What Hollywood Thinks of Oscar's Big Switch

In opening up this year's field of Best Picture nominees to 10 contenders instead of five, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences made the first fundamental change in decades to the most important award ceremony in the entertainment industry.

The move will have a major impact on the season that grips Hollywood from about September to February of every year.

And the reaction from the community was decidedly mixed.

While some thought the change would be great for the town at large from a business perspective by broadening the competitive field and driving more DVD releases, others thought the decision devalued a nomination by making it twice as available.

The indie world, however, rejoiced, since an Oscar nomination for a smaller film can have a direct impact on an arthouse movie's chances at the box office.

"The nomination is everything, and companies will be willing to risk a lot more to get that nomination," Bob Berney said.

Berney has a lot riding on this decision himself because of his as-yet-untitled distribution company's Jane Campion release, "Bright Star."

"Bright Star" is a perfect example of a movie that may very well land a nomination and would therefore get a bigger push, which in turn would mean bigger box office and a higher profile. (For more indie reaction, see accompanying story.)

But one Oscar voter who is producing major movies this year but declined to be identified, said, "This is awful. It devalues the nomination. It could have an adverse effect if the ratings don't improve. The Oscars always had an exclusive feel, and that was one of the big appeals for fans and the industry at large."

In explaining the decision, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Sid Ganis said the Oscars were returning to a different time. “After more than six decades, the Academy is returning to some of its earlier roots, when a wider field competed for the top award.” (From 1932-1943, the Academy nominated 10 pictures for the category.)

But in reality, the Academy has been under pressure to get better ratings for its telecast at a time when all awards shows have been struggling to compete with diminishing audiences.

The Academy earns a hefty paycheck from its contract with ABC, and with declining ratings, something had to be done to keep everyone happy.

This February's show, hosted by Hugh Jackman, was viewed by an estimated 36.3 million, up from the 2008 telecast by almost 5 million.

But Ganis said the Academy isn't satisfied. “China is now a market for the Oscar show,” he added. “It’s growing in certain segments around the world, and hopefully will continue to grow domestically.

Many -- including Ganis himself -- contend that the Academy's decision was in direct response to Warner Bros.’ smash "The Dark Knight" -- which made $1 billion worldwide and was critically lauded -- having been overlooked.

 

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