1985. One was a librarian getting her law degree. The Criminal Law professor would not call on you if you were attending to your baby. Babies were allowed. At least in that class.


I dropped out after having to deal with a recent Puerto Rican Mormon convert who was studying dance. The school hands out your dorm roommates. And after only about 10 days there two undergraduate women already seemed to be planning our wedding.


I went back to Law School after getting a Masters in Librarianship at the U of Denver and working for Information Access Company for about two years .


My point is that the Mormon Church can make their own rules about who joins their organization as can the Academy.

I never saw a baby in any law class at the University of Minnesota. And there were more women than men at that law school but only two African Americans in the Class of 1989. The U of MN Law School Class of 1989 probably had about 250 people.

Is this why movies are so expensive to make?

If those are the criteria, they are idiotic morons, about what I’d expect from Hollywood. Nothing like having the hypothetical best movie of all time excluded based some stupid diversity standards

It is probably why they have a lot of Best Picture nominees which are about gay/lesbians and various other minorities. Titanic had the steerage partiers. Not sure about Saving Private Ryan? You could probably blow anyone up on Omaha Beach and not see their ethnicity.

These Academy rules are probably rather recent though.

Best Picture Question - only A Complete Unknown
 

I saw A Complete Unknown and loved it. None of the rest. Is Hollywood out of touch?

The Academy announced in September 2020 a set of rules to encourage diversity would take effect with the upcoming 96th Oscars ceremony in March 2024.

The new rules were announced a few months after George Floyd was killed. As I recall, almost every corporation or city or group was in a race to be the wokest.

You mean like the 2006 nominee Brokeback Mountain? This is only to ensure that they recognize POC in roles. It doesn’t mean they win. If so, then Mikey Madison wouldn’t have won, Cynthia Erivo would’ve. Coleman Domingo would’ve won over Adrian Brody, and so on. When a bunch of old white men are in charge, they tend to ignore pretty much anyone who doesn’t look like they do. 60% of DEI hire were white women. As a white woman who directs tv shows for a living, it’s difficult when shows like Supernatural that was on 15 years, airing 327 episodes, never hired a female director. I for one will always be grateful for that but then again, i wasn’t around when my mom wasn’t allowed to get her own credit card, thankfully. When you’re casting a show, there are several small roles. A receptionist with one line or a nurse or a cop etc. someone who doesn’t one quick little scene. Those are the roles they fill with POC now with the new rules in effect. It’s just to make people aware.

So, it's OK to fill a role with a less talented actor so that some diversity quota is met? There are plenty of talented "POC" actors, I wonder what they think of lowering standards to accommodate their less talented brethren. When I watch a movie, I want entertainment and quality performances. I couldn't give a rat's furry arse about how much "diversity" the casting director was able to shove down our throats. Give me Morgan Freeman and Denzel Washington all day long, but don't give me "all the stars that never were who are parking cars and pumping gas"

Way, way out of touch. As far as those idiotic "criteria" to even be considered for best picture, here's some previous winners that I doubt would be considered today based on what was posted above.

Casablanca
From Here to Eternity
Gigi
Ben Hur
My Fair Lady
The Sound of Music
The Godfather
The Sting
Chariots of Fire
Amadeus
Silence of the Lambs
Forrest Gump
Braveheart
Titanic

Obviously, a collection of inferior movies due to a lack of meeting diversity standards.

I see no problem with having stories told that reflect a broad spectrum of people in the US. And a good story can influence great changes. Uncle Tom's Cabin or Gulliver's Travels for instance. It is 2025 now though.

We had an African-American woman 007 for a short time in recent James Bond movie but the Daniel Craig played Bond got the 007 label back by the end of the movie. And then....

It would be hard to accept an African American female 007 but we could get used to it.

And those movies are fine. But it shouldn’t be a REQUIREMENT for best picture consideration

I am pretty sure the Academy is a private organization and not a public one so there would not be much that could be done about it.

Didn’t state that something could be done, just that it is idiotic and wrong

The Academy should be able to pick which stories they want to honor with the Best Picture label. I do find that with some of them they are pushing too hard and just creating animosity from certain groups. They are using them as teaching moments and some people want a different book altogether.