First it was 5. Then it became 10. And now, starting next year, the number of movies that can be nominated for a Best Picture Oscar will be somewhere between 5 and 10.
This interesting decision by the Academy of Art and Sciences is a reaction to the move to expand the field of nominees to 10 in 2009. Many critics and insiders felt that 10 was too many, and that films were included in the final group that didn’t belong. However, it was also obvious that 5 spots was not enough, so this new plan should actually work.
The best thing about it is that it won’t force academy voters to honor a film with a Best Picture nomination that truly doesn’t deserve it. And, it’s going to add a great deal of suspense to the weeks of Oscar Watch speculation and the morning that the nominations are announced.
But why stop with Best Picture? Why can’t every Oscar category go this way? If there were 6 great Best Actress performances or 8 outstanding directors why not honor them all with nominations! And don’t get me started with Animated Feature category.
Clearly, being the last of the awards shows, the Academy Awards needs new ways to keep movie fans excited and make itself different than all the other shows that come before it. Last year’s “young, hip” experiment was a disaster. Tweaking the rules, as they’ve done here, is definitely a step in the right direction.