THE GOLD STANDARD

摘要

When looking back at the movie releases from this past year, there's one thing that's certain: The box office sure is unpredictable. Some highly anticipated films failed to live up to their hype; some features seemingly emerged out of nowhere and took theaters by storm. Just what makes audiences fall in love with a film? Or give it a cold shoulder? If there were a true formula for predicting a film's success - stars versus unknowns, sequels versus original plots, so-called chick flicks versus action movies, visual effects versus dramatic story, real-life tales versus fantasy -Hollywood would have bottled it up for sale long ago. Indeed, certain attributes can help a film's chances with voters and audiences. But then again, there are always exceptions to the rule, and during Oscar time, those exceptions can win gold.