Ever look at the Oscar nominations and think, “Seriously how did that get nominated?” Well, a little peak behind the curtains reveals how your Best Picture sausage is made.
The Academy looks over all the feature films released in the present year and then breaks them down for eligibility under the following:
- Films must be at least forty minutes long, which is the designation for “feature length.”
- Films must have their first public exhibition/distribution as a theatrical motion picture; no more than 10 minutes or 10% (whichever comes first) can be displayed in a “nontheatrical medium” prior to the film’s theatrical release.
- The publicly exhibited film must be within the following specs: 35mm or 70mm film, or in a 24- or 48-frame progressive scan Digital Cinema format with a minimum projector resolution of 2048 by 1080 pixels
- And finally, the film must be available for paid admission in a commercial theater in L.A. (complete with advertising) for at least a consecutive seven day run.
With all this in mind, these made the cut (via /Film). Click a title to see our review if available:
THE A-TEAM
AGORA
ALICE IN WONDERLAND
ALL GOOD THINGS
ALPHA AND OMEGA
THE AMERICAN
ANIMAL KINGDOM
ANOTHER YEAR
ANTON CHEKOV’S THE DUEL
APAPORIS
APPLAUSE
BABIES
BARNEY’S VERSION
BIUTIFUL
BLACK SWAN
BLACK TULIP
BLUE VALENTINE
THE BOOK OF ELI
THE BOUNTY HUNTER
BROOKLYN’S FINEST
BURIED
BURLESQUE
CAIRO TIME
CASE 39
CASINO JACK
CATFISH
CATS & DOGS: THE REVENGE OF KITTY GALORE
CHARLIE ST. CLOUD
CHLOE
THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER
CITY ISLAND
CLASH OF THE TITANS
COCO CHANEL & IGOR STRAVINSKY
THE COMPANY MEN
THE CONCERT
CONVICTION
COP OUT
COUNTRY STRONG
CRAYON
THE CRAZIES
CYRUS
DATE NIGHT
DAYBREAKERS
DEAR JOHN
DEATH AT A FUNERAL
DEFENDOR
DESPICABLE ME
DEVIL
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID
DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS
DREAMKILLER
THE DREAMS OF JINSHA
DROOL
THE DRY LAND
DUE DATE
EASY A
EAT PRAY LOVE
EDGE OF DARKNESS
ESSENTIAL KILLING
EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP
EXPECTING MARY
THE EXPENDABLES
THE EXTRA MAN
FAIR GAME
THE FIGHTER
FLIPPED
FOR COLORED GIRLS
FOUR LIONS
FRANKIE & ALICE
FROM PARIS WITH LOVE
FURRY VENGEANCE
GET HIM TO THE GREEK
GET LOW
THE GHOST WRITER
THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN
THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET’S NEXT
THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE
THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO
GOING THE DISTANCE
GREEN ZONE
GREENBERG
GROWN UPS
GULLIVER’S TRAVELS
HAPPY TEARS
THE HARIMAYA BRIDGE
HARRY BROWN
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 1
HEARTBREAKER
HEAVEN’S RAIN
HEMINGWAY’S GARDEN OF EDEN
HEREAFTER
HIDEAWAY (LE REFUGE)
HOLY ROLLERS
HOW DO YOU KNOW
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON
HOWL
HUBBLE 3D
I AM LOVE
I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS
