Oscar Upset: How ‘Anora’s’ Win Redefines ‘Oscar Bait’ Forever!

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For many years in Hollywood, shrewd movie spectators could easily identify a potential Academy Awards contender from afar. These films were typically unveiled during the final months preceding the awards, and they tended to be sophisticated, serious, sometimes historical, catering to an older or mature audience who would pay for tickets to watch a matinée showing. They usually featured well-known actors but weren’t necessarily the most highly anticipated releases of the year, nor were they minor productions. Various phrases emerged to characterize these types of movies, such as “prestige films” or more colloquially, “Oscar contenders.

As a movie enthusiast, I must admit that while the occasional groundbreaking film like “Green Book” still manages to shine through, and last year’s accolades for “Oppenheimer” prove that historical epics are far from being abandoned by Hollywood, the landscape of what constitutes an Oscar-winning masterpiece has significantly evolved in recent times.

Unconventional, offbeat films have been gracing the top prize podium in the past decade, alongside intimately crafted independent movies produced away from the glare of Hollywood’s spotlight. This year’s winner, “Anora,” is a fascinating blend of both worlds. For those of us yearning for something fresh amidst the sea of familiar Oscar-winning films, this shift has been refreshing and indicative of the Academy’s own transformation as well as the broader cinematic universe.

The Academy’s Changing Tastes

For a long time, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was predominantly composed of a particular group of professionals from Hollywood. Approximately a decade ago, the membership was almost entirely white (94%) and male (76%), with an average age of 63 years old. In response to criticism, there has been an attempt to bring in more diverse members since then, with the Academy promising to double its female and non-white numbers by 2020. While they haven’t entirely fulfilled this commitment, there have been substantial advancements in recent times. Presently, women make up 35% of the membership, while 20% are non-white.

It’s clear that we still have a long journey ahead before complete equality is attained, but the recent shift towards a slightly more diverse Academy has already made a significant difference. Over the past decade, a variety of distinctive and groundbreaking films have won Best Picture, such as 2016’s Moonlight, Nomadland from 2020, and CODA from 2021. This year, Anora, an indie film made on a modest budget of $6 million, has managed to compete with more traditional films like La La Land or West Side Story, which might have dominated in the past.

The victory of “Parasite” at the 2019 Oscars paved the way for more international films to contend for top awards, although this trend hasn’t been widely observed thus far. However, “Parasite” was one of the most deserving Best Picture winners in history, a truly exceptional work of cinema that had no other option but to sweep the ceremony. It’s plausible that its triumph opened an opportunity for another daring film, “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” to shine in 2022. Even though “Oppenheimer” may seem like a more traditional Oscar-winning movie for Best Picture, it was still bold and unconventional enough to feel fresh and exhilarating.

Previously, a film such as Anora winning the top award (alongside victories for director, actress, editing, and screenplay) would have been considered quite an unexpected success. However, considering the trend of the last decade or so at the Oscars, it aligns well with its contemporaries.

Changes at the Oscars Reflect a Changing Hollywood

It’s possible that a slightly more diverse Academy might be contributing to a change in Oscar preferences, although it’s not entirely straightforward. However, the shifts observed seem substantial and something that the traditional, less open-minded Academy of past times might have found hard to embrace without significant internal changes. These changes are mirrored across Hollywood, an industry constantly evolving to accommodate the changing tastes of moviegoers and the shifting landscape of film consumption.

This year, it’s evident that streamers are grabbing a larger share of the movie-watching market, with Netflix’s “Emilia Pérez” being the standout film with the highest number of nominations. This shift has significantly altered our perception of which movies warrant a trip to the cinema and which can be enjoyed at home. With Hollywood increasingly concentrating on grand spectacles and well-known intellectual properties for their multiplex releases, it seems that the way people engage with films has undergone a significant transformation in recent years. Moreover, many speeches during this year’s Oscars emphasized the importance of watching movies in the theater, suggesting that our relationship with cinema has drastically changed over time.

With the shift in movie watching towards diverse platforms beyond traditional cinemas, it’s only natural that the films winning Oscars would also evolve. Instead of the often-parodied highbrow productions, we might start seeing a more vibrant and entertaining selection instead. We’re currently witnessing a significant transformation in the film industry, and it remains to be seen what the future holds. However, one thing is clear: some truly exceptional movies are finally receiving their well-deserved recognition.

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2025-03-05 04:02