With a diverse Best Picture field comes a diverse field of fans, all supporting different films. How do we categorize these fans? Here's to stereotyping people by their favorite 2016 Best Picture nominee:
"Spotlight"
People who dramatize the decline of print media.
credit: cultcultura.br
In an age of internet media (if you disagree, remember what you're reading now), print journalism is truly being replaced. And in a movie like "Spotlight", one in which celebrates print journalism as one of its accomplishments, though expertly not glorifying it, many of the film's fans say that the decline of journalism is bad for the world, or even the death of journalism.
"Bridge of Spies"
Old people.
credit: moviepilot.com
We have a movie directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Tom Hanks, about the Cold War. It sounds like an an old person completed a movie Mad Lib.
"Brooklyn"
Nostalgic old people.
credit: vancouverobserver.com
Though it can be disputed that "Brooklyn" is inherently different from any other story of change and love, this is definitely a period peace. Discussing topics about Western European migration, old-timey ethics, and the Brooklyn Dodgers, it gets all the little things right while still keeping the important things in the forefront. Recommended for the older crowd that would like to do some real reminiscing, unlike kids born in 2000 "reminiscing" about how they miss the '90s.
"The Martian"
People who haven't seen any of the other nominees and Ben Affleck.
credit: latimes.com
Grossing $228 million dollars, more than "Bridge of Spies", "The Big Short", "Brooklyn", "Spotlight" and "Room" combined (boxofficemojo.com), "The Martian" is likely going to be the most popular Oscar nominee that viewers have seen, having not seen the other ones. And because "The Martian" fails to go above a feel-good movie about the potential of what humans can do, it seems that the only people who would elevate "The Martian" above the other nominees would be those who haven't seen the other nominees. And Ben Affleck, of course. He'll support anything Matt Damon does. He'll support "We Bought a Zoo".
"The Revenant"
People who like a movie because of the effort put into making it.
credit: thirdactfilm.com
Other than Leonardo Dicaprio's potential Oscar-winning performance, the biggest buzz that this film has gotten is the horrible conditions the cast and crew was put in to make it. And it seems to be working, too. DiCaprio, Director Alejandro Inarritu, Cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, and the movie itself might just win Oscars for the effort put in. But with an underdeveloped story and a performance that did not need much more than grunting and yelling, we start to wonder if the people who applaud this movie applauded Matthew McConaughey's performance in "Dallas Buyers Club" because of his dramatic weight loss for the role.
"The Big Short"
People who donated to the Bernie Sanders campaign.
credit: oscar2016.ru
With a movie that clearly criticizes fraudulent banking and the dangers of a free market, it came at an almost perfect time for the upswing of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, one who seems to keep income inequality and the cause, and supposedly unjust fallout of the 2008 Housing Market collapse, as a focal point of each of his speeches. Fans of this film might have paid extra to help the Sanders campaign out and prevent "The Big Short 2".
"Room"
A24.
credit: cnn.com
"Room' is the least grossing film of the nominees, with just over $6 million at the box office (boxofficemojo.com). And along with being lesser known by fans, "Room"s production company A24, a very small scale production company started in 2013 and with no big films under its belt, is sure to vouch for this film as a means to a more fruitful business. Unfortunately, it seems as if A24 might be about the only people to like "Room".
"Mad Max: Fury Road"
People who don't like action movies.
credit: reggiestake.com
"Mad Max" was a huge hit in the indie scene this year with a simple story, feminist message, and, most notably, an absence of CGI, relying purely on live action sequences. And so, in many Top 10 lists that include very small scale "Carol", "Anomalisa", and "Spotlight", "Mad Max: Fury Road" actually does come out on top. And so while these people have to grit through three new Transformers movies coming out in the next three years, they still have this little big movie.
