Oscar Algorithm

Guest: Gabriel Rossman, PhD, Associate Professor of Sociology, UCLA When Hollywood gathers to honor itself at the Academy Awards this coming Sunday, the most successful films of 2017 will be conspicuously absent. “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” “Beauty and the Beast” and “Wonder Woman” were the year’s biggest hits based on US ticket sales, so why aren’t they in the running for best picture? UCLA sociologist Gabriel Rossman has developed an algorithm to explain – and predict – which films will get an Oscar nomination. Spoiler alert – you gotta be a serious film if you hope to win the big prize.