We’re not saying there’s a formula to creating that perfect Oscar contender, but there’s a formula to creating the perfect Oscar contender. Okay, not really, but we all know an Oscar movie when we see one. Here’s a breakdown of sure-fire Oscar-ness. An Academy Award winning movie has at least one of these things going for it.
It Leaves You Bawling like a Baby
Nothing says Oscar like a tear-jerker, the jerkier the better. If the movie can give the viewer false hope and then yank the rug out from under them, all the better. If there’s not a dry eye in the house, the movie’s a shoe-in at Oscar time. Academy Award tear-jerkers include "Ordinary People," "Terms of Endearment" and "Schindler’s List".
Someone Up and Dies
This is really a subset of the bawling like a baby faction, but there are so many tragic and untimely deaths by leads it deserves its own section. If someone’s coughing in the first act, they’re sure to be pushing daisies in the third. A variation is the shocking, oh-no-you-didn’t death of a lead character. Some untimely deaths include "Forrest Gump," "American Beauty" and, of course, "Titanic."
Didn’t I Already Read This?
Hollywood loves to stand on the shoulders of giants, and there’s no better way to ensure success than to take something that was already wildly successful and make a movie out of it. More than half of the movies that have won the Oscar were based on a book or play including everything from 1930’s "All Quiet on the Western Front" to "The Godfather" and "Silence of the Lambs."
I Could Be Your Hero, Baby
The Academy loves winners, they don’t care if it’s on the field or the battlefield. Against all odds, our hero survives (maybe) and does outrageously heroic things that leave us feeling like we want to buy them a beer. Some sporty Oscar movies include "Rocky," "Million Dollar Baby" and "The Blind Side." War is always popular, at least in the movies. Oscar-winning war movies include "Platoon," "Saving Private Ryan" and "The Hurt Locker."
Bio-pics
We love an insiders look at someone famous and so does Oscar. Movies based on real people-- real famous people-- are staples at the Academy Awards. This category is great for cross-overs into other sure-fire Oscar categories too. Here are just a few examples: Patton," "Ghandi" and "Braveheart."
Handi-capable
Overcoming adversity in all shapes and sizes is always a biggy with the Academy, and nothing sets off their voting fingers like a movie about a disabled person showing the rest of us what’s what. It helps if they’re somehow a genius too. Oscar movies with disabled leads include "Forrest Gump," "Rain Man" and "A Beautiful Mind." Honorable mention goes to Robert Downey Jr. in "Tropic Thunder."
A Horse of Course
It’s weird, but getting on a horse is a great way to get Oscar’s attention. For some reason, they love horses and the stars who ride them. Some horsey movies include "Dances with Wolves," "Unforgiven" and "The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King."