Can Ten Be Better Than Five?

The Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences has announced that next year's Oscars will feature 10 nominated films for Best Picture. For more than 60 years, five movies have battled it out for the top honor. For more on the announcement, follow this link.

In some ways the move makes sense as it could give a foreign or animated film a chance to compete for the honor. In the past, many of those have been squeezed out of contention. The change also gives studios more films they can promote as being nominated for the top prize.

I think the downside could be how the extra nominees could affect the running time of the awards show. There are always complaints about the long show (no such thing as a fast musical number or tributes to the recently deceased) and every year it seems the Academy tries to do something new to shorten it. I can't imagine how introducing ten films could take less time than five. I'm sure the company that employees people to sit in the seats of those who are going to the bathroom are thrilled with the announcement.

Perhaps the challenge of a longer show could be solved by limiting Oscar winners to Twitter length acceptance speeches. Of course then the walk to the podium would likely be shorter than the actual speech!

The announcement may also fast track the production of my long discussed Mafia vs. Aliens motion picture.

Memorable Oscar Speeches

I enjoyed watching the Academy Awards last night. I do get a little stressed out watching the winners give their acceptance speeches, especially if they're going over their allotted time. In the past, it seemed like some performers would literally be shooed off the stage, either by music or camera shots.

Thankfully that didn't seem to happen last night but I did notice that most speeches tend to fall into three groups. Either the winner says something about the part or their past, thanks specific people, or does a combination of both. Now, think which speeches you remember? Were they any of the ones that featured a laundry list of names?

Instead I remember Kate Winslet talking about holding a shampoo bottle as a child and pretending that it was the Oscar statute. I remember Philippe Petit performing a magic trick with a coin and balancing the Oscar statue on his nose. I remember several winners speaking in their native tongues to fans in their home country.

Why do people give long lists of names in their acceptance speeches? I guess because that seems to be the thing to do. But it means little to most and it's much more memorable to share a bit of yourself in your acceptance of an honor. Emotions connect people. Lists tend to bore.