Every year, as winter melts into spring, the film industry turns its gaze to the Academy Awards, where the best of the best in cinema are recognized. Among the most coveted is Best Picture, the top honor celebrating the year’s finest achievement in filmmaking. From stunning epics to intimate dramas, nominees provide a snapshot of the diverse and dynamic nature of contemporary cinema.
Whether you’re a film buff or a casual moviegoer, the Best Picture category is always a fascinating conversation starter; it can be a way to expand your horizons in not only cinema but also literature, as many films throughout history have been based on or centered around written works.
The Journey to Best Picture
The process of selecting the Best Picture nominees is rigorous. Academy members, who represent a wide array of the film industry, vote on each nomination.
These films begin on the road to the Academy Awards months earlier, with screenings, press tours, and more to gain awareness and popularity. Certain genres, such as historical dramas or biographical films, are often represented, but the category is known for its unpredictability. Each year, a mix of expected contenders, surprise inclusions, and snubbed favorites make the nominees list both thrilling and controversial.
What Makes a Best Picture Nominee?
While there’s no single formula for what makes a film “Best Picture-worthy,” certain qualities tend to be consistent among the nominees:
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Artistic Vision: Best Picture nominees often feature a unique or bold directorial vision, whether that’s through cinematography, storytelling, or a film’s thematic depth. Directors like Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, and Greta Gerwig have repeatedly been recognized for their ability to create films that resonate with both critics and audiences.
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Social Relevance: Films that engage with pressing social, political, or cultural issues frequently catch the Academy’s attention. Whether it’s the exploration of identity, the impacts of war, or the fight for justice, Best Picture contenders often reflect the times in which they’re made.
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Strong Performances:While Best Picture is ultimately about the film as a whole, standout performances from actors can elevate a movie to contender status. Whether it’s a gripping portrayal of a historical figure or a deeply emotional turn in a fictional role, great acting often plays a crucial part in a film’s success.
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Critical Acclaim: While box office numbers matter, a Best Picture nominee must generally receive critical acclaim. Films that resonate with critics tend to have a sophisticated quality that appeals to a broader audience.
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Cultural Impact: Some films become cultural touchstones, sparking conversation, inspiring memes, or shaping popular discourse. The Academy often takes this into consideration, as the Best Picture nomination can act as a capstone to a film’s influence.
Staff Reading Recommendations
Here are some reading recommendations based on the 2024/2025 Best Picture Nominations. Many of the films are also available to check out from your local library.
(All synopses are pulled from Goodreads)
2024
Killers of the Flower Moon (Nominee) by David Gran
In the 1920s, the richest people per capita in the world were members of the Osage Nation in Oklahoma. After oil was discovered beneath their land, the Osage rode in chauffeured automobiles, built mansions, and sent their children to study in Europe.
Then, one by one, the Osage began to be killed off. The family of an Osage woman, Mollie Burkhart, became a prime target. One of her relatives was shot. Another was poisoned. This was just the beginning, as more and more Osage were dying under mysterious circumstances, and many of those who dared to investigate the killings were themselves murdered.
As the death toll rose, the newly created FBI took up the case, and the young director, J. Edgar Hoover, turned to a former Texas Ranger named Tom White to try to unravel the mystery. White put together an undercover team, including a Native American agent who infiltrated the region, and together with the Osage, began to expose one of the most chilling conspiracies in American history.
Poor Things (Nominee) by Alasdair Gray
One of Alasdair Gray’s most brilliant creations, Poor Things, is a postmodern revision of Frankenstein that replaces the traditional monster with Bella Baxter – a beautiful young erotomaniac brought back to life with the brain of an infant. Godwin Baxter’s scientific ambition to create the perfect companion is realized when he finds the drowned body of Bella, but his dream is thwarted by Dr. Archibald McCandless’s jealous love for Baxter’s creation.
The hilarious tale of love and scandal that ensues would be “the whole story” in the hands of a lesser author (which it is, for this account is actually written by Dr. McCandless). For Gray, though, this is only half the story, after which Bella (a.k.a. Victoria McCandless) has her own say in the matter. Satirizing the classic Victorian novel, Poor Things is a hilarious political allegory and a thought-provoking duel between men’s desires and women’s independence, from one of Scotland’s most accomplished authors.
American Prometheus (inspiration for Oppenheimer, Nominee) by Kai Bird, Martin Sherwin
American Prometheus is the first full-scale biography of J. Robert Oppenheimer, “father of the atomic bomb,” the brilliant, charismatic physicist who led the effort to capture the awesome fire of the sun for his country in times of war. Immediately after Hiroshima, he became the most famous scientist of his generation-one of the iconic figures of the twentieth century, the embodiment of modern man confronting the consequences of scientific progress.
American Prometheus is a rich evocation of America at mid-century, a new and compelling portrait of a brilliant, ambitious, complex, and flawed man profoundly connected to its major events—the Depression, World War II, and the Cold War. It is at once biography and history and essential to our understanding of our recent past—and of our choices for the future.
Erasure (inspiration for American Fiction, Nominee) by Percival Everett
Thelonious (Monk) Ellison has never allowed race to define his identity. But as both a writer and an African American, he is offended and angered by the success of We’s Lives in Da Ghetto, the exploitative debut novel of a young, middle-class black woman who once visited “some relatives in Harlem for a couple of days.” Hailed as an authentic representation of the African American experience, the book is a national bestseller, and its author feted on the Kenya Dunston television show. The book’s success rankles all the more as Monk’s own most recent novel has just notched its seventh rejection.
Meditations (discussed in The Holdovers, Nominee) by Marcus Aurelius
Written in Greek by the only Roman emperor who was also a philosopher, without any intention of publication, the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius offer a remarkable series of challenging spiritual reflections and exercises developed as the emperor struggled to understand himself and make sense of the universe. While the Meditations were composed to provide personal consolation and encouragement, Marcus Aurelius also created one of the greatest of all works of philosophy: a timeless collection that has been consulted and admired by statesmen, thinkers, and readers throughout the centuries.
2025
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (Projected Nominee) by Gregory Maguire
When Dorothy triumphed over the Wicked Witch of the West in L. Frank Baum’s classic tale, we heard only her side of the story. But what about her arch-nemesis, the mysterious witch? Where did she come from? How did she become so wicked? And what is the true nature of evil?
Gregory Maguire creates a fantasy world so rich and vivid that we will never look at Oz the same way again. Wicked is about a land where animals talk and strive to be treated like first-class citizens, Munchkinlanders seek the comfort of middle-class stability, and the Tin Man becomes a victim of domestic violence. And then there is the little green-skinned girl named Elphaba, who will grow up as the infamous Wicked Witch of the West, a smart, prickly, and misunderstood creature who challenges all our preconceived notions about the nature of good and evil.
