Jason Fraley, WTOP film critic
WASHINGTON – Mark Twain said, “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it does rhyme.”
As I combed through this year’s nine Oscar nominees, some familiar themes emerged.
Does the Academy choose its films based on similar themes? Or is it just a freak coincidence?
You be the judge.
A Thematic Comparison of the 9 Best Picture Nominees
Based on thematic elements, not the quality of the film or its chances of winning
|
2012 |
2011 |
Common Themes |
|---|---|---|
|
Beasts of the Southern Wild |
The Artist |
Low-budget, indie powerhouses that thrive off unknown actors, upstart directors, powerful music and plenty of heart |
|
Silver Linings Playbook |
The Descendants |
Off-beat family dramedies from Oscar-nominated writer/directors (David O. Russell / Alexander Payne) with known stars (Bradley Cooper / George Clooney) |
|
Argo |
Moneyball |
True stories become thrilling crowd pleasers, showing range from Bennifers and Brangelinas (Ben Affleck / Brad Pitt) |
|
Lincoln |
War Horse |
Spielberg period pieces of wartime heroism with John Williams scores and Kaminski cinematography |
|
Life of Pi |
Hugo |
Oscar-winning directors (Martin Scorsese / Ang Lee) comment on storytelling while pushing the 3D envelope |
|
Amour |
The Tree of Life |
Daring directors (Michael Haneke / Terrence Malick) win the Palme d’Or, breaking conventions of life and death |
|
Les Miserables |
Midnight in Paris |
Best Picture directors (Tom Hooper / Woody Allen) tell stories of Paris heroes dreaming “dreams of time gone by” |
|
Django: Unchained |
The Help |
Deep supporting casts bolster mainstream race flicks about servants and slaves |
|
Zero Dark Thirty |
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close |
Gutsy heroes grapple with 9/11 cell-phone memories |
Note: The years are when the movies were released.
Follow WTOP Film Critic Jason Fraley on Twitter @JasonFraleyWTOP or check out his blog The Film Spectrum.