IDIOTS AND ANGELS
THE ILLUSIONIST
INCEPTION
INSIDE JOB
IRON MAN 2
IT’S KIND OF A FUNNY STORY
JACK GOES BOATING
JACKASS 3D
JOHN RABE
JONAH HEX
THE JONESES
JUST WRIGHT
THE KARATE KID
KICK-ASS
THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
KILLERS
THE KING’S SPEECH
KNIGHT AND DAY
THE LAST AIRBENDER
THE LAST EXORCISM
THE LAST SONGh
LEAP YEAR
LEBANON
LEGEND OF THE GUARDIANS: THE OWLS OF GA’HOOLE
LEGION
LET ME IN
LETTERS TO GOD
LETTERS TO JULIET
LIFE AS WE KNOW IT
LIFE DURING WARTIME
LIKE DANDELION DUST
LITTLE FOCKERS
THE LOSERS
LOTTERY TICKET
LOUIS
LOVE & OTHER DRUGS
LOVE RANCH
MACGRUBER
MACHETE
MADE IN DAGENHAM
MAO’S LAST DANCER
MARMADUKE
MEGAMIND
MICMACS
MIDDLE MEN
MISCONCEPTIONS
MONSTERS
MORNING GLORY
MOTHER AND CHILD
MY DOG TULIP
MY NAME IS KHAN
MY SOUL TO TAKE
NANNY MCPHEE RETURNS
NEVER LET ME GO
THE NEXT THREE DAYS
NIGHT CATCHES US
A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET
NOWHERE BOY
THE NUTCRACKER IN 3D
OSS 117 – LOST IN RIO
OCEANS
ONDINE
127 HOURS
THE OTHER GUYS
OUR FAMILY WEDDING
PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2
PERCY JACKSON & THE OLYMPIANS: THE LIGHTNING THIEF
THE PERFECT GAME
PICTURE ME: A MODEL’S DIARY
PIRANHA 3D
PLEASE GIVE
PREACHER’S KID
PREDATORS
PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE SANDS OF TIME
PURE COUNTRY 2: THE GIFT
QUEEN OF THE LOT
RABBIT HOLE
RAMONA AND BEEZUS
RED
RED HILL
REMEMBER ME
REPO MEN
RESIDENT EVIL: AFTERLIFE
RESTREPO
ROBIN HOOD
ROZYCZKA
THE RUNAWAYS
SALT
SAW 3D
SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD
SECRETARIAT
SEQUESTRO
SEX AND THE CITY 2
SHE’S OUT OF MY LEAGUE
SHREK FOREVER AFTER
SHUTTER ISLAND
THE SICILIAN GIRL
SIX DAYS IN PARADISE
SKYLINE
THE SOCIAL NETWORK
SOLITARY MAN
SOMEWHERE
THE SORCERER’S APPRENTICE
SPLICE
THE SPY NEXT DOOR
STEP UP 3D
STONE
SUMMER WARS
THE SWITCH
TAKERS
TAMARA DREWE
TANGLED
THE TAQWACORES
THE TEMPEST
3 BILLION AND COUNTING
THE TILLMAN STORY
TINKER BELL AND THE GREAT FAIRY RESCUE
TOOTH FAIRY
TOUCHING HOME
THE TOURIST
THE TOWN
TOY STORY 3
TRASH HUMPERS
TRON: LEGACY
TRUE GRIT
THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE
TYLER PERRY’S WHY DID I GET MARRIED TOO?
UNBEATEN
UNSTOPPABLE
VALENTINE’S DAY
VAMPIRES SUCK
THE VIRGINITY HIT
WAITING FOR “SUPERMAN”
WAKING SLEEPING BEAUTY
WALL STREET: MONEY NEVER SLEEPS
THE WARRIOR’S WAY
WATERCOLORS
THE WAY BACK
WELCOME TO THE RILEYS
WHEN IN ROME
WILD GRASS
WINTER’S BONE
THE WOLFMAN
A WOMAN, A GUN AND A NOODLE SHOP
WRETCHES & JABBERERS
YOGI BEAR
YOU AGAIN
YOU WILL MEET A TALL DARK STRANGER
YOUTH IN REVOLT
While this list is lengthy, THR notes it’s shorter than last year’s, which had 274 possible nominees.
From here, active and life members of the Academy will cull their ten picks for best Picture, ranking one to ten – and this will determine the nominees, which will be announced live on January 25, 2011.
Until then, you can check out our Oscar picks, and post your own in comments.