Why the Oscars still matter

Did you hear that? It was the movie-going world breathing a collective sigh of relief, now that the last envelope has been opened, the last steps on red carpets taken, and the last sip of champagne imbibed. Yes, with the announcement of Best Picture at the Oscars, the movie awards season has come to a close, ending all speculation and questioning about which actors, movies, sound editors, and short-subject documentarians deserve the title of “the best”.

It’s easy to be wary and cynical about Hollywood’s seemingly endless array of pats on the back. Many see the months between the National Board of Review Awards and the Academy Awards as a pointless celebration of subjectivity.

How can we really judge what is the best film of the year? Hundreds if not more films are released each year, spanning a myriad of genres, each one appealing to a different demographic. What universal standard can possibly be used to judge movies if they are all so d*mn different? These questions are asked every year after the awards season has ended.

In part, the wariness is due to boredom and fatigue. The movie awards season is filled with nearly weekly ceremonies. In addition to the Golden Globes and the Oscars, each professional film guild gives out its awards, and most regional critics associations also announce their opinions on the year’s best.

Year after year, the same ten to 15 movies come up for consideration time and time again, and usually by the time the big Kahuna of them all rolls around, it’s pretty clear who will be taking home Hollywood’s favorite metallic naked gentleman.

Lack of surprise and variety in nominees aside, though, I still wholeheartedly believe that the Oscars, and the awards season that surrounds them, are among pop-culture’s most important institutions. Without them, the film industry would lose the gravitas and prestige that it needs to separate itself from other emerging types of media that threaten to overtake film as the world’s most popular form of art.

Simply put: like it or not, awards shows make us care about movies. They force us to make predictions. They inspire us to go out to the movies to see all the nominees before the big night. They craft overarching narratives that create stories about the stories themselves – e.g. The Hurt Locker vs. Avatar, David vs. Goliath.

But perhaps the most important consequence of awards shows is that they continue to up the ante for what is demanded of filmmakers. They insist that artistic and smart films are released each year. Without the pressure for production companies to release awards contenders that bring prestige and money to their studios, the film industry would just churn out formulaic blockbusters each summer and make more than enough.

People are quick to dismiss movies released throughout the winter months as nothing but shameless awards-bait — and while it is true that some movies are laughable in their attempts to bring home Oscar gold (here’s looking at you, Amelia), without the demand for award-worthy films, there simply would not be as many good movies.

Film is unique in its emphasis on awards and awards shows. Sure, music has the Grammys and TV has the Emmys, but these shows simply do not encapsulate or involve the audience in the same way that the film awards do. (Honestly, when was the last time you went to a Grammys or Daytime Emmys party?)

Even though the Oscars may bore some people, and although not everyone may agree with the decisions of the Academy and other voting bodies, film awards are important, forcing the genre to stay at the top of its game. So do not be so quick to complain when you have to sit through another Lifetime Achievement Award, or watch Ryan Seacrest ask Gabourey Sidibe who her childhood crush was. Just remember: rituals like these are what spare moviegoers from an entire year filled with Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra.