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Hollywood Has a Short Memory

I just had a first look at the Oscar nominations. The first thing that struck me is that the Academy members have a very short memory. Check out three categories and the films’ general American release dates:

Best Picture

  • “The Aviator” – December 25
  • “Finding Neverland” – November 24
  • “Million Dollar Baby” – January 28, 2005 (limited release on December 15)
  • “Ray” – October 29
  • “Sideways” – October 22

Best Actor

  • Don Cheadle in “Hotel Rwanda” – December 22
  • Johnny Depp in “Finding Neverland” – November 24
  • Leonardo DiCaprio in “The Aviator” – December 25
  • Clint Eastwood in “Million Dollar Baby” – January 28, 2005
  • Jamie Foxx in “Ray” – October 29

Best Actress

  • Annette Bening in “Being Julia” – October 15
  • Catalina Sandino Moreno in “Maria Full of Grace” – July 16
  • Imelda Staunton in “Vera Drake” – October 22
  • Hilary Swank in “Million Dollar Baby” – January 28, 2005
  • Kate Winslet in “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” – March 19

All but one of those films were released in the second half of 2004, and the vast majority were released in the last three months. It has become laughable how Hollywood back-loads the release schedule, placing all of the favourites near to the end of the year.

Though, of course, August has become the dumping ground of the year’s worst movies. I wonder when the last time an August release won a Best Picture award was. I’d like to see a chart mapping major awards from the past twenty years to release months.

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Darren Barefoot is an author, speaker and digital strategist. He’s the co-founder of Capulet Communications, and co-author of “Friends With Benefits: A Social Media Marketing Handbook”.

8 comments

  1. You see that a lot when people vote. I was listening to a local rock stations songs of the year. It was like they forgot those few songs that were #1 for 21 weeks straight or whatever. What’s the deal?

  2. Huh. I’ve seen one movie of those mentioned movies.

    Strangely, it’s the one that was released in March. Go figure.

  3. Of course, it’s not *just* that voters’ memories are short. The studios release Oscar-caliber films at the end of the year so they’ll will be fresh in voters’ minds. Why? Because they assume voters’ memories are short….

  4. I think this is also a clever marketing ploy. If a movie is in the theatres right before the Oscars, more people will go see it just because it is nominated.

    I also agree with Jimmy’s comment.

  5. Has anyone else noticed all the media outlets that gleefully point out that Fahrenheit 9/11 did not receive a nomination? Are they all completely unaware that the film was ineligible because it went to video this fall? Michael Moore was all over the same media outlets in October, talking about how he’d rather boost Kerry than get an Oscar. How soon the media forget!

  6. I think the Oscars are a load of crap, myself; but even I was surprised that “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” was almost completely forgotten.

  7. all the movies that are “Oscar contenders” or have that Oscar friendly look ((eg) aren’t cutting edge like “Eternal Sunshine” in all its brilliance) get released late in the year, it’s the way they plan it all out.

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