Though the current public focus on Hollywood is largely on the Harvey Weinstein and various other allegations of sexual harassment and assault by major producers and actors, hidden behind these significant problems is another problems that has been looming for a while. Hollywood is struggling to produce significant major blockbusters on a regular basis, gutting profits and having to compete with streaming movie businesses such as Amazon and Netflix. This has bled over to the upcoming Academy Award show where the omission of movies such as Mudbound, Okja, The Big Sick, and Wonderstruck are not in consideration because they have been shown on Amazon and Netflix rather than the more traditional channels from which all things Oscar flows.
It’s not that the actors in these movies and other Netflix offerings are lacking in talent. Actors who have made the jump include two-time Oscar nominee Will Smith, Best Director winner Martin Scorsese, Best Actress winner Nicole Kidman, and Best Supporting Actress and winner of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, Angelina Jolie. The issue does not seem to be one of talent, but of an active discrimination against movies that do not fit the traditional mold of movies worthy of Oscar consideration.
Movies considered for nomination generally are screened in traditional movie theaters, with some nominations coming from the Toronto International Film Festival held earlier this year. This year, the unexpected fan favorite was I, Tonya, which was picked up for distribution by Neon and is scheduled to be released on December 8, 2017 in theaters across the U.S. At the festival Margot Robbie was given serious consideration for a Best Actress nomination by its viewers, yet would that even be a topic of discussion if Neon had not picked up the distribution rights?
One sticking point that has made the rounds during the discussion of including streaming service movies is defining exactly what a movie is. If this seems odd, that is because it is. From the example of I, Tonya above, a movie seems to be required to have distribution rights granted to it by a recognized Hollywood company. It is understandable that the Board of Governors of the Academy would be hesitant to extend a welcoming hand to Netflix and other streaming companies because they are responsible in part for the decline of movie theater attendance and the price of the ticket at the box office. Both cost Hollywood producers money, so it is understandable from a bottom line perspective.
The definition of a movie seems to be already established by the Academy. Of the 24 categories, awards are given to:
- Best Adapted Screenplay
- Best Animated Feature
- Best Animated Short Film
- Best Documentary Feature
- Best Documentary Short Subject (that is turned into a movie)
- Best Foreign Language Film
- Best Original Screenplay
- Best Original Story (that is turned into a movie)
- Best Picture
- Best Visual Effects
- Best Live Action Short Film
Looking at these categories, you can see the Academy put a lot of thought into which movies were going to be placed in what category. The Toronto Festival has a category for Experimental films, which the Academy obviously did not consider to be an actual movie. Also what many people do not know is that the Academy has discontinued some categories, apparently because they did not reflect the idea of what a movie actually is:
- Best Assistant Director
- Best Director, Comedy Picture
- Best Dance Direction
- Best Engineering Effects
- Best Original Musical or Comedy Score
- Best Score — Adaptation or Treatment
- Best Short Film — Color
- Best Short Film — Live Action — 2 Reels
- Best Short Film — Novelty
- Best Title Writing
- Best Unique and Artistic Picture
Comedies rarely get nominated, let alone win anymore. Some categories, like Best Unique and Artistic Picture, fall into the Experimental category so it is understandable why it got the axe. But knowing that the next Oscar awards will be its 90th, it seems they have had enough time to figure things out.
The ultimate question is why should outstanding acting be disqualified from an Oscar just because it is on Netflix or Amazon? Is viewing a movie on a 60 inch, 4K screen any different than in a theater? There is something magical about going to the movies for many people, but that magic should not dictate the quality of the talent or a specific performance just because it is on a larger screen. We are likely to see more Oscar quality talent on the streaming side, and they are just as capable of winning an Oscar than someone who prefers the silver screen.
Oscar, you know what a movie is. Why discriminate?
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