(possible spoilers for the best picture category??)


So I started a thread on this back at BOM I think. And the theory is that the clips for the best picture nominees are presented in order of votes, starting with the nominee with the least amount of votes. I've tried to figure some other pattern tot he order but none of them make sense. It's definitely not alphabetical order. And if it were random it doesn't make sense that the best picture winner is almost ALWAYS the one to be presented last.

so starting with the 2001 nominees they were presented in this order:

in the bedroom
gosford park
lord of the rings fellowship of the ring
moulin rouge
a beautiful mind

every year since then it seems to follow the same pattern with one exception. i forget the year but it was the year right after i posted my theory at bom. did someone read and conspired to throw me off? but then last year it was back to the same thing (so i think it was the year before that when it didnt follow that pattern) with brokeback mountain and crash being the last two presented film, in that order. so i am posting this now to test out my theory. i trust that wokj is no bom and that there is no more time to make any changes to the telecast. so if four films have already been presented and babel is the one film that has yet to be rpesented, i advise people to turn the tv off. you can live in your own imaginary universe and pretend i was probably wrong anyway and babel never won anything.

If they present in alphabetical order or reverse-alphabetical order, Babel will either be presented first or last, and either way, people are going to go "LOOK! Babel was presented last, it was destined to win!" or "LOOK! Babel was presented first, it was destined to win!".

Ultimately, I think this whole talk about order is a little silly. That being said, it can get a little suspicious. For example, last year appeared to go in reverse alphabetical order, but then they presented Crash last. Everything else was in alpha order, but Crash was taken out and presented last. Order last year:

Munich
Good Night and Good Luck
Capote
Brokeback Mountain
Crash

If there is actually anything going on regarding the order the films are presented, I most subscribe to the "theory" that the producers of the show sometimes will guess what they think will win and put that film last. In other words, nobody actually knows what film has won and there's no conspiracy there, but that the producers, when putting together the show, order it as they think fits. But I remember in the year of Return of the King, Return of the King was presented first (and it seemed pretty clear that was going to win easily).

Peace,
Mike.

Do the guys who set up the clips have access to the winner results? I would think they wouldn't.

I don't know, I think it's more of a half coincidence than anything. Brokeback and Crash were probably presented last because they were the 2 big players, the 2 possibilities for winning.

2002-2004 Best Picture clips in order of presentation (first to last):

2004 - no clips (WTF? They spent a lot on Beyonce's talent fee probably)

2003
Return of the King
Master and Commander
Lost in Translation
Mystic River
Seabiscuit

2002
The Two Towers
Gangs of New York
The Hours
The Pianist
Chicago

so 2002 would seem to still work. maybe 2003 was the year where it didnt so now i wonder about 2005 with million dollar baby and aviator, particularly because many still believed aviator to be the frontrunner til...it lost

it's definitely not alphabetical order.

the producers are not supposed to have acces to the results. but does that really mean anything?

actually last year might be a great example. in spite of last minute support for crash brokeback seemed to be the clear favorite to win.

so anyway i'll be keeping an eye out tonight. i'll probably end up being pretty embarrased (actually i dont know shame but..) but i thought i'd point it out anyway. it seems to much of a coincidence. to me at least, but i guess i might be somewhat paranoid and therefore i always see things where there is nothing.

edit: oh i just realized christian meant there were no clips for 2004, meaning the awards held in 2005. so n/m about million dollar baby, aviator.

so... what about:

2002 - last to first
2003 - first to last
2004 - doesn't count
2005 - last to first
2006 (this year) - first to last


hmmmmm... I sense a pattern here

acutally i think letters was first.

so i was kinda hoping this would just be allowed to die and then be forgotten.

ohhh, ok...

I bet the producers heard wind of the 'order of presentation' theory from around the net, and jumbled the movies as much as they could on purpose to offset it. Letters and The Queen were first and last, the films that weren't in the BP race, so with the 3 biggies in the middle no judgement and argument could be made against the order.