What’s This Year’s Biggest Oscar Bait?

You hear the term tossed around every awards season. In the wake of the 2019 edition of TIFF, let’s break down the formula.

Based on a true story

Tear-jerking inspirational tales, biopics of famous figures, and anything with elaborate period costumes all have an advantage.

For example:

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, The Report

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“Serious” “thespians”

The best way to ensure an Academy Award nomination is to have already had an Academy Award nomination.

Consider:

Little Women, The Laundromat

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It’s seriously depressing

Whether we’re talking addiction, genocide, wrongful incarceration, or just general inhumanity, happy endings need not apply.

As demonstrated by:

The Goldfinch, Harriet

Prime Oscar Bait