December 16th, 2004

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Movies
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How To Win an Oscar

I never read the initial post about Lex’s Oscar Project, but I think the goal is to watch every film that has ever won an Academy Award for Best Picture (so, that would be 76 films?). Regardless, she recently posted a list of five elements that award-seeking screenwriters and directors can’t do without:

  • Your picture must be over 2 hours. (All of the winners are long.)
  • The movie stands a better chance of winning if it is a bio-pic, a period piece, an epic, or a musical. It also stands a good chance of winning if it’s adapted from a book.
  • Popular themes are war related themes, or bio-pics (as already mentioned.)
  • You stand a better chance if you include Russell Crowe (in recent year), Dustin Hoffman, or Jack Nicholson.
  • Include a lot of hats. For some reasons, there are always great hats in Oscar winners.

She’s correct on all accounts–especially about the hats. Mind you, Ghandi didn’t wear a hat, but I suppose all the Brits did.

Comments: 3 Responses so far

alexis
December 16th, 2004
10:57 am

Yeah, I am watching all the best picture winners. And I’m glad you agree with my criteria :)

[Reply]

Java
December 16th, 2004
2:30 pm

It helps if you have a roll with a major mental deficiency of some sort.

[Reply]

Ross Thomas
December 18th, 2004
11:29 am

Ideally the lead character should be:

An idiot savant
Physically disfigured in a highly noticible way, but not disfigured enough to hide that he or she would be, in fact, very beautiful without it
Beaten as a child
Living with an abusive significant other
Struggling against overwhelming odds
Flawed in a cute way
In love with someone considered inappropriate
Scottish

Roll all those things together in one movie and you’ve got yourself a ticket to the gravy train.

[Reply]

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