Oscars to have 10 Best Picture Nominees

In an unexpected announcement today, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences president Sid Ganis said that the Academy will nominate ten films for the prestigious Best Picture award instead of the usual five.

In the press release, Ganis mentioned that the Oscars were going back to its roots, as the ceremonies from the years 1931-1943 featured anywhere from 8-12 nominees for Best Picture. For example, Casablanca which won Best Picture in the 16th Annual Academy Awards, was one of nine nominees.

Many accredit the change-up with two major reasons. First, the Oscar ratings have been struggling (though the ratings of last year's telecast were up) and a fresh change like five more BP noms will dust off the show's formulaic feel--much better than that agonizing, everybody-wins praise they gave out last year. Second, box office favorites such as last year's The Dark Knight and WALL-E were snubbed in the best pic race for more "Academy" (read: stuffy) films such as The Reader and Frost/Nixon. More nominees mean a broader scope--who knows, there might even be a comedy (dare I say The Hangov... nah, not just yet) or a legitimate indie in there.

As many critics make top ten lists each year, the change won't be too visually dramatic for Oscar followers. And, seeing as the Academy used to broaden its scope in its earlier years, the change isn't merely a marketing tool to get more viewers and garner more buzz but also a way to honor the institution's heritage. And more best picture nominees might just be the cure-all for the economic recession--it did help to rid America of the Great Depression back in the 30s and 40s...

All in all, it will be refreshing to see more films up for the prize and it will make the race more dramatic and less predictable. It will also (finally) send a jarring wake-up call to all those Oscar blogger "experts" that have fine-tuned their prediction formula over the years.

In Oscar world, America might just be the land of opportunity after all.