10 films that forced the Oscars to change their rules

In the history of Oscarcertain films have forced the Academy to change its rules in terms of who wins the prestigious award and also who qualifies to be nominated. The Oscars were first created in 1929, to recognize different achievements in the film industry; Since its first ceremony, many actors, directors and producers have received recognition from the Academy for their achievements in film. The 96th ceremony is scheduled for March 3, 2025and there is a lot of speculation about which acclaimed films could receive 2,025 Oscar nominations.

Despite its reputation as the most prestigious award in the film industry, The Oscars received criticism and faced controversy. Throughout the Oscars’ 96-year history and the Oscars’ peculiar records, there has been criticism of the Academy’s rules regarding how certain films can receive awards and how nominations can be made. Sometimes, certain films have even caused the Academy to revise its rules regarding awards and categories.

10

Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)

Led to the fusion of the best sound categories

Launched in 2018, Bohemian Rhapsody is a biographical film that focuses on the life and career of Freddie Mercury, who served as the lead singer of the rock band Queen. The film follows Mercury as he starts with the band in 1970, through to his famous Live Aid performance at Wembley Stadium in 1985. It depicts Mercury’s struggles with his sexuality and his eventual AIDS diagnosis. Bohemian Rhapsody It was a box office success, grossing US$910 million worldwide and is seen as one of the best musical biopics ever made.

The film received five Oscar nominations in 2019 and won four: Best Actor (Rami Malek), Best Film Editing, Best Sound Editing, and Best Sound Mixing. There was criticism for the film’s wins in sound editing and mixing, however, as viewers struggled to understand the difference between editing and sound mixing. After further confusion, as of 2021, the two categories have been merged to form the Best Sound award.

9

Madam Be Good (1941)

Won the award for best original song with a song not written for the film

Starring Ann Sothern and Robert Young, Lady, be good is a musical drama that portrays the difficult marriage between a composer and his wife. They achieve success together, writing songs for Broadway, but their success disrupts their relationship to the point that they divorce twice. The film received a mixed reception from critics but received praise for its song and dance sequences; at the 14th Academy Awards, Lady, be good won the award for Best Original Song for the song “The Last Time I Saw Paris”.

Oscar win for Lady, be good received controversy when it was revealed that “The Last Time I Saw Paris” was not originally written for the film. The song’s composer, Jerome Kern, was reportedly upset about winning an Oscar for a song that was never intended for a film and petitioned the Academy to change its rules regarding nominations. The Academy accepted Kern’s petition because, after 1941, it was decided that only songs written specifically for a particular film could receive an Oscar nomination.

8

Enchanted (2007)

Oscar loss led to further changes in nominations for best original song

2007 Disney film Enchanted offered a new twist on fairy tale stories by mixing animation with live action. While rushing to her wedding, a young girl, Giselle, is banished from her lively fairytale land of Andalasia and transported to New York City. While searching for a way home, she meets a divorced lawyer and his daughter, and finds true love and happiness in unexpected places. Enchanted was released to critical acclaim, grossing over $340 million at the box office and is considered one of Amy Adams’ best films.

Enchanted received three Academy Award nominations for Best Original Song for “Happy Working Song”, “So Close” and “That’s How You Know”; however, all three songs lost the award to “Falling Slowly” by Once. A similar situation occurred the previous year, when dream girls it also received three nominations for Best Original Song, but none of its songs won. Following this result, the Academy further changed the rules for the Best Original Song categorydeclaring that only two songs per film could be nominated for the award.

7

The Elephant Man (1980)

The film’s success led to the creation of the best makeup award

Directed by David Lynch, The Elephant Man portrays the life of John Merrick, a man born with severe deformities, who works at a freak show in 19th century England. His life changes when he meets Frederick Treves, a surgeon who shows him kindness and compassion, during his stay at London Hospital. The film was released to much praise, with the role of John Merrick being considered one of the best films of John Hurt’s career.

The Elephant Man was nominated for eight Oscars in 1981, including Best Actor for Hurt and Best Picture. However, the Academy received widespread criticism for not recognizing makeup artist Christopher Tucker for his work in recreating Merrick’s physical appearance. In response to public outcry, in 1982 the Academy created a new award category, Best Makeup, which allowed makeup artists to be recognized for their work in future films.

6

Chicken Run (2000)

Its success led to the creation of the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature

Created by Aardman Productions and Dreamworks, Chicken Race is a stop-motion film that follows a group of British chickens who try to find a way to escape their farm when they learn that they are being fattened to be turned into pies. The film took eighteen months to complete and features voiceovers from actors such as Mel Gibson, Miranda Richardson and Timothy Spall. Chicken Race was a critical success and is the highest-grossing stop-motion animated film of all time.

The success of Chicken Race the film led to speculation that it might receive an Oscar nomination for Best Picture, but was ultimately unsuccessful. At the time of the film release, there was a campaign for the Academy to recognize animated films in awards. After the success of Chicken RaceThe Academy created the Oscar for Best Animated Feature in 2001, with Dreamworks’ Shrek receiving first prize.

