Oscar is a poor editor

So, here are the TEN nominees for best picture at the Academy Awards ...

Avatar, The Blind Side, The Hurt Locker, District 9, An Education, Inglourious Basterds, Precious, A Serious Man, Up, Up in the Air

I still don't know why the Academy felt that 10 movie nominations were warranted. There weren't 10 worthy this year, nor is there most years. To me, the Oscars have been an excellent filter. They boil things down to the true worthy films and actors, the movies and performances that represent true greatness. "Nine," for instance, is appropriately absent from the best picture nominees, whereas it was included in the lineup for the big prizes in the other awards shows this season, including the Golden Globes, the Critics' Choice Awards and the SAG Awards.

When the nominees were announced, a movie commentator said something about how this year it seems the Oscars are aiming to bring back an audience to the Oscars that wouldn't have been interested in previous years, sort of the "Academy Awards is a fun movie night for everybody, and to prove it, we're willing to nominate 'The Blind Side' for best picture.'"

To me, the Oscars should be the cream of the crop. The movies that win don't win because they were appealing to the general public on a "Oh, that was a fun show" kind of note. They win because they have a message, something new and unique to add to filmmaking. The story, the direction, the cinematography and the acting all reflect the brilliance of the film. "The Blind Side" does no such thing. Nor does "Avatar." Making a ton of money at the box office doesn't mean a movie is worthy of an Oscar, when considering the criteria mentioned before. It simply means the movie was appealing to a wide range of ages and demographics.

I'm disappointed. I had hoped the Oscars would be good editors and choose just five of the films that represented the quality and prestige that an Academy Award has always represented (except that year "Crash" won. What was that?).

My choices would have been: The Hurt Locker, An Education, Inglourious Basterds, Precious, Up in the Air.