The 2020 Oscars marks the first Oscars of the new decade, and the landscape could not be any more different. Movies that would not be given the time of day, ten or even five years ago, are now the talk of the town. However, as progressive as the Oscars has become, there is still a long way to go before it can become the must-see event of the year. Before we take a look at the 2020 Oscars, lets wind back to the 2010 and 2011 Oscar and see where we stood and what, if anything, changed.
The 2010 Academy Awards marked the end of the 2000s, a decade of movies made famous by the way they tried to improve on the rise of digital technology. CGI was the new frontier for movies, and it seems fitting that ending the previous era was Toy Story 2 (1999) and ten years later we would honor Avatar (2009) a movie that, for the time, was the peek of CGI. While the rise of technology is a pretty cut and dry case, the waters get muddled when looking at the rest of the categories. 2010 marked the beginning of the 10 nominations for best movies, an increase from the traditional 5. This was mainly done as a way to regain viewers’ interaction since it paved the way for larger more recognize movies to earn a spot. The decision was mostly influenced by the 2009 Oscars snubbing of films such as The Dark Knight, and Wall-E, who despite winning awards for best-animated film and supporting actor respectively weren’t nominated for best picture. A change in the way movies are select would mean that, despite the limit of 10 films, we would mainly see around eight or nine films getting nominated. So what were the 2010’s Oscar nominations?
The 2010 line up was filled with one of the most diverse lists of films ever accumulated: Avatar, District 9, An Education, The Hurt Locker, Inglourious Basterds, Precious, A Serious Man, Up in the Air, The Blind Side, and Up. 2010 Oscars was also the first time that a film directed by a woman was nominated, with Lone Scherfig’s An Education, and best-picture winner Kathryn Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker. Raising the limit of movies would prove to be an overall success; however, even by looking at this list, you can see the flaw in the system. Looking back, it was easy to see all these movies as contenders, however with hindsight, it is clear to see how movies such as The Blind Side, Up in Air, and A Serious Man didn’t stand the test time and were only nominated to fill up space. This would plague the Oscars going forward since it has become increasingly easy to point at which movie each year does not deserve a nomination. Some examples are Life of Pi and Les Miserables for the 2013 Oscars, and more recently Bohemian Rhapsody and Vice for the 2019 Oscar. It is safe to say the term, ‘Oscars Bait,’ really started to gain massive traction throughout the 2010s. The Hurt Locker was the perfect movie to win the Oscars since it perfectly encapsulated the mentality of post 9/11 America. War and social issues were big themes throughout the night with Woody Harrelson winning the best-supporting actor for The Messenger. Even Avatar, Precious, and District 9 tackled social issues in very different ways. America cinema was ready for change, and these movies represented this.
Moving the calendar by one year and the Oscars is singing a different tune. The 2011 Oscars was an interesting show if the 2010 Awards can be seen as America moving away from war, and good vs. evil, 2011 was the year that America cinema was ready to flex its rebellious muscle. The King’s Speech, 127 Hours, Black Swan, The Fighter, Inception, The Kids Are All Right, Social Network, Toy Story 3, True Grit, Winter’s Bone, if there is one word to describe the 2011 Academy Awards it would be challenging. The Kids Are All Right (One of my favorite Films of All Time) challenge the ideal platonic family, by showing a same-sex couple (Played by Julianne Moore and Annette Bening) raising a family. The Social Network challenge what it means to be the protagonist of a film by offering the most unlikeable character in cinema with Jessie Eisenberg’s portrayal of Mark Zuckerberg. Toy Story 3 challenge the notion that animation can never stand toe to toe with other films by once again getting nominated for best-film (Years later Toy Story 4 still paves the way for animation with another film of the year nomination). I can go on and one with examples such as Inceptions contribution to action movies. Still, the idea is clear these movies proved that American cinema was ready for something new, that if a movie wanted to get nominated, it needs to challenge what we believe is standard cinema. However, one thing that nobody was expecting was the sudden boom of superhero movies, a shift that would drastically affect the Oscars.
