Oscars 2022: All Best Picture Nominees, Each Compared To A Previous Similar Winner
Unique as they may be, the nominees for Best Picture have ties with the Oscars' history. From overcoming barriers in sports to the emotional depiction of diverse realities, each nominee of this year shares a topic with a previous Best Picture winner.
While some films are more alike than others, these connections make the run for the most anticipated golden statues more unpredictable. Given that history tends to repeat itself on and off the screens, the similarities between past and present might hint at the nominee's likability of being the strongest contender of the year.
Unlike its first editions, the Oscars have tried to focus more on inclusion. For following the coming-of-age of a teenager with a deaf family, CODA resembles Oscar-winner The Shape of Water.
Although del Toro's film also involved more sophisticated cinematography, Elisa's disability is the crucial point of the movie, similar to the central theme of the nominee. The Shape of Water was a strong contender in 2018, which might mean there's hope for CODA this year. However, even if the film doesn't win the award, it's refreshing to see that new perspectives on the realities of disabled people are becoming more and more part of the Oscars.
There are reasons why Dune might sweep the Oscars, and the Academy has seen another movie do the same before. Villeneuve's film combines excellent score and cinematography with an epic story, much like The Lord of The Rings: The Return of The King did in 2003.
While, arguably, there'll never be a project like The Lord of The Rings, Dune and Jackson's masterpiece are quite similar. Both are grand projects that used visual effects to their benefit to create alternative universes. Whether or not the epic story will win over emotional biopics and thrilling narratives, sharing a similarity with the movie that won the most Oscars isn't a bad sign.
Can the same movie win Best Picture twice? Technically no, but Spielberg's reboot of the musical might create a gray area. While the new version of West Side Story promises an innovative take on the story, it's nonetheless similar to the previous winner.
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Same characters, songs, and even shot-by-shot comparisons between original and reboot highlight their likeness. However, sharing similarities are not enough to make West Side Story the season's strongest nominee. Despite the Academy acclaim of the 1961 version, the similarities risk making the movie seem more like an unnecessary reboot rather than increasing the chances of Tony and Maria's story winning the Oscar (again).
Stories about historical events will always be relevant for depicting the horrors of the past. For portraying life amidst Northern Ireland's tumult, Belfast shares the same historical theme as Oscar winner Gentleman's Agreement.
The 1947 movie stars Gregory Peck as a journalist who pretends to be Jewish to write a piece on anti-Semitism, experiencing the cowardly hatred of racists. Both projects chose to approach the subject through the life of an individual, not the historical events in the big picture. While the chances of Belfast seem narrow compared to the others, the precedent of historical movies in the category can't be overlooked.
Although del Toro's Nightmare Alley is a unique project, its narrative is highly similar to Oscar winner The String. The protagonists of both movies make their livings out of cons through deceit and manipulation. In the 1973 film, Robert Redford and Paul Newman team up to pull off an elaborate plan, much like Bradley Cooper's Stan near the film's climax.
The likeness between the two shows a con-narrative goes far in the Best Picture category, even though the nominee might fall behind other stories this year. Nonetheless, given the precedent set by Redford and Newman, Nightmare Alley might be the season's wild card, with no need to pull off a scheme to win the category.
Sports drama might have been rare in the Academy's history, but they certainly weren't forgettable. Oscar-winner Chariots of Fire became an iconic symbol for the world of sports, and like the previous winner, King Richard explores the same theme.
Both films were based on real-life events, with the 1981 project following the lives of two runners in the Olympic Games of 1924 and King Richard telling the story of the extraordinary Serena and Venus Williams. On top of that, both also brought to light subjects like prejudice and overcoming hardships. Chariots of Fire prove that the Academy enjoys a heartfelt sports drama, and the Best Picture award might be a possibility for this nominee.
McKay's movie doesn't share many similarities with other films, but it does share a common theme with Oscar winner Spotlight. Although the tones are highly different, both tackle profound issues in their stories.
Spotlight explored the pedophilia scandals hidden by the Catholic Church over decades, and similarly, Don't Look Up involves the urgent climate change problem. Over the years, the Academy has brought social issues to light by giving the Best Picture award to movies like Spotlight. However, the chances of this nominee are still incredibly thin.
Visually, Drive My Car resembles Driving Miss Daisy, although the themes explored in the movies differ. Many shots of the nominee ring a bell to the scenes of Morgan Freeman and Jessica Tandy in the emotional 1989 film.
As the Oscar winner, there's more than meets the eye in this nominee, with the car rides constructing both narratives while allowing the characters to share secrets and feelings. While Hamaguchi's movie isn't the strongest contender, the likeness between the two touching stories might represent that the Academy members will take a closer look at this nominee.
The Power of the Dog masterfully explores male bonding and toxic masculinity in the Western while depicting gay characters realistically. Because of that, this nominee approaches similar themes as Oscar winner Moonlight, one of the greatest Best Picture winners of all time.
Like Moonlight's delicate story about a gay Black man in a toxic masculine environment, the Western involves the inner turmoil of a gay cowboy and the effeminated nature of a timid teenager. The distinctiveness of Campion's film plus the relevant themes explored are two significant factors that make The Power of The Dog the most probable winner in the Best Picture category.
However rare, many romantic comedies have received Oscar nominations over the years. Licorice Pizza might not be the most likely option in the category, but it wouldn't be the first of its genre to win the award, having The Apartment as precedent.
Both movies are lighthearted comedies that have an unusual love story at the center of their narratives. Few comedies have succeeded like Billy Wilder's did and received the award. Nonetheless, Licorice Pizza might surprise cinema fans in the Best Picture category. After all, the unpredictability of the Academy Awards also repeats itself.