5

The Westerner (1940)

Starring Gary Cooper and Walter Brennan, this 1940 Western is set in Texas, where a saloon owner, acting as his small town’s self-appointed hanging judge, encounters Cole Harden, a man accused of stealing a horse. Harden manages to convince the judge to postpone his death sentence, causing the two men to develop a friendship while dealing with conflicts with residents who threaten the city. Brennan’s performance as Judge Roy Bean led to him winning his third Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Your prize for The western made Walter Brennan the only actor to win 3 awards in the supporting category. At the time of Brennan’s third win, the Best Supporting Actor Oscar had only been active for five years. During the first years of the award, the extras union was allowed to vote on Oscar nominees. According to Cinemasightstrong support from the extras union contributed to Brennan’s third Oscar win. After 1940, the Academy decided to remove the extras union’s right to vote on nominees, advancing the effort to make results fairer.

4

Little Miss Sunshine (2007)

Its success led to a change in the number of nominated producers

The 2006 comedy-drama Little Miss Sunshine follows a dysfunctional family on a trip to California to allow their youngest daughter to participate in a beauty pageant. Along their journey, each member of the family faces different setbacks and each realizes how much they need each other as a family. The film was released to critical acclaim, receiving four Academy Award nominations. and winning two for Best Supporting Actor (Alan Arkin) and Best Original Screenplay (Michael Arndt).

Little Miss Sunshine it received an Oscar nomination for Best Picture, but there was controversy regarding the number of producers nominated. It was originally declared by the Academy in 1999 that a maximum of three producers from each film were eligible for a Best Picture nomination. However, the Academy received strong backlash for refusing to recognize two of the Little Miss Sunshineof the five producers, Albert Berger and Ron Yerxa. Following backlash, the Academy changed the rules to allow all recognized film producers to be eligible for an Oscar nomination (via Variety).

3

A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1935 version)

A controversial Oscar win led to the removal of write-in votes

Considered one of the best adaptations of Shakespeare’s famous 1935 play A Midsummer Night’s Dream revolves around four young lovers and a troupe of actors who find themselves in a magical forest inhabited by fairies. The fairies decide to cause some mischief, which creates complications between the lovers. A Midsummer Night’s Dream starred Mickey Rooney, Dick Powell and Olivia de Havilland; the film received praise for its soundtrack and cinematography, receiving four Oscar nominations in 1936 and winning two for Best Art Direction and Best Cinematography.

A Midsummer Night’s DreamHal Mohr’s cinematographer won in a write-in without actually receiving a nomination, as the previous year the Academy had started a write-in campaign in which voters could write their own nominations. There was significant backlash following Mohr’s victory as it was felt that write-in campaigns made it easier for voters to manipulate the system. In 1937, the Academy announced that write-in votes would be removed forever.

2

JO Made in America (2016)

Led to a ban on multi-part series receiving nominations

Produced and directed by Ezra Edelman JO made in America chronicles the life and career of disgraced football star OJ Simpsonwho was found not guilty in 1994 of the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ronald Goldman. The documentary series follows the early stages of his career as a rising football star at the University of Southern California until his arrest for armed robbery and kidnapping in 2007. It also explores race relations across America and the impact of celebrity in a human being.

JO made in America was released to much praise, receiving a perfect score of 100% on Rotten tomatoes and winning the Oscar for Best Documentary in 2017; It is the longest film to win an Oscar, running eight hours. However, there was some criticism of the victory, as JO made in America was broadcast on TV as a five-part miniseries. Following the documentary’s win, the Academy declared that multi-part documentaries and miniseries were banned from receiving nominations (via The Hollywood Reporter).

1

The Dark Knight (2008)

An Oscar snub led to changes in the number of best picture nominations

Directed by Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight was released as the second installment in The Dark Knight trilogy and follows Batman forming an alliance with Harvey Dent and James Gordon to protect Gotham City. His efforts to protect the city are thwarted by the sinister Joker, who strives to push Batman to his limit with his schemes. Since its launch in 2008, The Dark Knight It was considered one of the greatest superhero films ever made and Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker served as inspiration for other cinema villains.

The Dark Knight was nominated for eight Oscars in 2009, with Heath Ledger posthumously winning the award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as the Joker. However, despite eight nominations, the film was not nominated for Best Picture, a decision that was considered an affront and sparked an international public outcry.

The Academy only allowed a maximum of five Best Picture nominees, but following the significant backlash received for not recognizing The Dark Knightthey decided to increase the maximum to ten nominees. Viewed by many as “The Dark Knight Rules”, this implementation has led to other successful films receiving nominations over the years and helped the Oscar recognize that their rules regarding appointments needed to change.

Sources: Cinemasight, Variety, Rotten tomatoes, The Hollywood Reporter