Superhero films have become some of the biggest money earners for Hollywood, fans and newcomers alike line up almost every other month to see the latest Superhero movie. However, rarely do we see Superhero films earning anything outside of best special effects. This disconnect becomes an issue when you start to consider all that these movies have accomplished. The Avenger becoming one of the important cinematic accomplishments of the last ten years, Wonder Woman becoming the most powerful female portrayal of a superhero. Superhero films have become an important part of pop culture, and the Academy needs to acknowledge this. During the 2019 Oscars, the Academy hinted at a new category for the most popular movie. This was quickly met with criticism, with fans and experts agreeing that this meant that they want to give Superhero movies an award without acknowledging them as, ‘real cinema.’
Now, before talking about this year’s nominees, here are just some ways to fix the Oscars. One, make it easier to stream the Oscars. The Oscars will air on ABC, and it will also be viewable through HULU, Direct TV Now, PlayStation Vue, and YouTube TV. While all these are great platforms, they are hidden behind paywalls. The average fan might not want to spend more on a yearly award show. One suggestion would be to open it up to more platforms, such as standard Youtube, give the fans more interactivity by Livestream fan reaction, or let fans chat live with others while watching. Fans need to know that they can become part of the show.
Another solution is fixing the way movies are judged; one category that has suffered the most from the way movies are judged is animation. It seems that movies that make it to the Oscars are movies that have gain public buzz, and anything between Disney, Dreamworks, and Pixar. The Academy doesn’t take into consideration any smaller movies that deserve a nomination, outside of the occasional Studio Ghibli or Netflix film. This can lead to strange decisions such as the infamous 2018 Oscar nominations of Boss Baby and Ferdinand. However, even when nominating movies, the Academy mostly stays on the safe side with examples such as Coco earning best animated film over The Breadwinner. The same goes for horror films, if these last ten years have proven anything is that horror movies have become some of the best ways to show social commentary with films such as It Follows, The Witch, and of course Get Out.
However, the biggest obstacle that the Oscars has faced during this last decade, and a word you are going to hear a lot, is diversity. I praised the 2011 Oscars for the diversity in storytelling, but how about the people behind the camera telling the story. As it stands this year, the directors nominated for best director are mostly white males, with Bong Joon Ho bringing diversity with his well-earned nomination for Parasite. While it is easy to argue that maybe no female-directed movie, nor film directed by a minority, was good enough to make the cut, keep in mind that Jordan Peele is considered one the biggest snubs this year for his follow up to Get Out, US. Alongside him, Lupita Nyong’o was also snub for best actress in a leading role. These last ten years have shown that the best stories are told from the point of view of a director that truly has a voice on the issue; notable examples are Moonlight, Wonder Woman, and Roma.
Finally, ten years later, and we see a diverse selection of movies this year. With Parasite and Joker keeping the 2011 spirit alive with their brand of social commentary. (Sidenote, how amazing is it that we consider a proper portrayal of the Joker as one of the biggest challenges in cinema, and when done correctly and actor can earn an Oscar buzz). Jojo Rabbit proves that comedy does have a spot on the Oscar. 1917 shows that nothing beats a good war movie. Marriage Story, Little Woman, and Ford vs Ferrari bringing some of the best performances this year, and of course, The Irishman and Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood showing us why we go to the movies in the first place. This stellar line up of movies helps usher in a new decade of Hollywood and closing the last ten years of cinema. Now the question is, where do we stand?
The nominees this year have proved that Hollywood is still growing, despite the incredible amount of stories that grace the big screen this year Hollywood is still in a bit of an awkward situation. On one hand, the Academy is nowhere near as conservative with their choices as they used to be, but it is clear that movies that follow the Hollywood formula are still given a fairer shot.
The 2020 Oscars marks not just another night to honor some of the best movies of the last, but as a way to close the door on the last 10 years. Society has changed, trends have changed, and movies reflect all those changes. So once more we turn on our TVs and sit down to watch the Oscars not only a chance to see the best dress celebrities but as a chance to reflect on the stories that help us reflect on these last ten years.
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